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I’m sure this information is on this forum somewhere, but for the life of me I can’t find it. I find tons of information on headers and exhaust manifolds that people have used for their LS swaps (mostly in the context of “yes, this fits”), but I can’t find any information on what people are running after the headers.
Are you all just taking the car to an exhaust shop and having someone custom make something for you? What mufflers are you using? ARE you using mufflers?! And the big question….how’s it sound?
Are you all just taking the car to an exhaust shop and having someone custom make something for you? What mufflers are you using? ARE you using mufflers?! And the big question….how’s it sound?
Yes on the exhaust shop doing the work. I am strongly advising you to put in removable sections so you don't have to sawzall anything off to get at the clutch or shift linkage or whatever else may come up. I have Magnaflows on mine. They were kind of loud so I had a crossover put in which helped somewhat. 2-1/2" aluminized throughout.
I’m sure this information is on this forum somewhere, but for the life of me I can’t find it. I find tons of information on headers and exhaust manifolds that people have used for their LS swaps (mostly in the context of “yes, this fits”), but I can’t find any information on what people are running after the headers.
Are you all just taking the car to an exhaust shop and having someone custom make something for you? What mufflers are you using? ARE you using mufflers?! And the big question….how’s it sound?
Last thing
I supported the aft end of the system at a heat shield under my diff. Study this picture a bit to see what I did
On most of my LS swaps I build the exhaust myself. On my 71 C3 LS swap I used Patriot mid-length headers and the 2.5" mandrel bends tubing from Summit. Straight sections from a local muffler shop. It's a bit tricky going thru the trans cross member but very doable.
I use Dyna Max turbo mufflers. 2.5". Joining sections together I use 1" wide band clamps like they use on late model cars. Don't use the "old" style muffler u-clamps if you ever want to disassemble the exhaust.
Modify your tranny crossmember to let the exhaust pass under. Check out this video.....At about the 5 minute mark. That BowTie Overdrives crossmember lets the exhaust pipes PASS UNDER the crossmember. This gives you a whole bunch more options and makes everything easier and straighter. I made my own exhaust-pass-under-crossmember to let the exhaust pass under but it would probably been easier (and cheaper since I ended up buying a plasma cutter.....I'm ok with that) and cheaper to take one of these BowTie Overdrive crossmembers and modify the ends to make it fit.
I’m sure this information is on this forum somewhere, but for the life of me I can’t find it. I find tons of information on headers and exhaust manifolds that people have used for their LS swaps (mostly in the context of “yes, this fits”), but I can’t find any information on what people are running after the headers.
Are you all just taking the car to an exhaust shop and having someone custom make something for you? What mufflers are you using? ARE you using mufflers?! And the big question….how’s it sound?
two flowmaster 200 cell high flow 3" cats (304ss) $160 total
short sections of 3" stainless with 3" Vbands (all 304ss) $50
Speed engineering universal 3" 304SS Xpipe with 45* legs $100
two 12-18" of straight 3" 304ss pipes $20
two 90* 304ss bends into two 90* 304ss bends $40-50
right into two 3" dynomax ultra turbo mufflers with hidden turndowns at the rear bumper. $80
originally I had no cats and 3" straight through magnaflow knock offs. It was too loud so I went with the dynomax turbos and its much better. I figure the Cats will help a little with sound but more for the exhaust smell.
Last edited by 78vette5.3; Apr 18, 2024 at 03:35 PM.
Corvette Central sells a complete LS conversion exhaust system with headers for around $1,100 bucks...
Yeah I saw that, and it used MangaFlow mufflers which is nice. My only hold up is that it uses shorty headers. I was hoping to go either mid-length or long tube. I’ll look into it more.
two flowmaster 200 cell high flow 3" cats (304ss) $160 total
short sections of 3" stainless with 3" Vbands (all 304ss) $50
Speed engineering universal 3" 304SS Xpipe with 45* legs $100
two 12-18" of straight 3" 304ss pipes $20
two 90* 304ss bends into two 90* 304ss bends $40-50
right into two 3" dynomax ultra turbo mufflers with hidden turndowns at the rear bumper. $80
originally I had no cats and 3" straight through magnaflow knock offs. It was too loud so I went with the dynomax turbos and its much better. I figure the Cats will help a little with sound but more for the exhaust smell.
