Axleback+muffler customization/fabrication questions

[kenamond]

My 3" turboback should arrive via FedEx today, and I want to replace the single-tip, round, straight-through muffler with a Magnaflow twin-tip and some 3.5" slant cut rolled-lip tips. I don't plan on going past 350hp anytime soon, so I'm not too concerned about adding some minor bends to get the tips located as perfectly as possible relative to the rear bumper cover (centered, firing straight-back, and closer to the cover (higher) than stock). I'm a perfectionist, so I want to do as much of the mods as possible myself (if you want something done right...), but I won't be able to weld it myself, so I have a few ideas and would like input from those of you with experience and/or knowledge that relates to this.

This is the eBay juicyjems G-Power 3" SS AWD turboback (2.5" from O2 to flex outlet, 3" thereafter). I've been told that the exhaust fires straight back, but I saw atleast one image that looked a bit angled back to the driver's side. Also, it looked like the exhaust came out a bit lower than I'd like. I want to nestle the twin tips as close to the bumper cover as possible, filling that gap that the stock setup has by quite a bit. Also, I'm not yet sure how long the shipped setup's muffler is, so I don't know exactly how much space I'll have front-back with the Magnaflow (HxWxL=5x8x14, 3" centered inlet, dual 2.5" outlet with 4" outlet center spacing). The bottom line is that I'll have to cut and paste, so to speak, to get the tips where I want them.

First question: How close can I get the tips to the bumper cover without a heat issue (discolor/blister paint, melt plastic)? The tips will stick out just as much as the bumper cover (If you look straight down, the tips will be flush with the fattest part of the cover...give or take half an inch or so), and the passenger-side tip will stick out farther than the other, just like stock so that the tips follow the bird's-eye profile of the cover. I'd prefer double-wall tips similar to the stock tips (makes the tip walls look thicker), so maybe that'd help with heat a bit more than a single wall tip.

Second question: Can I use clamps and exhaust couplers to hold the thing together while I'm cutting and pasting and maybe use wire to hold the thing up in lieu of welded hangers? I sure as hell don't want to lose $300 worth of muffler/exhaust/tips on the road driving 45 minutes to a muffler shop, but I'd like to be able to deliver it and say, "weld it so that it looks just like that".

Third question: Can I do all of the cutting with a hack saw, Dremel, die grinder and tin snips/shears? I don't have a band saw or other, more suitable metal cutting tools. If there is a cheap-ish tool that I shold buy, let me know; more tools is always a good thing.

Fourth questions : Would I be able to fabricate the hangers with a vice, hammer (rubber, plastic, metal, and/or sledge) and the above cutting tools? I've never shopped for hanger material; where do I get it? I have a decent set of tools. The toughest hanger might be the one on the back of the muffler; the stock hanger has a bracket welded to the back face of the muffler.

Fifth and final question: I've never done this before. Is this plan loco?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks for the help!

EDIT: I probably should've posted this in a different forum. Moderators feel free to move it.

 

[talonalex92]

You've obviously never driven it without a muffler.

Haha, god no kidding.

 

[kenamond]

You've obviously never driven it without a muffler.

I honestly think it might not be much louder. I set off a car alarm in that parking garage before work this morning. I drive like a grandma now just to keep the damned noise down. The "muffler" is 3" straight through with perforation in the first half of the internal pipe and solid the 2nd half. Muffler body diameter is maybe 7" and the tip is like 5". That's based on eyeballing it.

I ordered the Magnaflow last night from Summit racing (model 12198, 3" inlet, 2.5" dual outlet). Need to find a muffler shop that can weld SS and fab the rear muffler hanger bar.

Any suggestions for painting the Magnaflow? I'm thinking BBQ paint (it's unpolished stainless, and I think flat black with polished SS (or chrome) 3.5" twin tips would look very nice), but I'm not sure how well paint sticks to stainless or if you have to prime it with something...and what do you prime a muffler with that can withstand the heat and stick to SS?

Think I might go out to the garage now and bypass the MBC to see if I can limit boost to 12psi or something. WGA pressure is 9psi on my FPB28, but we'll see.

 

[DSMunknown]

I honestly think it might not be much louder. I set off a car alarm in that parking garage before work this morning. I drive like a grandma now just to keep the damned noise down. The "muffler" is 3" straight through with perforation in the first half of the internal pipe and solid the 2nd half. Muffler body diameter is maybe 7" and the tip is like 5". That's based on eyeballing it.

You've got it wrong, mi amigo. There's a world of difference. I road around with just my RRE 3 inch DP installed for two weeks before my Thermal installation (was waiting for my appointment for the shop to replace the neckdown). My ears would constantly ring after a drive - no lie. After a ride on the highway with the windows down... my ears... well, you get the idea.

You also have two resonators. I just have the muffler (with full 3 inch piping).

