Durability of C5Z Ti Muffler
06-08-2010, 06:14 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Durability of C5Z Ti Muffler
I have a mostly stock C5Z with the factory Ti exhaust. I have broken off the inside exhaust outlet and chrome tip at the weld by the muffler on three different mufflers. (yes 3)
Has anyone else had this problem? I didn't hit anything, they just show a brittle failure near the weld at the muffler and they fall off on track.
I like the light weight and quiet sound but don’t want to buy more if they are just going to keep breaking off.
Chris Shay
Has anyone else had this problem? I didn't hit anything, they just show a brittle failure near the weld at the muffler and they fall off on track.
I like the light weight and quiet sound but don’t want to buy more if they are just going to keep breaking off.
Chris Shay
06-08-2010, 07:29 PM
#2
Racer
Member Since: Jul 2006
Location: Wisconsin
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Sounds like a tough weekend at Autobahn. The WAI track was a hoot, though. A good power course that made me really miss the BSP car.
Anywho, I haven't heard anyone breaking these off besides you. Maybe it's user error?
Anywho, I haven't heard anyone breaking these off besides you. Maybe it's user error?
06-08-2010, 07:38 PM
#3
Drifting
The Ti is not an extremely durable muffler system. I cracked the end of one of my mufflers while out on the racetrack a few years ago, and know of at least one other who has done the same under track conditions (heat, vibration). I replaced the Ti system with Borla Stingers and have been crack-free since.
06-08-2010, 10:47 PM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
Since these look like brittle failures, has anyone tried heat treating the muffler releive and soften the Ti near the weld? It's my understanding that Ti needs to be heat treated after welding. Maybe GM didn't do it that well.
06-09-2010, 10:34 AM
#5
Melting Slicks
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I've seen the back side of the mufflers blow out before, one guy at Road America actually melted his bumper cover just behind the LR tire when it blew out. I haven't seen anyone break off exhaust tips like that though.
I would just find someone who can weld Ti in your area and have them go over the mufflers. You should have enough pieces to put a good set together.
Joel
I would just find someone who can weld Ti in your area and have them go over the mufflers. You should have enough pieces to put a good set together.
Joel
06-09-2010, 02:18 PM
#8
Le Mans Master
No problem with mine. About 75K miles on them, several years of autocross and some DEs, and no problems. I don't know what year they were manufactured.
Never heard of anyone cracking a Ti muffler, either, but obviously it's been happening.
Hope you get them fixed, and have a good one,
Mike
Never heard of anyone cracking a Ti muffler, either, but obviously it's been happening.
Hope you get them fixed, and have a good one,
Mike
06-10-2010, 10:43 AM
#12
Race Director
damn was wondering what happened to your exhaust at ta. the break on the weld looked clean from what i saw. what are you paying for the stock systems? a stinger could be a good longer term investment if this has happened on 3 of them now.
06-10-2010, 02:04 PM
#13
Racer
Thread Starter
Since I drive the car across the country to races, I want to keep the quiet stock exhaust.
06-10-2010, 07:15 PM
#14
Melting Slicks
The TI mufflers quite often brake at the flange. When mine broke on the left side, the shop told me to bring in the right one because it would break sooner or later.
Being cheap I waited, 6 months later he welded the other side up.
Three years with the repaired flanges and no problems.
Being cheap I waited, 6 months later he welded the other side up.
Three years with the repaired flanges and no problems.
06-13-2010, 09:48 AM
#15
Drifting
Couple shots of the end of one of my Ti mufflers, which cracked during a session out on track:
Last edited by RedLS6; 06-13-2010 at 10:11 AM.
06-13-2010, 11:57 AM
#16
Tech Contributor
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Don't replace them, fix them. It is easily done by a shop that knows how to weld titanium and the price should be less than $100 for each repair. Both of the inner pipe welds broke on my C5Z and it cost me $71 each to get them welded back in place at a local heating and cooling contractor who happened to have a part time welder certified to weld titanium.
Bill
Bill
06-14-2010, 10:25 AM
#18
Le Mans Master
Ti has excellent thermal properties so I suspect you have detonations in your muffler causing cracking - it is on the flat surface roughly in the middle. A lesser material would be split like a tomato can....
06-14-2010, 11:26 AM
#19
Race Director
That looks more like a thermal or pressure crack not a fatigue crack.
Ti has excellent thermal properties so I suspect you have detonations in your muffler causing cracking - it is on the flat surface roughly in the middle. A lesser material would be split like a tomato can....
Ti has excellent thermal properties so I suspect you have detonations in your muffler causing cracking - it is on the flat surface roughly in the middle. A lesser material would be split like a tomato can....
06-14-2010, 01:55 PM
#20
Melting Slicks
Too much heat...
They don't like too much heat. Titanium or not. Mine cracked like the one above, then blew out completely. Fried my rear bumper, the impact styrofoam, both tail lights, and wiring harness. I had to replace all of it.
The reason is from using heat wrap. In order to drop the temps in the tunnel and around the tans and diff. I took some header/exhaust wrap and wrapped my exchaust from the back of the cats to just past the diff. It made the Ti mufflers run hotter than they were used to. They turned a lovely shade of blue/green. Lasted about 3 or 4 events, then go boom...
Don't wrap you exhaust if it has Ti in it. Beyond that I never had problems before that. Also never had that problem with the current Z06 I have.
The reason is from using heat wrap. In order to drop the temps in the tunnel and around the tans and diff. I took some header/exhaust wrap and wrapped my exchaust from the back of the cats to just past the diff. It made the Ti mufflers run hotter than they were used to. They turned a lovely shade of blue/green. Lasted about 3 or 4 events, then go boom...
Don't wrap you exhaust if it has Ti in it. Beyond that I never had problems before that. Also never had that problem with the current Z06 I have.