Yeah I’m probably going to stay away from 3” specifically because of the sound. I’m sure it’ll sound good, but I’m trying to retain my hearing 😂
Good to know though, this is a relatively inexpensive option.
Yeah I’m probably going to stay away from 3” specifically because of the sound. I’m sure it’ll sound good, but I’m trying to retain my hearing 😂
Good to know though, this is a relatively inexpensive option.
I posted some pics, but you can do it all in 2.5" for cheaper. I did 3" bc I had the headers and most of the exhaust piping in 3" already but its not that loud. The turbo mufflers really make it nice. A 2.5" would easily knock a few bucks off.
You an get a universal 304 SS 2.5" kit off ebay for like $200 or so and then its just the Xpipe and mufflers. The universal kit will come with all the piping you would need and if you can weld I used off the shelf bends so nothing really custom except the hangers and getting the cats to fit.
Here's a couple of pictures of what I did for my ls2 exhaust. I have long tube headers with 3 in collectors reduced to 2.5 through high flow cats back to a borla x pipe mufler. It's built with ss tubing using 90 deg elbows and 2 10 ft lenghts of pipe.
corvette74
Whereabouts under the car do those cats sit?
Originally Posted by corvette74
Here's a couple of pictures of what I did for my ls2 exhaust. I have long tube headers with 3 in collectors reduced to 2.5 through high flow cats back to a borla x pipe mufler. It's built with ss tubing using 90 deg elbows and 2 10 ft lenghts of pipe.
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I really think that the tranny crossmember to let the exhaust pass under (Bowtie Overdrives part mentioned above) is the hot ticket. You can then run straighter pipes, or even route them as you wish, or even "ovalize" them for clearance, and not have to shove them through those crossmember holes immediately aft, and right next to, the tranny.
I would suggest it is well worth spending the money on crossmember and then the exhaust is easy peasy (and probably even cheaper since it can be almost straight)...... and if you're going to cut a Manual Crossmember then might as well make it to let the exhaust pass-under.
They are about 6 in behind the g force trans cross member.
Question - do you find the exhaust hangs too low in this set up, it's definitely the low point of your car. I want to do long tube headers, but I'm definitely lowering the car and if the headers are going to hang a few inches lower, it may cause an issue.
I really think that the tranny crossmember to let the exhaust pass under (Bowtie Overdrives part mentioned above) is the hot ticket. You can then run straighter pipes, or even route them as you wish, or even "ovalize" them for clearance, and not have to shove them through those crossmember holes immediately aft, and right next to, the tranny.
I would suggest it is well worth spending the money on crossmember and then the exhaust is easy peasy (and probably even cheaper since it can be almost straight)...... and if you're going to cut a Manual Crossmember then might as well make it to let the exhaust pass-under.
Lucky for me, all 81's have removable crossmembers regardless if it was auto or 4-speed. So I'm definitely replacing the crossmember with one that allows the exhaust to pass below it. Was looking at the G-Force crossmember, a lot of guys seem to run that.
Morning, I measured the ground clearance and it's 3.25". As for the headers I bought them from a member/vendor called speedhound. If I remember correctly he designed them when the LS engines were first starting to be swapped. After that I think it was Melrose that started to produce them.
Dale
Morning, I measured the ground clearance and it's 3.25". As for the headers I bought them from a member/vendor called speedhound. If I remember correctly he designed them when the LS engines were first starting to be swapped. After that I think it was Melrose that started to produce them.
Dale
Got it, that’s a fairly low clearance. Do you find that they scrape at all? And is your car at a stock ride height?
LS Swap - Exhaust System?
