Dual exhaust

[Robroy]

Yesterday I got the dual exhaust that I ordered from Klasskollection.
Looks good, only hope it fits good too…:rolleyes:

[dewbers]

Hope it works out for you Per...... I added it last year and love the low "throaty" sound she gives off now. Sounds like a real sleeper now! Good luck!

[The German]

Hej, looks good, Per. Aluminized or stainless steel ?

My exhaust pipe system only has the mufflers and no resonator; therefore it´s rather loud when being on the gas. I love it especially when driving between houses - sounds really strong then and causes extra head-turners ;) - , but I hate it after a longer trip - too much noise in the ears -. So I would change to resonators if I had to replace it sometime.

Good luck with the installation !

[Smartin]

Definitely let us know how it fits. And how much it cost! I need to get a dual exhaust for the LeSabre.

[Robroy]

Thanks guys!

It’s an aluminized system and it costs 340 dollars with resonators (260 without). Shipping is 60 inside the US with DHL. Clamps and hangers were not included and cost 3 and 11 each, need 8 clamps and I think 4 hangers will be enough. The hangers look strong enough to tow with…..:D
http://stores.ebay.com/Klasskollection-Exhaust-Systems_Buick_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ10QQftidZ2QQt Zkm

I promise to post a fitting report here. Plan to install it sometime during the next weeks. I was hopping to figure out the reason for my rattling engine noise before I get it on which probably will be harder to hear then, maybe I shouldn’t worry so much about it but it just bugs me to don’t know what it is :confused2:.
http://www.buickcenturion.com/forums/showthread.php?t=368

[Robroy]

Knowing from experience what a pain :tonge2: it can be to change the exhaust at home at the garage floor, I decided today to make appointment with a local workshop to help me getting it on. Working with the car on a lift will for sure make things easier.

If anyone that has a dual exhaust on could confirm that I have laid out the system right on the two picts in post one, or have picts of their system to upload, it would be great. It’s mainly the front pipes I’m wondering about, it might get pretty obvious when I install it but it’s never wrong to be well prepared.

My friend that also ordered a dual system for his 73 Lincoln Continental from Klasskollection (and shipped it together with mine), just got his installed.
The system fitted his car very well, apart from cutting a middle pipe a few inches, everything else came on place easy. Not bad considering a dual system wasn’t even an option on a 73 Continental.
The BIG surprise for him was that the dual was as whispering quiet as the single system he had on earlier :shocked:. Like me he ordered 2 ¼’ with stock mufflers and resonators.
I’m having regrets myself that we didn’t order Turbo mufflers instead. We can always replace the resonators with pipes to get a little more sound, but I have a feeling that Turbo mufflers with resonators would have been the perfect compromise. I actually have a Turbo muffler on the single system that’s on now which sounds pretty ok for a single system.
You want a little bubbling V8 sound but at the same time you want to be able to take the car for a real long ride without getting headache from the noise.
Main reason for going dual in both our cases is to get a little more power and maybe come down a little on the mileage.

I’ll be back with an installation report for my car later.

[Smartin]

hmm...

You have the mufflers and mid-sections of the pipe backwards.

The mufflers should be 3rd in line, under the back seat.

[EEE]

Yep, something is wrong.. The two big cans should be taken out (not needed), and the small cans should be moved forward to where the big cans are now placed.

[Robroy]

hmm...

You have the mufflers and mid-sections of the pipe backwards.

The mufflers should be 3rd in line, under the back seat.
Of course :Dou: you’re right Adam, one quick look under the car is enough to realize that :o.

How about the front pipes, do I have them correct (left and right)? And the direction of the mufflers (connections)?

[Robroy]

Yep, something is wrong.. The two big cans should be taken out (not needed), and the small cans should be moved forward to where the big cans are now placed.
Kimson, if I understand you right you’re suggesting replacing the mufflers (which are left out) with the resonators, hm…interesting thought…would get up the sound level for sure :Brow:

I’m playing with the thought of finding another Turbo-muffler myself, same type as I currently have on my single system and to use them instead. If the length and connections are the same as on the enclosed stock mufflers, it could work. Might be tricky to find such a muffler here in Sweden though….
Or I will just replace the resonators with longer tail pipes, we’ll see where it ends up :D

[dewbers]

I don't have pics available today, but I am willing to shoot some this weekend if you'd like. I went from a single to duals this past fall. Ran pipes from the manifolds, back to two stock mufflers. Small stock mufflers. Yours seem to be a bit bigger than mine. And no, I didn't run turbo's. From there, I went straight pipes back. Now I get a nice throaty sound, not too loud, but certainly, not quite. A nice in between! But when you get on the throttle, they sound terrific... Anyway, if you want me to figure out how to take some pics this weekend, I am more than willing.

