Exhaust questions

[94gtfreak]

I am getting ready to do my clutch swap and I figured what the heck, do an exhaust. I have a set of fox shorty headers and a summit o/r h pipe. Now my question is which header bolts and gaskets are the best bang for the buck? I am on a budget and money is kinda tight! I am also wondering if running the above set up with my 2 1/2" tail pipes and no mufflers is a major problem?

Thanks
Chris

 

[turbogt]

It's gonna sound like a farm truck without mufflers..


Felpro 1415 (IIRC) gasket is the way to go..

 

[94gtfreak]

It's gotta be better than it is now. I have the stock manifolds running into the first set of factory cats and that's it. Doesn't really sound bad but just to darn loud.

 

[divit250r]

It's gotta be better than it is now. I have the stock manifolds running into the first set of factory cats and that's it. Doesn't really sound bad but just to darn loud.

An offroad pipe and no mufflers will be louder than anything that has cats... just fyi.

Scott

 

[nmcgrawj]

Yea another vote not to take off the mufflers....it will be a night and day difference with just an offroad pipe. Taking off the mufflers just isnt right.....it isnt right i tell ya!

 

[94gtfreak]

Well then I guess that I'm on the search for mufflers!!!!! lol!

 

[drakesdad]

Well then I guess that I'm on the search for mufflers!!!!! lol!

Don't buy cheap mufflers........if money is tight hold off on swapping the stock hpipe...it sounds good with straight pipes and the 4 cats help.......but restrict.....you don't want to buy cheap mufflers and regret it when you here flows or magna, or borla.......so spend your money once..........JMO...but as said above don't run the OR with straight pipes......

 

[turbogt]

The cats act as mufflers.. Running an O/R pipe is the same as running open headers..It is stupid loud and sounds like ****... Wait till you have the funds to do it right..

****, I just gave a friend of mine a BBK offroad H and Flowmaster catback for $175.. look around for a deal..

 

[hollywoodstang]

BETTER BUY SOME LOCKING HEADER BOLTS!!! I had bolts that came with headers and i only have 3 or 4 of them left on. it all fell off some where!!!rattled off!!! LMAO. I got some stage head 8 bolts so it's been working good so far. but it is pain in the butt to take off when you want to take the headers off. PERCY'S came out with some cool header bolts so i am going to try those this time.

As far as mufflers...do't take it off. haha

 

[StinkinLincoln]

i have a magnaflow catback for sale, but they are brand new, and it wouldnt fit your tight budget im sure.

 

[final5-0]

About those missing header bolts

hollywoodstang tells it like it is

Same thing happened to me many years ago

I noticed a noise from under the hood and found a lot of the header
bolts were no longer there

Here is a thought or two based on what I've seen over the years

If you think about it

The header flange & bolt ... heats ... then ... cools ... over and over

That sets up a conditon for the bolt to back out

Another thing that makes for loosing header bolts is if the exhaust
system is not secure and moves around

BUT ... The one thing that really stands out is .........
the bolt has a flat surface that seats up next to the header flange
which also has a flat surface.

There is nothing to lock the two together

I saw you say ... you were bucks down

Here is an alternative locking method to the Stage 8 bolts

I quickly Googled the Stage 8 bolts
I found a price range of 17 to 26 bucks

How does 10 to 25% of that price sound

One other thing that is important is ..........
the amount of bolt that is used to hold the header flange in place

The length of the bolt should be just shy of bottoming out in the head :Word:

You can stick a small screw driver in the hole and mark it next to the
header flange to obtain the correct depth and length of bolt needed

Now about those three washers above

Left is a common cheap lock washer

Center is stainless steel found at a nut & bolt supply house

Right is a cheap star locking washer

Stainless Steel is my prefered of all three
but
It is the thickest of them all
therefore
It might cause you to need longer bolts

The star washer is thin and my next favorite of all three choices
but
It usually falls apart on removal ... but ... it only cost a penny or two

I've never used the left example of lock washers
simply because
Notice the amount of material between the hole and outer surface

It is too thick for some of the inside bolts
therefore
It won't seat flat against the header flange

Well ... There you have it

Simple stuff ... No doubt about it
but
Many a guy has cried
when
He had a bolt too short
and
Pulled out the soft threads

In his brand new, shiny, high dollar, go fast Aluminun heads

Grady

 

[94gtfreak]

i have a magnaflow catback for sale, but they are brand new, and it wouldnt fit your tight budget im sure.

Unfortunetly probly not.

Final5-0.......WOW!! I am definetly gonna have to try that first!! I remember when I first got the car it was missing a bolt on the drivers side header, so I stopped at advanced auto picked up a bolt and washer, 9 months later still on! But I dont trust it!

Thanks for all the helpful tips everyone! This is my first (of hopefully many) Stangs and I like to do stuff right the first time. So once again, THANK GOD 4
:SNSign:

Chris

 

[Adam95GT]

not sure if they are still doing it... i got my flowmaster 40 set up for $217 shipped from performancepeddler.com with code "ebay"

 

[Venom351R]

The best exhaust Ive had is a loud muffler w/ a catted X pipe. Im running Magnapacks and w/ out cats they are insanely loud but w/ cats they sound f'ing mean!