NHRAMAN

iTrader: (1)

did he weld the cats to the headers???? I wound up getting my y welded to my headers also--nice smooth bead...it is really no big deal unless it is an underneath showcar...beats band clamps anyway..although that is what i had before the cats went on for emissions...3# band clamps are all and good..but welding is the best...no worries/hassles/intermittent tightening....

ChocoTaco369

Meh, the bends won't matter at all. There's no rasp at all in the system, which to me means the merge is great and the bends are not causing the air to lose velocity. If the air was losing velocity due to the bends, it should be crashing into itself all weird and causing rasp. Even with the engine completely untuned and running a tad rough, the sound is clean (though very raw).
Yea, they're welded to the headers. I didn't ask him to, he just did it on his own. I wasn't happy to see the cats welded to the headers at all. I didn't want to be a jerk and complain, but I was kind of upset inside. Now that I think about it, I guess it really doesn't matter. I'm never planning on selling the car, I bought stainless headers because they last forever and will never need to be removed, I will NEVER have a leak thanks to the welds and if I need new cats, I'll just cut off the old ones and weld new ones in the place. Because the exhaust is all one piece, there is no flex, no banging and it's rock solid. Meh, whatever...

lastcall190

iTrader: (36)

If you gotta take the headers off for WHATEVER reason, get the car high enough and it wont make a difference. Vids!!

-J

5_02ls1

iTrader: (20)

now save and get a stall.....best mod ive done....the headers are a good one to though....I just cut my custom y off goin true duals....ive got the speed bug

ls2 bait

iTrader: (11)

not quite. i removed pacesetters for qtps last week and the difference wasnt anything worth advertising. side by side. all the size diff is in the collector and its not that much.

ls2 bait

iTrader: (11)

id take that back to him and tell him to put the merge i gave him in, get rid of the crush bends, and put some flanges or slip fits somewhere otherwise u will never be able to get that tranny out without cutting ur **** apart.

cbrracer

iTrader: (10)

Hey Choco,
I have a brand new block off plate you can have if you want it. PM with your phone # and you can come and get it or I'll meet you some where on Rt 30. Also really interested in getting that shops phone #. I want my gears done soon. Let me know.....
Don

98Camarod

iTrader: (43)

Good call.

ChocoTaco369

I don't need the merge. He made one. There's no rasp so I know it's working well and I can send it back and save $50. The flanges or slip fits will leak, the welds will not. If I ever need to pull the tranny, he'll probably be the one doing it, so I'll worry about it then. Why cut up the exhaust now for no reason and cause leaks when there doesn't have to be any?

It's not a show car, so I guess the welds will be fine. Nothing will perform better than a weld, and since I'd have to cut it all up anyway to change it, I may as well not even worry.

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Wow from stratford, i grew up in somerdale.

jmm98LS1

iTrader: (28)

LOL! Choco, you can't tell how well a merge is working based on the sound it makes. Just because you think it sounds good doesn't mean it's performing well. Maybe it's a bad picture, but the merge he made you looks like absolute hell. The two banks almost run straight into each other before heading into the oval---more of a "near head-on collision" than a "merge". I agree with ls2bait here. Who is this mechanic to decide NOT TO USE the parts YOU GAVE HIM?????....especially when they are far superior to what he slapped together!! I'd be livid and wouldn't pay a dime until it's the way YOU wanted it done.

Grifter

iTrader: (12)

Those pictures look familar.

Sick setup.

rsodeputy61

[QUOTE=ChocoTaco369]I don't need the merge. He made one.


Ummkay.......but that merge looks like I thought you were the guy who's posted on here a zillion times, "Do it right or don't do it at all". That's exactly the reason I bought a prefabbed STAINLESS y-pipe from ARH. These muffler shops never seem to do it as well. Hey, it's up to you though...

radz282003

iTrader: (1)

Try loosening the two intermediate shaft bolts (13mm I think) and try to wiggle it up OR down to see if that helps with your clearance issues. I'm sure that will get that squared away. I wish I could see the pics' from this computer...

ChocoTaco369

Here's a better pic of it:


The merge is miles ahead of most prefab y-pipes out there. It looks pretty good in person. He knows what he's doing. He's extremely meticulous, an honest guy and it looks pretty decent in person. Also, sound is a decent way to determine if the merge is okay. Longtubes, open cutout and ZERO rasp is a good indicator that the merge is decent.

The exhaust sounds like total crap (like a farm truck ) but there's no popping or gurgling.

jmm98LS1

iTrader: (28)

It looks no better than a pacesetter y-pipe....a good Y merge will have the 2 banks run side by side before they merge, much like your flowmaster merge that he didn't use.

And you're basing this on what exactly???? There is absolutely no correlation between sound and how well your exhaust scavenges/flows. If someone told you this, they're wrong. If you made this up, then you're wrong. The merge this guy made you is inferior in every way to the one you wanted him to put on in the first place, and I think deep down you realize that. Hey, as long as you're happy/satisfied and can live with it, more power to ya. Cap your cutout and get a soundclip up.

ChocoTaco369

I am sure it's inferior to the Flowmaster merge. I was upset to see that he didn't use it, but I don't want to pay another hour of labor to put it in there and I like the idea of returning the merge and getting $50 back. I'm sick and tired of having the car in a shop, I have a week left before I go back to school and honestly, it doesn't look that bad underneath the car.

I lost my cutout cap I gotta get a new one...

5_02ls1

iTrader: (20)

to be homemade it looks pretty good to me....but that tranny will be a **** to get out....i think it looks better than the tsp and pacesetter y pipes....JMO i looked at all them didnt like the merges either looked restrictive...we fabbed mine up from scratch well except the merge its a 3"in and 3/12" out theres a cutout weldedc directly to tit but you cant see it in this pic......




this is the setup in both vids in my sig no rasp at all...but its off the car at the moment were gonna fab up an orx or h undecided.....with 1 chambers dumped at the axle.....the y pipe sounded great but i think the td setup will net me a tenth or so at the track......

post up some vids o we can here it....

ls2 bait

iTrader: (11)

ya flanges or slip fits will leak....if they arent done right. mine dont leak one little bit. only thing on my y pipe that leaks is the pos qtp cutout flange. but as long as u r happy with it then thats what matters. enjoy it.

ErikElvis

iTrader: (1)

I would be pissed if my exhaust was all welded up like that. My kooks came with nice clamps. They leaked when I first put em on, I tightened em and no more leaks.