[Z06] Ti Mod: The Ti Mod Process
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: LaGrange Ga
Ti Mod: The Ti Mod Process
All,
A couple of months ago I decided to undertake performing the Ti mod myself. I did a bunch of reading here on the forums and didn't really find a detail of the process. I will try to put together the basic steps.
The first thing one needs to do is gather the materials.
Note the thick wall size. This makes it easier to weld and grind to shape.
The first step of the process is to mark where you want your bypass pipe to go. I put my muffler on the fab table and held up a 6" piece of Ti pipe where I thought it would fit well. I then proceded to make a small mark on the inner side of the 2 pipes I would be joining.
Then I put my 6" piece of pipe in the mill vice and proceded to make a rough cut of the shape that was needed to fit against the larger muffler inlet pipe.
Now it is a matter of cutting, grinding and fitting each end of the pipe until it sat well in the marked space.
Pipe Shape:
Pipe Fitting
After verifying the fit. I used a sharpie to mark around the bypass pipe on the stock muffler to show what sections of muffler needed to be removed. It is a good idea to do this on both left and right side of the muffler using the single piece of pipe. This will help ensure that you have modded each side the same.
Inlet pipe Removal Area
I first used a hole saw to take out a large chunk of the stock pipe.
Then a few air cutting tools to finish out the shape on the muffler.
Air Grinder (Note: I am leaving a bit of extra material on the inside of the line to make welding easier)
Air Cutoff Wheel! mmm White Sparks!
Inlet pipe ready for welding!
Outlet pipe ready for welding!
At this point it is a good time to clean all welding surfaces with acetone. This will remove your refrence sharpie marks. Clean surfaces are vital for a good weld.
Now prepare your welder. I used a Miller Dynasty 200. This particular welder has a water cooled torch but it wasn't needed for this application.
Here are the settings I used
Go ahead and tack your bypass pipe into place (Notice no sharpie remains. It was cleaned off by the acetone.)
After tacking the pipe in place go ahead and finish welding.
Pro Tip: Once a section of weld is complete. Leave the torch on the finished part of the weld until the post weld purge is complete. The extra Argon here will help insure a clean weld.
The finished product. Now go ahead and do the other side.
I installed mine on the back of an alignment rack a a dealer ship. I purchased an extra set of mufflers just for the mod so I was able to make the swap in one visit.
I hope this has been helpful to show the steps needed in a Ti mod. I have taken some sound clips of the car before and after and hope to put a video together to show the difference on a stock Z06.
If anyone has questions I will do my best to help.
Thanks,
Chris
A couple of months ago I decided to undertake performing the Ti mod myself. I did a bunch of reading here on the forums and didn't really find a detail of the process. I will try to put together the basic steps.
The first thing one needs to do is gather the materials.
-1 Set (Left and Right) Titanium mufflers from an 01-04 Corvette Z06
-12" minimum of Titanium pipe.
I used 1.5" OD 0.052 wall tubing. I choose 3AL-2.5v due to it being easy to weld, but stronger than most of the other CP grades of Ti. Note the thick wall size. This makes it easier to weld and grind to shape.
Titanium filler rod.
The tools needed for the job are:-Tig Welder
-Bench vice (soft jaws are nice)
-Cut off wheel
-Grinding whell
-Acetone
-Sharpie
-Drill/Drill Press (Or mill if you are lucky)
-Hole Saw
Once you have all your items you are ready to start on the Ti Mod.-Bench vice (soft jaws are nice)
-Cut off wheel
-Grinding whell
-Acetone
-Sharpie
-Drill/Drill Press (Or mill if you are lucky)
-Hole Saw
The first step of the process is to mark where you want your bypass pipe to go. I put my muffler on the fab table and held up a 6" piece of Ti pipe where I thought it would fit well. I then proceded to make a small mark on the inner side of the 2 pipes I would be joining.
Then I put my 6" piece of pipe in the mill vice and proceded to make a rough cut of the shape that was needed to fit against the larger muffler inlet pipe.
Now it is a matter of cutting, grinding and fitting each end of the pipe until it sat well in the marked space.
Pipe Shape:
Pipe Fitting
After verifying the fit. I used a sharpie to mark around the bypass pipe on the stock muffler to show what sections of muffler needed to be removed. It is a good idea to do this on both left and right side of the muffler using the single piece of pipe. This will help ensure that you have modded each side the same.
Inlet pipe Removal Area
I first used a hole saw to take out a large chunk of the stock pipe.
Then a few air cutting tools to finish out the shape on the muffler.
Air Grinder (Note: I am leaving a bit of extra material on the inside of the line to make welding easier)
Air Cutoff Wheel! mmm White Sparks!
Inlet pipe ready for welding!
Outlet pipe ready for welding!
At this point it is a good time to clean all welding surfaces with acetone. This will remove your refrence sharpie marks. Clean surfaces are vital for a good weld.
Now prepare your welder. I used a Miller Dynasty 200. This particular welder has a water cooled torch but it wasn't needed for this application.
Here are the settings I used
Go ahead and tack your bypass pipe into place (Notice no sharpie remains. It was cleaned off by the acetone.)
After tacking the pipe in place go ahead and finish welding.
Pro Tip: Once a section of weld is complete. Leave the torch on the finished part of the weld until the post weld purge is complete. The extra Argon here will help insure a clean weld.
The finished product. Now go ahead and do the other side.
I installed mine on the back of an alignment rack a a dealer ship. I purchased an extra set of mufflers just for the mod so I was able to make the swap in one visit.
I hope this has been helpful to show the steps needed in a Ti mod. I have taken some sound clips of the car before and after and hope to put a video together to show the difference on a stock Z06.
If anyone has questions I will do my best to help.
Thanks,
Chris
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: LaGrange Ga
FYI: If anyone would like to do this mod themselves take a look at my for sale thread. I am selling my excess Ti pipe and filler rod. $75 shipped.
Here is a link<---click me
Here is a link<---click me
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: LaGrange Ga
Oh and one more thing: If you try to use steel for your bypass mod this is what it will look like. 
(Note these are not my original pictures, I just found these while searching for a doner set of Ti's to use for my mod)
(Note these are not my original pictures, I just found these while searching for a doner set of Ti's to use for my mod)
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 15,866
Likes: 196
From: PA
Wow, very nice and detailed write up, great job! I bought the tubing and rod to do this mod, going to have an experienced welder in this area finish it for me over the winter. That's scary how bad it can turn out using steel rod, yikes!
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 373
Likes: 1
From: Georgetown Kentucky
Great write up for sure! Already have the pipe and will be doing this mod over the winter. I am gonna save the pics to my computer for future reference just in case lol. Thanks for taking the time to do a write up it is greatly appreciated.
Would love to see the videos of how it sounds now. I absolutely love the way they sound with the mod.
Would love to see the videos of how it sounds now. I absolutely love the way they sound with the mod.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: LaGrange Ga
FYI: If anyone would like to do this mod themselves take a look at my for sale thread. I am selling my excess Ti pipe and filler rod. $75 shipped.
Here is a link<---click me
Here is a link<---click me
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