My 86 Cat is all stock and I find the single tube exhaust dangling under the car today. What complete bolt on exhaust kit do you guys recommend and do I need to replace the converters too? I have an eye on future upgrades and already have a set of stock Mustang headers at the house. Would like to have a more aggressive sound as well.
Thanks in advance! BTW, its a 5.0L motor.
first check if you have emission checks, aside from that.....i would say the mustang headers, summit or jegs H-pipe $109 , and a flowmaster american thunder catback which runs about $225 on summit last time i checked
We do have emissions tests, but for the life of me I have never seen an inspector look under the car. I assume you are talking about dumping the cats all together? I know hi-performance cats exist, but are mine bad after 19 years?
heres what i am thinking per your advice:
Flowtech stinger cat-back exhaust system 2 1/2"
summit part number: BIG-420601FLT (http://http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?Ntt=big42601flt&Ntk=KeywordSearch&DDS=1&searchinresults=false&N=0&target=egnsearch.asp&x=24&y=13)
and
Summit part number:
SUM-640725 (http://http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?Ntt=sum640725&Ntk=KeywordSearch&DDS=1&searchinresults=false&N=0&target=egnsearch.asp)
This kit does not include cats, but they are $69.95 each part number:
MPE-23361 (http://http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?Ntt=MPE-23361&Ntk=KeywordSearch&DDS=1&searchinresults=false&N=0&target=egnsearch.asp&x=30&y=17)
what do you guys think?
I'm stuck with emisisons here also, and they always look under the car. They even have mirrors they slide along the floor to make it easier. Our law only requires them to be tested up to 20 years old and wondering if your '86 will be exempt soon. Might pay to check and possibly wait out the Mods eliminating the cats, or you could always install them later if they happen to look and fail it, right ?? Could save a lot of money to check it out.
remember, there isnt really such thing as a "bolt-on" for these cars, everything needs a bit of custom work to fit
for it to bolt on, youll need some stang headers, stock headers from a stang would work, and an h-pipe for a stang, than whatever catback will bolt up, but you may need to lengthen some pipes
The only place in Illinois that checks emissions is Cook County.
As for an aggresive sound I would ditch the cats all together. Run the factory shorty headers with and off-road H into a set of flow master 40 series delta flow lers with full length tail pipes.
I have run that setup on 2 different cars and it sounds good.
When you say everything needs a bit of custom work, I hope its nothing more than tweaking a pipe or two. The kits I picked out dont have provisions for cats, so I may go that route. But if need be as 87 3.8 cat said, I can always cut out a section of pipe and have them installed to satisfy the emissions puppiess.
I am not familiar with Cook County testing, but I know that DuPage county does have it.
My whole plan is to get these kits and have a local repair shop throw it all together while I am working. Then I can drive home in style! :flip:
Thanks guys for your advice!
The pipe between the H and the ler is different between the Mustang, Thunderbird/Cougar, and the Mark VII. And the tail pipes. If you want the fancy Mustang pipes they need streched or you could use the Mark VII pipes depending on the size of exhaust you are running.
Actually nothern Illinois (Chicago metro area) has emissions testing. I live on the South side of Chicago so I have to live with emissions. Any ways to answer your exhaust question. It might be easier to have a custom system bent. I have a 1988 Bird with a 5.0 and I had a 2.25 dual exhaust system custom bent for it and it cost me $500 total with all the parts and labor. It has no H pipe in it but that shouldn't affect the price too much. Any ways I just passed emissions with it no problem. It consists of stock Stang headers, a pair of Dynomax high flow cats rated for engins up to 360cid, and a pair of Flowtech Afterburner lers. Since each cat only has to clean exhaust from 151 cubic inches (4 cylinders) I passed really easily :D . And a couple of notes. You'll have to mess around with the shift linkage if it's a column shift to get it to work. You also have an 86 so your fuel filler is in the wrong place I believe and has to be moved. Check out http://www.coolcats.net and go to the the tech section and look for the section on dual exhaust for 5.0 Cougars. Good luck and I hope you get some duals soon. The sound really good and it adds about 15 hp or so (well that's what it felt like to me). Plus you have an 86 which is probibly lighter than my fully loaded 88 Bird so you will probibly notice more of a difference.
I read the tech section on coolcats, and decided I might go with a custom bent exhaust.
My next question is about the area around the axle that Eric says is where the passenger side ler is supposed to go. Even with the fuel filter in the way, how much area is there to install a ler?
Flowmaster and DynaMax make some really thin lers.
I have never heard of the filler neck needing to be moved. I think they are on the same place on both my 86 and 87 cats.
Oops my mistake. Ment filter not filler.
I was gonna say.....
