STS Baffles installation?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
Likes: 2
From: North NJ
Good question.I also have the STS baffles uninstalled.
How are you mounting these in the 4 inch tubes?
I would like to weld a tab inside the tube but don't want to ruin the ceramic coating JetHot covered the pipes in.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
Pro
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 665
Likes: 0
From: wilmington nc
The tab is allready welded to the baffle, all you need to do is drill a couple holes in the tube to put the bolts in. I put mine on the lower inside of the tube outa sight. Rember measure 3 times drill once!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 48
From: westland mi
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
From: McLouth Kansas
That is correct that the capped end goes toward's the engine.
When drilling the holes in the pipe it is difficult to get the holes to align up perfect with the baffle tabs.
Before you do anything to install the baffles,,,,,run a tap thru the threads on the baffle tab and clean out the threads. Mine were warped a little and the bolts bound up in the tab and I had to break the bolt to get it back out. The manufacture is to run a tap thru them but mine got missed and I had to send the baffles back and get another set of baffles.
When drilling the holes in the pipe it is difficult to get the holes to align up perfect with the baffle tabs.
Before you do anything to install the baffles,,,,,run a tap thru the threads on the baffle tab and clean out the threads. Mine were warped a little and the bolts bound up in the tab and I had to break the bolt to get it back out. The manufacture is to run a tap thru them but mine got missed and I had to send the baffles back and get another set of baffles.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
Likes: 2
From: North NJ
That is correct that the capped end goes toward's the engine.
When drilling the holes in the pipe it is difficult to get the holes to align up perfect with the baffle tabs.
Before you do anything to install the baffles,,,,,run a tap thru the threads on the baffle tab and clean out the threads. Mine were warped a little and the bolts bound up in the tab and I had to break the bolt to get it back out. The manufacture is to run a tap thru them but mine got missed and I had to send the baffles back and get another set of baffles.
When drilling the holes in the pipe it is difficult to get the holes to align up perfect with the baffle tabs.
Before you do anything to install the baffles,,,,,run a tap thru the threads on the baffle tab and clean out the threads. Mine were warped a little and the bolts bound up in the tab and I had to break the bolt to get it back out. The manufacture is to run a tap thru them but mine got missed and I had to send the baffles back and get another set of baffles.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 725
Likes: 1
From: FL.
, But it fit and sounds fine. Is it Not flowing now or what?
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,780
Likes: 442
From: Southwest MI
i thought the intent was to install them with the cap in the rear? so you could remove/replace the cap as needed for flow/sound control.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
Likes: 2
From: North NJ
Also would think that if the cap was facing the rear of the car any exhaust moisture could collect inside the tube as the exaust flows into it and hits a head end. Possibly causing the baffles to rust quicker. With the cap facing the engine side the exaust is never really forced into the dead end tube of the baffle so any moisture should flow right out of the sidepipe.
Just a thought.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 10,643
Likes: 8
From: Foxfield CO 1970 Convertible
I would think it would be harder to get at the cap at the rear/turndown part of the sidepipes then if you put the cap where the header and sidepipe meet which puts the cap facing the engine. Just take the sidepipe out of the header and adjust the cap.
Also would think that if the cap was facing the rear of the car any exhaust moisture could collect inside the tube as the exaust flows into it and hits a head end. Possibly causing the baffles to rust quicker. With the cap facing the engine side the exaust is never really forced into the dead end tube of the baffle so any moisture should flow right out of the sidepipe.
Just a thought.
Also would think that if the cap was facing the rear of the car any exhaust moisture could collect inside the tube as the exaust flows into it and hits a head end. Possibly causing the baffles to rust quicker. With the cap facing the engine side the exaust is never really forced into the dead end tube of the baffle so any moisture should flow right out of the sidepipe.
Just a thought.
Yep - the cap at the front is only a couple of inches into the pipe. You could just work on it while it is in the side pipe. In the back, it's about a foot or so into the pipe. You'd have to remove it from the side pipe. From a performance standpoint, it probably doesn't matter at all. If you wanted to prevent flow pushing stuff into the center pipe, you could just glue or solder a cap on the front end too (with a small hole). I think he said that the caps were the same caps used as freeze plugs in engines.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
From: McLouth Kansas
With the cap at the exaust end,,the flow will have restriction entering the tube and botteling up with no outlet less HP and it will capture moisture ,,,,with the cap on the engine side (inlet) the flow will go around the center tube with less restriction.
If you want more flow just drill a hole in the cap,,,you will get more noise also,,,start with 1/2 inch hole,,,,
You can tune these pipes to your specific engine needs. The cap restricts about 25% flow.
The above info was from the gentleman who designed the pipes.
BTW refrain from just starting up the engine and building up moisture in the pipes and not running the car long enuf to burn the water out,,,extending the life of the baffles.
I noticed from my car that when the engine starts up I get a lot of water drip from the pipes until the pipes heat up to operating temp.
The only thing I dont like about the baffles is the 2 holes that need to be drilled,,,,in time the holes will rust out.
I switched from Max flows to the STS baffles,,,best move
