I was about to purchase the entire system you offer for my '89 C4 L98 coupe, including the collectors, X-pipe, inline cats and rear y-pipes back to my borla mufflers.

Are you saying Randoms L98 system from the headers back installs w/o any problems but you are no longer offering it for sale! What if anything, are you going to package as a complete system for an '89 L98?

What are my other choices?

I would prefer to buy a complete system that bolts right up with no fitment issues. I've heard nothing but good things about your system, it seems the fitment issues are all with later model C4's with LT1 engines, is that correct?

 

That is true, we don't ever hear any fitment problems in regards to the 91 and below cars. We still offer the system, but only the headers will be sent from here. The Random parts will be most likely take 1-2 weeks to droship to you. Random is trying to acquire a car to pinpoint the fitment issues with the 92-96 cars.
Zbra, I think you should call Random again and see if they have any news for new.

 

Rubber band hanger in the rear in BS, fitment from the collecter ext.pipes is at an angle. and at the overall length at the rear is wrong.
Upside is I liked the 3"mandrill bent stainless, but all connections on mine are now cut and welded as all slip fits will start leaking.

 

I need some help understanding this. Melrose states they don't know of any fitment uses on 91 and earlier but MSEVEN quotes he has had problems, Please clarify because I think this will clear my cross brace better than the modified LT1 system I have on the car now. Any advise is welcome. BTW I have TPIS headers on the car. I have tried a local exhaust shop and now I don't trust them.

 

If I may slightly alter a quote from Abraham Lincoln, "You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time".
The hanger system has yet to fail, and mseven's pipe fitment issues can be from any number of reasons. I realize we endorse Random's product be selling it, so I welcome any and all feedback. I am simply going off feedback from our customers, though we have indeed had fitment complaints from Random Tech's 92-96 system, we have not in regards to the 84-91 (excluding Mseven's). I have no apprehensions selling the pre '92 system. If you are interested in the 92-96 sytem however, I recommend talking to Random Tech in person.

 

I have hooker headers and and the system was purchased directly from RT, to specifically fit the hooker headers w/flanges). Plain and simple, the "rubber band" hanger could not suport the weight of the system.
The stock exhaust support that is mounted on the trans or even an LT one, will not fit a 3" tube (w/out some serious modding. Therfor, the entire weight of the system rests on that rubber strap and the rear muffler supports (I tried 2 new ones to no avail, one even broke sitting in the garage w/out driving the car!!). Because the entire weight of the system is one that rubber band alll the slip fits tried to tweak downward, and would not remain straight.

I went and had a exhaust freind of mine weld tabs for LT hangers (off the rear end) and a soild bar suspension mount for the c beam, and also weld most of the tubes (less the cats).
I am glad you welcome the feedback, but I never blamed you, as you did not make the set-up.
Mine was purchased directly from RT about 4 years ago when they first offered the L98 system (before your co. was involved in marketing the set-up).

The tubes and all bending looks great. (Regarding the "rubber band" hanger read the above).

Tis system was intended specifically for hooker headers w/flanges. I did call RT and they tried to help, but, the bottom line is the angle coming off the collecter extensions did not come back straight enough to get the x" on. Putting the cats there was the only way it would fit (as there was more room on the cat slip fit than on the x' which was a tight fit).
Furthermore, at the time the gentleman I spoke with told me this sytem was modeled on an 85 and he had no other way of testing on another year or car..........

NOW, that was then, hopefully they changed some of this stuff around. I paid approx. 1k (at the time) for all tubes and the hi-flo cats, less mufflers (no hangers and no band clamps).

 

Thanks for the Feedback Mseven. I will approach RT in regards to the hanger.
Thanks Chris at Melrose

 

Chris,
You are welcome, I just wanted to make sure that no one (including yourself) took my post as being directed towards you or Melrose (simply one mans experience w/a product)
I think that more venders and mfgs. should take an active role with their products, like you are personally contributing.
Thanks,
Mick

 

Thanks for the info both Melrose and MSEVEN. I just want to get an exhaust on the car that is not hacked up. Tim

 

mseven, do you have any pics of how you mounted the rear of your Hooker/RT exhaust?

