I originally thought out this new exhaust by starting with Hedman(68460) Longtubes, but after attempting to install them and running into problems that even Hedman couldn't explain, I got fed up and decided to stick with shorty's, so I'm put in Hedman's(68470) shorty's.

I know true duals on longtubes is easy, I had the S-Bends to curve the exhaust down around the crossmember, but I returned them with my longtubes. So, since I'm sticking with new shorty's, what is the best route to go about running X-Pipe true duals? Are there any kits that like Summit offers or are new fabbed pipes required to make it work? I know Summit has X-Pipe kits, but how would I go about dropping the exhaust from the collectors to clear the crossmember? I'm installing the exhaust myself(just on open headers right now) instead of paying a shop twice as much to install it all. I will be clamping and spot welding all pieces of the exhaust, but want to know the best route to go about it.

 

you're just gonna have to do a search on here man. This has been covered a million times, and frankly, if you are going to do the system yourself, the possibilities are endless. Do a search on here and look at the true dual picture collection sticky at the top of the exhaust board.

 

Yes, we've searched and everyone is so vague or no real answers. Though I'm installing myself, I'm not going to fab up pipes to make this all work, I'd rather just buy a X-Pipe kit that will bolt on and just make it work from there, but I'm wanting to know if there are Shorty X-Pipe kits out there, or what can I buy from like Summit to mount it all together.

 

Well if you just want to buy stuff that will bolt together you are barking up the wrong tree man. If you just want to bolt something on buy a cat-back. True duals done the right way are a lot of work and require a lot of patience and modifications. I just did mine last weekend and I'll post pics of them Friday.

 

Get a shorty y-pipe, then cut off the header connections, turn them towards where you wanna go, and fab from there.

That'll get you under the car at least. From there on, it's a custom job.

 

You could even get the shorties y-pipe, cut it off at the "Y", and then run two pipes on back following the stock routing over the rear axle. This, of course, would be totally custom fab.

Ain't no bolt-on x-pipe "kit" out there for our cars, shorties or long tube.

 

Duals with shorty's can be done, but I think it's a lot of maze to run for not much cheese at the end.

 

I wasn't planning on running it up around rear axle, was just gonna dump it AT rear axle. Ya'll are talking about clearance issues and such... it's the same thing as with Longtubes, so that's not a problem. The BlueZ is rarely driven so if I have 3.5" of clearance then so be it.

I will probably go with an H-Pipe connection somewhere under the vehicle, just a matter of where I want to go with the piping. I'm definately not running cat's, but the idea of taking a Y-Pipe and cutting it at the split is a good idea, never thought of that.

 

I've actually been looking into the idea of making a dual 3" y-pipe merging into a single 4" will all stock routing. i did have duals with shorties a few years back, but they were for a side pipe configuration.

a few people here have duals running from cat back with shorties, to make a true dual setup i guess you would just have to make your own y-pipe and instead of merging the two into 1 pipe at the cat, just leave it at 2 separate pipes

 

If you dont wanna fab. any exhaust on the car then .. you need to have a shop put a cat back system on it. I had a true duel set up with shorties but to get it to run properly it looked like crap! The Hedman longtubes and header extentions is by far the easiest true duel exhaust system ever! (install the header from the BOTTOM of the car! .. drop starter and oil filter and they will go on! if the front is up on ramps). Once they are on the car just play alittle bit with the header extentions to adjust the pitch off how the pipe will go (want them to be straight and even looking from behind .. right?) Then get your exhaust tubing and DONT SPOT WELD IT YET! Just attach it to the extentions once they are adjusted to what you think is good (if they are not right .. loosen and play with it a hair .. not hard!) then when they are in place measure the mufflers you got and cut the pipe so the mufflers will be even and under the rear seat tubs ... hang them and weld them or leave them clamped ... not hard to do ... One of my friend WITH LITTLE TO NO MECHANICAL SKILLS at all really .. ran true duels on his '88 GTA .. you should be able to do this and dont give up so easy once the job gets tuff .. or else you will be paying people alot of cash to have a car set up the way you want .. and even then .. you wont have not braggin rights as to who done the work on the car Sorry to be a jerk but .. I do alot of my own work (not all was an easy task but its only as hard as you make it to be)

 

Here's mine... Hooker shorty headers, 2 chamber flowmasters, 2.25" pipes.