[Robroy]

Hi Steve!

Long time no see….:D
Thanks for the offer to shoot some picts. I was thinking on those who already have picts of their undercarriage in first hand, you shouldn’t have to crawl under your car to take picts only for my sake, but I do appreciate the offer. I’ll probably figure it out from the info I already have and may receive.

Very interesting to hear about your mufflers, sounds like you have achieved what I’m striving for :beers:.
Seems like the easy way out for me would be to skip the resonators (tail pipe mufflers)

[dewbers]

Hey bud, I miss you all too. Been way too busy of late with family and work stuff. Need a little play time! Yes, I'd skip the resonators. You can always add later if you want, but I wouldn't go that route up front. And my offer stands... more than willing to shoot some pics if you'd like. No problem whatsoever....

[Robroy]

Hey bud, I miss you all too. Been way too busy of late with family and work stuff. Need a little play time! Yes, I'd skip the resonators. You can always add later if you want, but I wouldn't go that route up front. And my offer stands... more than willing to shoot some pics if you'd like. No problem whatsoever....
No worries Steve, we know you are a father of four and have a business to run ;)

[wildcat65]

That system looks very similar to the one I put on my Wildcat! (67)

I hope it goes on well. I had 1 problem with the tube from the head pipe to the muffler on the driver's side-
and yours looks like it may have the same bend. I ended up cutting @ the 1st offset and rotating the tube
so it would go into the muffler straight. (the spot where there are 2 bends close together is where I cut-
once its cut the 2 bends will act as a "universal" elbo to go in any direction) Otherwise the muffler went off
at a very wild angle, not good. Once that was fixed the system went on very well.

I followed Adam's example and got the 2.5"; they sent stock mufflers that just had the inlets and outlets
increased but were 2.25 at the muffler itself! I ended up using them on another car and getting the long
case Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers (in2.5 in/out) Now it sounds Purrfect! Mellow at idle and just the right amount af rumble for me, low restriction @ WOT blasts :beers:

[Robroy]

That system looks very similar to the one I put on my Wildcat! (67)

I hope it goes on well. I had 1 problem with the tube from the head pipe to the muffler on the driver's side-
and yours looks like it may have the same bend. I ended up cutting @ the 1st offset and rotating the tube
so it would go into the muffler straight. (the spot where there are 2 bends close together is where I cut-
once its cut the 2 bends will act as a "universal" elbo to go in any direction) Otherwise the muffler went off
at a very wild angle, not good. Once that was fixed the system went on very well.
Thanks for sharing Ted :xyxthumbs:,
I’ll be looking out for that middle pipe on the driver’s side if it should show to be incorrectly bent. I hope to get lucky, but if not, its cutting and welding to reroute the faulty pipe.
On my friends Continental every bent was correct, he only needed to cut one middle pipe to adjust the length on it.

[MichelHaak]

Nice topic you put on here Per! :xyxthumbs: Can you tell me how much the shipping costs were for the exhaust? And about the mufflers... What about 2 Flowmasters on the end of the exhaust? I heard flowmaster has some very nice mufflers.

[Robroy]

Nice topic you put on here Per! :xyxthumbs: Can you tell me how much the shipping costs were for the exhaust? And about the mufflers... What about 2 Flowmasters on the end of the exhaust? I heard flowmaster has some very nice mufflers.
Michel,
the shipping cost over the Atlantic for two exhaust systems was 150 dollar which is the standard rate for a cubic metre in a sea container. To that you need to add the domestic shipping cost to the port, I believe he charged us like 100 dollars for the two systems.

