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building a very custom exhaust

adamforsythe

adamforsythe

1/2 ton status
Joined
Oct 16, 2004
Posts
1,394
Reaction score
1
Location
Maine
Hello,
Please tell me what kind of $h!T I am getting my self into. After getting pulled out of a swamp my a bulldozer :o. My stock exhaust is not in very good shape. The exhaust is busted right where the Y pipe meets up with the cat and a few other places are shot so the truck is loud as hell. I am going to buy a new cat and a SUV 50 series flowmaster muffler. I am very hands on with my k5 I love this truck I don't want anyone touching her. So I am thinking about buying some exaust pipe from VIP and getting my friends welder and going to town on some pipe. I think the only problems I am going to have is right where the exhaust meets up with the rear axle. So I will have the local exhaust center bend me a pipe.
What do you guys think?
Thanks
Adam
 
I'd go with a 40 series muffler, I have one and it's hardly noticeable on the highway. I had a 50 series in my DD for a while and frankly it didn't even sound like a performance exhaust. If you're a decent welder you can pull it off as long as you know to make hangers so the pipes aren't welded to the frame or some dumb thing.
 
Hello,
How is the 40 series around town? I want something that will turn heads. Hell before my exhaust started to go when ever I would go into town these little civics would come up to the side of me at a red light and want to race. So that should give you an idea how the truck sounded about 4 months ago with a stock exhaust. I am going to buy hangers. I know you should not weld the hangers. Hell I don't want to weld the exaust together but I know I need to to make sure there are no leaks.
Thanks
ADam

mikey_d05 said:
I'd go with a 40 series muffler, I have one and it's hardly noticeable on the highway. I had a 50 series in my DD for a while and frankly it didn't even sound like a performance exhaust. If you're a decent welder you can pull it off as long as you know to make hangers so the pipes aren't welded to the frame or some dumb thing.
Click to expand...
 
40s are loud. My Suburban is headers to dual flowmaster 40s that just turn out and dump out the sides. It turns heads half a mile away. I had a 95 pickup that i replace Y pipe back. I ran a flowmaster 40 for a while. That was LOUD, but I like my beasts loud. It turned heads big time. I put a cat between the y pipe and muffler. Quieted it down but not a whole heck of a lot. I put tailpipes on it when I sold it, much quieter. I hear it go by sometimes, it sounds great. For a daily driver its about perfect.
 
Ive got dual 40's out the side 45* in front of the tires and its rather quite til about 2100rpm, which is kinda nice, gives it that top end growl. Not as loud as I expected but Ive got muchbetter throttle response. Sometimes I swear it sounds like the noise you get blowing over the top of a bottle.
 
Hello,
I am young so I want a loud truck. But I want to be able to talk inside the truck. The set up I will have is going to be just like the stock exhaust it has now (I.E. cat, muffler, tail pipe, etc ). There is one thing I really want. When I kick in that 4 Barrel I want it to be loud as hell. Then when I let off from the gas I want the truck to growl going down the road.
I am about to say screw it and go with 40 series.
Thanks
Adam
 
Any other pointers? I know heat is my friend when it comes to the y-pipe.

One other thing if any of you have a Y-pipe that will fit a 1985 K5 Blazer (350 4-bolt, TH350 tranny) please shoot me a e-mail: [email protected]
Thanks
Adam
 
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AkMudr said:
Ive got dual 40's out the side 45* in front of the tires and its rather quite til about 2100rpm, which is kinda nice, gives it that top end growl. Not as loud as I expected but Ive got muchbetter throttle response. Sometimes I swear it sounds like the noise you get blowing over the top of a bottle.
Click to expand...
How big is your exhaust? I am thinking of running 2.5". Should I go 3"? Will 3" work on stock Manifolds?
Thanks
Adam
 
I made a dual exhaust for my truck out of a kit of pre bent pipe. Summit has them. Real easy, just takes a while to do. I bought mine new in the box off of Ebay.

Hooker makes a set small bends that is sweet for going over your crossmember if you have long tube headers.

Someone told me once that if you have stock manifolds or short headers the front pipes off of a diesel Blazer work out well for making a custom dual exhaust. I'm not sure if it is true, but worth looking into.

Mine is 2.25" with 40 series and I think it is too loud. Kind of annoying when you're hung over or tired driving to work in the morning. 2.5" or even 3" seems way too big to me.

-Chris
 
As someone that welds a lot I didn't do my exhaust. It sucks when you have to weld above yourself and you get a few sparks down your shirt. Unless you have a lot of welding experience and axcess to a lift I wouldn't attempt it. Plus, shops don't charge all that much really.
 
The 40 series is great around town, it growls at city speeds and if you decide to get loud just put it in second and it commands attention like you wouldn't believe. And if that's not aggressive enough for you, run an electric exhaust cutout like I do just for scaring the **** outta people :D Sounds like a demo car on steroids. I figured it would just make the ricers embarrass my slow truck more but I've actually had one or two back down after I opened it. Maybe they're dumb enough to think I actually have something worthy of a drag race in there.
 
My thoughts exactly!!

