Project update: 3inch exhaust?

Fist off... hello "newbies", there seems to be quite a few since i've last been on here on a regular basis.
Shouts out to 89IROC, apparently we both have been gone for some time.

The Car
running good, strong as hell. tranny shifts really quick. was playin around with turbo WRX and turbo Evo one night, was neck and neck with both from 20mph up to somewhere around 115mph. Don't be diasappointed, that is only temporary. As soon as I get my new exhaust on there, few cars will be able to keep up. I still have the tiny ass V6 exhaust and y-pipe on there. I estimate 260-280hp right now. after the new exhaust and tune, 360-420hp.

Still haven't done a whole lot since last update, 2 jobs and upper level computer science classes are eatin up all my time.... and social life for that matter.

Just bought TCI throttle valve (click) (http://www.powerandperformancenews.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TC&Product_Code=374400&Category_Code=VB) to increase my top speed. Next on list TCI 2200stall converter (or transbrake, if I can find one), control arms (wheel hop is tremendous right now), subframe connectors, and posi-trac differential.

Those of you who have 3" exhaust systems, tell me what your setup is like. All I could find was a catback from SLP and it was $500. not interested in that, I need full exhaust system. I'm planning on custom making a 3" mandrel bent system by buying the pre-bent pipe from summit or classictube.com and cutting/welding them myself. There are pics of the design below. And this is going to cost a lot less than $500. I already bought the flowmaster super 40 series muffler (pic below).

Don't know where the paint is going yet. I printed out some pics of my car and I got some colored pencils to design the paint scheme Chip Foose style. we'll see how that turns out.

I would have videos but my sister has my digital camera 120miles away. I'll post some next week. That's all for now.

WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE THIS TIME LAST YEAR
http://bengal.missouri.edu/~klm217/update/bought.jpg

SUPER 40 SERIES MUFFLER - 3"IN / 2.5" DUAL OUT
http://bengal.missouri.edu/~klm217/update/flowmaster.jpg
http://bengal.missouri.edu/~klm217/update/3inch.jpg
http://bengal.missouri.edu/~klm217/update/2andHalf.jpg

THE DESIGN
http://bengal.missouri.edu/~klm217/update/layout.jpg
http://bengal.missouri.edu/~klm217/update/layout2.jpg

Definately go 3". My magnaflow LT1 catback (will bolt up fine to a 3rd gen with just some minor modifications) cost me $320. If you want performance you don't really want flowmaster, sorry to break it to you... they sacrifice performance for sound which is fine with some people but not cool with me. Aside from that, you pretty much wanna come from teh y-pipe to the cat if you're keeping one, then a S-type bend to get the exhaust in the driveshaft tunnel, run it straight back there, then over the rear pretty much how it's layed out there. Really follow the same path as the stock system.

good luck

the design I made does follow the factory routing. flowmaster performance just depends on which muffler you go with. the camaro/firebird muffler (which I have installed right now) is so so on performance. but you can get race mufflers and one chambers that are low-no restriction. just depends on what you buy. the one in the pic is a 2-chamber super 40, not the crossflow camaro/firebird muffler. it will perform well without being ridculously loud. but loud enough to scare ricers... haha.

I'll look at the maganflow catback...I'm not puttin a cat on though.

Do you already have headers? Long tubes? On my car a custom 2.5" y pipe was fabed up(thats what it looks like anyways) and then its 3" from the y back. The car has what i think is probably an 80's series flowmaster. Its real quiet. I need to fix that...... But I want long tubes!

Maybe you have posted it before but what are the detailed specs of your engine? Type of crank, year of block etc....

Headeam headers (shorties), (1979) 350 block stock internals, vortec heads, Edelbrock performer rpm vortec intake, comp cams 268 cam, edlebrock 750cfm carb, high volume oil/water pump.

no cat, good to hear... at least you know what you're doing with the flowmasters, i hate when people go "but their name is flowmaster! it has to be the best flowing!"

as long as you follow the stock path you should be good to go

sounds like a solid plan, although i think the 100hp increase from an exhaust and tuneup is a bit optamistic. although if anything you went concervative on the current power with that setup, id say youre pushin at least 300hp right now.

my two cents on the exhaust, which wont effect performance, but im a sucker for symitry, so i like the 80 series muffler that has a pipe on both sides of the car, but to each his or her own.

now for the rational side, you say youre not running a cat, we all know my view on that so i wont use the soap box, but as a suggestion, make sure strait pipe A has a flange in the right spot to use the exhaust hanger off the transmission tailshaft, otherwise its going to sag in that long stretch from the headers to the rear hangers, and your exhaust will hit every speed bump you pass over. which tends to put a big hole in it.

sorry but I have to call BS on that, the pipe will hold itself up just fine. I actually took that hanger off since it weighs about 10 lbs... havent hit on anything, and i go thru shitty NJ raods every day. Whter I have my cat or my bullet muffler on replacing it (have flanges so theyre interchangeable), same thing.