[Robroy]

Went to the workshop early this morning to get the dual exhaust installed. With two people working with this (me and the mechanic) it took us three and half hours to get it on.
We had to adjust (heat and bend) four pipes totally since the angle on them were more or less wrong. The front pipe on the passenger side was the most incorrect one since it couldn’t be mounted at all due to the wrong angle, also the front pipe on the drivers side needed a little tweaking upwards and sideways. Same with the second pipe on the passenger side and one of the loops (over the rear axle) which also needed a little tweaking.
No cutting was needed thought, so lengthwise everything fitted very well.
I realized a little too late that I was missing two holders/ brackets for the hangers on the driver’s side (since I was going from single to dual). In my opinion the stock hangers are superior to those universal ones that are made of old tires, but they require the correct brackets.
I replaced the resonators with straight pipes and a bend at the end. The car is a little louder than with the single exhaust, especially on lower rpms where it sounds a little more thunderous than before, but it’s not a dramatic change. The resonators were definitely not needed unless you want a really quiet car.

So to summarize the installation; without Jimmy (the mechanic) and his gas welding equipment I could never have got it on. Having the car up on a lift also made things a LOT easier.
Lessons learned for me are that I could have got some spare flanges which are used to connect to the manifold so that we didn’t have to cut the Y-pipe on the single exhaust to get those off and to have tried and found some stock hangers brackets for the driver’s side from a yard or so.

The system sits rather ok without any rattling and the tailpipes come out just fine, but the second pipe on the passenger side hangs down 1-1,5 inch lower than the one on the right side, this due to that we had to bend down the first pipe to be able to pass the cross member under the transmission.

I will try and find a stock bracket to improve the way the left tailpipe is hanging (I currently have clamp pretty far out to hold it)
Apart from that I feel happy with the installation.

[EEE]

Any extra power?

[Robroy]

Any extra power?
I haven’t driven the car much after I got it on, but I did a few kick downs :Brow: on my way home from the shop. I can’t say I could sense any bigger change in power but in combination with other measures like ignition upgrades etc I like to think it will make a difference. I was also thinking it might get me down a little in engine temp and improve the mileage, we’ll see…

Any chance you could find me that little arm/bracket that holds the tailpipe on one of your yard tours Kimson?

[EEE]

I'll be back in Sweden shortly, so no more yard tours for a few weeks, but after that I'll keep my eyes open.

[Robroy]

I'll be back in Sweden shortly, so no more yard tours for a few weeks, but after that I'll keep my eyes open.
I assume you fly from LA to Stockholm directly? But if you should happen to have a layover here in the Deep South :D don’t be stranger to stop by for a few :beers:
I live very close to the two airports down here (Malmö&Copenhagen)

[Eric B]

Thanks for the thread. I was curious what others' experience was. I have a set of duals with standard mufflers from klasskollection on my '71 Kingswood. Took forever to install because the pipes didn't fit inside the mufflers (so they don't even do a test fit). Both ends were the same size instead of one end being a little bigger than the other. It's almost impossible to fix with a manual spreader and a sledge hammer, took me several hours. I had to buy the pipe spreader. Several bends were not correct either so more brute force was required. The length of the tailpipes was too short so I had to buy 2 more straight pipes from Summit. The system is also obnoxiously loud. If I had to do it again I would probably take it to a shop because I am sure I didn't save any money in the end.

[Sweepspear]

It amazes me the difficulty these companies have in bending pipes correctly. I swear many of them just guess.

[Robroy]

Thanks for the thread. I was curious what others' experience was. I have a set of duals with standard mufflers from klasskollection on my '71 Kingswood. Took forever to install because the pipes didn't fit inside the mufflers (so they don't even do a test fit). Both ends were the same size instead of one end being a little bigger than the other. It's almost impossible to fix with a manual spreader and a sledge hammer, took me several hours. I had to buy the pipe spreader. Several bends were not correct either so more brute force was required. The length of the tailpipes was too short so I had to buy 2 more straight pipes from Summit. The system is also obnoxiously loud. If I had to do it again I would probably take it to a shop because I am sure I didn't save any money in the end.
Hi Eric,
Think I remember reading about your struggle to get that exhaust installed on the v8-forum.
Seems very random how these exhaust systems fits as Dale (Sweepspear) pointed out in the post above. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, my friend who also ordered a dual from Klasskollection was surprised of how well it fitted his 73 Continental.

