A Simple Exhaust Question...

[P72Ford]

Greetings. I am in the process of preparing to upgrade the exhaust on the red box, yet again. For those who don't know, the car currently has a 2 year old custom mandrel bent 2.5" cat back, with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers. The craftsmanship isn't the best, but it is okay.

I am planning on starting my exhaust revamp with these:

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=BBK%2D15110&N=700+115&autoview=sku

I want the ceramic coated ones, just because I do not want to look at "blued" chrome units. To me, it is worth the extra $100+.

I am going to retain my existing cat back for the time being, but everything from there forward (about 18" in front of the mufflers) will be new. The shop uses these cats:

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CTO%2D6006&N=700+4294867633+400320+4294891681+4294791975+4294791974+4294867630+115&autoview=sku

Any thoughts on the quality of these? I need to have the cats done because they are deader than dead, and with an emissions test coming in March, I do not want to be dealing with this in the late winter.

For some strange reason, I am having the desire to put cutouts on my car. Something like this, or comparable:

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=DOU%2DDEC250&N=700+115&autoview=sku

I do not intend to buy the cutouts now though, as I am just not that ambitious.

So, I am thinking of putting these in front of the cats, if there is room.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=WLK%2D88340&N=700+115&autoview=sku

Or, should I put them behind the cats? It will probably sound like a tractor with them in front of the cats. Are there any thoughts on this?

Also, seeing as I won't be putting the cutouts on right away, and leaving them in "manual" operation for a time, I would like to know if those "dumps" leak at the flanges at all. That would not be cool.

Also, I am open to suggestions that I should try on this setup, but there are a few necessities. I have to have cats, and I also want to have operational air tubes (just because I like to say everything is smog legal). beyond that, I am open to suggestions.

I was going to use an aftermarket Mustange catted X/H, but I have warned that it may not fit right. With sweat time, it will actually be cheaper for me to go custom bent. I was going to replace the whole exhaust usings Scott's system, but, I am just a Cheap Bastard. If the rest of my exhaust starts to deteriorate, I'll just have a new catback done. (I wanted to use Scott's setup so that I could replace exhaust parts myself, but...)

Leave me your thoughts, and advice if you have thoughts on the dumps/ cats/ header choice. Suggestions are goo too. My goal is not to have it done, and they say, "Shit, I wish I had..."

Thanks guys.

[P72Ford]

I found some pcis of the existing exhaust just to give you an idea of what is there.

Leading into the cat back.






Tails/ exit

[Tiggie]

IF you're concerned with the emissions, you might want to consider asking someone if cutouts are legal (I doubt they would be before the cats anyway). But I don't know what kind of emissions testing they do in your state.

The cats and headers seem like a good choice to me. Could you use a regular 5.0 header, or is there fitment issues using those with a 351W in a Panther?

[P72Ford]

IF you're concerned with the emissions, you might want to consider asking someone if cutouts are legal (I doubt they would be before the cats anyway). But I don't know what kind of emissions testing they do in your state.

The cats and headers seem like a good choice to me. Could you use a regular 5.0 header, or is there fitment issues using those with a 351W in a Panther?

Scott said he thought a regular 5L header might be a tight fit.

I don't think they'd bother me about the cutouts at emissions, but that is a thought. I will have to find out about that. Good point.

[packman]

What about spending the money on BBK 351W swap headers and a Mustang H-pipe? Or will that hang too low for you? Damn, $600 for electric cutouts.

You've probably seen my setup B4, but here it is again. I got the cutouts clamped to a bellowed pipe (header collector) that is flanged into the cat'd H-pipe. I couldn't stand the plates that came with the cutouts, so I got plumber's cut-offs (aka blastgates) for easier opening and closing of the pipes.





Packman

[gadget73]

Mustang H won't come close to lining up with the stuff behind the cats if its spaced anything like stock. With half an existing custom exhaust, its probably not going to be possible or practical to try and fit in off the shelf parts.

