AW1090

I've searched a ton and I know it's been beaten to death, but I've a got a high flow cat on the way that I'll do with 2.25 pipe. I've pretty well decided on the flowmaster 50 delta flow....although it was between that or the 60 series delta so if you have any thoughts on this let me know. I mainly want to know how much of a job you guys think this would be if I wanted to weld it up on my own for experience and money reasons or if I should just go to a shop? Also, if I were to go to a shop I know to have the pipe mandrel bent, but what is a fair price to have this done if I bring in the cat and muffler? Thanks again...I know it's been discussed and trust me I've search just needed the answers to these specific q's. Thanks

AW1090

bumpy bump.....I need some ideas on this because as of now I've found out that only one shop has a madrel bender in AR. The other ones that buy just the bends and weld them together say that they won't buy 2.25....I know, great customer service there. So what should I do.....I was hoping that someone on here might point me in the direction of some 2.25 pipe so I could try and weld it up on my own. I really need some help with this cause I don't know what else to do...I don't want to just stick up some press bent tail pipe. I've gotten my flowmaster 50 in and high flow cat.....I need to get it on. Please help

Fink

Well...not sure about the 50 or 60 but I've got a 40 series sittin on the floor next to me that I'm gonna put on with a stock cat and new 2.25" piping. I can weld but I'm gonna have the shop do it...I can weld, but not as well as they can.

Fink

gwhayduke

If you were to do it, you probably ought to have the mandrel bent tubing already done. Which means you have to take it to a shop and they have to fit it aproximately where the old one goes. I say "approximately" because the old system would still be in place since you had to drive to and from the muffler shop with the old system on, unless you wanted to die from inhaling the fumes on the way.

Have the shop do the whole thing.

But...Have them take off the stock cross over, fashion a cover plate, make you a new y-type crossover to get rid of the lousy method Toyota has of forcing the exhaust from the right bank upstream into the flow of the left bank. I've always hated that arrangement.

And get the quietest, freeflowing muffler you can. After a few miles, you'd rather hear the stereo than the drone.

williemon

Is mandral bending really worth it on this engine in stock form? Also, maybe the Toyota engineers designed the crossover pipe like that for a reason. There are cylinder phase issues and firing order to take into account when you design a crossover. You just cant say that something does not work its best just because it does not look right to you. Many people who might report a power increase due to a modified crossover pipe have also modified the entire exhaust at the same time. Who is to know if the crossover pipe by itself helped or hurt the performance when all was said and done?

My point here is, why spend lots of money and effort for diminished returns? I speak from experience here. Might be better to spend a little money and time for fun, or else do a full out rebuild and mod of the 3.0

If you have a welder, do it yourself and have fun with it. Just make sure your welds dont leak and dont blow through the pipe.

gwhayduke

Com'on Willie...take an honest look at the crossover and where it enters the exhaust manifold on the drivers side. Cylinder phase issues? Basically you mean scavenging effect, of which there is none due to the placement of the crossover. Read Nunsa's posts and you'll see that he's pretty consistant in saying that all the 3.0 needs is to be allowed to breathe. And he's built a pretty good 3.0 to back up his claims.

No you won't get big power gains with any exhaust system on the 3.0, including headers. You're tweaking only one part of the system. But tweak one part, then tweak another, and another. Pretty soon the 3.0 can breathe pretty good and you've got some HP and torque.

AW1090

good info.....I'm sure toyota had some thought on what they were doing and I don't think the crossover pipe is horrible, but using a y type crossover just sounds like one side isn't waiting or dependent on the other. This to me just sounds to be more efficient for the exhaust. ok...back to my little story...Only one shop has a mandrel bender in AR and they're 2 hrs away from me. They said they can bend up a tail pipe that will be like the existing one from toyota, but it'll cost $80 just to bend up. I'm thinking I might have them bend it up, pick it up, then weld it on myself. If I do this does anyone have any sites that I can look at that show the process.....I'm confused on how to hang the cat and muffler from the truck. Do I use an aftermarket kit of some sorts or do I need to make something to attach to the muffler and cat? The thing with all the other exhaust shops is that no one has a madrel bender and none of them carry 2.25 mandrel bends to cut and weld together. I asked about them ordering these and they said they wouldn't because they don't use enough of it. I could get the bends on ebay, but I think it will end up costing just as much as having the shop 2 hrs away bend up the pipe......I know all this is a little scattered, but I feel like I'm having to beat exhaust shops up just to get them to work with me on anything. Thanks for the help everyone.

williemon

Welding all the bends you might need might look ugly I think, unless you can make good looking welds and smooth them out. You might also have more of a chance for a leak. As far as the crossover, when I had my heads Ported and Polished and cams redone at DOA, they said to keep the crossover and stock manifolds cause there was not any better premade header out there but to run a 2.5" exhaust from the downpipe back. So when I got it all back I still had the stock exhaust with 2.25 cat back. I could feel the increase in power, but it was not breathtaking. Once I installed the 2.5" setup with free flow cat, It really took off. I have not dynoed it though. My only ref now is that I can run a 0 to 60 mph time of 13 to 13.5 seconds. This is with 30" tires but Im geared for 28" and an AT. I have not yet done any intake work yet. Im no engineer so I consider Tims advice first and others second. I also read a post from an engineer that described why the 3.0 crossover was made like it was, and that to me sounded better than when people say that it just cant be good for it. Anyway, to each his own untill it is proven or disproved by factual information.

I think if you go the route of the y pipe, it cant hurt, but will it help any? Id rather do the least I had to do to see x amount of results.

The way my exhaust was attached, they welded rods to the exhaust and made a hook on the other ends and hooked them into rubber straps that were on the Runner. Look at my webshots page and you can see pics of my 2.5" exhaust. Its not pretty, but it does the job. Later dudes!