RebekahsZ Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 One bbbbbillion and counting! I got up at 6 and had my latest "adjustment" to the welder by 7 and got to work at 8. Gonna make another "final" adjustment tonight and take it to welder in the morning. Honestly, it has been something that I have been kind of constantly fiddling with. I still have lots to do before it is finished. I'm really missing my open exhaust right off the headers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Do you now have an idea of the difference between a muffler shop exhaust and a race exhaust? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 Actually, I feel very much the idiot for being so self-righteous about having to have a Burns Stainless merge collector and mandrel bends (as if this system has any scavaging tendencies-hardeehar). There's probably enough drop-thru at everyone of these junctions to render the system super inefficient. I'd probably be ahead performance-wise to have had the pinch-down style bends from the muffler shop at the trade off for fewer welds. I have to keep in perspective that the reason why I'm being to persnickity about fit is to gain ground clearance and easy servicing of the system. My old L24 single exhaust system was a real ground-scraper. This should be better, but it is truly just exhaust ROUTING, and not a performance-oriented system anymore. The tubing for the cutout system arrived today, so hopefully I can finish the main system this week and start on the fender-exits this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 That exhaust looks killer. I wouldn't worry about the drop-thru that much, it's usually not more than the wall thickness of the pipe or it REALLY drops through and looks like crap on the outside too. (I mean to say that the drop-thru is not usually more than wall thickness X2) The air near the outer walls of the pipe doesn't move nearly as fast as the air in the middle, so you are very likely just fine on the welding bit. A few years of carbon inside, and a few good hot highway blasts will burn off all the little whiskers and burrs inside, leaving a reasonably smooth bead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdantonio Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 (edited) For what its worth i agree with xnke and johnc. ...and its All relative on price and time if in the end it's what you envisioned and makes you happy. Looks great and you did a great deal on your own from what I've read. I'm having bucks made to recast the OEM headlight covers and trim rings (in another thread here) which should be available in a month or two...we're all in the same boat...labor of love and all... Edited March 6, 2013 by Mdantonio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 A 1.5" 60 grit drum sander on a 6" extension to your air die grinder can get rid of most drop through as you're building the exhaust. Or you develop some TIG welding talent and don't drop through... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 Too late but I'm gonna clean up all that I can reach. Will try to be better on cutout portion since that is intended to be my power mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldAndyAndTheSea Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 looks awesome!! Can't wait to hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 (edited) Lets hope it doesnt sound like hiss and tick,tick,tick! Just picked up from welder for what I hope is the last welding on the main system. Will re-fit tonight and shoot a video if everything lines up. It seems to move so much on welding that I've had to make lots of adjustments even whey I thought all was well. Hoping to DRIVE it to a fabricator to have an extra muffler hangar welded in the area of the muffler tomorrow after work. Then I'm sending the headers to Nitro Plate to get shiney coating. They say it is a 2-week turn-around, so look for threads on my suspension mods that week while waiting on headers to return. Drag racing exhaust cutouts will have to wait until I get the first autocross behind me. Everybody cross your fingers that all these v-bands seal. Edited March 7, 2013 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) Exhaust is installed after driving car on 3" header dump tubes for a full year. The verdict: I hate it. My car is suddenly a royal POS! It used to have a loud exhaust, but was otherwise really well constructed with a super tight chassis. Now I find out that I have a noisy valvetrain, squeekie doors, a rattling rear hatch, noisy tires, a screaming cermic clutch, rattling camber plates and loose struts, chattering LSD... I want my noisy exhaust back! With the exhaust exiting in the stock location, I have fumes in the car just like a classic Z-car-I reek after a test drive! I miss my straight pipes!!!! Will start on electric cutouts (to get my life back in order) right after an autocross first weekend in April. Spending next 2 weeks on suspension while I send headers to Nitro Plate for shiney "ceramic." Gotta get some camber back in the rear or I'm gonna spin like a top! Gotta move my shift light from the steering column to the dash-with this thing so quiet, I'm gonna be over-reving like crazy! The Borla really sounds great at high rpm under accelleration load-just got to get used to all the squeeks and rattles. Thanks hybridz.org for all the advice! IMG_1236.MOV Edited March 7, 2013 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdantonio Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Exhaust is installed after driving car on 3" header dump tubes for a full year. The verdict: I hate it. My car is suddenly a royal POS! It used to have a loud exhaust, but was otherwise really well constructed with a super tight chassis. Now I find out that I have a noisy valvetrain, squeekie doors, a rattling rear hatch, noisy tires, a screaming cermic clutch, rattling camber plates and loose struts, chattering LSD... I want my noisy exhaust back! With the exhaust exiting in the stock location, I have fumes in the car just like a classic Z-car-I reek after a test drive! I miss my straight pipes!!!! Will start on electric cutouts (to get my life back in order) right after an autocross first weekend in April. Spending next 2 weeks on suspension while I send headers to Nitro Plate for shiney "ceramic." Gotta get some camber back in the rear or I'm gonna spin like a top! Gotta move my shift light from the steering column to the dash-with this thing so quiet, I'm gonna be over-reving like crazy! The Borla really sounds great at high rpm under accelleration load-just got to get used to all the squeeks and rattles. Thanks hybridz.org for all the advice! If you'll search the forums there are quite a few discussions in which the specific point sources of the exhaust are identified including solutions. I've been working over the last few years to pinpoint and eliminate those very same issues. There's a great deal of good info in these forums that you'll find useful to the end. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Install a bangin' stereo and crank it up. That will fix all the squeaks, rattles, etc. Otherwise, you're in the same boat as the rest of us - trying to make a 40+ year old car meet our current NVH expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 Bangin? I would expect something more akin to "groovy" or even "swell" from you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.