Hi I bought long tube headers from summit, sales person said it would fit my 87 trans am, does anyone know where I can get a headers back dual exhaust system for my car?

 

either make it yourself or have a local muffler shop do it- if they will even touch anything that has all the emissions stuff ripped off..

 

You'll have to have it custom made. The trick is getting dual pipes over the rear axle, but, it can be done.

 

Long tube headers on a third gen are really just for race applications where having the pipes go over the axle isn't important. The problem is that these cars have one very specific path for the exhaust to follow from engine bay to back bumper. This path is spacious enough to fit dual 3" pipes, with a little work, and still provide good ground clearance. However, in order to follow this path, you need to use short tube headers that outlet in the stock locations.
I have seen full length dual exhaust installs with long tubes but the ones I have seen have at least part of the exhaust hanging low and ground clearance is tight even at stock ride height.

 

summit sells a dual header back kit

 

Does Summit sell a dual header back kit that fits the Thirdgen F-body? I would be sure of that before you order one expecting it to fit your car.

I have done extensive exhaust parts research on the Summit website and plan to purchase the materials for my dual exhaust from them. I have never seen any dual exhaust kit at all for our cars, only custom installs.

In fact, sad as it is, the aftermarket offerings for our cars have dwindled some in the past 15 years since I built mine. Most companies have moved on to focus on the newer vehicles and dropped the parts they once offered for ours. Alot of the parts I used on my car are no longer available. Obviously because not enough people were buying the parts. Let's be thankful for Dyno Don, Hawks and others who continue to support our thirdgens.

 

Yes. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wlk-89009

 

with the way that kit is routed and the tiny size of the pipe, it would be easier just to run one big single 3" pipe that flows more than both of those 2.25" pipes and be done with it..

 

^^^^ Listen to him! My car has no problems running 11's with a single 3" exhaust, a good Mufflex Y-pipe and hooker super comps.

 

I agree. That's alot of install work for an exhaust that flows less than single 3". It is interesting to see a dual exhaust kit for the thirdgen though. Even if it is weak.

pancherj, how do you get the 7.5" axle to stay together through 11 second passes?

 

I installed that kit on my camaro a couple years ago. I have a full write up with pics in the exhaust section, and even some videos on YouTube under the same username as here. I had to modify it quite a bit to get it to fit. Almost every bend had to have some work done to it to get it even close. And I still have problems with my rear axle hitting it over bumps. Does sound good with dual Thrush glasspacks though.

 

Did you add any kind of balance pipe? Such as an X-pipe or H-pipe? I notice the kit doesn't include one.

 

Not really much room for one. The pipes are almost touching for most of the way. I have been thinking about trying to add one though when I go back to fix the rear axle interference issue.

 

I will be building my own dual exhaust this summer, provided I get the funds together. Otherwise it will be next winter. I plan to install the X-pipe where the cat was on the 87 originally. There is plenty of room there for a 2.5 or 3" X-pipe.

 

There is definitely enough room there for at least an X-pipe. Problem with my setup is that the pipes are less than 1/2" apart under my camaro. To make enough room, I may have to put a small S bend in the inner pipe where it goes under the car behind the front wheel to move it over enough. I'm also going to try and cram a subframe connector under there as well this winter.

 

Excellent idea on the subframe connectors. I added weld in South Side Machine subframe connectors to mine at the very start of my build in 1999. It's right at the top of the list of the best upgrades I've made to the car. The thick wall SSM units become a permanent part of the chassis, like frame rails. Now when I put the car on the lift, I have solid rails to place the lift pads on. Along with major suspension upgrades done along with the connectors, the car immediately felt much more solid on the road. The RH connector does take up a little of the room for exhaust on that side, but there's still plenty of clearance.

I have seen several choices for X-pipes on the Summit website, including a tight fit model for use where pipes are very close together. Easy install would be to use 4 band clamps and slip fit the x-pipe into place. Then you can tack the clamps to the pipe to keep everything in place.

 

I had to make my full exhaust from scratch, this includes 2" primary 3.5" exit long tube headers, into a 3" xpipe into 18" SS jones max flow mufflers which I dumped before the rear axle. I just finished running dual 3" over the rear axle (over pass and driver side). My whole kit is 3" and used All mandrel bends, I utilize Vband clamps and accuseal band clamps at the back of the mufler. I got a founders panhard bar relocation kit and my 3" dumps behind the bumper for a clean look (no exit tips). Painted in high temp header paint and wrapped in lava wrap. I should have plenty of clearance on the driver side. The rear is set at less than ride height so its already in the compression area and I have a few inches left, ride height will lower the rear even more than what is pictured. I always wanted the exhaust to run to the back bumper and its been years... maybe even will change the tone/loudness.

