ok coolcats just put an article in the tech section saying that you can have dual exhaust on a 3.8 V6.... I have gone from exhaust shop to exhaust shop and all of them tell me the same thing " you can't do it" now i know "slamedcat" did it on his. but im wondering if it screws with the flaws in the 3.8. Therefore being the Block made out of cast iron and the heads made out of aluminum which expands at different rates causing the motor to blow. Also MAC headers will fit my car guaranteed? now if i were to do it would my temp stay at norm as it does now? how would i do it though without a Y-Pipe bcuz a Y-pipe restricts flow like crazy. what i was thinking is 2.25" Pipe cats on each side or no? still deciding on lers i heard flowtech, dynomax or spintech sounds pretty good. can somebody send pictures or sounds of their V6 so i can here what is sounds like?
I would spend the money on a better motor. Fancy exhaust is only gonna make your 120hp 3.8 what, 125-130hp?
As far as the shops saying it can't be done...what the really mean is: to them, your v6 car isn't worth having it done to.
On the other hand, with enough money, you can do anything, or pay somebody way too much to do it for you.
I agree, V8 first, them exhaust, especially if you're not driving the car.
Far as that goes, I wouldn't waste time OR money putting duals on a stock v6...
If you had a 5.0, it might be worth doing, especially if you're plannning on a HO conversion.
I see the little shiznit-box cars, and like v6 rangers, s-10's, etc, with duals out the back...and just shake my head.
Not trying to dog on ya, but you wouldn't even feel the difference, the 3.8 isn't hampered by exhaust flow.
Yeah, I could understand a newer V6 with duals, I think the newer 4.0's have 205hp? Unless theres like 4" pipes coming out the back, thats just stupid looking. But imo any 3.8 before they got 190hp just isn't worth the effort and money. And even then they pretty much always sound ricey.
Basically theres no point in trying performance parts on a motor that was not made for, and has no chance of any real performance.
I say that you throw dual's on. If you do swap the engine, then the exhaust is already set up for a H.O. And when I ran around without a cat-back on my 87 v-6, it didn't sound ricey, I would assume a quality ler would sound about the same. And tell the shop its an 87-88. In all of their computers, they all show up as dual's for the 87-88 years. I thought it was funny that they told me they can only run the factory setup, but told me that they could yank out the whole system in my 87 car and not on my 86 because that isn't how it shows up on the computer.
Wether you are swapping the engine out or not, run the dual's if that is what you want to do. Whats a waste to some people is money well spent on your car to you.
I had duals with my 3.8.No big deal.it took them about an hour front to back.I had two nice Turbo lres on it,and it had a deep burble to it.Sounded like a Grand National.Nice.I like the V-8 I have now better,but,for the V-6,I think it was worth it.Not everyone can just go out and drop a V-8 in.There are a few V-6 Mustang hop-up parts,like headers and the like.Check them out.It may help you out.
ok ok ill go the way of an extra 2-cylinders and then some. but all i gotta do is find either a 5.0 or 351 to do and throw on a supercharger, rods, cams, pistons, etc. and ill be good. i know its alot of money but great cars take work, time and money. but the result is great especially if you do it yourself. btw vinnie know this MN12 v6 mustang that comes up to the car show every now and then its got a duration cam and alot of other SVT parts and it sounds like a V8 with stock exhaust, that thing is a beast though it tore up a Built GSR civic off the line.
Meh, it's a technical liability issue for them. Even if it makes no sense, even if the different years engines are identical in every way, if the book says they can do it on one year and not another, and they go ahead and do it on the forbidden year, in theory, they can face HUGE fines.
I personally think it should be based on actual emissions results - I'm sure 2 cats and dual pipes on a V8 will be cleaner and more fuel efficient than a single cat and a very restrictive single exhaust, for example - but somewhere there's paper pushers whose existence is based on making these inane rules.
Build the 6.
http://www.moranav6racing.com/