I think u can actually have some of the pipes bent a little so they are oval in shape to gain some clearence..

Also why no try installing two 3inch 40 series mufflers with a second y pipe and 4 2.5 inch pipes out. That should make it real deep, but not to annoying?

That would be a lot of extra work and money, and i dont see it being worth that extra bit

Why Dont You Go With The (80)flowmaster Muffler That Is Set Up For A Camaro. You Also Have The Dual Look On Each Side Rather Then Two Pipes On The Same Side.

Flow issues

go twin 40ies, like bimmer people do

my exhaust sag may have been due to the fact that none of my pipes are welded. just pipe clamps all the way round. but i definatly had the sag on the IROC, i had to take the trans mount off my RS and put it on the IROC to pull the exhaust back up and away from the asphault. and um... maybe you arent sure what im talking about, cuz it might weigh half a pount at most, no where near 10 lbs.

What Do You Mean Flow Issues.

my exhaust sag may have been due to the fact that none of my pipes are welded. just pipe clamps all the way round. but i definatly had the sag on the IROC, i had to take the trans mount off my RS and put it on the IROC to pull the exhaust back up and away from the asphault. and um... maybe you arent sure what im talking about, cuz it might weigh half a pount at most, no where near 10 lbs.


Well I am after all talking about a 4th gen... and my cat is flanged on, and my catback is clamped as well.

here's pics of mine...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/MoPMoonchild/teh8.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/MoPMoonchild/teh3.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/MoPMoonchild/teh7.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/MoPMoonchild/teh5.jpg

the original plan was a custom 2.5" true dual setup, both pipes following the factory route. then twin flowmaster one-chambers out back, becuase they are small enogh to fit 2 of them. it could be done, but two sets of mandrel bent 2.5" pipe cost a lot more than one set. secondly I would have to buy 2 mufflers. everything is double the cost essentially. so I decided against any kind of dual setup. especially considering a 2.5 dual exhaust has no real benefit over a 3" exhaust system. so i came up with this current plan.

80 series flowmaster is too quite and not the perfomance i want. super 40 series is just right. super 40's don't come with outs on both sides. also I don't really care about symmetry because my exhaust will not be visible from the rear. I don't like that look. The dumps/turndowns are going to happen before the rear bumper. if I get exhaust fumes in the interior, I'l just fab a little blocking plate (already thouht of it). when I get it inspected I can switch the turndowns for longer pipes that come past the bumper, because those won't be welded.

but that won't matter so much anyway, cause I'll probably have to pay them under the table like before, because I will not have a cat or any emissions equipment.

[QUOTE=89IROC&RS] sounds like a solid plan, although i think the 100hp increase from an exhaust and tuneup is a bit optamistic...QUOTE]
an 800hp engine breathin thru a 1" exhaust still is only capable of around 200hp. this engine is built to get to 400hp, and trust me it will happen, the exhaust (and tune) in the only thing holding it back.

also without tranny exhaust hanger, the headers a lot more likely to break at the welds and flanges which causes exhaust leaks. they're not made to support additional weight. i'm already planning on using the hanger.

80 series is as quiet as flowmaster makes isnt it? I have a flowmaster muffler and its very quiet especially when compared to the 40 that was on my 89. Are there really flow issues with the design that most companies make for f-body's? Or is it just flowmaster?

just blowmaster

i still haven't heard from anyone who has a 3inch system, does anybody have one... from the headers back?

i have a 3 inch system, flowmaster. its all custom tho, it wasnt outta the box stuff. and its mean, sounds sweet. actually it might be bigger then 3 inch, ill take pics the ppes look huge

I have stock manifolds/ypipe, 3" cat (3" bullet muffler instead when i want), 3" magnaflow catback... and I believe Mr. Luos have long tubes to a 3" magnaflow catback as well... FormulaLT1 has midlengths, no cats, 3" hooker catback... lots of people have em