Maybe you could purchase a 40-50 dollar decibel meter and give us the before-n-after readings.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Nope, I agree, it's loud; but definitely not open DP loud. Mack, SAND the muffler. Trust me, I kind of effed up my new exhaust my painting straight on the ss (duh, should have known better).

Sand it with some 400 grit, put a couple of layers of primer down and then put a couple layers of black BBQ paint. Ironic how I tried to make a 4.5" exhaust tip "sleeper"

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[98GSXtreme07]

MAN! That exhaust looks sweet! I'm def. liking that paint! Great job! Sand paper on SS, kinda like nails and a chalkboard to some I bet! Anyway, kind of upsetting to hear that this exhaust is loud even with 2 resonators.

 

[kenamond]

I haven't even cruised on the highway with this thing yet (drove it to work 2 days, 3 mile round trip).

blcknSpo0ln: I'm painting the "natural" finish Magnaflow. So it's not polished. But if I use primer, what should I get that can stand the heat? The BBQ paint is for the heat, but if the primer chips off, what's the point? I'll probably wash the whole thing down with acetone before painting, but I'd like to have something that I know will last. Lots of vibration, rocks, moisture, etc.

 

[romeen]

I'm wondering about digging into the front of the motor next (before the Magnaflow). The oil leak is clearly visible in the installed DP image above.

I was going to mention something about that. Oil pan gasket?

And I still have to research what to do with the rear O2 now that I'm catless. Hasn't thrown a code yet.

One option is my solution starting in post 9 in this thread:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/252860-running-no-cat-leave-o2-not.html

 

[DSMunknown]

^ The exact thread I was thinking about. Exactly what I did with my catless system, and it's still working for me over 6 months later. Just used a twist tie I saved off an old bread bag and it has stayed in place.

 

[romeen]

Yeah, I wrapped mine in foil in summer 2006 and have never got a CEL for running catless.

 

[kenamond]

I was going to mention something about that. Oil pan gasket?

I doubt it. I'm getting a bit of oil on the t-belt (small amounts collect inside the upper timing cover and drip off of the lip between the upper and mid covers), which is what's scaring me. So I'm pretty sure it's inside the timing cover or maybe hidden under a cam gear. I have to look over some of the rebuild and seal tech articles again to know what all seals to change and how to tell where the leak is coming from. If you can convince me it's something else, that's perfectly okey dokey, too. I just want to know what the problem is so I can fix it rather than "fix" something else.

One option is my solution starting in post 9 in this thread:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/252860-running-no-cat-leave-o2-not.html

Thanks! I'll give it a read now. Still no CEL, so I'll probably not do anything about it until the CEL shows up.

Turned down the boost a few turns this evening. Hopefully the boost will come down. I'll find out tomorrow. If not, I'll loosen it all the way. If that doesn't work, I'll run a line straight from compressor to WGA. If that doesn't work, I'll disconnect the WG arm. If that doesn't work, I'll throw shit across the garage and break a few things

Driving home, I noticed how fast this thing spools now. At 4k and 0 boost, I tromped it and hit 15psi in under 0.25s Of course I immediately let off the gas or it'd hit 20psi (or more?)

And it's still loud as hell. I pretended to be an arrogant Harley owner for the ride home and it helped a bit At least I didn't set off any car alarms.

Oh, and the Magnaflow shipped today.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

I haven't even cruised on the highway with this thing yet (drove it to work 2 days, 3 mile round trip).

blcknSpo0ln: I'm painting the "natural" finish Magnaflow. So it's not polished. But if I use primer, what should I get that can stand the heat? The BBQ paint is for the heat, but if the primer chips off, what's the point? I'll probably wash the whole thing down with acetone before painting, but I'd like to have something that I know will last. Lots of vibration, rocks, moisture, etc.

To be honest, I couldn't see how a muffler can get over 250*F or maybe I'm just nuts. I've painted several exhausts with primer and have yet to have any to chip due to heat.

As for the CEL thing, if I don't have DSMLink 'not' monitoring that, my CEL goes off within half a minute of reseting the ECU.

 

[crimsondragon]

I haven't even cruised on the highway with this thing yet (drove it to work 2 days, 3 mile round trip).

blcknSpo0ln: I'm painting the "natural" finish Magnaflow. So it's not polished. But if I use primer, what should I get that can stand the heat? The BBQ paint is for the heat, but if the primer chips off, what's the point? I'll probably wash the whole thing down with acetone before painting, but I'd like to have something that I know will last. Lots of vibration, rocks, moisture, etc.

Powdercoating is a tough paint. Bonehead Performance has a variety of powdercoating options including high temperature paint.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Bonehead!?

try Liquid Powder Coats (fellow dsmer)

 

[kenamond]

Well, I held at 12psi this morning. Whew! I guess with a free-flowing exhaust, the WG doesn't have to open as far to hold the same boost as a stock exhaust (that's my hypothesis anyway). So I can do some pulls at 12psi and see what the timing curve, airflow, and O2v look like. Then I'll see if I can bring it back up to 15psi without any problems. What a relief!