I only mention it because it was on the tech article. To be honest I havent actually got under the car and measured anything. :hick:
Yeah I had to move mine over. No big deal just a couple of inches. I think I welded the bracket back up or put a couple of self-tapper screws in it. It was so long ago (9+ years ago :crazy: ) sorry I can't remember all the details
theres enough room for a ler, since the 88 cars came from the factory with some fake duals
tailpipes are the harder part
Anybody ever try an x pipe with dual super 40s? what about having the tips line up with the back up lights(on an 84 mind you). Would that work?
mine is going to be a pair of stang headers (stock or aftermarket ) H-pipe with cats (bbk or catco) summit stanless lers (singal chamber will it be too loud ?) and sum stainless tubeing
all this can be found in the summit catalog for may/june 05 but the tubeing
Z
Hey Shawn, it looks like he has an '86, which means he would have to move the fuel filter. :hick:
I already purchased a BBK kit that has new converters and an x pipe. Once the kit is in place with no problems, I will go from there. The kit from Jegs was approx. $330. 2.5 inch pipes.
after reading about upgrades with headers, was wondering what year mustang do you use? and h-pipes? i have an 86 cougar with the 3.8.
youre slipping, he said 3.8L ;)
for the 3.8L, go to ebay, and find yourself a stock set of headers from a 94-97 3.8L mustang
:bricks1: :flame: lol (must have 5.0 on the brain)
dose anyone know how much too short a mustang exhaust is ?
Z
About a foot or so if I remember right, don't quote me on that.
correct me if im wrong so every fox t-bird, mustang, cougar etc.. are all the drive shaft the same length so dose the mustang exhaust just need longer tips or are there other pipes that need to be lengthined ??
Z
Just longer tails [EDIT] and intermediate pipes[/EDIT] thats all. Just got done helping a friend install a Flowmaster American thunder kit on his Cougar. Lets just say 2 1/2 inch pipe is a PITA to get over the axle. Sounds awesome.
NOPE... A Stang has a shorter driveshaft(wheelbase), so the intermediate pipes have to be lengthened. Also the Birds have more overhang in the rear, so usually the tail pipes need lenghtened as well.
That said, the 2 1/2" Hooker kit I have(Jegs sells it)comes with extra long pipes that have to be cut a little when used on a Bird(possibly the same for other kits as well). It Is a complete kit except for lers, so you can run whatever you prefer. The tail pipes are also long enough IF you use the supplied turndowns..
Ok I stand corrected. Still curious at how we managed to get the exhaust in without extending the intermediate pipes.
yeah i guess just saying wheelbase would have been more normal :repost: :flame: . has anyone ever used singal chamber muflers one anything before because i want my car to be loud but not really loud put it this way i want it to sound badass or like thunder
Z
Here is what I worked on all weekend. I threw some pics in there because not many exhaust pics are available...none that I have found. The system is a BBK X-pipe with converters, stock HO Mustang headers, Flowmaster 50 series cat-back system, and O2 extensions. One pic is the fit and finish of the system, no clearance issues with the ground at all. Tucks up in there very nicely. Another pic is the shift linkage which took the majority of the install to get it right. It still isnt right, but at least I can shift the dang thing! Another pic is the fuel filter which was impossible to relocate. So I decided to eliminate it at that location and move another into the engine compartment. The other thing is that the tailpipes would not quite mount to the lers. So I will have to take them to a ler shop to be modified and installed. For Eric from CoolCats: If you moved your shift linkage and didnt have problems with the O2 sensor, I would sure like to see how you did it! The next post will be some pics of the system laid out for comparison.
System comparison.
Here's my version (copied my post from another forum)...
Well, what I did on my 88 5.0 AOD Bird was lower the left side bracket to another frame hole about an inch lower, cut the rod coming down from the column and lengthened it to match the new location, placed the rod coming forward from the trans so it wouldn't jam against the Mustang pre-cat, then bent the end of it in a Z-shape until it was almost close enough to reconnect, then bent the lower swinging tab of the cross-bar so it would. Been working fine for 9 years so far.
Ya, I got pictures the last time I was doing exhaust work.....
The bracket I lowered, you can see the Z-bent rod 49k
http://www3.telus.net/neat/pics1/linkage-right.jpg
View from the rear, everything visible 134k
http://www3.telus.net/neat/pics1/linkage-lowleft.jpg
Closer rear view, bar close to , O2 sensor wants to rub bend in rod 104k
http://www3.telus.net/neat/pics1/linkage-rear.jpg
Underneath, left bend misses trans , right bend barely brushes case 57k
http://www3.telus.net/neat/pics1/linkage-under.jpg
[COLOR="red"]Anyway, saw your pix and couldn't help but notice you had
this one in your folder. That one with your description definitely put it into perspective and seems rather simple. [/COLOR]
http://www3.telus.net/neat/pics1/aod_linkage.gif
I keep meaning to update that one. As per the photos, the tab is actually bent the other way.
[COLOR="Red"]Do I have to take one off another Fox body with the column shifter [/COLOR]
I don't know if you HAVE to, but I did because when I originally did the swap, I ended up with R-N-OD. Notice anything missing? How about P- and -D-1? I just grabbed another identical one so I'd have more "pointy ends" to play with, and the angles would already be right.
I see what youre saying, but the main problem we had was that the linkage overlapped the exhaust . I had to clearance the exhaust mounting and drop the linkage down to another hole just like your cool .GIF file you sent. Now we had to do some surgery on the O2 sensor so that it would not rub against the bellcrank attached to the gear selector linkage going to the tranny. Does anyone know of shorty style O2 sensor? Otherwise I am going to order a new bung and have it welded to a new location just a tad lower and at a better angle. Nice pics BTW.
My bellcrank washiznitting the sensor, that's why I bent things out of the way. Now the rod from the rear swings so close to the tip, I'm afraid the wires might get chafed and break. On the last (aftermarket) H-pipe we installed, the bung is thicker than previously, so the sensor wires are even closer.
That would probably be best. They're only where they are to fit around Mustang parts. No reason they can't be moved.