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Thread: Personal Project: 1998 Dakota Side Exit Exhaust

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    98Dak408's Avatar
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    Default Personal Project: 1998 Dakota Side Exit Exhaust

    I started mocking up a dual side exit exhaust for my ’98 Dakota CC. Not sure how well it will work out but I’m going to give it shot. It is being fabricated using the Spintech mid-length header with a 1 ¾” primary and 3” collector. The exhaust will be constructed of 3” pipes and mufflers. Since I’ve become less tolerant of a super loud exhaust with an obnoxious cruising drone, I’m adding a 12” bullet muffler in front of the main muffler to act as a resonator, although it may not be necessary. (I can handle more loud than drone. lol) With the mufflers outside of the frame rails, and not between the frame rails, I’m hoping that will help. I may also add a cut-out that is easily accessible from the side of the vehicle so I can uncork the exhaust if I want. (I suppose I could also remove the mufflers for that purpose.) I'm currently in the process of checking clearances. It will probably have an “H” crossover pipe of 2 ½” diameter. I need to get the trans back in so the engine sits at the correct angle and I know how to route the down pipe from the header collector to the side.






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    99dart's Avatar
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    Hmm... interesting. Will you eventually coat it? Silver, black? Use a screen type cover like in this kit? Cool

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    98Dak408's Avatar
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    I'm thinking of painting it silver to work with the wheels and black as an option. Not too into the screened pipe look. I like the raw look of the old AC Cobra side pipes though. Along similar lines would be the Corvette side pipes or Viper side pipes. My proposed set up shouldn't pose a leg burn hazard like the old school side pipes do. Since the system is designed for the truck, I'm hoping it won't look awkward like a bolt-on side pipe set up might. I'm also hoping for a power increase and am curious how the sound wil turn out.

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    99blackrt's Avatar
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    Looks good Richard. I thought of doing something similar with mine as well but with my long tubes already being back to the trans crossmember that won't work for me as it would look funny. Can't wait to see the finished product. I'll bet it will look badass. Im not a fan of the screens that encase the pipes either.
    Chad
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    i just started on my exhaust build as well. Started by installing the mids then ran duel 3" to an h pipe. Crossed over to the passenger side behind the tranny pan. It all will come apart in 3 pieces, left side, right side and h pipe.The h pipe is located just behind passengers seat. It can also be removed without jacking or anything.there are no clamps only 3 bolt flanges.i dont have mufflers or turndowns yet but im only in it for $200 plus the headers.
    I dont have access to a bender so 2 of my bends didnt go so well. But i purchased mandrel bends where i need 90* bends.also made all the flanges myself.

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    Not tucking it up so it's not visible?
    1998 Silver RC SLT - Hughes 2.02 Heads, Mopar M1 4bbl Intake, Mopar 4bbl TB, 230/236 .515/.515 on a 110, 1.6 Roller Rockers, 4.10's, Spintech Headers, 3" Duals, X Pipe, Chambered Mufflers, 4/4 Drop, 727 Full Manual w/Transbrake, PTC 4500 Stall


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    Not tucking it up so it's not visible?
    Nope. I'm not concerned about that. I don't mind the raw look of it.

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    Looks good Richard. I thought of doing something similar with mine as well but with my long tubes already being back to the trans crossmember that won't work for me as it would look funny. Can't wait to see the finished product. I'll bet it will look badass. Im not a fan of the screens that encase the pipes either.
    You’re right, long tubes straight back wouldn’t work so well. That’s why I went with the Spintech mids for now. I have considered making a long tube header coming out the side (kind of like the AC Cobra) so it could feed into this type of exhaust system but it’s not in the budget at the moment. lol

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    Run with it Richard. I've always liked the look of the vintage corvette side pipes. I've considered doing that exhaust mod myself.

    If you haven't lived for something, you'll die for nothing.

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    Using outriggers from the frame to support the exhaust. Got it up as far and over as possible while keeping the exhaust in a straight line. Tolerances are close but the support is quite rigid while still allowing minimal flex.



    Last edited by 98Dak408; 12-18-2014 at 12:27 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 98Dak408 View Post
    Using outriggers from the frame to support the exhaust. Got it up as far and over as possible while keeping the exhaust in a straight line. Tolerances are close but the support is quite rigid while still allowing minimal flex.



    Looks great! i was thinking about doing something similar with mine but with flat bar.keep up the good work!

    2002 CC R/T
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    Got the mid and rear section of the exhaust attached on both sides. Now I have to finish rebuilding the trans and get it installed so I can time-out the rest of the exhaust to the engine.


