Another exhaust options thread - what should I do?

[SquareRoot]

How bout zoomies and ear plugs?

 

[Grit dog]

Well, my duals cost me 475 at Midas here in Bellingham. But maybe I’m just lucky.

That’s a great deal in recent years. Even if you provided your own mufflers.
Bummer as Midas down here, 2 different stores told me they weren’t interested in “custom” work.

 

[DoubleDingo]

In 2012 I went to a shop to see how much it would cost to install a single in- dual out muffler and run both pipes in the same fashion as stock over the axle, $600 was their quote. It still has factory pipes

 

[ChuckN]

That’s a great deal in recent years. Even if you provided your own mufflers.
Bummer as Midas down here, 2 different stores told me they weren’t interested in “custom” work.

For sure. Corey, the manager, I think has a soft spot for us car guys. His grandpa runs the Midas out on Meridian, and does custom work too. When I didn’t want to take on the dual reservoir master cylinder upgrade for the old ‘54, he did it with style. Guys like this are probably word of mouth only and most people don’t realize they’re not just another cookie cutter franchise. I mean they are, but they’re willing to work with guys like us.

TL;DR, it’s possible that I’m really lucky and woefully out of touch with the prices shops are charging these days. With that in mind, I’d say a pre- bent system is probably the best option- a guy could always spend another 50 bucks and put whatever muffler he wanted on.

 

[tophat36]

This is what you need! Well under $1000, although it did require a little welding…

You must be registered for see images attach

Just kidding…
If you just have a stock low hp truck and aren’t after fast or loud, then the solution is easy. But first, gotta know if the existing system is solid or rusted out.
If it’s solid, fix the rattling noise and call it good.
Not sure what you “dont like” about the sound at idle, but if it’s too loud, replace with a big fat quiet muffler. If it’s too quiet replace with a full size baffled turbo type muffler, but a quieter version. Like a 60 series Flowmaster or any “quiet” performance muffler, for just a little grumble.
Both options are <$100 all in and only require basic tools and basic skills to diy a new muffler.
If the exhaust is rotted out, then find a single exhaust setup, bolt/clamp on style and install. <$150 and a little more work than just replacing the muffler but no welding required.
Replacing with any sort of dual exhaust will net you zero real world benefit on a 170hp little V8, other than noise.

Everything is original It’s really the exhaust how it’s bracketed is loose and it’s all pretty rusty, not rusted out yet but the muffler also seems to have a slight rattle. Hard to explain without a video but I’m ready to replace it. The sound currently isn’t too loud just don’t want to swap it out for something stupid that will piss my neighbors off. I want to go single y-pipe to match what is currently installed but don’t know of any bolt on kits that don’t require welding.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Walker should have the parts for a bolt-in system. If the pipes aren't rusted through, they may be fine, and you just need a new muffler. Start with that and gauge from there.

 

[BRetty]

It sounds like your real issues are with old/loose hangers and mounts causing the rattle. You almost certainly have exaust leaks which can be loud and can sound like all sorts of other "bad engine things" -- that will both make you paranoid and might even mask actual "bad engine things".

My advice: Find a recommended local shop and pay them to do it, spend the $$$ and it should be rock-solid. Even if you were inclined to DIY, working on this stuff without a professional lift is awkward and miserable. I intended to do a repipe myself, hoarded parts for a year, but not knowing basic secret terminology like "collector" "Reducer" and what type of hangers were right, I ... didn't. See Below:

Background: I have a '73 C10, in California. Fortunately I am smog-exempt, which makes exhaust stuff WAAYYY less expensive.

Useful Story: My exhaust has always been a mess (see less relevant story below.) Earlier this year, I had to replace my engine, with a 350 SBC I bought from Craigslist. (*) This engine had different manifolds and I knew the exhaust would not bolt up. I had tons of parts including a killer set of Doug Thorley tri-y headers ($75 off CL years ago) and a crate of mandrel bend tubing my buddy foisted on me when he had closed his shop. Intended to run headers to new 2.5" duals to X-pipe back to existing tailpipes, all lap and band clamps, finally Do It Right.

