Side Pipes

[Jim Kellogg]

From my experience, most installers use the gaskets. A few use different gasket eliminator proucts as mentioned by Blas.

What mufflers are you going to use? Who is doing them for you?
I will have to replace mine this year or next, and am looking at different options....

Jim Kellogg
Breesport, NY

[Blas]

I've been concerned with the small area between the pipes as they pass thru the flange. I seen a few that have blown out between pipes allowing exhaust gasses to pass between them long before the collector area...Some people use a copper gasket, and some a sandwich of materials...

[ken swart]

I got stainless bolts(5/16-18 x 1.25 S/S ) , washers, and locking nuts (part # 70797, says S/S TOPLOCK 5/16-18 on the bag) at FASTENAL.
I just hung my pipes the 2nd time, and did it myself. I had the car on the floor to start, taped around the hole in the fender, laid rags in the hole, and used wood blocks to support the pipes. Put a couple of the easy to reach bolts in the header flange, put on the hitemp sealant( this on advice from Ward at SnakePower, he throws out the gaskets), and got the pipes in place and secure.
Then I put the front end up on stands so I could get to the harder to reach bolts by putting a socket on the bolts and using 24 inches of extension to reach through the hole. I wrapped the extension and socket with electrical tape to protect the pipes+paint.
You'll save alot of reaching and straining if you get a helper to lay under the car, I was sore for a while.

[mickmate]

Hey John leaks only occur where the exhaust system generates enough back pressure. Drainpipes that take baseballs don't fall into that category

[RonNichols]

I put together a couple sets of side pipes this last spring and tested them on the local dyno. The first set was a 3" x 22" Classic Chambered with a 7 degree transition from SPD Exhaust. I made the transition just slip inside the factory SPF collector such that when welded, looked like a standard SPF side pipe and it funneled the exhaust into the muffler from the 3.5" collector to the 3" bore smoothly. I ended up with an extra 40 ft-lbs of torque and 31 hp over the factory set up on a Mustang dyno. But it was the whole area between the new curve and the old curve that made it a completely different car performance wise. Beyond 2100 rpms, it just left the factory muffler in the dust.

Figuring bigger was better, and having an extra partial set of side pipes to play with, I put together a set with a Megs venturi collector and a Howe 3.5" racing muffler. I made more noise but I actually lost 7hp and 11 ft-lbs of torque over the 3" bore mufflers. These tests were done a month apart from one another so direct comparison I guess can't be done. I would like to put together a set with the Megs venturi collector and a Classic Chambered 3" bore muffler to see if I get some power back and trim some dB's.

I love the sound of the 3.5" setup though, and the Megs collector to me looks great and has a racey look to it. I may just stop here and send my welding fixture I made to another SPF buddy of mine to play with. All in all, it was a fun experiment and I learned alot.

Hope this helps.

R

[RedBarchetta]

Originally Posted by mickmate

Hey John leaks only occur where the exhaust system generates enough back pressure. Drainpipes that take baseballs don't fall into that category

I know something on that subject...



-Dean #747

[Blas]

Now why would you store your baseballs in your sidepipes? Must be a California thing...

[Nantucket427]

I did the same thing that you did, what 5 years ago. I still have the thread saved to my PC. The mufflers 22" X 3.5" outside, 3" inside with the thermal mat, were $208.00 each from SS, Mickmate a poster here on Cobra Club did the welding for me and they are at the Jet Coater right now. Unlike you, I am going to leave the baseballs out of the pipes to get the flow numbers up.

[decooney]

Originally Posted by Blas

Now why would you store your baseballs in your sidepipes? Must be a California thing...

Dean invented a radical sounding pitching machine. Ball speed is regulated with the right foot.