My (bad) experience with cutouts
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,699
Likes: 147
What cutouts and model did you select? I looked my GHL exhaust and saw I could run a comparable setup and have the cutouts bypass the mufflers and go right to the tips. I think this is the cleanest way to go, plus no worries regarding heat damage.
Your setup looks really good BTW.
Your setup looks really good BTW.
They were available at the store.
They come bare so I got the pipe and flanges from
a muffler shop and put it together after fitting it up.
Used a cutoff wheel on a hand grinder and snips to
cut the holes.
The 3" pipe made it easy to overlap the muffler pipes
and weld it up
Last edited by StrangelovesM6Vert; Aug 31, 2016 at 04:51 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 114
Likes: 5
From: Fowlerville Michigan
If I end up getting a new axleback, I'd def do the Strangelove type muffler bypass but probably vacuum actuated, which presents it's own problems but I'd really like a faster open time and automatic open based on load/throttle.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,893
Likes: 295
From: Buffalo NY
Location, Location, Location!
The way you had your dumps positioned, it's no surprise you melted the spring as you were blowing exhaust right at it. Others have experienced this too.
Having the full 90 degree turndown is a huge step in getting that hot exhaust into the cold air stream underneath the car. There are plenty of C5 owners running cutouts with no ill effects, as long as the exhaust is dumped down far enough.
On a side note, your QTP motor failure is a common occurrence. They've been having problems for years, I had one die on me after 3 months of use. I got fed up with their issues and built my own setup using vacuum actuated butterfly valves. Used daily in all types of conditions for the past 3 months with no issues. Only moving parts are the vacuum actuators (a diaphragm and a spring), the valve itself (shaft), and the solenoid to power it (OEM ACDelco part with proven reliability).
My setup:
More info
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...or-my-frc.html
I'm really sorry to hear you had issues, but there is hope - revise the placement/angle of your turndowns, and use a more reliable valve opening method, and you'll be in good shape.
The way you had your dumps positioned, it's no surprise you melted the spring as you were blowing exhaust right at it. Others have experienced this too.
Having the full 90 degree turndown is a huge step in getting that hot exhaust into the cold air stream underneath the car. There are plenty of C5 owners running cutouts with no ill effects, as long as the exhaust is dumped down far enough.
On a side note, your QTP motor failure is a common occurrence. They've been having problems for years, I had one die on me after 3 months of use. I got fed up with their issues and built my own setup using vacuum actuated butterfly valves. Used daily in all types of conditions for the past 3 months with no issues. Only moving parts are the vacuum actuators (a diaphragm and a spring), the valve itself (shaft), and the solenoid to power it (OEM ACDelco part with proven reliability).
My setup:
More info
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...or-my-frc.html
I'm really sorry to hear you had issues, but there is hope - revise the placement/angle of your turndowns, and use a more reliable valve opening method, and you'll be in good shape.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,844
Likes: 375
From: San Jose, CA
Why do you guys prefer vacuum?
I'm an electrical guy so I have a clear bias, sure, but it seems to me that electrical is better - much easier to route, much easier to control (simple button press), and replacing a motor is trivial if you did the original work of spec'ing out the cutout/bypass equipment in the first place (for the stuff I'm looking at, something like $22 plug and play replacement.) Sure, cheap chinese motors won't live forever in the hostile environment underneath a car and controlling the exhaust, but when replacement units are so cheap, just call it expected wear and tear.
(Three months is, of course, a joke for a motor. I'd expect it to last a good several years.)
I'm an electrical guy so I have a clear bias, sure, but it seems to me that electrical is better - much easier to route, much easier to control (simple button press), and replacing a motor is trivial if you did the original work of spec'ing out the cutout/bypass equipment in the first place (for the stuff I'm looking at, something like $22 plug and play replacement.) Sure, cheap chinese motors won't live forever in the hostile environment underneath a car and controlling the exhaust, but when replacement units are so cheap, just call it expected wear and tear.
(Three months is, of course, a joke for a motor. I'd expect it to last a good several years.)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,699
Likes: 147
Pep Boys at least warranties their chosen cutouts.
Don't forget to shield the wires (or vacuum lines) well with some angle iron or something.
Ask me how I know
Don't forget to shield the wires (or vacuum lines) well with some angle iron or something.
Ask me how I know
Last edited by StrangelovesM6Vert; Aug 31, 2016 at 05:40 PM.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 428
Likes: 30
Back in the day, it would have been fun, but now I find the stock exhaust is more fun. I can drive the crap out of my car, and no one notices, and the car actually seems much faster that way. I wish my hot rod was quiet, but no room for mufflers.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 114
Likes: 5
From: Fowlerville Michigan
Why do you guys prefer vacuum?
I'm an electrical guy so I have a clear bias, sure, but it seems to me that electrical is better - much easier to route, much easier to control (simple button press), and replacing a motor is trivial if you did the original work of spec'ing out the cutout/bypass equipment in the first place (for the stuff I'm looking at, something like $22 plug and play replacement.) Sure, cheap chinese motors won't live forever in the hostile environment underneath a car and controlling the exhaust, but when replacement units are so cheap, just call it expected wear and tear.
(Three months is, of course, a joke for a motor. I'd expect it to last a good several years.)
I'm an electrical guy so I have a clear bias, sure, but it seems to me that electrical is better - much easier to route, much easier to control (simple button press), and replacing a motor is trivial if you did the original work of spec'ing out the cutout/bypass equipment in the first place (for the stuff I'm looking at, something like $22 plug and play replacement.) Sure, cheap chinese motors won't live forever in the hostile environment underneath a car and controlling the exhaust, but when replacement units are so cheap, just call it expected wear and tear.
(Three months is, of course, a joke for a motor. I'd expect it to last a good several years.)
With that faster response you could have the ECU control it like the C6/C7 valves.
Actuators last longer than motors.
Last edited by BMan0660; Sep 1, 2016 at 07:39 AM.