My mechanic got the engine installed and running but we had agreed exhaust work was not his thing, so he got the old pipes kinda close and kinda lashed them in place with chain. I was running basically open headers. it was godawful loud and not very friendly (**), but I have a 20+ mile commute to work each way that was 5+hrs round trip on buses while my truck was beached, so I drove for about a week, thinking I would get to it on a weekend.

Finally I couldn't stand it and called my transmission guy and Caesar said, "go see Rudy and Sergio over by...xxxx...." So I talked to Rudy, and Sergio crawled under and laughed, and I asked how much for:

-- new 2.25" dual pipes from the manifolds,
-- down and back but this time higher since I have an aftermarket "gullwing" transmission crossmember, no more crunching the pipes on freeway bounces,
-- cut out my old catalytic converters I didn't need anyway,
-- back to my existing mufflers and tailpipes

$790.00 <---- Holy Crap! No way ... maybe I will at least install the downpipes for now.....

Two days later I called Rudy and ponied up the $790 cash and it was done that afternoon. Like a new truck. I could actually barely hear the engine. (***) Absolutely worth the $$$ to not worry about it anymore, and not crawl around myself doing a bad job installing hangers and not get finished and she sits for another week while I run for the bus at 4:59 AM and if I miss that I'm an hour late to work.

So that's my $790.02 worth of advice ; - }


Crazy But Amusing Story: When I bought her, the exhaust was a nasty cobbled-together mess with some of the worst welds I have even seen, rusted mismatched pipes, a Chronic Impending Disaster. (****) Minor disaster struck the week of the 2020 riots. My buddy and I were on the 10 Freeway about 7pm when one side of my dual pipes snapped, tipping the pipe/muffler nose-down into the pavement and a sending a fountain of sparks towards my fuel tank. "Uh-oh". We pulled over into a breakdown lane ~24" from freeway traffic and ~6" from the sound wall on the other side.

My truck is dropped 6". Trying to crawl under a lowered truck with burning hot exhaust pipes inches from traffic with the additional worry that all law enforcement were on a hair trigger so Highway Patrol might not be very friendly and helpful, was really bad. We had some moving blankets we used to grab the hot pipe with but couldn't possibly remove it as it bent up over the axle etc. All we could do was try a nylon ratchet strap, which as we expected melted right through a couple miles later. We used another strap, trying to get to an exit with anything service-like open. When that one melted I realized I had a rats nest of extra wiring for heater radio etc under the dash, we cut some out and lashed her up to get home......
Takeaway: Exhaust is easy to ignore, don't let it get to the point of emergency!

BRetty

* -- Seller had bought his truck intending to LS swap it, his original engine was fine just 50 years old....

** -- but actually legal for me, it's good to be EXEMPT. Suck on that, SCQUAMD!!!

*** -- I hadn't realized just how loud my truck had been since I was used to it. Like back in grad school when a doctor checkup said, "Looks like lots of wax in your ears, let's clean that out!" I walked out through the parking lot hearing intense sounds of crunching gravel and fifteen million birds and, like, other people's THOUGHTS, then got in my truck (wincing when I slammed the door closed) turned the key and was almost blown through the back window because I had been driving around with a tape of Metallica: "Master of Puppets" blasting at max volume and was barely aware of it.

**** --

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

A miracle might point the way
To solutions we're after
And avert our chronic impending disaster

Chickamauga's where I've been
Solitude is where I'm bound
I don't ever wanna taste these tears again

 

[idahovette]

@BRetty Boy can you paint a picture.......about the wax removal......LOL

 

[legopnuematic]

It sounds like your real issues are with old/loose hangers and mounts causing the rattle. You almost certainly have exaust leaks which can be loud and can sound like all sorts of other "bad engine things" -- that will both make you paranoid and might even mask actual "bad engine things".

