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New (custom) exhaust for my SS...


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Hey guys...

 

First off...Merry X-mas (eve), happy holidays!

 

Wanted to post pics of my new exhaust. I didn't plan on doing a catback on this truck, but I had an unused Magnaflow muffler laying around from an old project, and realized that for $75 for another matching muffler, I could get a few ponies, and a great sound out of my 6.0...

 

I used two Magnaflow mufflers (2.5" offset in / 2.5" center out - p/n 12256), an H-pipe before the mufflers, modified the stock Y-pipe, and the rear piping and tip.

 

(I did all this in my garage with a Lincoln 135 wire-feed welder, flux core wire...so excuse the semi-sloppy welds on a few of the pipes..and they look even more funky b/c I hit them with high-temp, shiny AL paint)

 

I wanted to keep it cheap, so I settled on a homemade H-pipe, rather than make a more complicated Y.

 

Started by cutting off the stock muffler,and put in the H-pipe:

 

hpipe.jpg

 

Then welded on the 2 mufflers:

 

mufflers.jpg

 

I drove it like this for a day, with just dumps after the muffler...and hated it. Noticeable loss in low end, and bad resonance in the cab at idle and up to ~2000rpm... Sounder GREAT at WOT, but too loud for my tastes (it really wasn't that bad, but I wanted quiet, with just a little more rumble than stock)...

 

So I took the stock Y-pipe and made it a more "true" Y...for better flow, better merging of the exhaust gas. Welded that to the muffler exit, made a 3" intermediate pipe to connect it to the stock rear piping:

 

new_ypipe.jpg

 

The low end grunt was back, and the sound better IMO...

 

I wanted the tip to sit a little higher, so I bent the hanger up a little, to make it sit a little closer to the body:

 

exhaust_tip.jpg

 

And finally, and outside shot:

 

tip.jpg

 

- - - - -

 

Impressions:

 

Awesome sound. Deep and mellow, maybe a little resonance between 1500-1800rpm...but a great rumble at idle, and it seems quicker in the higher RPMs (?).

 

Overall, I'm really happy with the outcome, sound and performance.

 

This is a great mod for these trucks IMO (and even better for the $75 I have invested in it)...although it did take ~5hrs of playing around / cutting / welding to get it *just right*.

 

Anyway, have a good holiday...

 

- Brian

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Great post.

 

I installed my headers and built custom front pipes that merged into the stock muffler last year. I did this in my driveway with a flux core welder. I feel your pain. I really need to get the gas add-on for it and get off the flux.

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...did this in my driveway with a flux core welder.  I feel your pain.  I really need to get the gas add-on for it  and get off the flux.

 

Hehehe...me too.

 

My welder came with the gas kit (reg, hoses, etc...), but I have yet to buy a bottle for it!!!

 

It does the job, but it's not pretty.

 

Thanks for the compliments...

 

- Brian

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I had some good gains. I replaced the front pipes at the same time. I didn't put the cats back on. It made the stock muffler sound real good. I had more compliments with that setup than I have with my flo-pro muffler I have now. I didn't gain much with the flopro over the stocker.

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A few thoughts, after putting ~400 miles aon the truck after putting on the exhaust:

 

Power: Seems great...much improved on the top end (3000rpm and up). With the stock tailpipe, the low end feels the same (much better than with the dumps)...

 

Gas mileage: Same style driving, I saw a 1mpg improvement (50% city, 50% highway @ 80-85mph = ~14.2mpg now)

 

Noise: Sounds AWESOME at startup and idle...nice and deep tone. Drones a little as you start off, until ~2100rpm...then it's barely louder than stock. Once I hit ~55-60mph, it's bad once it shifts to 4th - Lots of resonance in the cab. If I drop it into 3rd and bump the RPM over 2100, it's quiet again.

 

That's my only complaint - A little annoying resonance in the low RPMs. Other than that, it's GREAT.

 

- - - - -

 

So that brings me to a question: Has any one else noticed their exhaust has "broken in" and quieted down a little? Mine was more loud for the first few drives, now it sems to have mellowed out and gotten "smoother" now...

 

I know that mufflers burn off some of the outer sound deadening material, I assume this change is related to that...

 

Any input is appreciated...

 

- Brian

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