TeamGomez
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2022
- Threads
- 14
- Messages
- 136
- Reaction score
- 250
- Location
- San Diego
- Website
- www.centripetalsolutions.com
- First Name
- John
- Vehicle(s)
- '18 350, 996 GT-3, 330 ZHP, E46 M3, SQ5, Tundra
- Thread starter
- #1
Howdy Gents-
Got the Res Del installed and felt like one of Jerry's Kids trying to measure the damned cut point...I think I must have been dropped on my head a few times as a kid b/c the LTH instructions say to cut 2.25" aft of the shield clamp but this is waayyyyy short of where I ended up cutting after measuring a dozen times or so trying not to be 'that guy' who cuts, cusses, then has to drive to the muffler shop (I'm a good grinder...vice welder).
I ended up measuring the length of the LTH pipes and using that which ended up being around 3.7" aft of the clamp but don't quote me. NOTE that one side of the LTH tubing is longer than the other and that would be the passenger side in my case. Unsure if all LTH RD's are such or if their manuf is hit/miss. The Steeda video says the pax side 'kicks out more' but it sure didn't look that way to me. The defining feature to me is putting the LTH RD on the floor and ensuring the aft end touches the ground (the pipes angle down at the rear attach point). That way you know you don't have it upside down.
The video also fails to mention the forward fitting is butt connected. Sliding the clamps aft (after lifting the locking tab up) gave me the forward mating point from which to measure aft for cut point. My target was about 2/3 the way into the aft sleeve (overall length less ~2") and it worked out. Couple lessons learned:
1. Don't let the LTH fall over and allow the aft sleeve to strike the deck. Makes trying to slip it over the aft section pipe a bit more onerous than necessary...and be sure to file down the cut pipe to facilitate the mate.
2. The aft portion of heat shielding is welded on at the forward attach point and clamped on the aft end. So don't cut the band clamp b/f chopping the exhaust as it helps keep it in place and not rattle around while making the cut.
3. Speaking of heat shielding, I'm curious if anybody who didn't replace it discovered why Ford spent $$ to put it there in the first place. The R has it as well so I bought four 2.5" T-bolt ss clamps (the 2.5 is ID for turbo tubing and the clamp is actually 2.75") to reattach the larger/forward section. I'm going to use header wrap on the rear portion to try and keep residual heat on the driveshaft down as much as possible. Guessing this is for long term preservation of the rubber therein.
As for all the noise about the noise...which one replicates the R...yotta yotta yotta. Steeda did a great job putting an iPhone on a stand in their install video to measure decibels in the two exhaust modes b/f and after installation. There are a few spikes here and there but generally speaking in sport mode, the res exhaust averaged 65 dB on the launch and the LTH averaged 85 dB. The funny thing about decibels is the math behind it and a 20 dB increase isn't a 20/60=33% increase in sound. A 10 dB shift, regardless of starting point, is 10x more 'intense' and double the audible volume. So a 20 dB increase is 100x more intense and 4x louder.
Enter the illustrious (and venomous) Calif Air Resource Board and their mighty sword in the form of your city's finest wielding a violation for sound and an appointment with a referee. The good news is the factory installed 'cop switch' that will keep the ponies' whinny down to a low rumble should you possess the discipline to drive in that mode. Though I'm sure more than one res del owner hereabouts has found out the hard way that it doesn't mean squat what Ford sent out of the factory ("But Officer, this is how Ford made it. I swear!"). Which is why the section that came out will be on standby along with a set of Walker exhaust clamps for the new joint on the aft end 'just in case'.
I'll grab some snaps of the finished product when the materials show up of the reinstalled heat shielding/wrap. Though I have yet to road test it in the new config, the idle dB's are quite similar (94 to 95 dB b/f and after at idle on cold start/rich idle in sport and in a garage echoing like the Grand Canyon). Can't wait to let the ponies run and get that grin we all know so well.
Got the Res Del installed and felt like one of Jerry's Kids trying to measure the damned cut point...I think I must have been dropped on my head a few times as a kid b/c the LTH instructions say to cut 2.25" aft of the shield clamp but this is waayyyyy short of where I ended up cutting after measuring a dozen times or so trying not to be 'that guy' who cuts, cusses, then has to drive to the muffler shop (I'm a good grinder...vice welder).
I ended up measuring the length of the LTH pipes and using that which ended up being around 3.7" aft of the clamp but don't quote me. NOTE that one side of the LTH tubing is longer than the other and that would be the passenger side in my case. Unsure if all LTH RD's are such or if their manuf is hit/miss. The Steeda video says the pax side 'kicks out more' but it sure didn't look that way to me. The defining feature to me is putting the LTH RD on the floor and ensuring the aft end touches the ground (the pipes angle down at the rear attach point). That way you know you don't have it upside down.
The video also fails to mention the forward fitting is butt connected. Sliding the clamps aft (after lifting the locking tab up) gave me the forward mating point from which to measure aft for cut point. My target was about 2/3 the way into the aft sleeve (overall length less ~2") and it worked out. Couple lessons learned:
1. Don't let the LTH fall over and allow the aft sleeve to strike the deck. Makes trying to slip it over the aft section pipe a bit more onerous than necessary...and be sure to file down the cut pipe to facilitate the mate.
2. The aft portion of heat shielding is welded on at the forward attach point and clamped on the aft end. So don't cut the band clamp b/f chopping the exhaust as it helps keep it in place and not rattle around while making the cut.
3. Speaking of heat shielding, I'm curious if anybody who didn't replace it discovered why Ford spent $$ to put it there in the first place. The R has it as well so I bought four 2.5" T-bolt ss clamps (the 2.5 is ID for turbo tubing and the clamp is actually 2.75") to reattach the larger/forward section. I'm going to use header wrap on the rear portion to try and keep residual heat on the driveshaft down as much as possible. Guessing this is for long term preservation of the rubber therein.
As for all the noise about the noise...which one replicates the R...yotta yotta yotta. Steeda did a great job putting an iPhone on a stand in their install video to measure decibels in the two exhaust modes b/f and after installation. There are a few spikes here and there but generally speaking in sport mode, the res exhaust averaged 65 dB on the launch and the LTH averaged 85 dB. The funny thing about decibels is the math behind it and a 20 dB increase isn't a 20/60=33% increase in sound. A 10 dB shift, regardless of starting point, is 10x more 'intense' and double the audible volume. So a 20 dB increase is 100x more intense and 4x louder.
Enter the illustrious (and venomous) Calif Air Resource Board and their mighty sword in the form of your city's finest wielding a violation for sound and an appointment with a referee. The good news is the factory installed 'cop switch' that will keep the ponies' whinny down to a low rumble should you possess the discipline to drive in that mode. Though I'm sure more than one res del owner hereabouts has found out the hard way that it doesn't mean squat what Ford sent out of the factory ("But Officer, this is how Ford made it. I swear!"). Which is why the section that came out will be on standby along with a set of Walker exhaust clamps for the new joint on the aft end 'just in case'.
I'll grab some snaps of the finished product when the materials show up of the reinstalled heat shielding/wrap. Though I have yet to road test it in the new config, the idle dB's are quite similar (94 to 95 dB b/f and after at idle on cold start/rich idle in sport and in a garage echoing like the Grand Canyon). Can't wait to let the ponies run and get that grin we all know so well.
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