im thinking about putting a dual exhaust on my cat in the summer when i get more cash, because the 3.8 needs some juice. does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to put this in, or if anyone would even do it?
If I had a v-6, that would be one of my first mods. I would just call up a couple of exhaust shops. I got quoted $250, until they figured out that it was a 86. So I am just going to tell them that it is an 87 and I am not sure about the year. the v-6 should benifit as much, or maybe even more then a 5.0 would. I would plan on alittle more like maybe $100 for the v-6 headers. Check out the v6 duel exhaust link on the cool cats site in the tech section.
it depends on how far you want to go
easiest route is to use the y-pipe and dual ler setup from an 88 XR7
hard route is to have duals custom made, use 2.25" pipe, cats, and something like super turbo lers
harder route, use 3.8 stang headers, possibly a custom h-pipe, and a catback from a stang, which will require some tweaking
depends on what you really want
The stock dual exhaust from 88's is definatly the cheapest way to go. I got all the pipes, hangers, and clamps for a little less than $150. I think the 2 1/4" pipes would probably be a little overkill for the 3.8 if you are doing dual exhaust. If you go with a fairly free flowing ler and 2 1/4" pipes it might not have enough back pressure to run right and you could end up losing power.
I paid $400 for the exhaust for my 3.8 bird. That included new exhaust manifold studs, taking a 5.0 H and making it fit the 3.8, Dyno Max Turbo lers and tail pipes that exited behind the tires.
Sounds like a lot of money but the entire system was welded also, and all custom bent.
2.25 isnt too much, seeing as the stock manifolds are restrictive as hell, and standard cats and superturbo's provide decent backpressure
hell, the V6 stang guys run 2.25 all the way back with the headers, the love it up
Oh I see. Thank you for showing me the error in my ways. :D
any time :)
i was talking to my manager at work, and after looking at my engine he told me i had throttle body injection, and it would be a waste of money to get a dual exhaust because i wouldent even tell the difference. does this sound right? (i have an 87 cougar LS with a 3.8L V6)
well, its properly called CFI which means Central Fuel Injection, but yes...its TBI
no matter what you do, youll feel a gain with the dual exhaust, the exhaust is horribly restrictive on these cars, but horribly restrictive...i mean...like breathing through a drinking straw while doing the mile run
My old 87 V6 with CFI woke up when I put a 2.25 inch custom dual exhaust on it. I kept the stock exhaust manifolds too. It had a nice set of *ahem* glasspacks on it and it was one loud mother. Would love to seen what it would've sounded like with some headers.
how much power would actually be gained? isnt it basically minimal, like maybe 5 or 10 tops. I was gonna do this one my 5.0 by the end of the week, hopefully for alittle better gas miliage.
Depends on what you wanna do....You won't get much more out of a stock cougar/tbird dual setup but it will deffinetely be an improvement. On both my cougars I went custom and I was extremely happy with the results. I absolutely felt the difference in both cars and I would have to say to feel it would mean it resulted in more than 5 HP.
Maybe consider a custom single 2.5" system if duals prove too much work.
I'm just a car-guy n00b but if I remember what I read correctly, in order to install dual's you also need a double-hump cross member underneath the tranny. I don't know what an '87 came with but thats' what has been inhibiting me since I got my car, an '88 ls.
I know of people just bending the crossover until they fit, but you can get one off of all 5.0 mustangs and lots of 87 to 88 cougars a birds
Hah! Good luck bending that thing. It looks like it'd be about as easy to bend as an axle tube.
Well I installed a dual exhaust on my '83 3.8. The heads on the motor are E4ZE casting but that probably doesn't make a difference. I used headers from a '95 3.8. They fit perfectly with the old exhaust manifold gaskets, which has been mentioned here. Off the same '95 I grabbed the mini starter. I thought it was necessary but it isn't. However it gives a bit more clearance to work around.
After that I grabbed a trans crossmember from an '86 T-bird elan. This car was a single exhaust 5.0 but it had the member I needed.
Next, I used a stock quad-cat H pipe for a 5.0 EFI Mustang. You have to bend down the hangers as they don't work. A shop can later re-install them. The driver side mates up easily. Getting the passenger side to mate up is a c but it will seal against the header with some force. I used a bottle jack to help. However now the precat on that side has a minor leak from the upper seam. I don't know if I caused it or if it was already there.
The eBay seller I got these exhaust parts from (prtsmstr) has many comments about his items being in bad shape. And this pipe has small dimples in it that shouldn't be there. Whatever the case I will have to take the H pipe down again and get it welded up.
As a general rule you do not need to have the H pipe bent to fit the 3.8 with headers. From my pix you can see it mounts a little crooked but it's not bad. You can also see how the pipe mounts as well as my 18x1.5 oil drain plugs blocking off the O2 holes. And you can see it mounts up to the headers perfectly with just enough room around it.
Yes, still working on the column shifter linkage.
generally, using th eaftermarket h-pipes that have the split crossover tube makes assembly much easier
I'm bringing up an old post, but nearly exactly what I am planning to do. 87 3.8 Cougar, precats are shot and rattling (gonna beg the guy to take them off since I just passed emissions with a new big cat, and they aren't needed). I was quoted 200$ for dual exhaust at 2 different shops, but never got into the details with them. I want to bring a little sound out, and want to gain a little more at take off. Any suggestions for the type of lers? I have to keep emissions legal, and not real loud, just a little rumble.
I think my ler is shot, and can smell the exhaust around the doors when it is ideling so I guess I need to look at this pretty soon. I'm wondering if this is related to my rough idle after it really warms up. It acts as though it is having trouble breathing, for lack of better explanation.
lers, go with a super turbo style, most other lers tend to get raspy with a 3.8L
:iagree:
I had Glasspacks on my old V6. They sounded great at full tilt. My neighbors musta thought the world was coming to an end when I used to tear down the street in New Jersey where I used to live. The car just never sounded right at idle though....raspy with a hint of "sounds like it has an exhaust leak" even though the system was fully welded and came out in one piece from the headers back.
Thanks, don't want raspy. Kinda got that now.
Dave