I was going to buy the entire Melrose/Random system for my '89 coupe but if I'm reading what you say correctly the stock OEM exhaust hanger mounted to the C beam and the two rear muffler hangers are not enough to support the weight of the 3" Melrose /RT system.

 

I did not take one of that part but I can (will post later today). A stock L98 only has the: trans mount (which can no longer be used, and the LT style one would need way too much work to make happen), the "rubber band hanger" and muffler supports at the rear of the muffler (which I am still using).

The stock rubber band hanger is the weak link and also the lack of support under the actual rear end when using this system (drivers side if done their way, is only supported by the collector and the rear of the muffler). I also used the LT-1/4 hangers off the rear end (tabs were welded to the tubes for those) which also helps support the drivers side.

The new brace still uses the holes in the c beam, but the part is a 3/8" steel rod with an "L" at the top and straight at the bottom. The straight is welded to the tube, with a steel enclosed rubber suspension piece inside that bolts to the c-beam.

Before any others read this I don't want to give off the wrong idea. I think the tubes and all bending are excellent and the bright stainless looks great. My only contention is that the details of supporting this exhaust system in the car is somewhat lacking for the L98. Adding the extra support that I have done is not expensive, and anyone that can weld can do the "tabs" and the c beam hanger in about 20 minutes.

 

I helped a friend install the RT system with Melrose headers and he hasn't had any mounting problems. I think the issue is that the original L98 systems only had the single hanger that's on the RT system. I asked RT about adding another hanger and they have no problem doing that, if there's some kind of agreement about where it should be located. They said they've only had a few people call, nobody agreed on the location. Don't know if it's worth chasing, but it might not be a bad idea for people to post their suggestions.

 

OK, I'm trying to visualize the potential hanging problem. Your saying that the OEM transmission exhaust mount cannot be used with the 3" Melrose/RT system? Correct?

When looking at the complete system from a pic on Melrose's website (The full system; Melrose headers, back to RT collector connections, X-pipe into dual cats then to rear dog-leg pipes that are supposed to mount to OEM style 2 1/2" mufflers) I see a metal tab welded to the passenger side rear dog-leg pipe that looks to me as if it would mount to the OEM rubber strap hanger secured on the C-beam. Is that correct?
What you are saying is that this metal tab that appears to be supporting the entire weight of the exhaust system, is not strong enough?

I know there are also two rear muffler hangers that support each muffler behind that C-beam support. So in total there are three rear exhaust mounting points. If I'm reading your posts correctly you say you have changed the C-beam exhaust mount to make it stronger with an L-shaped piece of 3/8" rod. Was it stainless and TIG welded in place? How did you do this? Then you also welded a tab on the drivers side rear dog-leg tube to provide an additional mounting point. How did you mount this to the car?
Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for your reponses and any additional input.

Pics would be great!

 

true, that is an issue, not the tab/bar they weld on the tube.
correct
yes, and yes
The pics will hopefully show it better than I can explain.
LT-1/4 hangers (going through bottom bolts ont the diff.) w/tabs welded to the tubes:


steel rod pass.side support welded to the tube and new hanger on the c beam:

 

Thanks for the pics and responses mseven.

I think the underside of your car is the cleanest I've ever seen! Wow!

Are those LT-1 hangers OEM from a later model vette? And do they mount to existing bolts in the diff??

Why use an LT-1 hanger on the pass. side and also the fabed L-rod mounted to the C-beam? Do you need to support the exhaust in both places so close together on that side?

 

you are welcome, the lt-1 type hangers are oem and used on 92-96 c4's PN's:
GM PART # 10157949, DESCRIPTION: HANGER (rear hanger)GM LIST: $12.87.
GM PART # 10258672, DESCRIPTION: HANGER (rear hanger)GM LIST: $13.57
these were the pn's and prices from 05 when I did this, hope they are the same. They use the existing stock bolts in the rear (will fit a dana 36 or 44), so there is no mod to install the hangers (just weld a tab on the tube).
I used both these and the rod ***., because the drivers side has only the LTX hangers and the muffler hanger to support the weight. With slip fit joints, jarring/bouncing, some motor twisting, etc., and w/no support is probably not the greatest idea...IMO.
Hope it all works out for you......let us know