Dual Exhaust

Topic: Dual Exhaust (Read 6782 times) previous topic - next topic

Reply #15 – February 08, 2011, 11:29:56 PM

How about looking into swapping in a Stang shifter cable assembly? If it will fit, that would solve your clearance problem right there.

Dual Exhaust

Reply #16 – February 08, 2011, 11:52:02 PM

Quote from: Stealth;352335

Thanks for all the posts, even the ones on topic. I'm a transplanted Okie too (Enid). Sorry this took so long but here are some pics of the situation under my car. I meant to go to the shop and take these pictures Monday, but that was three Mondays ago now. We had a blizzard and the road here still looks like a luge course. Wouldn't be driving the bird in this ice and snow even if it were at home. So these pics show the bracket for the cable being the primary offender. It was apparently designed with no consideration for the double hump crossmember already in place. And the cable would run a more relaxed and natural route if it were raised, too. It looks like the end of the bracket can be chopped off and the existing metal will provide the material for a relocated cable end. If I measure it correctly the lever will still work as is, or the lever could be bent a bit to enhance the extra clearance. But I ain't cutting up my bracket until I have in hand either another one or a different one that fits better. There has got to be one for a Mk or maybe XR7 but I can't find any pictures of one so am headed for the junk yards as soon as the snow melts...June?

You know what? I just checked my Red-Winged Blackbird (88 TC with 5.0 swap) and saw that it HAS a Mustang-style shifter cable & bracket assembly on it Stealth. If you check out the pic I included, you'll see how everything is kept above the tranny shift arm; thereby keeping everything up and out of the way. The pic will show you everything you need to know.

My Blackbird (87 Sport) unfortunately has the stock, T-Bird shifter cable and linkage. I can see that I'm gonna have to switch it over to the set-up that's already on my Red-Winged Blackbird (i.e. other car).

Dual Exhaust

Reply #17 – February 09, 2011, 10:09:30 PM

It's been a LONG time, but I think I can remember getting that cable and those brackets off a Mark VII. That would explain why they don't seem to have any clearance issues with their duals.

Pipes and more pipes

Reply #18 – February 10, 2011, 04:11:37 PM

Thanks, Blackbird. Your picture shows me that there is indeed a bracket that I can use without fabricating one. I can't see the crossmember in the pic, but the cable looks as if it sits higher. The lever must hug the trans case more than mine because your adjuster nut is facing outward and mine the other way. I have seen a picture on this forum of a MkVII setup and it has lite-off cats and pipes on both sides of the trans., so it would use a bracket like yours. I bet all floor shifts use the same cable. The pic I attach here shows my factory exhaust next to a BBK 2 1/2 O/R H-pipe. It didn't matter which bracket they used with that pipe because it didn't run down the LH side of the trans. I am not ready to go large bore because not doing heads and cam. Headers would gain me nothing but exhaust leaks. I think for now I will just run a 2inch setup and work a bit more power out of the stock motor. It is apparently an HO block (roller chain & lifters, forged pistons) with mild cam and small port heads, so it should be good for an easy 200hp plus with some fuel and spark remapping. But that would cause a cat meltdown so the exhaust is first. I guess I will keep the fancy H-pipe for when I get my T5 to go behind my aluminum block motor. I'll drive down Sunset Boulevard, my hair blowing in the wind...

Dual Exhaust

Reply #19 – February 10, 2011, 10:01:02 PM

I am pretty sure you understand that the engine is nothing more than a big air pump. The more efficient you make it at moving air in and out and the more air you move in and out the more power you make. If the exhaust is restrictive then no matter what you do to the engine and intake system you will see less gain than if you had installed a higher flowing more efficient exhaust. The stock cast iron exhaust manafolds are pretty restrictive and weigh a ton compared to tubular headers. All of the HO Mustangs have factory exhaust headers, not cast iron manafolds. Check out the Mustang boards and you will find a set of shorty headers on the cheap. If it were me I would get a set of unequal length as there is not much of a gain going with the equal length shorties and they are much bulkier. Don't do this twice, do it once and the correct way the first time. It cost less in the long run and you will have an exhaust that your engine can grow into.

You do not have to battle the column shift linkage that usually causes all kinds of head aches with the driver's side header install so this should be a complete no brainer to use the h-pipe and find a good set of shorty headers. Just my 0.02 but I know its your car and you know the direction you want to head.

Darren

Dual Exhaust

Reply #20 – February 10, 2011, 10:59:57 PM

You know what's odd? If you have a column shifter you can't run long tubes but you can get shorties and a H-pipe to fit fine. At least shorty headers and a 2.5" H-pipe fit like a glove on my T-bird.

How weird can it get?

