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I have been SLOWLY working on a fuel lead (Fuel Leak thread). I have not been happy with the exhaust smell since I got my car, but all the other awesome has overwhelmed that one small issue. Sitting at my desk at work and still smelling the exhaust all day...having co-workers smell it...not ideal. I do understand that some of the smell will have been from the fuel leak, but I decided to add cats back on since the h-pipe needed to come off anyway so I ordered the TSP x-pipe with cats to match my headers.
Today I took the old H-pipe off while working toward getting the old tank out and discovered that I do indeed have 3" TSP headers...but there were reducers connected to a 2.5" h-pipe connected to 2.5" Pypes exhaust. In this situation...what would you do?
I am thinking I will have to order a 3" exhaust to match my 3" TSP catted x-pipe...not excited about that...I loved the sound my car made (yes I know adding cats will change the sound a little). If this would be your plan, what exhaust would you get? Keep in mind this car has a TSP Tsunami cam which is just SICK!
I'd install what you bought. The TSP headers are 1 3/4" with 3" collectors, very common. Collector length is part of header design, but a 2 1/2" mid pipe is great for a 346 CI motor.
When I installed my TSP headers, I installed 3" Magnaflow cats right behind the collectors, then necked down to 2 1/2" factory mids into the Ti's.
The cats will make your car a bit more qeuit...
From: Central PA. - - My AR15 identifies as a muzzleloader
I believe in the Beer Fairy
I'm trying to understand what you're saying here. Are you saying you have a 3 inch catted cross pipe but it's not on the car yet? You lost me somewhere.
I think the cats actually make the car sound better, not worse.
I think your idle is dramatically over speed and you should get that tuned. Sounds like you're around a thousand RPMs or so. That's completely unnecessary if it's tuned right.
I'm trying to understand what you're saying here. Are you saying you have a 3 inch catted cross pipe but it's not on the car yet? You lost me somewhere.
I think the cats actually make the car sound better, not worse.
I think your idle is dramatically over speed and you should get that tuned. Sounds like you're around a thousand RPMs or so. That's completely unnecessary if it's tuned right.
The green car looks badass.
Here's mine at idle
And here's my car leaving.
I have purchased a 3" catted x-pipe...what I took off my car was a 2.5" h-pipe with adapters to connected it to the 3" TSP headers. The x-pipe is still on its way to me.
I agree my idle is too high...I purchased this car from Texas but she now lives in Colorado Springs...a bit of an altitude difference. I have also diagnosed a problem with my gas tank that may have been causing raw liquid fuel to be in the vent canister which would pump extra fuel into the engine when the canister purges. That problem should be fixed now. I also thought it smelled too rich...not sure if that was also the gas tank problem as it was leaking fuel.
In any case, do you believe the altitude difference between Houston Texas (80') and Colorado Springs (6000') would require a new tune? I have a video of the car running in Houston and the idle is lower. I have not ran her yet since installing the new tank because I don't like the idea of running on jack stands (that Tsunami is kinda angry) so I don't know if anything is different. If I am going to change the exhaust, I don't want to redo jack stands. Weather is bad this week and I was not going to drive her anyway so I am waiting on the new x-pipe.
From every report on every source I've read, the change from H to X will have a pretty big effect on overall sound. Add in the cats and your definitely going to sound a tad softer and smoother, and lose the boat burble (which perhaps I alone actually like).
What are you doing for O2 sensors? Front pair only?
Personally, I'd go to my local muffler shop and have a pair of so-called high flow cats welded into the existing H-pipe, then take the cash I saved to buy more gasoline.
From every report on every source I've read, the change from H to X will have a pretty big effect on overall sound. Add in the cats and your definitely going to sound a tad softer and smoother, and lose the boat burble (which perhaps I alone actually like).
What are you doing for O2 sensors? Front pair only?
Personally, I'd go to my local muffler shop and have a pair of so-called high flow cats welded into the existing H-pipe, then take the cash I saved to buy more gasoline.
I am running front pair only, the others were tuned out.
I did quote getting some so-called high flow cats from a local muffler shop and the price was the same as buying the TSP x-pipe with cats...so I went that way. A different local shop did a really bad hack job on my other vette, it was a simple muffler delete, but the welding was so poor I cut it out and replaced it with new axle-back pipes and tips. With that experience behind me, installing the x-pipe myself was a no brainier. Its so hard to pay for good work these days...
From: Central PA. - - My AR15 identifies as a muzzleloader
I believe in the Beer Fairy
Originally Posted by jvettman
I have purchased a 3" catted x-pipe...what I took off my car was a 2.5" h-pipe with adapters to connected it to the 3" TSP headers. The x-pipe is still on its way to me.
Gotcha, I was confused. It'll be fine when you get that installed and you'll like the 3" cats. Exact same pipe I had on the car in the vids above.
I agree my idle is too high...I purchased this car from Texas but she now lives in Colorado Springs...a bit of an altitude difference. I have also diagnosed a problem with my gas tank that may have been causing raw liquid fuel to be in the vent canister which would pump extra fuel into the engine when the canister purges. That problem should be fixed now. I also thought it smelled too rich...not sure if that was also the gas tank problem as it was leaking fuel.
Idle speed is a setting for RPM, so no, none of these things affects that. The rich smell is definitely the tune, and it's off. Just guessing here but I'd say nobody ever made an effort at getting the idle mix correct. Or if they did, they had no idea what to correct to get it right. It's not rocket science, but that is one of the more difficult things in a tune is to get a quality idle on a big cam. And I say that knowing it's really not that tough, just tougher than anything else imo.
In any case, do you believe the altitude difference between Houston Texas (80') and Colorado Springs (6000') would require a new tune? I have a video of the car running in Houston and the idle is lower. I have not ran her yet since installing the new tank because I don't like the idea of running on jack stands (that Tsunami is kinda angry) so I don't know if anything is different. If I am going to change the exhaust, I don't want to redo jack stands. Weather is bad this week and I was not going to drive her anyway so I am waiting on the new x-pipe.
Yes, I would say a permanent change in altitude is a good reason to get a tune, but you also have other reasons. Just from what you've said in this thread, I would advocate getting a proper driveability tune done (or do it yourself). IMO, if it was set up correctly to begin with, this should not be a huge problem though.
TSP x-pipe came today and what I thought was going to be a problem is...well, its nothing. Here is a shot of the new pipe that mates up to my existing Pypes exhaust:
The 3" is down converted and has a flange that matches a standard exhaust. I was not expecting that.
Exhaust problem, looking for opinions