Literally just finished it this past weekend.

 

That is very clean work man. How is your ground clearance at the point where the LH pipe runs under the rear crossmember? Also, the relocation bracket at the axle end of the PHB, does it come with the kit?You should consider photos of the entire install and post to the dual exhaust pictures sticky at the top of the Exhaust main page.

 

LOL! I remember you! The madman who shoehorned a Big Block Ford into a thirdgen. I never did see the finished product. It sounds pretty wild from the description. Please share photos or a link to your build page. That certainly answers my question as to why 2" primaries with 3.5" collectors.

 

Thank you for the kind words! And YES that was and is still me lol… everyone thinks I'm nuts but they all love it when they see that the whole engine bay is motor . It Honestly Love doing it but Tig welding everything and being **** about everything is sort of a PITA!

I Have posted pics of it randomly. But I did ALOT of changes to it this past winter and the one before… car is still on stands as of now and haven't had it out since last october

It got a moly Kmember, I made solid motor mounts, custom 3 pt STB that reinforces the WHOLE strut tower, Billet 2004R converter, trans gone through complete tear down, Trans thermostat (i was overcooling it lol), quad Bixenon HID projector lazy eye popups, extended the exhaust, made my own front and rear weight jacks, new springs 850/150, New Viking double adjustable rear shocks, founds PHB relocation, powder coated 130amp 1 wire 3G alternator, Custom hydroboost setup, FAST EZ EFI 2.0, Swapped to TA fenders, Full TA GFX, new charcoal metallic paint job, Full custom setup speed hut gauges, new rebuilt TA doors, TA taillight swap with full LED retro as well as LED front blinkers with matching LED digital flashers. And I really want to throw on some 20x10 rear rims and 20x8.5" front rims with new rubber lol.

I have a problem basically lol.

I did have a thread for the 521 BBF swap, but so much has changed Im going to prob start a new one once its done and on the ground (by the end of the month if Im lucky)!

 

Are you referring to the pan hard bar support? Its basically right up against it and its 3" OD tubing so I have like 3 or more inches of clearance at ride height. The pic shows where ride height will basically be but Most likely I will raise the rear fender height (lower it compared to the exhaust tubing) for the larger 20" rims Im planning on getting. Since the tire height on the 20s goes from 25.68" (current 17x10.5s with 315 tire) to 27.58" with the 20 x10" rim and 275 rubber I will have gained 1" or so ground clearance while shrinking the fender gap 1"
. So I could leave it where it is and my wheel wells will appear like I lowered it 1 extra inch… or I could raise the car and get more clearance from the exhaust to the PHB. I really want the PHB to be level at ride height so I will adjust for whatever gives me that.

No the axle end of the PHB I made… but jegs sells(or used to) it as a PHB relocation/lower kit and its worth the money on a lowered car for sure. The founders/UMI/BMR PHB relocation kit is the upper PHB support bar and the lowering bracket on the car frame side. The PHB has to be level at ride height and when you lower the car the PHB is higher on the axle side, lowering the PHB on the chassis side compounds the problem. SO you must lower the axle side as well. Mine is just 1/8" steel I had around so I made one vs paying $80 or so.

 

Thanks for your reply. I have looked at the PHB relocation kit from Founders as I plan on going dual exhaust, either 2.5 or 3", using the stock routing over the RH side of the axle with both pipes. I see you have fuel equipment on the RH side so you need the added space.

I know the panhard bar needs to be level to the axle. That's been a concern of mine. My PHB is already off level because of lowering the car. I plan on building my own bracket for the axle side. I didn't remember one coming with the kit, but yours looks like it could have. That's why I asked. I like how you gusseted it to the axle for added strength. Good work.

Still waiting for more pics of the car. I remember following your build thread for a while. I get way too busy and drop off the forum for periods of time. Did you ever figure out how to fit a hood?

 

I don't want to muck up this thread anymore but I will start a new thread, not sure if it will be in engine swap thread or fab forum... wat u think? I totally get it, I was doing a house reno all summer/winter which is why Im so far behind on the car now.

Yup! 4" bolt on Glasstek cowl hood and a drop base air cleaner with 4" filter. I was also able to squeeze a 3/4" NX nitrous plate in there too But I took that off for now.

 

Yeah, I agree about jacking the thread. We did start out talking about your dual exhaust though, that was on topic. Definitely would like to see more photos of the finished project.