For the headers, I'm not sure how much its going to matter for your app. The 351 swap headers are designed so you can use a Mustang 5.0 H pipe with a 351 engine. Basically it just extends the collector down a bit and moves them inward toward the block to get the same spacing. If you're going custom, it probably won't really matter. There should be enough room back there without it, but without actually test fitting, its hard to say for sure.


Cutouts are probably illegal, but if you're gonna do it, I'd put them after the cats. They'll serve to muffle the sound a bit and smooth out the exhaust tone.

[P72Ford]

No Mustang H/X pipe. I have confirmed reports that it may not fit/ require modification. I do not intend to spend 400 on a front pipe, and then proceed to hack it up, when I can have the front pipes made with cats, with no sweat time, for 450.

Plus, like Thain said, using the Mustang H/X would basically rule out a simple connection to the existing exhaust.

Also, I believe I will be shelving the cutout idea; more than likely it will sound like a tractor regardless of placement (but especially in front of the cats).

I may be doing some work on this tonight; possibly order the parts tomorrow afternoon.

[88Vic]

I don't think my truck sounds like a tractor and I have no cat or muffler. It seems to me that if you were to get cutouts, you'd put them before the cats. Having headers and an H-pipe will tone the exhaust enough not to sound too bad. To me i'd want a dramatic difference when it's opened versus closed. I don't think mine sounds bad straight piped, and I have stock logs and only a stock y-pipe to tone the sound.

[P72Ford]

Totally open exhaust= tractor. Blatty and ear splitting anywhere above idle. It sounds okay on a race engine (and flatheads), but otherwise, I think it sounds hideous. This is my opinion. I probably would put the cutouts behind the cats if I used them, which I am not.

I don't have an h pipe on my car either.

[Freshmeat]

I don't think my truck sounds like a tractor and I have no cat or muffler. It seems to me that if you were to get cutouts, you'd put them before the cats. Having headers and an H-pipe will tone the exhaust enough not to sound too bad. To me i'd want a dramatic difference when it's opened versus closed. I don't think mine sounds bad straight piped, and I have stock logs and only a stock y-pipe to tone the sound.

So you pulled the stock Y-pipe and gutted the cats? Aren't there three cats from the manifolds just to the collection point?
Also, I ripped off my muffler when my wagon was stock and it wasn't loud at all. It was actually louder when I had the exhaust system rebuilt. The stock cats actually do a lot for the tone of the exhaust.

[88Vic]

My truck has a stock y-pipe and then the rest of the exhaust is a 3" single. It only came with one catalytic converter after the y-pipe that was rotting out anyways so I had a piece of pipe put in it's place. There are no cats on the downpipes.

Remember that my truck is a 95 so it's pre OBD-II and all that emissions BS. It didn't have an O2 sensor after the cat so I knew it'd be safe to remove it without a drop in mileage. I don't know about the 96+ trucks, they could have 3 cats for all I know.

[ss_mini14]

my wagon doesn't sound blatty or tractor like but i also left the cats on. my toyota on the other hand, souonds like two johnny poppers drag racing, it has a huge hole in the flex pipe before the cat...

[Brown_Muscle]

so what kind of downpipes from the headers to the cats are you gonna use and where you getting it? and where did you get the h-pipe from im interested in doing pretty much what you doing

[mrltd]

My truck has a stock y-pipe and then the rest of the exhaust is a 3" single. It only came with one catalytic converter after the y-pipe that was rotting out anyways so I had a piece of pipe put in it's place. There are no cats on the downpipes.

Remember that my truck is a 95 so it's pre OBD-II and all that emissions BS. It didn't have an O2 sensor after the cat so I knew it'd be safe to remove it without a drop in mileage. I don't know about the 96+ trucks, they could have 3 cats for all I know.

Just a FYI, the rear 02 sensor does not do anything but let the ECM know how the converter is functioning.

[packman]

Totally open exhaust= tractor. Blatty and ear splitting anywhere above idle. It sounds okay on a race engine (and flatheads), but otherwise, I think it sounds hideous. This is my opinion. I probably would put the cutouts behind the cats if I used them, which I am not.

I don't have an h pipe on my car either.

Two weeks later: where's the pics;vids:p??????



Packman