rybern

iTrader: (5)

Crazy how this stuff gets in your head. I'm a noob to this stuff and just bought my 2000 SS 2 months ago, but I can feel this hobby taking over my old hobby(14 years of competitive shooting; USPSA & 3-gun). I've been researching and planning my mods and trying to keep it as cost friendly as possible. I have ordered an LS6 intake from Mr Big and plan to do exhaust and headers next. I spoke with Lane Culver's shop near Huntsville yesterday about a Dynotune for $350. I plan to go with Pacesetter race headers and still researching about the rest of the exhaust. This is fun stuff to mess with at 44 years old.

Big Thanks to folks on this site for sharing info. I hope to be able to contribute some time down the road.

ironmikektm525

Texas speeds (new version) y has nice merge and its stainless. Can't really beat it for the price! Best merge is flowmaster but you have to get it welded in place.

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

I run Pacesetter long tubes with there crappy y-pipe, but had a $40 Flowmaster merge welded in, and night and day difference

ironmikektm525

Night/day difference in sound or performance? P.s. Has pretty crappy merge vs t.s. Wonder if you could tell the difference with flowmaster merge on t.s. Y?

Jtm2085

iTrader: (1)

Defintely go with the flow master merge. I had the tsp and it is nice. But it necks down quite a bit where it goes into the intermediate pipe

bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

Skip pace setters and spend the extra on Texas speed headers

ironmikektm525

Great info!! Where you getting f.m. merge for $40? Rybern. I'm running slp lm2 catback. It's pretty loud but flows very well and is pretty cheap in price.

rybern

iTrader: (5)

I appreciate the suggestions guys. I'm now looking at the TSP headers. Wow, I can do that. Great price on the TSP Y pipe, but it does look like it necks down a bit. I'll look at the Flowmaster merge

The LM2 catback price is definately appealing and I like the idea of bolting it up myself, but I'm concerned that it will be too loud for me. I hope to find someone locally that I can listen to.

NineZeroFive

Check out Speed Engineering 1 7/8" headers. Very comparable to TSP without the price

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

Both actually, but especially the sound. As far as performance my buddy's ported cobra would always pull me by a solid car or so, after the FM it was consistently a driver's race. I'd be curious how the FM merge compares to the TSP one

kinglt-1

iTrader: (26)

I have ran bbk, hooker, and pacesetter stuff in the past and it's ok, but kooks is well worth the extra cost. Spend the money on quality exhaust components and thank me later.

rybern

iTrader: (5)

Wow, I have seen a lot of mention about these too, but I didn't realize they were budget headers too.

Now I'm leaning toward 1 7/8" Speed Engineering headers and a custom catback(no cats). I already have a Magnaflow muffler if they can reuse it.


Me too, but the FM already has the advantage of 4". Looks like the TSP Y is 3" into 3". From what I have read, its best to neck the 4" back down before the axle bends.

TXZ28LS1

iTrader: (5)

I would just spend the money on TSP 1 7/8 header and Y pipe combo..Great quality product, and fitment...

rybern

iTrader: (5)

Was thinking that that until these guys threw the Speed Engineering idea at me.

For headers, y-pipe, good gaskets and extensions, Its ~$650 for TSP vs $500 for Speed Engineering.

Can I cut my stock exhaust and fit it to the Y-pipe or is it too small? I have a true SS Camaro w/o the SLP package which should have 2 3/4".

I spoke with my local muffler guy who is a racer and he says that he can fab a Y- pipe cheaper than $120 using a Flowmaster style but it will still be 3" from Aluminized steel.

Jtm2085

iTrader: (1)

Have you thought about true duals? I prefer them over a catback set up

kingtal0n

iTrader: (1)

when I Was young starting out, 15 years old I went straight for the exhaust. I think everybody does that. Then it was all about cam swaps, a new cam every week, then heads, intakes, carbs, efi, stroker motors, blowers, turbos, the whole works. Kind of got a preview of each aspect.


After 15 years of going through all of that, seeing some crazy things and building car after car, tuning a fair share and also watching them get built, viewing others mistakes and hurdles as well my vision of vehicles has changed dramatically. For just one example, these days, my primary objective when owning a daily driver type vehicle, is to make the OEM exhaust system work somehow. If it is too small diameter, you can run a cut-out, or even twin OEM exhaust systems. There are all kinds of tricks of the trade. Another is to remove the OEM muffler and replace it with a turbocharger. There are rear mount units which, while pricey, cause your mostly OEM/untouched engine to perform as if it has every single one of those mods you will painstakingly make over the months/years without alot of the risk of opening an engine. I will leave it there before this becomes a page long, what I am trying to say is, forced induction is at the top of the list for initial conditions (you could stand to gain 40% power output) and many times, OEM parts (aka reliable) will suit that initial gain (it is within the capacity of the OEM engine to increase power 40%~ from forced induction most of the time in daily driver applications) rather than chipping away at it 5hp at a time from modifications which may alter the character of the engine enough to become less fun to drive or even more sluggish around town. Large exhaust systems tend to reduce exhaust gas velocity which decreases cylinder fill at lower rpm, the engine makes less torque down low if this happens. You might not notice the loss but it is there, and as you procede to make these kinds of changes, next the intake is a little too large, or the ports in the head, the engine turns more and more into a sluggish mess, that might also happen to have a higher peak power so it looks better on paper. Forced induction supplements what you already have, i.e. you get to keep that nice factory torque down low if you keep everything mostly OEM and just add to it everywhere. Street cars. I am talking daily drivers.

rybern

iTrader: (5)

I have considered true duals. I don't want something too obnoxious.... or pricey. Also, this isn't my DD, but I do want it to be comfortable enough to take Sunday afternoon drives in. Can you recommend a DD system that is budget friendly, efficient and not too loud?

I am still overwhelmed with the power of this car. This is my first muscle car. The fasted car I have owned prior to this is our 1998 V6 Camry. So being that this car is already a 13 second car, its is night and day different from anything I've owned before. I'm enjoying playing around with it and would like to increase the power a little without getting in too deep into my pockets.

Jtm2085

iTrader: (1)

I'm sure it is quite a step up from Camry 😉. You might look into the new hooker true duals. They are full length and fairly cheap I believe.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Yes, the merge necks down to mate with the STOCK 2.75" catback. But... That's easily rectified and in my opinion, once modified, flows the same as the FM.

Here's what I did with my TSP Y a few years ago. Still good valid information in there.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...tall-pics.html

rybern

iTrader: (5)

The Hooker duals look nice and are just south of $700. I'll probably end up with a decent Y pipe due to $ vs return.
Thanks for info. I'm a machinist and can weld.

I'm leaning toward TSP or Speed Eng Ypipe(which ever headers I go with) the having local shop run 3"(will remove 2.75" area of Y) back to MagnaFlow.