IF the front pipes (on each side) that connects to the manifold had been bent 100% correct, I think the rest would have fallen to place pretty easy in my case but since they were not, I had to re-bend a lot of what came after them too.

The stock mufflers they had sent with it seemed a little bit too quiet for my taste but I remember Ted (Wildcat65) like you thought them to be too laud.

[Austrian455]

I also ordered a dual exhaust from Klasskollection. But mine was a not really a "standard order". I told them to use 2 1/2 inch pipes, no resonators and I sent them the technical drawing of the Borla mufflers I want to use. They said it won´t be a problem, they will bend it to fit the Borla. We will see. it should arrive here in austria in the next two weeks.
I´ll take some pics and keep you posted when I´m installing it. Maybe I can put a short vid on youtube. (only if I´m satisfied with the sound ;-) )
I hope that it fits.

[Robroy]

I hope that it fits.
Good luck!
You’ll find my lessons learned in post #19 if you haven’t read that already

[wildcat65]

I've purchased a stock system for (another) Wildcat from Waldron. I'll get a full report on installation this week. Just another data point! ;)

[Austrian455]

Per, it took a long time (since september) but I finally installed my dual exhaust yesterday.

It fits perfect without any bending, cuting or welding.
As I said in one of the old postst, it is no standard exhaust.
I have no resonators and I told them that I want to use stainless Borla Pro XS mufflers.
Before assembling I was 90 % sure that I will have to pull it again because it will be to loud. The Borla muffler looks like it won´t make it much more quiet. You can look through.
But when I started the car I was really suprised. It sounds exactly like I wanted it to. Just above 2500 rpm it "changes" the sound in a second. It suddenly get much louder and "hot rod - like".
Difficult to describe.
I will start a new thread and post pics of the complete job.

[Robroy]

Glad to hear it worked out nicely for you Peter :beers:

Interesting that yours fitted so well coming from the same supplier and being for the same car.
The front pipes not aligning correctly with the gaps in the transmission cross member was my major problem

Our 455’s is rather quiet engines compared with many other v8’s from the 60-70’s, so I’m not surprised you got happy with the sound level. I too skipped the resonators which I’m gone try and sell any day now btw ;).

[Austrian455]

Yes, it worked fine. The front pipes run exactly where they have to. Only thing I had to modify was to shorten the tailpipes. They were a bit to long. But that was just for the look.
Now I have some troubles with my carb or ignition, I´m not sure. I have to find out in the next days.
But i will replace cap, rotor and point, get the carb tuned and advance the timing a bit.
When I´ve got the car running as I want it to I will try to upload a short video on youtube. You have to hear this. I never thought that the Centurion can sound as badass as mine does now. Unbeliveable.
Yesterday I went for a spin. I came out of a side street and hit the pedal. Some girls who were walking on the sideway turned round and screamed, hehe. They looked like they were really afraid !!!

[Robroy]

The standard mufflers that came with my system were almost 35 inches long. I would have preferred a shorter type; maybe around 20’ to get a little more of that bad-ass sound as you call it.

On the link below you can hear how my car sounds..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ_G2t4jCuc

[Austrian455]

Ohh my god, 35 inches long ?? Thats huge.
Did they realy put those "converted truck gas tanks" in ??
The exhaust system that was on my car had nothing to do with a original one.
You could see that the prev. owner tried to safe money in every part. Water pipes, used for exhaust pipes. dual exhaust welded together to a single exhaust.
2 inch inlet in the old muffler .....
Now I have the Borla Pro XS stainless mufflers in. 2 1/2 inlet/outlet
http://www.borla.com/proxs/pages/muflroff_ctr.php
Now the engine can breath. More air in with the K&N filter and the performer and more air out. Ohh yeah, she likes it. ;)

[EEE]

The standard mufflers that came with my system were almost 35 inches long. I would have preferred a shorter type; maybe around 20’ to get a little more of that bad-ass sound as you call it.

On the link below you can hear how my car sounds..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ_G2t4jCuc

Check out those shiny rims... :Brow:

[Robroy]

Check out those shiny rims... :Brow:
Delivered with pride from Kimsons Rally Wheels Inc, world class supplier in vintage Buick parts :D.