Custom Exhaust

Visitor # 20399 since 19.SEP.2001

Exhaust:

I developed a fairly simple custom exhaust system for my pickup over the last few years. I went through a few iterations and think it is quite nice now. It is built with off-the-shelf components and requires no welding or specialized tools. My first iteration was to remove the stock muffler and run with just the resonator (I didn't know that tis was only a resonator, I thought it was a full muffler). Can you say LOUD! Next I added a 36" stainless steel glass pack style muffler in place of the resonator and this was not much quiter; then added a resonator tip, but it was still too loud.

Here's what I ended up with:

I replaced the 1-5/8" resonator pipe that runs down the center tunnel with a length of 2" S/S straight pipe. It connects to the header with a pair of couplings to flare the 1 5/8" down tube to the 2" pipe. Standard u-bolt exhaust clamps are used here. At the back of the pipe, I use 2-90 degree sections of 2" pipe to form an S-curve up to the muffler location. The muffler is an 18" S/S Borla turbo muffler. The muffler hangs from the stock muffler hangers using the original rubber donuts with a length of plumbers strapping looped through them. Out of the back of the muffler, I ran a length of S/S flex-tubing over the axle and down to a final 90 degree section and out to a dual-outlet muffler tip. The tip hangs from a S/S bolt attached to the vertical spot weld seam behind the rear tire. A piece of steel loops over it and down between the two outlet pipes.

Here's some shots of the system:

1.	2.
3.	4.

1. In picture #1, you see the straight tube (2" OD) that used to connect the stock down pipe to the muffler, replacing the stock resonator (see #3 below for an update).
2. A short length of s/s flex tube leads from the muffler down to the resonator tip, shown in picture #2.
3. In my latest revision, I replaced the straight tubing with an old (apparently burned out) s/s glass-pack style muffler, which serves more as a resomator. It seemed to cut down on the loud resonace in the exhaust above 60 MPH (I initially had set this up when 55 was the speed limit).
4. At the end of the cab, two 90 degree elbows lead up to the s/s Borla turbo muffler.

Parts list and cost (mostly from JC Whitney ):

Rating: