TTI Exhaust Install, Part 3
Yeah, Right. One more day ought to do it... What the hell was I thinking? Well, one more day didn't do it. What it did do, was show me how wrong I was installing this system from the get-go. Words to the wise: INSTALL ANY TTI EXHAUST SYSTEM FROM FRONT TO BACK, I DON'T CARE HOW EASY THE TAIL PIPES GO IN! There just ain't no way in hell you're going to lay on your back and manever those huge mid-pipes and mufflers around while trying to sneak the tail pipes in to them. Ain't gonna happen, chief. I was so frustrated, I was about to just yank the axle out, install the exhaust, then swap my B-Body 8.75 rear in there, when I thought, why not just hang the front part, then slip the tail pipes in to place? It meant I had to undo almost everything I had hanging in the car up to that point, but what the hell, it might be easier than swapping rear ends...
I hung the entire system, minus the tail pipes, from the rear hangers, then measured the length required for the collector adapter. These parts are not from TTI, but are from Summit Racing. They are 3" in and 3" out, and came with stainless bolts, nuts, and washers. Pretty cool, and I think they weren't much more than $15. Fortunately, they sent me two boxes by mistake. Some times, "measure twice, cut once" isn't good enough. I screwed up and cut the first one too short... Hard to make them longer after you do that... DOH! Again, the edges were dressed with a file, and WD-40 was used to slip everything together.
Here's the rear, generally in place. The mufflers still need to be tweaked before I clamp them down for keeps.
SUCCESS!! I was able to slip the tail pipes in with minimal effort once the heavy MOFOs were hanging by themselves. The stripe you see on the tail pipe is the SECOND of two 1" marks I put on the pipes in order to show how far in I had slipped the pipes. I suggest that anyone do this as a guide. Use a nice fat tip Sharpie and it should last through the project. This is the passenger side, FYI. Helluva muffler hanger, eh?
Here's the passenger side tail pipe, and the lack of clearance before I did the same trick over here. Note the lack of clearance at the corner of the gas tank seam. This is AFTER I pried the corner back with a crow bar...
...and here's the clearance AFTER I installed the tail pipe correctly. Plenty of room. No need to tweak the gas tank at all. Crap.
Note here that both of the 1" marker stripes are completely inside the muffler. This made all the difference in the world for clearance in almost every location. Sadly, once again, just a couple inches changes everything....
Close up of the tank clearance...
...along the side of the tank in front...
...along the side in back...
...and last but not least...
it looks like I've got a rear-end swap in my future after all. This is axle grease leaking out between the carrier housing and the axle tube on my 8.25" rear end. I just thought it was dirty until I got under the car. It's actually wet, and it isn't coming from anywhere else. I think this one's a goner. Crap. Oh, well, like I needed another excuse to swap in my B-Body 8.75...
This time, one more day really might be enough!
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Updated 01-14-02