My advice: Find a recommended local shop and pay them to do it, spend the $$$ and it should be rock-solid. Even if you were inclined to DIY, working on this stuff without a professional lift is awkward and miserable. I intended to do a repipe myself, hoarded parts for a year, but not knowing basic secret terminology like "collector" "Reducer" and what type of hangers were right, I ... didn't. See Below:

Background: I have a '73 C10, in California. Fortunately I am smog-exempt, which makes exhaust stuff WAAYYY less expensive.

Useful Story: My exhaust has always been a mess (see less relevant story below.) Earlier this year, I had to replace my engine, with a 350 SBC I bought from Craigslist. (*) This engine had different manifolds and I knew the exhaust would not bolt up. I had tons of parts including a killer set of Doug Thorley tri-y headers ($75 off CL years ago) and a crate of mandrel bend tubing my buddy foisted on me when he had closed his shop. Intended to run headers to new 2.5" duals to X-pipe back to existing tailpipes, all lap and band clamps, finally Do It Right.

My mechanic got the engine installed and running but we had agreed exhaust work was not his thing, so he got the old pipes kinda close and kinda lashed them in place with chain. I was running basically open headers. it was godawful loud and not very friendly (**), but I have a 20+ mile commute to work each way that was 5+hrs round trip on buses while my truck was beached, so I drove for about a week, thinking I would get to it on a weekend.

Finally I couldn't stand it and called my transmission guy and Caesar said, "go see Rudy and Sergio over by...xxxx...." So I talked to Rudy, and Sergio crawled under and laughed, and I asked how much for:

-- new 2.25" dual pipes from the manifolds,
-- down and back but this time higher since I have an aftermarket "gullwing" transmission crossmember, no more crunching the pipes on freeway bounces,
-- cut out my old catalytic converters I didn't need anyway,
-- back to my existing mufflers and tailpipes

$790.00 <---- Holy Crap! No way ... maybe I will at least install the downpipes for now.....

Two days later I called Rudy and ponied up the $790 cash and it was done that afternoon. Like a new truck. I could actually barely hear the engine. (***) Absolutely worth the $$$ to not worry about it anymore, and not crawl around myself doing a bad job installing hangers and not get finished and she sits for another week while I run for the bus at 4:59 AM and if I miss that I'm an hour late to work.

So that's my $790.02 worth of advice ; - }


Crazy But Amusing Story: When I bought her, the exhaust was a nasty cobbled-together mess with some of the worst welds I have even seen, rusted mismatched pipes, a Chronic Impending Disaster. (****) Minor disaster struck the week of the 2020 riots. My buddy and I were on the 10 Freeway about 7pm when one side of my dual pipes snapped, tipping the pipe/muffler nose-down into the pavement and a sending a fountain of sparks towards my fuel tank. "Uh-oh". We pulled over into a breakdown lane ~24" from freeway traffic and ~6" from the sound wall on the other side.

My truck is dropped 6". Trying to crawl under a lowered truck with burning hot exhaust pipes inches from traffic with the additional worry that all law enforcement were on a hair trigger so Highway Patrol might not be very friendly and helpful, was really bad. We had some moving blankets we used to grab the hot pipe with but couldn't possibly remove it as it bent up over the axle etc. All we could do was try a nylon ratchet strap, which as we expected melted right through a couple miles later. We used another strap, trying to get to an exit with anything service-like open. When that one melted I realized I had a rats nest of extra wiring for heater radio etc under the dash, we cut some out and lashed her up to get home......
Takeaway: Exhaust is easy to ignore, don't let it get to the point of emergency!

BRetty

* -- Seller had bought his truck intending to LS swap it, his original engine was fine just 50 years old....