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    Friggin' R/T's Avatar
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    Are those polyurethane bushings around the bolts on the mounts?

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    Are those polyurethane bushings around the bolts on the mounts?
    They're high temperature silicone.

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    Is there a conclusion to this?
    Jason Weltch (Another Jason!)
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    Is there a conclusion to this?
    Not yet.

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    Dam! That's looking sharp! Wondering what the sound is going to be like!

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    The 12” Jones 3” straight through glass pack flows about 702 cfm. The direction of flow doesn’t seem to matter. However, the ID is about 2 7/16” due to the sound baffling.

    The 30” Jones 3” straight through glass pack doesn’t look like it’s going to cut it in regard to flow. It flows 474 cfm. The direction of flow doesn’t seem to matter. However, the ID is about 2 7/16” due to the sound baffling.

    I am assuming I will need in excess of 500 cfm flow per side, but I don’t want an ear shattering drone. Since I also want to use a resonator, they’ll have to be sized larger than that. Got to sort out the heads for more accurate calculations.

    I did reduce an internal ridge inside the 12” muffler and gained 3% flow. But that still won’t get me where I want to go with the 30” muffler.

    When I get a chance, I’ll test the flow with both mufflers in line to see what the flow is combined.

    (Sometimes it just takes me forever to work on my own stuff. lol)





    Last edited by 98Dak408; 02-23-2022 at 10:57 PM.

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    niebs's Avatar
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    dang thats a delay, but I know how that goes!

    Could try using J tubes to help with drone and not add a restriction.

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    I may have to take a best shot at a muffler, test it, and see what it flows. I don't have a lot of room between the frame and rocker panel, and that's where I want to put it.

    Or do what I can improving the flow of the large muffler, and just run that. Better sound deadening for the price of some hp, maybe? However, I have no idea how loud that muffler is.

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    I saw how old the thread was you revived, but I can't judge... my truck has been on stands for about the same amount of time
    Definitely unique! Can't wait to see and hopefully hear end results.
    Last edited by GoFastGray; 02-16-2022 at 08:16 PM.
    12.10@106@Famoso Raceway

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    I saw how olf the thread was you revived, but I can't judge... my truck has been on stands for about the same amount of time
    Definitely unique! Can't wait to see and hopefully hear end results.
    Yeah, I'm getting older too. So many things have gotten in the way.

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    Engine Masters did a dyno test with ~540hp engine with mandrel bent pipe and non (3"), with and without mufflers. At that HP level from 0-3 psi back pressure, power really didn't change. So any low restriction muffler shouldn't hurt power, unless your north of 550 crank HP.
    Last edited by musky mike; 02-17-2022 at 12:23 PM.

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    Years ago, I did a dual 2 1/2” system into a single 3 1/2” pipe. I installed an electric cut out (fun until it started leaking after only a couple of times opening and closing it). You can see the down-turn for it. I originally ran a Flowmaster 40 series IIRC. A larger pipe will be louder anyway, but with the Flowmaster, the drone was unbearable. So, I added a Dynomax muffler in front of the Flowmaster. Sound level was much quieter with no drone. However, along with the tiny air cleaners I was running on the tunnel ram, the combination cost a 30hp and 35tq at the rear wheels. Out of that, the small air cleaners contributed to a loss of 18hp and 2tq at the rear wheels. Choking the air coming in and choking the air going out.






    The new exhaust had hopes of solving those problems, but since the exhaust has been on the back burner for so long, I am working on upping the hp levels of the engine. And now, I am concerned it may be too restrictive with the new engine configuration.

    David Vizard, if I recall correctly, states you should have about 2.2 times the exhaust cfm per hp. The following chart shows optimum at 2 to 2.1 cfm per hp.






    The Pipemax program I am using as a guide to design my headers and exhaust system, specify 516 cfm per muffler for my engine combination.




    So this is what I am trying to iron out.

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    Engine Masters has been testing some the old "theories" on the dyno (gross hp). Some hold water and some don't, the air filter test they did, bigger/taller was better and the K&N filter lid was one of the best, even when they taped off the air filter it was sitting on. This was with a carb, so with our TB setup, this could be valid if you use a pie pan type air filter, but not with other tubing setups. But they did do a test with TB/FI and all the tubing too. The thing they find with exhaust back pressure is, up to about 3 psi doesn't hurt HP, over that hurts HP. You can get the Motor Trend app for 4.99 per month, and watch all 6 seasons. Pretty cool stuff they test.

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