I hate doing exhaust work too!--although I have made my share of exhaust systems,from the manifold studs back out of those pre bent elbows and straight pipe they sell at places like auto zone--I made duals by cutting the y-pipe up on quite a few gm trucks too-the diesel pipes will work,but they do list years that had factory duals in the catologs(73-87 pretty much the same for the pipes right off the manifolds)-
I used to run straight pipes out the back under the bumper-if you have stiff springs in the rear or a lift kit,you need not worry about bends in the tailpipes where they go over the axle,just hang them close to the frame and they wont ever touch the axle--- you can buy kits like Sickquaid mentioned for about a hundred buck from Jegs or Summit,and add the muffler of your choice!...its much easier,without a lift to work under(or even with one!)welding under a vehicle sucks,and its not as easy as it looks to get a weld 360 degrees around a peice of pipe...
Out of all the work of swapping a motor,I hate dealing with the exhaust the most--its the last thing to do before you can drive the vehicle,and after spending hours getting to that point,I just want it to be over!!:crazy:

Another note--I used a single exhaust on my 79 C10,the stock 6 cylinder system,coupled to an 86 305 with the y-pipe from the van it came out of (slightly modified to fit the puckup)and I swear it has more power and torque than it did with dual exhaust in the van it was in!!--might just be me---:dunno: :dunno: maybe small CID motors LIKE to be restricted some??..just seems a lot "peppier" than the van was,and they both weighed about the same..:confused:
 
rjfguitar said:
As someone that welds a lot I didn't do my exhaust. It sucks when you have to weld above yourself and you get a few sparks down your shirt. Unless you have a lot of welding experience and axcess to a lift I wouldn't attempt it. Plus, shops don't charge all that much really.
Click to expand...


I would suggest looking at Summit (or wherever) for "sections" of exhaust. I know I've seen them in the catalogs....bend, curves, flared ends, straight sections, etc.

Bobby has a point about welding upside down....it hurts, and it's hard to do. That doesn't mean it can't be done. It you REALLY want to do the whole thing yourself, mock it up in the truck with a few tack welds, then unbolt it and do all the final welding on the ground where you can reach it easily.

ALSO -> Do the smart thing, design the exhaust to come apart in a couple of pieces (especially around the tranny, xfer case area) so that you can pull those components when the time comes without having to cut the exhaust apart to do it.... a little planning now will make things a lot easier and more pleasant later on.


:cool1:
 
Hello,
VIP (One of the local auto stores) has a lot of pre-bent tubing that I will look at. I am going to order the cat, and muffler when I get home. Then I will look at how I am going to do this. I have a pretty good idea. I don't mind getting burnt while welding.
Thanks
Adam

Greg72 said:
I would suggest looking at Summit (or wherever) for "sections" of exhaust. I know I've seen them in the catalogs....bend, curves, flared ends, straight sections, etc.

Bobby has a point about welding upside down....it hurts, and it's hard to do. That doesn't mean it can't be done. It you REALLY want to do the whole thing yourself, mock it up in the truck with a few tack welds, then unbolt it and do all the final welding on the ground where you can reach it easily.

ALSO -> Do the smart thing, design the exhaust to come apart in a couple of pieces (especially around the tranny, xfer case area) so that you can pull those components when the time comes without having to cut the exhaust apart to do it.... a little planning now will make things a lot easier and more pleasant later on.


:cool1:
Click to expand...
 
Oh yes, I almost forgot....


If you really wheel hard, and/or have a lot of frame flex, you might want to incorporate a couple of those "braided looking" flex tube exhaust sections into your design too....

If your truck is flexing, but your exhaust CAN'T....you are putting a lot of stress on the manifolds/headers, and you're guaranteed to crack them eventually.
 
Exhaust isn't that difficult. Just put it up there, weld it a little bit, let the welds cool, pull it down and finish weld on the ground. Why make it harder than it has to be?
 
Never do your own exhaust

I have always found that by the time you end up buying everything you'll need for any exhaust work, it will end up costing the same as traking it to a shop. That's not including bruised knuckles, burned skin and an aching back.

Let somebody else do your exhaust work. They have the experience and all the tools to do it right, plus you'll usually get a warranty.
 
diesel4me said:
Another note--I used a single exhaust on my 79 C10,the stock 6 cylinder system,coupled to an 86 305 with the y-pipe from the van it came out of (slightly modified to fit the puckup)and I swear it has more power and torque than it did with dual exhaust in the van it was in!!--might just be me---:dunno: :dunno: maybe small CID motors LIKE to be restricted some??..just seems a lot "peppier" than the van was,and they both weighed about the same..:confused:
Click to expand...

Big exhaust only helps you on the top end and sometimes in the middle. For low-end grunt, a smaller exhaust is usually better, especially on a stock engine.
 
Hello,
That is a good idea.
I will look into flex tubs. Can I buy them at summit?
Thanks
Adam

Greg72 said:
Oh yes, I almost forgot....


If you really wheel hard, and/or have a lot of frame flex, you might want to incorporate a couple of those "braided looking" flex tube exhaust sections into your design too....

If your truck is flexing, but your exhaust CAN'T....you are putting a lot of stress on the manifolds/headers, and you're guaranteed to crack them eventually.
Click to expand...
 
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