** -- but actually legal for me, it's good to be EXEMPT. Suck on that, SCQUAMD!!!

*** -- I hadn't realized just how loud my truck had been since I was used to it. Like back in grad school when a doctor checkup said, "Looks like lots of wax in your ears, let's clean that out!" I walked out through the parking lot hearing intense sounds of crunching gravel and fifteen million birds and, like, other people's THOUGHTS, then got in my truck (wincing when I slammed the door closed) turned the key and was almost blown through the back window because I had been driving around with a tape of Metallica: "Master of Puppets" blasting at max volume and was barely aware of it.

**** --

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Ha! Wouldn’t have expected to come across an Uncle Tupelo reference here.

I was born about 7 years after Uncle Tupelo split and Jay and Jeff went their respective ways, but my dad followed Wilco and Son Volt and saw each many times at Mississippi Nights and the Blue Note in Columbia before Son Volt went into Hiatus. I grew up listening to them, a few years back got really into Uncle Tupelo, of course by relation Son Volt and Wilco (and related). Have seen Son Volt three times, absolutely spectacular.

Their encores (or in the case of the last two shows, double encore) typically features Chickamauga, and The Weight (in honor of Robbie Robertson’s passing), Anne American Girl the night before.

You’re from the Saint Louis area aren’t you? I’ve noticed you have mentioned things about the area here and there.

 

[Grit dog]

Muffler could easily have a baffle rattling around in it.
That is annoying.

 

[tophat36]

Walker should have the parts for a bolt-in system. If the pipes aren't rusted through, they may be fine, and you just need a new muffler. Start with that and gauge from there.

Where do you get Walker parts?

 

[tophat36]

It sounds like your real issues are with old/loose hangers and mounts causing the rattle. You almost certainly have exaust leaks which can be loud and can sound like all sorts of other "bad engine things" -- that will both make you paranoid and might even mask actual "bad engine things".

My advice: Find a recommended local shop and pay them to do it, spend the $$$ and it should be rock-solid. Even if you were inclined to DIY, working on this stuff without a professional lift is awkward and miserable. I intended to do a repipe myself, hoarded parts for a year, but not knowing basic secret terminology like "collector" "Reducer" and what type of hangers were right, I ... didn't. See Below:

Background: I have a '73 C10, in California. Fortunately I am smog-exempt, which makes exhaust stuff WAAYYY less expensive.

Useful Story: My exhaust has always been a mess (see less relevant story below.) Earlier this year, I had to replace my engine, with a 350 SBC I bought from Craigslist. (*) This engine had different manifolds and I knew the exhaust would not bolt up. I had tons of parts including a killer set of Doug Thorley tri-y headers ($75 off CL years ago) and a crate of mandrel bend tubing my buddy foisted on me when he had closed his shop. Intended to run headers to new 2.5" duals to X-pipe back to existing tailpipes, all lap and band clamps, finally Do It Right.

My mechanic got the engine installed and running but we had agreed exhaust work was not his thing, so he got the old pipes kinda close and kinda lashed them in place with chain. I was running basically open headers. it was godawful loud and not very friendly (**), but I have a 20+ mile commute to work each way that was 5+hrs round trip on buses while my truck was beached, so I drove for about a week, thinking I would get to it on a weekend.

Finally I couldn't stand it and called my transmission guy and Caesar said, "go see Rudy and Sergio over by...xxxx...." So I talked to Rudy, and Sergio crawled under and laughed, and I asked how much for:

-- new 2.25" dual pipes from the manifolds,
-- down and back but this time higher since I have an aftermarket "gullwing" transmission crossmember, no more crunching the pipes on freeway bounces,
-- cut out my old catalytic converters I didn't need anyway,
-- back to my existing mufflers and tailpipes

$790.00 <---- Holy Crap! No way ... maybe I will at least install the downpipes for now.....

Two days later I called Rudy and ponied up the $790 cash and it was done that afternoon. Like a new truck. I could actually barely hear the engine. (***) Absolutely worth the $$$ to not worry about it anymore, and not crawl around myself doing a bad job installing hangers and not get finished and she sits for another week while I run for the bus at 4:59 AM and if I miss that I'm an hour late to work.

