Side-exits off, SS tails and Violators back on

[Darkwriter77]

Couldn't stand the Uncle Jessie tow truck sound the Dynomax #17676 side-exits I'd rigged up a few weeks ago were making after the initial break-in period, and I wasn't happy with the funky curved-back tailpipe look, so I re-installed my old stainless steel Dynomax tailpipes and Pypes Violator mufflers again (in the parking lot of Autozone, heh).

It's a tad quieter, but the sound is more pleasant (I never hated the Violators' sound in the least, always loved it), and with the Jeg's off-road X-pipe that actually has tranny crossmember hangers (unlike the piece-o-crap UPR X-pipe I took off), I've got perfectly stock-level ground clearance. No more scrapes and dragging. Hardest part was getting everything to line up jussssssst right and leave enough wiggle room (about 1/2" minimum clearance everywhere) so I wouldn't be fighting rattles and thunks again. So far, so good. Gotta wait until morning 'till I can see whether I've got the tailpipes even and level, though - did everything in the dark by flashlight and blind feeling around.

Anyway, to the point, a quick tip to anyone purchasing a set of Pypes Violator mufflers and installing them on any other brand of cat-back (aside from Pypes' own cat-back, which is probably designed to fit betteR). YOU WILL need to chop about 1" off the end of your flow tubes (pipes between your X- or H-pipe and the mufflers) to avoid rubbing your tailpipes on the rear axle housing. The Violators are 2" longer than the OEM-fit and cat-back Dynomax Super Turbos, so the extra length pushes things back a tad too far for comfort - chopping 2" off your flow tubes is too much, though, as you'll wind up running into the minor bends of those pipes with your slip-in fitting of the mufflers.

I'd go through the hassle of posting video/audio clips again, but since its the same cat-back I had on before, the only difference between before and after is that it's exactly the same sound as it was with the UPR X-pipe, just louder (due to the lack of cats on my Jeg's X) and a tad more raspy. You definitely notice the hollow-can sound right away versus the dead-flat poppy-pop tone of the Super Turbos ... probably next to nothing for sound insulation material inside the Violators (just a straight-through tube with louvers notched into it) ... but there's still no drone, so I'm a happy camper.

 

[pypesexhaust]

Anyway, to the point, a quick tip to anyone purchasing a set of Pypes Violator mufflers and installing them on any other brand of cat-back (aside from Pypes' own cat-back, which is probably designed to fit betteR). YOU WILL need to chop about 1" off the end of your flow tubes (pipes between your X- or H-pipe and the mufflers) to avoid rubbing your tailpipes on the rear axle housing. The Violators are 2" longer than the OEM-fit and cat-back Dynomax Super Turbos, so the extra length pushes things back a tad too far for comfort .

Dark, i was the tech that talked to you last week about your situation. Just to clear things up..... The Violators are the same size as most other mufflers. It's the X-pipe that is a tad long. UPR has the same problem. ONLY catbacks that have 'welded-to-the-muffler flow tubes' will not fit so well without cutting the flow tubes. Most catbacks have separate flow tubes and therefore they can be slid an inch further into the mufflers for an excellent fit.

 

[Darkwriter77]

(FWIW, I don't remember talking with any techs from Pypes in recent history ... if ever, since I've never had a reason to do so. Perhaps you've got me confused with someone else. That, or my memory's shot. )

Gonna hafta disagree with you halfway on this one.

You see, measuring from end to end of the case and similarly of the total muffler length (including the inlet/outlet), the Violator muffs come out exactly 2" longer in total length than the Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers that I took off. Hell, I noticed it right away when I took the Violators out of the box and laid them on the ground next to the Super Turbos - they look huge by comparison, but the total length difference is, in fact, exactly TWO INCHES.

If you'd like a stats reference, visit the Dynomax website and look up the part number of the Super Turbo mufflers used in their cat-back systems for 5.0L Mustangs, and then see their dimensions listings for case size and total length. Then, compare those numbers with those of the Pypes Violators sold in 2.5" offset inlet/offset outlet, and you'll likely see those two inches the same way I saw mine ... unless the measurements have changed since I purchased my pair of Violators at WFC9 for $80 a pair, or if there's different sized muffs of that style available (perhaps a model-specific one used in the Pypes cat-back? I dunno.). IIRC, the case length was 14" for the Dynomax versus 16" for the Pypes muffs, hence the 2" difference (slip-in flanges were about the same size/length for both).

I won't disagree with you on the fact that the UPR X-pipe is ALSO an additional source of added length, because it is. That, combined with the longer mufflers equaled clearance problems for my tailpipes going over the rear axles, as they would rub against the front side of the axle housing, and they were laying almost all the way against my fuel lines coming out of the tank (had to protect the lines with some heat wrap to keep 'em from melting/burning the lines). The problem was lessened a bit when I switched out the UPR X-pipe with a Jeg's off-road X-pipe, but when I was test-fitting things into place, it was still too close for comfort, and my tailpipes were still sticking out almost 2" past the rear bumper; I trimmed 1" from the rear of both flow tubes, and when I put everything back up into place, it fit like a glove, and it doesn't look goofy with the rear tips sticking out so far, anymore.

Don't take the difference in sizes as me in any way knocking your product, as I totally LOVE these mufflers, and I've been plugging Pypes muffs every time I get to talking about Mustang exhausts with anyone. I just want folks to be aware that not all mufflers are created equal, measurementally speaking, and that they should take these size differences into account if they're bolting them onto an existing cat-back setup. I dunno if Dynomax tends to make their mufflers smaller than the norm, or if Pypes makes their Violators a tad longer than average, or both, but there's certainly a size difference going on, there, and it does affect fitment.

Again, I don't know if perhaps Pypes makes their flow tubes and/or tailpipes just a hair shorter to compensate for the longer Violator mufflers in their cat-backs, or if maybe they use a different muffler part number than that of the universals that I bought at WFC9 - or, another possibility, if Dynomax makes their flow tubes/tailpipes just a hair LONGER to compensate for their shorter mufflers - but whatever the case, there IS some trimming necessary to fit Violators onto a set of 2.5" Dynomax flow tubes/tailpipes.

 

[pypesexhaust]

Dark, I appologize. It was pretty late when I read this topic last night. I just talked with someone on Friday about a similar situation. However, now that I read your post, I realise there was no talk of the Dynomax mufflers in my conversation. The conversation centered around the Pypes X-pipe being a little too long and therefore pushing FLOWMASTER flow tubes, mufflers and tailpipes back too far. For now, the only solution is to cut the flow tubes away from the muffler and either shorten the flow tubes or expand them so they can slip over the mufflers therefore shortening the flow tubes by just enough.

If you bought the Violator mufflers at the WFC for $80/pr, then it is quite possible that you got the 1st version of the mufflers which were made by a different mfg for us. That may account for the slightly larger size. The old mufflers had no logo on them. The new mufflers have logos and are a 409 grade stainless as apposed to aluminized. For $80 though, I'm sure you agree, that was a good deal. We still have customers calling and asking if they can have the $80/pr deal.

 

[Darkwriter77]

Yeah, that's probably the case. The muffs I have don't look at all to be stainless, and the logo is just a little oval badge spot-welded onto the front of it, so yeah, probably the original version.

So, um, since they're no longer in production ... does that make my mufflers sort of a collector's item, now?

Either way, they still rock.

 

[pypesexhaust]

I guess you could look at it that way if you had them up on the wall of your basement. Sounds like you are putting them to better use.

 

[25thmustang]

Tailpipes look 10x better anyway, nice choice!