Give you the short story. 8 years ago no body really made long tubes for a third gen. I bought the hooker shortys. Tried to fab my own pipes in driveway, couldn't do it. Couldn't get the bend tight enough coming off the headers.

Took it to a custom exhaust shop close to me. Drove with open headers, had mufflers with 6" long 2.5" turn downs welded to rear of them..

Shop made up the 2 pipes for me for $200, installed it on the car and put hangers on.

Fast foward 5 years... That old camaro is long gone, but I saved all parts from exhaust. Built my '88 camaro, remembered how loud the turn downs was so I bought two 4' long pipes from summit.. Welded mufflers backon the pipes, rehung that exhaust under my car, then installed the 4' long pipes onto rear of mufflers going under rear end and out the back..

Here's pics...
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1128...41290424jQLQTL
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1128...41290424VHkrff
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1134...41290424MwNurX
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1134...41290424kZOzDy
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1134...41290424OLEVux
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1134...41290424qOJdsA
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1134...41290424aredUf
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1134...41290424munWMs
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1134...41290424QhRLtC
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1139...41290424oeQjdD
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1289...41290424mByxEX
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1501...41290424GmOnFs
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1501...41290424pwglKb

 

How is the suspension travel, in regards to the exhaust? Ever have the pipes rub the pavement? Not worried about the mufflers getting snagged, and ripping the exhaust? If you jack up the car, and the rear droops, does it hit the pipes, at full droop? Or do you hafta pull the exhaust?

 

Pipes are fine when jacking the body up. The rear end don't hang down enough to touch the pipes.

As you can see the exhaust system was 1 of the 1st things I did to the car and other mods like LCA, springs, shocks, etc came later.

The only times I had to remove the pipes was when I had to pull the transmission out, when I put new rear springs and air bags on rear of car , and when I changed the whole rear housing cause I broke the pinion on a hard launch.

I live out in the country, alot of bad roads. My driveway is rough, gravel and large slope from dirt road to drive. The only time the pipes drags is going out my driveway. The mufflers will rub on some (not all) speed bumps.

 

Dynomax will sell you a complete system from the engine back.

You use their shorty headers and bolt on their duals to that.

The kick, they are only 2.25" pipes

 

Truth be told that (2.25") duals is about as big as most people will need. Alot of guys likes to go alot bigger than needed and ends up killing off some low and mid range torque.

I run dual 2.25" pipes and run 11.40's @118 mph with 1.60's 60'.

IMO dual 2.25" pipes are good to 475-500 hp on a street/strip car, and 450 to 475 hp on a drag only car.

Next year when I upgrade to a 3.89 geared ford 9" rear, brodix 200cc heads, 249/252* @ .050" .534"/.542" lift solid flat tappet cam, and a NX 50-300 HP n20 system I wil upgrade my exhaust.

Plans for upgraded exhaust are hedman long tube headers, 2.5" X pipe, 2.5" dual pipes out of X, into 2 3" in/out dynomax ultra flo mufflers.

 

Actually, 2.25" duals is only 'good' for about 250hp.

Lots enough for a stock anemic 305/350, but is a bit tight for some of us that run a decent motor pushing 350+ HP!

Though im sure it would be a HUGE restriction on these 350+ HP motors, but its worth a few ponys and you may as well spend the money on doing it right the first time





But on the same note... Does anyone have pictures of the dynomax dual 2.25" system?

 

I guess everybody has a diff opinion of size vs. HP...

What I said was going on my own opinion from testing.. I have a few charts that says diff than that and diff from the chart you posted..

Like heres the info from one.
2.5" single or 2.25" dual 300-400 HP street 225 - 300 HP race

Then I have another tech chart that shows...
350-400 cid... 2.25" dual 375-450 HP

Then I have yet another one that goes against all the above and IMO is just 100% BS.
350-383 cid 2.25" duals 175 -250 HP