Advice: Complete 3" Exhaust for 87 Shelby Charger, 525 Trans

[ohlarikd]

So my 87 Shelby Charger with the stock 525 trans is in need of a new exhaust system. Really, I need a catalytic converter to pass emissions, but then that led to.. if you replace this, then you might as well get that, and that, etc. etc. Next thing you know I want a 3" SV, downpipe, cat, and muffler.

I have spoken with a lot of people but I haven't gotten a clear answer on what to purchase. The biggest thing I hear is that most 3" systems may interfere with the shifter/linkage on a 525 trans. I am not going to replace my trans as mine has a nice LSD in it. Some say a special downpipe is needed that is no longer produced.

There are two 3" SV's that I know of - one from Turbos Unleashed, and one from Shadow (board member). TU's is stock shape. Shadow's is longer and may offset the downpipe enough to clear linkage, but apparently, no one has tried it.

All I want to do is buy the correct parts and be done with it. I need to solve this shifter clearance issue. Has ANYONE put on a 3" system on a SC with 525 trans that had success and can offer advice?

THANKS!

Derek

[1984rampage]

Im pretty sure any competent exhaust man could install a 3" exhaust with no problems at all.. I know 3" has been done many times before on a shelby charger so it shouldn't be too hard.

Also I'd go with shadow's 3" swingvalve. It will give you better power and flow over TU's.

Finally: http://turbosunleashed.com/shop/prod...roducts_id=109

Directly from the TU website: "It clears all shift linkages including L-body."

[minigts]

I have a 3" exhaust, all the way back on my car, no issues with the linkage.

EDIT: To answer you last question, yes.

[ohlarikd]

Im pretty sure any competent exhaust man could install a 3" exhaust with no problems at all.. I know 3" has been done many times before on a shelby charger so it shouldn't be too hard.

Also I'd go with shadow's 3" swingvalve. It will give you better power and flow over TU's.

Finally: http://turbosunleashed.com/shop/prod...roducts_id=109

Directly from the TU website: "It clears all shift linkages including L-body."

Yes, I am waiting on Shadow to complete another one. I have all winter.

I talked to Chris at TU, and he was unsure for some reason about the 525 trans. He sure didn't give me a great feeling about it. His first response was why don't I replace the trans with a newer one?

Anyway - does it seem like I would buy all the exhaust parts and just go to a shop to have them tweak it and weld it up? I was looking to do it myself, but I think I may run into issues.

Derek

[ohlarikd]

I have a 3" exhaust, all the way back on my car, no issues with the linkage.

EDIT: To answer you last question, yes.

Did you install it yourself, or did you have to get a shop to massage it to fit in there? Did you buy the 3" kit from TU?

Thanks!

[minigts]

We had to use some axle grease to wedge everything in there, but it worked...eventually. Just kidding. No issues, plenty of room.

[ohlarikd]

We had to use some axle grease to wedge everything in there, but it worked...eventually. Just kidding. No issues, plenty of room.

You're scaring me.... so, you took all the parts to an exhaust shop, or you did it yourself? I am just trying to determine if I should take it all apart in my garage and try it.

The other issue with a shop is that they would have to install the swingvalve as well, not sure if that is in their knowledge base.

[ohlarikd]

Im pretty sure any competent exhaust man could install a 3" exhaust with no problems at all.. I know 3" has been done many times before on a shelby charger so it shouldn't be too hard.

Also I'd go with shadow's 3" swingvalve. It will give you better power and flow over TU's.

Finally: http://turbosunleashed.com/shop/prod...roducts_id=109

Directly from the TU website: "It clears all shift linkages including L-body."

Woops - just noticed your link was for a downpipe. Chris never mentioned this to me. Now if I go with Shadow's SV, I assume this may not work?

[minigts]

We did it ourselves and I would hardly recommend taking a car to a shop to anything with mine, maybe the exhaust. The only issue I had was I had to cut the exhaust while on the car because it went over the rear axle. Now i have it dumping out the side, so when I ever need to pull it down, I can drop the entire thing from the swingvalve to the exhaust tip.

It's not as hard as it seems, you just need to get under there and start taking it apart and putting the next stuff on. The swingvalve was the hardest thing to deal with. If you get a newer one from Chris, it'll be an easy swap.

[ohlarikd]

Also I'd go with shadow's 3" swingvalve. It will give you better power and flow over TU's.

Finally: http://turbosunleashed.com/shop/prod...roducts_id=109

Directly from the TU website: "It clears all shift linkages including L-body."

Ok, just talked to Chris. Although he has no experience personally installing this DP, he says he has sold them to 525 owners and no one ever called him back with clearance issues. His 3" SV will be available within weeks, so I may order the 'combo kit' 3" SV and Diogo Downpipe:
http://turbosunleashed.com/shop/prod...roducts_id=138

I know Shadow's SV may flow slightly better, but the odd shape of it has me thinking some custom work may need to be done on the pipes since it will place them differently, shifted towards the passenger side I heard.

Yea or Nea on the TU combo kit? Going once...


Derek

[1984rampage]

Yea if your worried about any customization just go with TU's swingvalve and downpipe combo and Tu's 3" catback l-body exhaust. You should be able to do it all yourself. I had my exhaust put on by a local exhaust shop and they did a pretty good job.

