I just bought a dual 3" to single 3.5" flowmaster merge and a 3.5" cutout and electric cutout for that. I've called literally 10 shops in the last hour and NO ONE knows how to weld this up. Every shop has told me that they can't step from a 3.5" cutout down to a 3" catback system. It's impossible, can't be done.

Should I return everything and get a 3" cutout and merge? I really didn't think this would be such a huge issue. Anyone have any advice on where to get this welded up in the Baltimore, Md area?

 

whoever you have called are a bunch of idiots all you need is a reducer and it can be done no problem 3 -3.5 reducer can be bought at any auto parts store

 

That's really what I thought and even said to the guy do you have a 3.5" reducer and he said "good luck finding one". I just found a bunch online for like $10. Bah. Now every shop I call is saying "I can't bend 3" pipe".

That's 11 shops now that can't do it.

 

yea the reducers are easy to find but It will be a task in its self to find a shop that can bend 3" tubing. good luck though with your setup

 

I'm tempted to just return everything and do a 3" cutout and install it myself with clamps. I hate to do it that way but no one can bend 3" pipe.

 

Buy 3" mandrel bends, borrow a welder, and do it yourself. Just tack weld the pipes together and take the ypipe to a shop and have them weld it all up when you're done.

 

Ya know, that's not a bad idea. I'm considering scrapping the FM merge idea and just welding in the cutout.

Should I try to return the 3.5 and get a 3 so that it fits right in my I pipe or would it be okay to use reducers to go 3-3.5-3? Is that really ghetto rigged?

I have a buddy that can weld, but can't bend or anything, so I might buy my own pipe, good idea.

Good ideas fellas, thanks.

 

Man the FM merge is awesome. Find a performance shop that has rail cars and blower engines and serious projects. usually these places have mandrel pipe stocked (since a mandrel bender is outrageou$) and can weld it in no problem. I had a place like what I described fab in my 4" FM merge into my pacestter Y, then reduced to 3" to mate up to my Y.

 

Hm. I really was disappointed to have to do away with the FM merge, I've heard such good things about it. I'll start asking around again tomorrow.

 

It's really not that difficult to install. All you need to say is "I need you to cut my merge out install this... and I want mandrel bends... and I want it to mate up to my catback.

Goodluck

 

I said that xact thing over the phone and 6 out of the 11 shops said "what is a merge?" So I would explain it, thinking I don't know the proper nomenclature and they would say "I can't bend 3" pipe". I would just hang up with them at that point figuring it means they can't do it. I can't believe I'm the first person to ever need this setup or something similar.

I didn't even try midas/meineke/etc, I tried actual "performance" and "custom" exhaust shops. I now realize that doesn't really mean anything.

 

w0w are you serious? my guy did the whole thing by himself and only used one extra piece of mandrel bend on the TSP y-pipe that was on there. and oh yeah i have a 4" merge and cat back.

 

i guess while i'm at it i'll ***** out my video's...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SSuCJUCn3I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3jwE...eature=related

 

That pic is exactly what I was looking for. It looks like you only had to add like a 3" and 6" piece of pipe to make that work. I think I might just do it myself and have my neighbor weld it up.

 

That sounds really good. I like it a lot. Good job.

 

looks like some 1 here is a video *****.........dammm i want one of those 4 inch mufflexes !!!!!

 

I had no problem getting my 3.5 inch flow master merge welded in .... I had a 3 inch y pipe made with the merge and it came out nice. They welded my merge directly to the slp Lm1 muffler right behind it and it came out sounding surprisingly good. Good luck

 

I decided to just buy the ARH system and be done with it, in south alabanana they can't even find a pipe if its shoved up their *** let alone weld it together correctly.

 

I live in Montgomery and there's a shop called Childs performance exhaust. They not only fabbed in the merge for me but they did a nice job. They had the merge laying in a pile of scrap, and it ironically came off of an Fbody where the owner said the ground clearance sucked. It sure worked out good for me!

 

also out back he made his own hangers in house to get it to tuck up nice n tight. here's some pic's of my ground clearance.





thanks man, but really it's because of Jim at S&S muffler that everything came out so good.

guilty as charged yeah it's a little on the heavy side but i really don't care cuz is its extra awesome