As far as the muffler goes, I'll probably just see what primer they have at Autozone and the local hardware store, then put BBQ or some other satin or flat black on it. I don't want to have to send the muffler off to get it powdercoated nor do I want to spend that much on making it look black Need a quieter exhaust and cash for tips.

 

[ccso139]

And it's still loud as hell. I pretended to be an arrogant Harley owner for the ride home and it helped a bit At least I didn't set off any car alarms.

Oh, and the Magnaflow shipped today.

Ok, in the interest of helping you out to get used to the loud exhaust, I am thinking maybe a road trip to Ga. I got my exhaust in today, and since you are a professional at installing the same system now...... oh, yeah, but bring an alternator w/ u.

 

[kenamond]

Tip options:

AeroExhaust ST2535 2.5x3.5x9 SS slant-cut, double-wall: I've emailed them asking if it's weld-on and if I can buff the NASCAR logo off of the tip (I hate NASCAR...F1 baby!)
2.5 inlet 3.5 outlet performance tip, ST2535, Exhaust Systems

Magnaflow 35136 2.5x4x5" SS slant-cut, single-wall: It's shorter, but I don't know how it will fit with 4" spacing on the muffler's dual outlets.

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Aero Turbine 2.5x3.5x? SS slant-cut, double-wall: This is almost the same as the first but without the NASCAR crap but it is embossed differently.

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Borla 21020 2.5x3.5x9 SS slant-cut, intercooled: I like the 15° angle cut, and this looks like 45°, and the price is a bit steep.

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Borla 20233: I like this for some reason, but they don't sell those tips separately...get to pay for the pipe I'd have to cut off. And it kinda kills the sleeper look.

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Flowmaster 15365 2.5x4x7.5 SS slant-cut, double-wall: It's clamp-on, but I like it. Again, it's 4" outlet, so it might not fit on the muffler.

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And some of these tips report the inside diameter of the outlet, not the outside, so some of the 4" tips might be larger...which definitely won't fit.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Mr Peepers]

For painting the muffler, I highly recommend Rustoleum grill paint(BBQ black) and sandblasting the surface if possible. Otherwise I'm sure sand paper will work too.

Personally, I wouldn't try using primer. I haven't used primer on any of my WGA's and the paint stuck great with a sandblasted finish, and was durable as hell too. Oh, and it dries in less than half an hour, perfect for impatient people like me.

p.s. I like the top two tips, for the stock look.

 

[kenamond]

For painting the muffler, I highly recommend Rustoleum grill paint(BBQ black) and sandblasting the surface if possible. Otherwise I'm sure sand paper will work too.

Personally, I wouldn't try using primer. I haven't used primer on any of my WGA's and the paint stuck great with a sandblasted finish, and was durable as hell too. Oh, and it dries in less than half an hour, perfect for impatient people like me.

p.s. I like the top two tips, for the stock look.

The muffler is "natural" finish, so I'm hoping it has enough roughness to it. I'll find out today if the UPS tracking info is accurate. I like the very top tip (with just the link, no picture) the best, but the 3rd one might be just the same. Got a couple of contacts today for doing the welding. The local shop took a look and were like, "That's stainless...we can't do stainless." But he gave me the name of a guy who'd probably do it from home. He's a pro welder for "The Man" and is apparently as OCD as I am, so I'll have to call the guy and see.

 

[DSMunknown]

(I hate NASCAR...F1 baby!)

Good thing I'm not alone. Also included is Le Mans and just about everything else except the "N" word. :shutters:

 

[kenamond]

Muffler arrived today. Looks like I'd have to scuff up the body a bit. It looks like raw SS sheet stock, so it's fairly smooth (except at the welds). I wonder how clean I have to get the welds. I'll probably take a dremel and flapwheel to all of the welds to flatten the bumps out and get the slag remnants or whatever off.

It's still a straight-through muffler, so I wonder how much quieter/less droney it'll be. Called the welder guy but had to leave a message.

I found that if I turn up the stereo, the exhaust isn't so bad .

 

[kenamond]

Just ordered the AeroExhaust tips. Still need someone to weld it.

 

[Mr Peepers]

I found that if I turn up the stereo, the exhaust isn't so bad .

Exhaust hides the ticking/squeaking noises DSMs like to make

 

[kenamond]

Exhaust hides the ticking/squeaking noises DSMs like to make

Unfortunately (err..fortunately?), my car sounds perfect as far as ticking and squeking are concerned. But now my exhaust note is deafening.

Why the hell are we still awake?!

 

[Mr Peepers]

Unfortunately (err..fortunately?), my car sounds perfect as far as ticking and squeking are concerned. But now my exhaust note is deafening.

Why the hell are we still awake?!

I don't know!

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Mack,
How's the progress? I've been giving this some serious thought since you've brought it up with this thread. In your research, did you find any mufflers that already had the dual tips casted/welded on?