I recently purchased a used Corsa system for a later model C-4 ('96) my car is a '90 convertible.

I called Corsa and asked if it would fit and they told me "NO" but they also told me that the packing in my Flowmasters were bad causing the muffler to be loud.... He also told me that the Corsa system wouldn't work because the firing order was different on the '96.... With that said, I figured they guy had no idea of what he was talking about..

My question is:

Why will it not work? Because it mounts in a different place - I have a welder...
Maybe because the flanges are different - again I have a welder and a cutting torch..

I figured if the center section wont work at all, I could still install the mufflers.. I didn't ask the guy at Corsa about this because I figured he would tell me I needed to add '96 blinker fluid...

Last on my list is the biggest problem... today while driving the car it started to loose power (I have not installed the Corsa system yet) I noticed a burning smell, pulled over and noticed the passenger side pre-cat was smoking and very hot. It was also making a "rattling" noise. I assume this is a sign of a clogged cat?
It did this (loose power) about a week ago and I replaced the cap, rotor, plugs and wires - It stopped running crappy, but now it's back...

Why would the plugs and other stuff make it run better if the cat was clogged then?

At this point I'm considering pulling the entire exhaust system and replacing it with headers and the Corsa system - but first I want to know what is the "Major" difference between the '84 - '96 exhaust systems so I can make a call as to what I need to do or buy....

Should I remove the smog stuff?? Will it give the car any performance gains or just clean up the under hood look?

Another thing that is bothering me is the sound - My car is a convertible and the main reason for searching out the Corsa system is due to the fact that it is one of the most quit systems available...

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated :cheers:

Sam



[Modified by 65coop, 9:06 PM 5/20/2004]

 

WHAAAT DID CORSA SAY??!! :eek: Wrong firing order? That person you spoke with there didn't know what he was talking about. The small block chevrolet has had the same firing order since its birth way back when. Check this thread out:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=817364

I just installed a late model (93-96) LT1/4 B&B system into a 89 Corvette. It fit like it belonged there. All you have to do is to get the LT1 hangers that are appropriate for your car, with appropriate meaning that if you have a M6 tranny then you need the exhaust hangers for the M6 tranny or the reverse is true for the A4. The rear hangers are the same for both cars and they are still available. The very rear most mufffler hangers on your car presently will work with the B&B or the Corsa as the mounts for either system on the mufflers themselves are identical.

All you have to do is to install the LT1 hangers, remove the L98 hangers and exhaust system. Here is a link to the thread where I show the system installed in the 89 Vette that belongs to fellow forum member: thatoy.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=817364

Tims car has headers on it and NO cats. You can install a set of Bullet Cats if you need to, I would install them in the tunnel just in front of the X pipe. Doing this will require that you move the X pipe rearward and shorten the rear straight sections of pipe an amount equal to the length of the CATs installed lengths. You can also do the same thing if you don't have an X pipe but instead have a resonator. It just moves rearward as well. Removing the CATs and installing the X pipe or an H pipe in place of the resonator will result in a fairly loud system that will have some degree of resonance so be prepared if you choose to go this route. My system is nearly identical to what you will see in Tims car.


[Modified by tjwong, 12:12 AM 5/21/2004]

 

Just for reference, the first three are stock LT1, the 4th is the Corsa, so at least you know what you have to deal with as far as custom fabbing it to fit.

 

:rolleyes: RUN! I'm not a fan of the sound of Corsa exhaust, but that's just personal preference. BTW, flowmaster mufflers don't have packing either.

If these are their "technical experts'' it's a miracle they ever got their exhaust system to cancel any resonance.

If you have a welder you can make the system work. The only real difference is up towards the front of the car. You can fab this up to work no problem. People with LT1 cars and long tubes can make a Corsa weld up, you can too.

 

As far as your cat getting hot, I assume you're talking about one of you're pre cats, right? This happened on my car. One pre cat was as cool as the rest of the exhaust piping, but the other was super hot at the motor side of it and completely cool to the touch on the rear. That was after only driving a few hundred yards.

I'd say the cat's clogged. It's a big drain on performance. Also, that rattling it probably that cat coming apart. When I swapped out my front y-pipe(no money for headers at the time) I found chunks of cat material blown up against my main cat.

Swapping to the new front y that was a bigger diameter and w/o the pre cats was a huge improvement in gas mileage, power, really everything. Sounds a lot better too.

Oh, and I still passed the sniffer test afterwards, if that matters where you live.

Chris

 

Holy crap :shocked: Is there a work bench in there somewhere :confused:

:lolg:

 

Put a set of Long tubes on there and you then officially have the same exhaust setup starting point as any LT-1 with Long Tubes. Then take your Corsa (Which regaurdless of what some intellectual on the phone says) and create the hookup pipes. Its not tough especially if you have a welder.

You will have to shorten the drivers side pipe, and add an extention to the passenger side. Very easy. And if you want add some bullet cats too. All this can be done pretty cheaply at an exhaust shop If you install the headers.

Here's my header install thread: it might help you.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=781729


:cheers:

 

The '96 has basically a dual exhaust system with two cats, dual resonator pipes and a dual cat-back; your L98 uses a front Y into a single cat into a rear Y.

The '96 cat-back may bolt up to the rear of your cat, which has a 3" opening.

If you install LT headers they will Y into a 3" slip front pipe which will mate up with your main cat (you should also install a hi-flow cat).

Removing the "smog stuff" will likely make our under hood look cleaner but doubtful if it will aid performance much, except for the AIR pump elimination.

 

Holy Crap!! :eek:

Man! Last night I thought I was screwed and would have to figure this out by myself....

Checked my computer this morning to see if there were any responses - and not only did I get a response... I got pictures too! :hurray: :hurray:

Thanks to everyone who posted a reply :cheers:

The car is on the lift and I'm headed out to the shop to get started - I'll let you guys know what the result was!

Thanks again CF for a great site!!!

Sam


[Modified by 65coop, 7:42 AM 5/21/2004]

 

Ok.... The exhaust system seems to be "not such a big deal" once I got the car on a lift and looked at what I need to do.. Headers is the answer to make everything fit right.

The car was running like crap because the passenger side plug wires were run under the "intake heater" (I guess that is what that is..) and burnt 3 of them in half :_dupe: I should have figured this out, because the others were burnt in the same place.. :_dupe: :crazy:

I did cut the cats off first and the passenger side was bad (broken on the inside) It seemed to make the car loud, but I wont know for sure until I get the wires replaced :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Thanks everyone for your help!