exhaust system ideas...

[k1rodeoboater]

I need a new exhaust from the manifold back. I'm contemplating building it all myself, but I've never done anything like this before. I've got a MIG, grinder, and some degree of common sense. What all do I need to know and have to build a full manifold back exhaust system.

I know I'll need an assortment of bends, but what will I need to connect to the stock exhaust manifold?

I know for a fact I don't want a glasspack, it's what I have currently dumping out under the drivers step and I hate how loud it is and the drone in the cab. I'd love to run it out the back but my camaro tank is in the way. What I'm thinking is running it out behind the rear tire under the fender. Here's a few pics so you can see the tank





I've got a stock 250 I6 in the truck. I'd rather do this cheap if I can because I eventually will either be getting headers or swaping engines down the line...that and it's more fun to learn how to do something new.

[tooslo60]

Exuahst? Mufflers? Just run open headers!!! LOL

[Captainfab]

The hard part will be the pipe from the manifold down. Have you checked with your local auot parts supplier, for a stock replacement pipe for a 250 I6? id doesn't have to be for your year truck, the 250's were used in the square bodies into the early to mid 80's IIRC

[S-31]

You can buy the whole exhaust system for your truck from the manifold back from Advance auto parts, prebent, and bolt it on in an hour or so. It is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 dollars. Or you could get the bends and pipe from somewhere like speedway and cut and weld everything yourself and it might be a few dollars cheaper, but spend the better part of a day(or more) cutting and welding and laying up under the truck. The cheapest option would be to just cut out the glasspack and put in a quiet muffler until you decide which engine you are going to drop in, and just drive it like that until you decide.

[Crash'd Artwerks]

I took my truck to the local exhaust shop and had them run a single 2.5" pipe from the y-pipe out the back. It has a 24" glass pack and sounds pretty good. It's not loud at all. When you get on the gas, you can hear it though.

Cost me $175 and a couple hours of wait time.

But, if you wanted to do it yourself, the best way to do it would be to go to the exhaust shop nearest you and see if you can buy some bends that they have laying around in the scrap pile that they didn't/couldn't use. Then buy some straight pipe and get to welding.

-Aaron

[BR3W CITY]

the noise isn't terrible as long as she kicks into o/d on the hwy

[MisterC]

I'm a fan of running the exhaust all of the way out the back. Along those lines, I'd love to see some examples of different styles of chrome exhaust tips that you guys have used.

I'm partial to the round tips, but find they hang down a bit too far below the stock bumper.

[jimmydean]

When we did my buddies square body, we built the whole thing out of 2.5" PVC until we had it perfect, then bought tubes from speedway both pre-bent and straight and welded it up with some quiet pack mufflers. Worked awesome.