I've got a bunch of pics, and some custom work, so this is in its own thread.
I'll fire a link to here from "The Muffler Thread" too.
So, when spending money like a drunken sailor on car stuff, I all of a sudden decided to do exhaust work too. I was looking around for what mufflers I'd like and stumbled across this:
http://www.dynomax.com/mufflers.php?muffler=vt
It was newish, and seemed like a neat gimmick. So I started researching. Every thread for every auto forum on the Internet was similar. Next to no sound clips. People agreed it was a cool idea. Biggest fear was a failure of the return spring, or rattling. But, I thought, "Its Dynomax! lifetime warranty!" So on a whim, I bought 2 in 2.25 size.
Fast Forward to 2 days before my sister's wedding. My car was going to be driving around the wedding party along with the wife's 98 riv. I was scrambling to get everything I wanted to on it done, and naturally, I was ambitious...So I cut the back off my exhaust system:
Now, since I was in a hurry, there are not pics of the entire process, but here is what I have.
The mufflers box:
I mocked things up based on the shape of the stock bit I had cut off.
I only had the following to work with:
2 X 2.25 dynomax VT mufflers
2 X Magnaflow weld on tips
2 X 2.25 mandral bent U bends
2 X universal exhaust hangers
1 X 2.5 ID to 2.75 OD connector
I was *hoping* I could make a workable exhaust in 2 days, with minimal parts, no experience, and one mess up I would be SOL.
From mocking up things on the floor, I found the angle that I wanted for the Y pipe to be 42 degrees from center. If I had known this before, I could have bought a Y pipe that was the same or very close and saved myself a ton of work.
The plan was to split into the Y a tiny bit back from where the stock on was, into the two mufflers on angles to clear the spare tire "dip", then turn back the 42 degrees to go straight out at the stock exhaust locations with tips.
Now I had only 2 U bends to work with. And each cut had to be right. So the theory was to cut the U in half, mark out the angle at the end bend part of each piece, cut it perfect, do the same in the other piece, weld together, cut the mid point square, and weld on a straight bit to slide onto the stock 2.5" pipe. Things were slowly sinking in as to what I had ahead of me.
And so, I went forwards the only way I know how. With absolute precision! I would cut the angles in the milling machine:
Which worked surprisingly well. I fired some bits of Delrin into the pipe so it couldn't crush or distort in the mill.
Then marked out the other piece:
And cut it too.
I pipe clamped them together for some more mock up:
Then got "the expert" ,my dad, to TIG them. I can MIG ok, but I'm still learning TIG, and I had no room for error here.
The back end was cut square with a little to slip the straight piece on:
And welded:
The welds are ok, but not the norm for dad. It was my fault cause I forgot to clean the oil off them before declaring them ready for welding. Anyone who has welded knows what oil contamination does...
Some pics are missing, but basically there was alot of screwing around to decide the angle of the mufflers, and lots of dry fitting. I have new respect for exhaust shops who can make everything right, and not look like a crooked bag of crap.
The finished bit:
More fitting on car, and figuring out the hang points:
Then masked off and painted with black header paint. I wanted the piping to not draw any attention to itself under the car so it would look like it belongs.
Hangers:
The bolts for the rear bumper mount are perfect location for easy hanging with universal exhaust hangers:
And finished:
I wanted them *just* flush with the back of the car, and went with rolled edge, oval, slant cut, Magnaflow tips. Something "subtlety showy"
I'm very pleased with the result. Dynomax is right, there is NO drone at all. Its as quiet as stock, with a very slight rumble at idle. Highway cruising is quiet. I'm told that at WOT, when the valves open, it sounds pretty aggressive, but I can't hear it over the scream of the supercharger anyway. I'll get vids up whenever I can find a chance.
Friggin hilarious.