exhaust pipe diameters?

[BerniniCaCO3]

Switching my whole exhaust out for dual exhaust pipes.
Just going to a stock mustang.

Question... what diameter pipe do my cats have?
Some people are selling just headers and exhausts, keeping their cats: will mine bolt right in?

I think stock mustang was 2.25/ 2-1/4", but I'm not sure.


Btw, someone said to get caprice tailpipes? Can I just cut those off with a chain pipe cutter? Is a buick roadmaster a suitable donor?

[packman]

I believe the Fox body Mustangs were 2.25" stock. Also the 94-95 Mustangs. Mustang headers will work with Mustang H-pipes. The rest of the exhaust will not interchange. You'll have to get tailpipes from a '94-'96 Impala and from what I have heard, S-10 midpipes w/ mufflers of your choice. I successfully used the Impala mid pipes for my dual exhaust.


Packman

[johnunit]

stock panther is 2" stock mustang is 2.25" most aftermarket mustang cats are 2.5"


As for tailpipes, just buy new Impala SS tailpipes. They're like 50 dollars absolute max per side.

[gadget73]

The converters are 2.25". It necks down at the H or Y pipe to 2" and stays that size all the way back.

[1987cp]

^^^ Yep, I discovered that when I cut my exhaust off in front of the Y pipe flanges and clamped on 2.25" zigzaggey bits.


Pipe diameter brings up the old topic of power benefit versus drone. As I keep saying, I haven't tried any special resonator tricks, but every single time I try 2.5" all the way back, it drones like there's no tomorrow (regardless of what mufflers I use) and I can hardly stand to drive the car. Right now on the Vic I have 2.5" to the mufflers and 2.25" tailpipes (custom bits commissioned by the PO), and on the LTD I have 2.25" to the mufflers and 2" tailpipes. Both use normal turbo-style replacement mufflers with 19" cases (stock Panther case length). Both are reasonably quiet, though obviously the Vic is more noticable (the LTD is so quiet I've been unsure at times whether the engine is running). The annoying thing is that stock tailpipes cost as much as the nice mandrel-bent Impala pieces, but IMO it's important to stay quiet if you carry passengers and/or your engine isn't anything special.


Oh, and SFAIK, *stock* Caprice tailpipes are 2" (since my stock-replacement Caprice mufflers are 2.25"/2"). So I expect you'd be better off getting Crown Vic tailpipes at that point.

[BerniniCaCO3]

OK, here's what I've got so far:

pricey non-craigslist headers actually bought new *gasp!*, to accommodate gt40p heads:

http://performanceparts.com/part.php?partID=569136

Attach to that, for $80 off craigslist a plain vanilla h pipe w/ cats. 2-1/4" btw.
"oem replacement catted h-pipe lightly used only a few scratches on the heat shield used for about a year smog pipe comes with it 2 1/4 pipe "

Attach to that, a pair of 2nd hand "dynomax super turbo mufflers" @ half price for $70. They do have 2.25" terminals, which fits.

Attach to that, some sort of tailpipe... should it be impala, or caprice, or crown vic, or just whatever the hell is 2.25" and looks OK?



Finally, one poster here said to get s-10 "mid pipes" (+ mufflers perhaps). The mufflers might be cheaper than $70 for one thing, but, I do need to know: what are mid pipes, will headers+catted hpipe+mufflers+tips of some sort be enough, or do I need these midpipe thingies for extra length? Do all of you have s10 midpipes in your build?
If I do need them, I'll drop the deal to pick up those other mufflers, and call the guy parting out his wrecked s10.


thanks!
-Bernard

[1987cp]

The only known off-the-shelf 2.25" tailpipe (to my knowledge, anyway) is the resonated Impala SS tailpipe from Flowmaster. They were about $80 per side last I checked. Probably time to check what your exhaust shop would charge to make a pair if that's for sure the diameter you want.


IMO, $70 is expensive for secondhand Super Turbos.


If you're really clueless what we mean by "midpipes", you'd better do a LOT of reading before ordering ANY parts. Look at typical Mustang bolt-on installs, and look at installs from all of us who have adapted the above-mentioned parts for Panther use.


If you already know of a good exhaust shop locally, this might be a good time to find out how cheaply they can make you a full-custom system to eliminate all of your worries.

[P72Ford]

IMO, $70 is expensive for secondhand Super Turbos.

Thats absurd for used mufflers that are fiberglass packed.

Thrush welded mufflers, or new Turbos would be less than that.

[gadget73]

$70 for a pair of used mufflers? yeah thats pretty close to new prices.

[BerniniCaCO3]

Enough on the mufflers: I can get mufflers anywhere What would you offer though? New was $70 apiece, so that's 1/2 off. How long do mufflers last; offer $40?

"If you're really clueless what we mean by "midpipes", you'd better do a LOT of reading before ordering ANY parts. Look at typical Mustang bolt-on installs, and look at installs from all of us who have adapted the above-mentioned parts for Panther use."
....I still can't find what midpipes are. If I had to venture a guess, they're the pipes between the X or H segment and the headers, and if that's true, then midpipes are included with 95% of Hpipe offerings?

And, what years caprice have the tailpipes I need?

Drove to the exhaust shop everyone recommends yesterday: they wouldn't begin to give me a quote until I already had the engine in place with the new headers. That won't fly: I kindof need to know now for budgeting, and I'd like to have it all ready to do the install in a couple days: rather than install the engine, THEN be at the mercy of the exhaust shop to come and look at it on their clock, when I can't drive anywhere!

So this recipe will work:
shorty unequal length headers
matched stock h pipe w/ cats
caprice tailpipes w/ stock mufflers, or any not-over-20"-long muffler of my choosing?

Please confirm!

[gadget73]

stick the headers on the stock motor, and have the exhaust made up. When you're ready to swap the motor, just unbolt the headers from the current motor and bolt them to the new engine. Done.

[BerniniCaCO3]

alright, I'm still a little confused.
Here's what I've got (not *exactly,* as I have the stock h pipe from a 1991 mustang), but they look the same:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/mustang%20catted%20h%20pipe/FordP51/2002%2520GT%2520Convertible/DSC06200.jpg

Then I've got the shorty headers already.

What do I need to order? I need to order in a few days, as I'm installing in 2 weeks.
1994 impala tailpipes and then the mufflers of my choice, with probably a 2.25/2.5" adapter to match the h pipe to the tailpipes?

The midpipes I already have, right; they're part of that h pipe... or no...?


thanks!
-Bernard

[BerniniCaCO3]

or will a 2nd hand exhaust from the junkyard hold up? Or likely too rusty by now + pita to mess with anyway, and better off just getting new

[BerniniCaCO3]

ok-- found out the H pipe IS the midpipe. I was so confused. so no s10 or caprice/impala (same car?) midpipes needed?
Or is this car long enough that I still need midpipes anyway?

And, mufflers before tailpipes, right, not after?

[BerniniCaCO3]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/part-finder/slide-show/1996/Chevrolet/Impala/ref=au_pf_pfg_s?ie=UTF8&Model=Impala|451&Make=Chevrolet|47&Year=1996|1996&newCar=1&brand=&partsNode=15727001&carId=010

it looks like the walker pipes might be cheaper versions of the dynomax... but there are serious differences in the length of the "tailpipe" versus the "exhaust pipe" even as that dynomax there, shows a photo of a shorter pipe on other websites.
What do I actually need?