So here's a slew of questions about various exhaust related things! I recently purchased the following:

Magnaflow 16829 3" Stainless cat-back:
Magnaflow 93441 3" Single catalytic converter:
Dyno Don 1 3/4" Shorty Headers: http://www.top-downsolutions.com/dyn...with-air-tubes
Dyno Don single cat y-pipe: http://www.top-downsolutions.com/pow...no-don-headers

Now I'd like to get the y-pipe coated after welding it up, to give it maximum life, heat protection, and looks. I was thinking Jet-Hot or somewhere similar, has anyone gotten one of these aluminized y-pipes coated and about how much am I looking to spend?

For the catalytic converter, would it be a good idea to try and get some sort of flange to weld to the y-pipe side so that it's removable if needed down the line? I also ask because I'm getting the y-pipe coated, which I obviously can't do if there's a cat welded to it and welding after coating would be hard/counterproductive I would think. (What about the difference in materials too?)

Lastly, I was thinking of getting a cutout that would dump before the axle. If I cut the stainless steel magnaflow pipe, is there any corrosion-resistance I need to add or will it be fine since it's stainless? If I do go for a cutout it will probably be these parts:

Magnaflow 10785:
QTP QTEC30:
QTP Turndown:

Any advice on things I'll probably run into or parts I missed would also be appreciated. It's expensive stuff, but it will be a heck of a lot better than the cheap, hacky, bashed up, ~2.25" exhaust it has on it right now.

 

Get the headers coated too. Stainless isn't really "stainless"; more like, "rustless". The first time you run them they will turn a sort of golden color, and over time, they will corrode to a chocolate-brown shade. The corrosion is self-protective, it doesn't flake off like rust, but it looks just about similar. With coating, they stay looking brand-new. Plus the coating adds considerable insulation; even though stainless conducts only about half as much heat as carbon steel, all else equal, adding the coating halves it again, thus making them not much more of a heat problem under the hood than manifolds.

Just call Jet-Hot and they'll tell you right up front how much the Y-pipe or any other pipes you want done will cost. They charge by the foot for such things so you'll need to be able to tell them how long it is.

Yes DEFINITELY get flanges for the cat; it's best to use them at both ends frankly, it makes working on everything SO MUCH eeeeeeeezier to be able to just unbolt it and drop it out. I usually use these http://www.summitracing.com/search/d...8%2B4294857510 in whatever size is appropriate. I don't know what Don puts on his headers, but I'd recommend these there too, if they're not already like this. Above all, DO NOT tolerate the old stupid flat 3-bolt flange crap that's guaranteed to leak forever every time no matter what you do.

I'm not a big fan of cutouts myself, I'd recommend against that. They usually seem to cause more trouble than they're worth.

 

Headers are already coated, so no worries there. Good to hear that a flange is actually a good idea. Is there any issue with welding steel and stainless steel? Would I be best off trying to find a stainless flange for the cat side and the corresponding regular steel flange for the y-pipe side?

 

No issues with that, that I'm aware of.

Sure it'd be great if you could find a stainless flange; I've never seen any such though. Wouldn't be too hard to have some made up.

www.emachineshop.com

 

So what is it about cutouts that you found to cause trouble? Is it just installation that is problematic or is there something else?

 

People I know who have had them have leak problems, actuator problems, and various other malfunctions. The typical scenario is, people put them in, then they just kinda sit there forever and a half in the closed position (leaking a bit and all that), then when one of the 2 times in the entire life of the car comes along that they want to open them, they're stuck. Or, they open but then they won't close back all the way.

Just.... not worth the cost. They don't deliver on the promise. Better to just build a free-flowing exhaust than to install an extra unreliable moving mechanical part somewhere.

 

I suppose I can always wait until the exhaust is on before making a decision about the cutout. The purpose I'd be using it for would be more for toning the exhaust by having it partially open than really expecting it to be a performance booster. Having a car where I can mellow the exhaust out pulling in at night but still have a bit of volume during regular cruising appeals a bit to me. Not to mention it might be difficult to go from a straight pipe to the relative quietness of the Magnaflow catback .

 

I think you'll find it quite eeeeeezy to adapt to. Especially when you notice that with it that way, people of the sex you wish to attract to yourself don't run for cover when you come around, and instead, might be willing to enter your vehicle, it no longer being an obnoxious noisy whatever. NOBODY likes having that crap around when it's somebody else's car.

 

Resurrecting this thread from the dead. Regarding flanges; what type should I be looking to get? It looks like the V-band flanges might be the easiest to install as they don't need a special machine for flaring. I'd like to install the flange on the y-pipe side before sending it off for coating. Not sure what I'll do for the catalytic converter side yet, might be able to find some sort of high-temp paint but don't want anything that will flake off into the cat. Another possible alternative, depending on how tight of a fit the cat is to the y-pipe, is to cut a few slots down the pipe and clamp it on like the rest of the Magnaflow kit goes together.

 

http://www.summitracing.com/search/p...0Flange%20Kits