It's all up to you really

[ohlarikd]

Yea if your worried about any customization just go with TU's swingvalve and downpipe combo and Tu's 3" catback l-body exhaust. You should be able to do it all yourself. I had my exhaust put on by a local exhaust shop and they did a pretty good job.

It's all up to you really

Yes, spoke to Chris yet again... your picks are correct. combo + catback, add in Cat and muffler. I am not looking for any custom work at this point in my life, so if I can use the clamps he sells and get it done that would be great. I am going to get a piece of 3" straight pipe as well to drop the cat after inspection.

Ok - thanks for all the advice, I think I am clear now!

Derek

[turbovanman²]

All exhaust work is custom, no 2 cars are the same so please, be aware it won't bolt on exactly as you think it will. It will still require some tweaking or modding,

[ohlarikd]

All exhaust work is custom, no 2 cars are the same so please, be aware it won't bolt on exactly as you think it will. It will still require some tweaking or modding,

So I hear... I know. I expect to be disappointed. But if I can get the best starting point possible, that would be good.

This is how it will go:

1) Remove bolts from 2.25" Swingvalve.
2) Remove entire turbo to get sheared off SV bolt removed by machine shop.

Derek

[4 l-bodies]

Derek,
The quasi downpipe as Cindy calls it has the necessary bends for the 525 rod shifter. It is more than just the downpipe, it continues on well past the shifter & ends about where the cat would end. Sells for $99 last I knew. It is aluminized steel and not stainless. Putting on a 3" donut end should be easy for any muffler shop. I do not believe the other downpipes are anywhere near this long. Most are probably half that length and may end before the shifter bends.

If you decide to go a full 3" all the way back, good luck finding one in 304 stainless. I am not aware of anyone selling a 3" full stainless kit for the L-body anymore. As a result, I weld my own up.

Your cat back FM 2.5 exhaust is 304 stainless. You should be able to sell that easily on this forum should you choose to do so. I would even be interested in buying back that cat back system for my maroon Omni should you choose to go full 3".

Be aware that the 3" exhaust will be louder than your current 2.5" system, unless you go with a chambered muffler. Putting in a test pipe will require the installation of a 4 channel amp to drown out the exhaust if using a straight thru muffler.
Todd

[johnl]

What Todd said. You have to throw a near 180* kink into the run after the downpipe to clear the 525 shifter. Not a big deal if you have some bends and a welder.

[ohlarikd]

Derek,
The quasi downpipe as Cindy calls it has the necessary bends for the 525 rod shifter. It is more than just the downpipe, it continues on well past the shifter & ends about where the cat would end. Sells for $99 last I knew. It is aluminized steel and not stainless. Putting on a 3" donut end should be easy for any muffler shop. I do not believe the other downpipes are anywhere near this long. Most are probably half that length and may end before the shifter bends.

If you decide to go a full 3" all the way back, good luck finding one in 304 stainless. I am not aware of anyone selling a 3" full stainless kit for the L-body anymore. As a result, I weld my own up.

Your cat back FM 2.5 exhaust is 304 stainless. You should be able to sell that easily on this forum should you choose to do so. I would even be interested in buying back that cat back system for my maroon Omni should you choose to go full 3".

Be aware that the 3" exhaust will be louder than your current 2.5" system, unless you go with a chambered muffler. Putting in a test pipe will require the installation of a 4 channel amp to drown out the exhaust if using a straight thru muffler.
Todd

Arrg. I am so confused. This works, this doesn't work... but I will call Cindy tomorrow. Hopefully Cindy's downpipe will fit to the TU 3" SV? Then I need to graft on the 3" Cat and then the TU 3" Catback? Will that work?

Derek

[1984rampage]

Just go with the full TU setup.. It was all designed to work together

[Chris W]

I can't say that I have ever bought an FWD downpipe, but, going off their description it is 2" longer then ours. From the photo it appears to be the same. :shrug: We offer Rick Diogo's design because we were told that it was made to clear the 525 linkage. Since all of our 3" exhausted L-Bodys have been converted to cable linkage I can't say first hand that there would be no massaging necessary. We have sold many kits though to L-Body owners with 525 transmissions and I don't recall hearing about any fitment issues. If you do experience any installation problems we will gladly take it back.

Chris-TU

[Marcus86GLHS]

Derek don't sweat the 525 and 3" exhaust combo, any competent muffler shop can easily fab up an intermediate pipe to snake around the linkages & bridge the gap betwen the downpipe and the "S" pipe (the pipe that would go right behind the cat and snake the exhaust from right to left). I have a TU 3" downpipe and a FWD Perf 3" L-body catback (Chris didnt offer the 3" catback for L-bodies a few years back) and my muffler guy just fabed up a small section to go around the shifter linkages since the TU downpipe did end just shy of the shifter area.

On a cream puff car like yours, aluminized steel is fine, it'll last 30 years on your car.

As others have noted, these are not true bolt-up systems, you will need to tweak here and there, very easy for a muffler shop to do. Oh, and well worth the $ and effort for the power gains.