Reply #21 – February 24, 2011, 09:17:58 AM

Finally got to some junk yards the past couple of days. Went to every yard in 2 Arkansas counties and one I think was in Indian territory. It appears that there are three basic setups for floor shifters: rod actuated with flat trans lever turned up (Mustangs), cable with spring-clip retainer and flat lever turned down (MkVII), and cable with 2-bolt retainer and offset lever turned down (T-Bird). Within that last set there may be different shaped cable brackets at the trans end. The junk yard is pulling the bracket from a '88 TC for me and while it has the correct 2-bolt cable, I think it is a shorter bracket (couldn't see too well laying in the mud using an old rear-view mirror to peek). Expect to be able to use that bracket either as-is or cut and welded, but am getting the cable too in case it is different length. Lever will stay as-is unless I want to drop pan and pull valve body to swap it, but that wouldn't gain much room. Bracket is the main thing in the way.

Dual Exhaust

Reply #22 – February 24, 2011, 10:20:17 PM

I had Headman long tubes (1-1/2" primaries) on the '83 with column shift with an AOD behind that beasty stock 5.0. I do remember having to jack with the linkage but it was like that for many a moon until the T-5 went in the car in the early 90's.

Sounds like you are on your way to getting the cable issue solved on yours for the true duals. Post up the before and after pics on what you do to the linkage and maybe a parts list too??

Darren

Finally, progress!

Reply #23 – March 31, 2011, 09:07:23 PM

OK, here are some pictures of the project. I will have to post some of the pictures here and some in the next post to upload them all. The shifter cable bracket from the TC (picture "brackets.jpg") was good but not what I expected. It is the short one. The long one is my original. The bracket end had the correct two-bolt cable attachment, but the cable had a non-adjustable end (picture "cable ends.jpg"). I cut the bracket in two, added a bit in the middle ("brackets2.jpg") and moved one of the mounting bolt holes. I wonder what trans that TC had, because the shifter looked like an AOD but the bolt holes didn't fit my tail housing bolts. Anyway, that's all the pictures I can post on one reply. Rest of story to follow.

Dual Exhaust

Reply #24 – March 31, 2011, 09:18:15 PM

And so here is the final product. "Frontview.jpg" shows the new bracket installed and a clear path for the exhaust pipe. The end of the shifter cable is raised almost two inches from its original postion. "Rearview.jpg" shows the 2-hole exhaust hanger and plenty of clearance. I was going to load it on the trailer to haul it to the ler shop, but it was sleeting outside, so I just moved it off the lift. It sounds real good with open manifolds, maybe I will just drive it like that.

Dual Exhaust

Reply #25 – April 04, 2011, 11:34:58 PM

Whoa. If you've only got manifolds on that car, DO NOT run your engine like that. You're gonna warp a valve (or valves) Buddy. If you had long-tubes on your car, you'd be alright, but running an engine with stock manifolds, or shorty's and no exhaust is just asking for trouble.

Dual Exhaust

Reply #26 – April 05, 2011, 09:57:50 AM

Stealth, thank you for posting these pictures! This is exactly what I will be doing soon. A couple questions for you...

1. Is that your stock shift lever on your transmission? Can you measure the distance from the center of the pivot hole and the shifter cable attaching hole? It should be either 1 7/8" or 2 1/4".
2. What did your linkage look like originally?
3. Are you using the TC cable or your original AOD cable?
4. Are you using an AOD shifter or the TC shifter? I just realized the TC shifter has too many detents in it...
TC (A4LD automatic transmission):

AOD:

Dual Exhaust

Reply #27 – April 08, 2011, 12:45:04 PM

I got the car back from the exhaust shop today. Here is a picture of the new pipes. It is not exactly the way I intended, and it cost way too much, so it must be right. Sounds good, a bit snarlier on acceleration, nice and quiet at idle and when driven gently. They used 2 1/4" pipe because apparently there is no such thing as a 2" X-pipe. The angle at which the pipe runs under the crossmember means I could almost have used the stock shifter cable bracket, and I still have it if I want to do that. Anyway, it is good to have the car back on the ground.
Shredder, the pics you want are in posts #12, 24 & 25. I don't have a good picture of my shifter but it is the stock floor shift for the 88 Sport. It is different from the TC as you say. I am using my stock cable with a modified TC bracket.

Dual Exhaust

Reply #28 – April 08, 2011, 01:45:41 PM

I have never seen an X-pipe that far back...wonder if there is an advantage? Exhaust looks good though!

Darren

Loose Ends

Reply #29 – April 09, 2011, 09:12:56 AM

I guess this should go under "parts for sale", but does anyone care to make an offer for the set of 2 1/2" BBK #1507 off-road H-pipes that I won't be needing? New in box! I paid about $190 including shipping. If I can get $100 I will pay shipping to you. See photo in earlier post in this string.