Kooks headers and true duals issues
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 270
Likes: 1
I have cats and no trouble using the stock tranny brace on the pass side. It does help pull it up a bit.
I also had to put a heat resistant hose used for turbo applications (cut it in half) on the passenger side firewall where it goes over the axle. I just used the screw locations to hold it in place where the heat shields were. I couldn't angle it far enough to not hit it. No issues with melting 2 years later and it touches it all the time.
Then I had to furr down the driver side PHB with a 3/4" block ( where the 3 bolts go into the floor) for extra clearance over the axle on the bottom as well. That combined with the MWC DSL and I don't have a single rattle anymore.
I also had to put a heat resistant hose used for turbo applications (cut it in half) on the passenger side firewall where it goes over the axle. I just used the screw locations to hold it in place where the heat shields were. I couldn't angle it far enough to not hit it. No issues with melting 2 years later and it touches it all the time.
Then I had to furr down the driver side PHB with a 3/4" block ( where the 3 bolts go into the floor) for extra clearance over the axle on the bottom as well. That combined with the MWC DSL and I don't have a single rattle anymore.
I have kooks headers and true duals with the umi tunnel mount torque arm/DSL cross member. It will NOT clear with that combination. I think the issue is that the UMI piece is thicker than the BMR piece. I have subframe connectors between the cross brace and it would either rest against the brace or hit the DSL. I put a piece of thick radiator hose between the pipe and the brace and DSL. That stopped the noise. The exhaust isn't hot enough (without cats) at that point that it will not melt the hose. That will have to do until I pull everything off to do a converter. When I do that I will clearance the brace a little. I informed Maryland Speed about the issue a few days ago.
Also, make sure you flip your fuel lines to the upper notch on the mount under the body. If not it will touch the pipes and could cause issues.
Also, make sure you flip your fuel lines to the upper notch on the mount under the body. If not it will touch the pipes and could cause issues.
Last edited by DropTopBird; Oct 24, 2014 at 06:43 PM.
The Kooks true dual setup was actually designed around our parts so it should clear without any issue. I actually sent the parts over to them myself and dealt with them when they were designing the true duals. The Kooks true duals are different in how they run the piping compared to the traditional style true duals so what your saying doesn't apply in this situation. Now with a traditional style true dual setup our driveshaft loop doesn't work very well unless it is design around our driveshaft loop which I have seen people do.
Hopefully we will be redesigning our loop to work in any situation here in the near future.
Hopefully we will be redesigning our loop to work in any situation here in the near future.
A DSL that goes over like the MWC piece is perfect for this system.
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Last edited by BrntWS6; Oct 25, 2014 at 12:54 PM.
Yeah I can get a pic of that. I put in a 3/4" block between the car and PHB, yes. I just used plywood as that's all I had at the time. I tried to dress it up a bit so I cut it the same shape as the footprint of the PHB and painted it black. I know ya cant see it but it made me feel better.
I think the majority of true dual issues is with cars that are lowered. With stock ride height I have no issues at all other then I get a slight vibration up through the shifter around 45 mph and that is mainly from resonance. All I had to use was 1/2" spacers with the BMR loop. I do not think this exhaust was designed for lowered cars.
Lowering it won't affect the DSL hitting , just over the axle which is why I had to use a spacer on the PHB. I'm lowered 1.25" and only have one scrape at its lowest point before it goes over the axle. The rest of the system actually sits higher than my old kooks y- pipe setup. I would say much more than 1.25" would be iffy.
Ok good to know because I want to lower my car in the worst way. 1.25" would be perfect. I just read several having several issues with fitment in the Kooks TD thread and they were all lowered.
Lowered with BMR which I think is 1.25 also and no problems at all. No DSL here and I just bolted up the TD's and other than wrapping the gas tank left everything as it was.
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Well, there are definately issues with it. But the things I did resolved all the issues I had and I have no problems now.
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 270
Likes: 1
Thanks, definitely going to do this as well as go with the MWC DSL. What I would like to see next is a list of mods required to fit a MWC Fab 9 in addition to being lowered 1.25" with the Kooks TDs. From what I have seen on other threads it may actually require cutting the exhaust.
Thanks, definitely going to do this as well as go with the MWC DSL. What I would like to see next is a list of mods required to fit a MWC Fab 9 in addition to being lowered 1.25" with the Kooks TDs. From what I have seen on other threads it may actually require cutting the exhaust.
Thanks, definitely going to do this as well as go with the MWC DSL. What I would like to see next is a list of mods required to fit a MWC Fab 9 in addition to being lowered 1.25" with the Kooks TDs. From what I have seen on other threads it may actually require cutting the exhaust.
I installed my MWC rear after my duals were in and I didn't have to modify anything. I used the long torque arm and everything cleared easily. I made a thread about my install https://ls1tech.com/forums/gears-axl...stall-9-a.html
It was my first rear end swap so I posted some pics of how I got it in by myself. It's not a bad job at all, hardest part was the price. But I plan on going turbo eventually so it's all in preparation.
TECH Resident
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 980
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I was going to wrap the section near the tank but I just ended up doing what a lot of other did and just but the stick on heat shield on the tank. I may go back and wrap it later though. It's not kooks fault per say, it's a quality product. They just are not able to do the kind of testing gm is so it's up to us to figure out the solution to little problems. Had it come from the factory with the duals I'm sure it would have had a larger heat shield and different mounting points. I don't have my drive shaft loop on but I have zero vibration and under normal driving conditions the pipes don't even get very hot.
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 898
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My pipes run cool as well. The main issue with heat and the tank is removing the heat shield. The tank was never rated for heat hence the shield.
I now only have a rattling occasionally with the passengers side pipe after the cat hitting the body. Tomorrow I'm going to wrap/cushion it with more header wrap.
I now only have a rattling occasionally with the passengers side pipe after the cat hitting the body. Tomorrow I'm going to wrap/cushion it with more header wrap.
So let me ask you guys, how loud is it cruising? I know it's going to be loud at wot and high rpms, but what about normal cruising? I will talk to kooks about muffler options to see if there is something they can switch to that will tame it down some.
For me it isn't loud at all. Not any louder than my old Corsa with a H/C setup. A lot of guys claim how loud there's is, but has never been an issue for me. I've had some guys with the same system wonder what I did to "tone it down". I wonder if there were different mufflers....
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 270
Likes: 1
Mine is loud enough that it's hard to have a conversation with a person next to me at anything above 1500 rpm. Outside of the car I have no clue how loud it is but it attracts attention. Obviously WOT is very loud. Keep in mind I don't have cats and I think I might be getting some noise being transferred into the body from the exhaust touching in a few places it shouldn't. I just put my car in storage but come spring I will try to remember to put my Db meter in my car and see what I get.... that's the only way I can think to objectively measure how loud it is.
For me it isn't loud at all. Not any louder than my old Corsa with a H/C setup. A lot of guys claim how loud there's is, but has never been an issue for me. I've had some guys with the same system wonder what I did to "tone it down". I wonder if there were different mufflers....
Well, I plan on running 2" headers, into the duals, fed by a blower into a 416 ls3, so it's going to be loud.... I just want it to be somewhat livable at cruising rpms.