Urgent question on FlowMaster
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 18,396
Likes: 169
Urgent question on FlowMaster
I'm in the middle of installing my new FlowMaster exhaust and I'm beginning to get frustrated. My car has DynaTech headers, cats, and X pipe and the fit into the stock exhaust was perfect. Now, I'm attempting to install the FlowMasters and cannot get it to line up and fit. This is crazy, unless I have a bad set of FlowMasters. Has anyone installed this setup? I've started at the front. I've started at the back. I've completely removed the system from the collectors back, and when I get all the pipes together, the front of the X pipe extends about 1 1/2" past the collectors! I have the male end of all the pipes fully into the female end, nothing has been tightened down, and it just will not work. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, espacially if you've been down this road before. I'm beginning to suspect that the new pipes that tie the FlowMaster mufflers into the X pipe may have been fabricated wrong? 
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 53,282
Likes: 3
From: God Bless America
Euro,
If I understand you right, you have about an inch and a half of pipe that is too long. Did you check to make sure your mufflers are not hitting up against the hangers in the back? Did you leave the system loose, meaning no hangers were installed into the rubber isolators that support the system? Some times it is easier to get everything together first then fight with the hangers. Not sure if I understood your situation right or not, but maybe this is some help. Good luck on the install.
If I understand you right, you have about an inch and a half of pipe that is too long. Did you check to make sure your mufflers are not hitting up against the hangers in the back? Did you leave the system loose, meaning no hangers were installed into the rubber isolators that support the system? Some times it is easier to get everything together first then fight with the hangers. Not sure if I understood your situation right or not, but maybe this is some help. Good luck on the install.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,075
Likes: 3
From: Penn Valley California
Eurorod,did you happen to tighten the muffler/axle pipe clamp before the x-pipe/collector connection was attempted?When I installed mine i was surprised how much in and out there was at that connection.i removed the lower studs on the stock cats to get mine back up,and had to do a lot of persuasion with a mallet and block of wood to get the H-pipe into the axle pipes.When all done,it is a beautiful thing.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 18,396
Likes: 169
Crap, I 'danced' with this problem until midnight! I've tried everything I know to do. Loose fit, tight fit, loose/tight fit. Stood on my head and patted my tummy.
Honestly, it seems that the only way to get this thing to fit is to remove the headers and move them forward, then start at the rear and install the pipes. Or cut approx. 1 1/2" from one end of the FlowMaster connecting pipe, but, I'm hesitant to do that for fear that FlowMaster may not allow me to return them if I can't get this thing to work. Think I'll try to call FlowMaster today and ask for some help. I though this would be a 2 hour install, max, and it's turned into a nightmare. Can't recommend this system. It gets a trumbs-down for fit.
Honestly, it seems that the only way to get this thing to fit is to remove the headers and move them forward, then start at the rear and install the pipes. Or cut approx. 1 1/2" from one end of the FlowMaster connecting pipe, but, I'm hesitant to do that for fear that FlowMaster may not allow me to return them if I can't get this thing to work. Think I'll try to call FlowMaster today and ask for some help. I though this would be a 2 hour install, max, and it's turned into a nightmare. Can't recommend this system. It gets a trumbs-down for fit.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 232
Likes: 0
From: Indy Indiana
Originally Posted by EuroRod
Crap, I 'danced' with this problem until midnight! I've tried everything I know to do. Loose fit, tight fit, loose/tight fit. Stood on my head and patted my tummy. Honestly, it seems that the only way to get this thing to fit is to remove the headers and move them forward, then start at the rear and install the pipes. Or cut approx. 1 1/2" from one end of the FlowMaster connecting pipe, but, I'm hesitant to do that for fear that FlowMaster may not allow me to return them if I can't get this thing to work. Think I'll try to call FlowMaster today and ask for some help. I though this would be a 2 hour install, max, and it's turned into a nightmare. Can't recommend this system. It gets a trumbs-down for fit.
Honestly, it seems that the only way to get this thing to fit is to remove the headers and move them forward, then start at the rear and install the pipes. Or cut approx. 1 1/2" from one end of the FlowMaster connecting pipe, but, I'm hesitant to do that for fear that FlowMaster may not allow me to return them if I can't get this thing to work. Think I'll try to call FlowMaster today and ask for some help. I though this would be a 2 hour install, max, and it's turned into a nightmare. Can't recommend this system. It gets a trumbs-down for fit.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 140
Likes: 0
From: Duryea Pa
You need to put a pipe opener in the midpipe,this will give you that inch,I did mine in a couple of hours,if I were to do it again,it would be a half hour.There is NO need to cut anything.A pipe opener looks like an arrow that you put into your pipe,when you hit it with a hammer it opens that pipe a little where it was clamped at the factory,you need to do this!
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 967
Likes: 1
From: / California
Don't cut anything until you are certain there is no other way. I don't have the headers and all you have but I did install the Flowmaster system and everything fit just fine. It all went back together with ease. I didn't have to screw around with anything at all.