So that's my $790.02 worth of advice ; - }


Crazy But Amusing Story: When I bought her, the exhaust was a nasty cobbled-together mess with some of the worst welds I have even seen, rusted mismatched pipes, a Chronic Impending Disaster. (****) Minor disaster struck the week of the 2020 riots. My buddy and I were on the 10 Freeway about 7pm when one side of my dual pipes snapped, tipping the pipe/muffler nose-down into the pavement and a sending a fountain of sparks towards my fuel tank. "Uh-oh". We pulled over into a breakdown lane ~24" from freeway traffic and ~6" from the sound wall on the other side.

My truck is dropped 6". Trying to crawl under a lowered truck with burning hot exhaust pipes inches from traffic with the additional worry that all law enforcement were on a hair trigger so Highway Patrol might not be very friendly and helpful, was really bad. We had some moving blankets we used to grab the hot pipe with but couldn't possibly remove it as it bent up over the axle etc. All we could do was try a nylon ratchet strap, which as we expected melted right through a couple miles later. We used another strap, trying to get to an exit with anything service-like open. When that one melted I realized I had a rats nest of extra wiring for heater radio etc under the dash, we cut some out and lashed her up to get home......
Takeaway: Exhaust is easy to ignore, don't let it get to the point of emergency!

BRetty

* -- Seller had bought his truck intending to LS swap it, his original engine was fine just 50 years old....

** -- but actually legal for me, it's good to be EXEMPT. Suck on that, SCQUAMD!!!

*** -- I hadn't realized just how loud my truck had been since I was used to it. Like back in grad school when a doctor checkup said, "Looks like lots of wax in your ears, let's clean that out!" I walked out through the parking lot hearing intense sounds of crunching gravel and fifteen million birds and, like, other people's THOUGHTS, then got in my truck (wincing when I slammed the door closed) turned the key and was almost blown through the back window because I had been driving around with a tape of Metallica: "Master of Puppets" blasting at max volume and was barely aware of it.

**** --

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

The hangars are likely one of the issues but not sure if that’s it. When I pull up on the tail pipe it’s able to move up like 3-6”. I’ll take a video when I get back to the truck next week to show y’all what I mean. Thanks for the help!

 

[BRetty]

Ha! Wouldn’t have expected to come across an Uncle Tupelo reference here.

I was born about 7 years after Uncle Tupelo split and Jay and Jeff went their respective ways, but my dad followed Wilco and Son Volt and saw each many times at Mississippi Nights and the Blue Note in Columbia before Son Volt went into Hiatus. I grew up listening to them, a few years back got really into Uncle Tupelo, of course by relation Son Volt and Wilco (and related). Have seen Son Volt three times, absolutely spectacular.

Their encores (or in the case of the last two shows, double encore) typically features Chickamauga, and The Weight (in honor of Robbie Robertson’s passing), Anne American Girl the night before.

You’re from the Saint Louis area aren’t you? I’ve noticed you have mentioned things about the area here and there.

I was at UT's second-to-last show at Mississippi Nights, 1994. Grew up near Alton, IL, in the 80's. I knew nothing really about UT and my friend and I just randomly got tickets, along with 1/3 of StL that night.

"Chronic Impending Disaster" is an all-time favorite phrase of mine. Should be the title of my third album, after "Big Fan of Small Moments" and [Untitled].

 

[DoubleDingo]

Where do you get Walker parts?

https://www.walkerexhaust.com/


I use their website to get the part numbers, then find where they can be purchased.

 

[tophat36]

https://www.walkerexhaust.com/


I use their website to get the part numbers, then find where they can be purchased.

All I’m finding on their site for my truck is a catalytic converter, which my truck never had. Is there anywhere to just get a replacement kit with all the pipes, muffler, and hangars/brackets that match the stock original?