Easiest detachable exhaust methods?

I plan on using these with the appropriate flange.

 

the vbands work the best for sealing but are not the easiest. the band clamps like these are the easiest to use http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wlk-35695/overview/
the best ones are the ones that have a step in the band and the exhaust pipes are made to slip over each other.

 

These are the best way to go it you plan to actually unhook it a bunch. No gaskets, no hassles.

JMO,
SPark

 

If clearance is that tight?.. welding anything will be tough on the top side. You could always just live with it for now and cross that bridge down the road when removal is required.

Expanding similarly sized pipe to slip over both sections and tack welding them in more easily accessed locations for easier removal down the road would be decent enough too. A piece of stainless pipe would be best and just make sure they are tight enough not to leak.. but loose enough not to get fused in place. Applying hi-temp metallic fritted anti-sieze never seems to hurt removals either.

 

I did the same as Frank, with 3", 3 bolt collector flanges and nice "dead soft" copper gaskets. No leaks. You can clock the flanges for max clearance and bolt access.

 

X2 on the v bands, after I put v bands on my car any exhaust work I do from now on will them.

 

That was going to be my next question...

I have worked with slip-fitted tubing before, and it always seems to be rusted together when the time comes to separate them. You end up having to beat the snot out of it to get it apart.

I kinda like the look of those in post #16 (EDIT--and #21, posted just before I posted this one!)

 

V-band clamps are by far the best solution and are just as easy to install as the 3 bolt flanges with the advantage of no gaskets. HVB30 if you need 3" versions

http://www.summitracing.com/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=hvb25


Be careful with band clamps unless your installer made everything slip fit. If it's slip fit you can use wide 2 bolt band clamps but stay away from the stepped ones. They are great for sealing but will not hold the system in alignment. The flat ones are perfered and when you tighten them they will form the step and hold the tubes tighter.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-692250/overview/


Do not use the thin wide band clamps if it's a butt connection they do not have the strenth to support the weight of the system. These work great for butt connections and will support the weight of the system. HVC66 is the part number for 3"

http://www.summitracing.com/search?keyword=hvc65

 

In (my) order of preference:

• V-band clamps (best but pricey)
• Ball-socket fittings (cheap and easy)
• Flanges (sealing and warping issues, need gaskets every time)

I've found that muffler shops tend to have a 55 gal drum half full of cut-off ball socket joints in various sizes for cheap...

 

Dave seemingly just set you straight in the above and you could check Pypes online catalog to get the specific 2.5" stuffs part #'s it seems like you may need here. Summit also has some cheaper housebrands too and they seem to work just fine so long as the system is well suspended.. and as you well now by know.. properly insulated from the chassis.

If you really want a more refined and smooth feeling engine you could also use vibration insulators or other sound attenuators too. I believe the newer V6 Stang's use them because of their inherent NVH related issues. Even my old 90 Infiniti Q45 had rubber cone style dampers in 4 places and it's likely almost all luxury cars are using them these days. To top it all off.. many of the expensive fctory style tube headers are also getting hi-temp insulation designed to help refine the NVH even further. We gearheads just have to settle with header wrap.

In my prior response, all I was pointing you towards was less hassle to deal with while working with the tightly confined headers ON the car.. and at THIS particular point in time. Do you have intentions for dropping the exhaust anytime soon?.. worth the hassle to pull the headers now or later?.. any other removable parts to create more access.?

I've welded enough tight clearance stuff by now to know that crappily forgiving work standards usually follow the blindly located pinholes. If you're going to spend the money?.. you likely already know that to do it right the headers are usually off the car. Sure seems like it's always a "greener grass" kinda thing because this is where those long tubes would have really been nice for better weld access. Course.. then you'd have to double weld them with all the speedbump action they'd see.

IIRC, it's a 2.5" to 2.5" transition? With no swaging, right?

PS. if it's worth the $50 bucks to buy some time?.. Dave's summit link for Pype's clamps are the way I'd go. Then I'd move to the V-band stuff the next time the headers were off and fully accessible.

 

I am in no hurry, but if I need to do some work on the transmission or something, I don't want to waste time messing with the exhaust first.

Ended up going 2-1/4" so it would be that in and out.

By the way, not sure if is the smaller diameter pipe, addition of the X-pipe, or what, but the car feels like is has more low-end torque. I have severe traction issues, now, that I did not have as much a problem with before.

As far as the welding issue, I would be cutting the pipes first, then removing them from the car, and welding on the ground. No need to weld in tight areas while on the car.

 

I'd just chop it if/when you need to. Then but weld it or flange it back to what you decide at that point. No pan access?.. did you run the x-pipe under the pan or something?

Although shorter is not really better for low range torque.. a smaller header collector and the smaller primary pipe will usually do that. X-pipes usually never hurt low end torque either.. especially on chambered muffler setups.

Traction problems are good to have if you're a power junkie.. and now you just need to start spending on bigger and better rubber. See how it all snowballs on us?

That's really a perfect example that you need to take note of and file away for later about the effects of having too big an exhaust on smaller/midsized motors. Guys with street gears and bigg'ish cams running 3" exhausts really don't know what they're missing sometimes.

 

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-694225/overview/



Now I see why the summit ones aren't as strong. Hardly any material over the two halves of the pipe.

I will have to get a better look under my car and see how well it is all supported before I use these. Otherwise I will use better quality clamps.

 

This design is the norm for v-band clamps and the strength lays in the weld that holds the flange to the tube. The difference is the flange material which is mild steel on the Summit version and prone to rust where the Pypes ones are stainless steel and will not rust.

I forgot to mention these clamps are measured as ID and the tube is designed to slip into the flange then lap welded.

 

I bet it's fun welding a piece of stainless to a mild steel pipe.