Tip's for building exhaust-TA22 with 3TGTE

[ta22 3tgte]

I've decided that I am going to have a go at building my own exhaust. Mainly for 2 reasons, I just made up all my intercooler pipework, it came out ok and looks ok to. Also I just like to do things myself, have a little time on my hands and learn on the way.

So it is for my 22, has a pretty stock 3TGTE at the moment, looking for an exhaust that will take more power in the future though.

My thoughts are 3" from the standard turbo, into a 3" high flow Cat, 3" until just before the diff, then 2.5" over the diff and into a 2.5" muffler, all mandrel bent.

I don't want it too loud, and want to avoid drone at all costs.

Was thinking a Lukey ultra flow muffler and a Magnaflow high flow Cat.

So looking for advise on:
Size (is what I have in mind enough).
Alternative muffler/cat brands (or what to stay away from).
Any basic tips, especially from anyone who has made their own exhaust.
What to use for rubbers and hangers.

Thanks Brendan

[Kedderz]

I did the same setup as you, plenty of flow for my 1g @ 230rwkw.

[andrew_mx83]

yeah its easy enough i have done a few in my time.

use magnaflow mufflers too, they sound awesome. i run 2 of their offset straight thru jobies, they flow awesome while still taking out a decent amount of noise.

use the rubbers that are on the car now and just weld some rod off the exhaust at the right spot.


tack it all together and test fit before doing any proper welds!

hoist/pit will make ur life much much easier (hoist moreso)

[ta22 3tgte]

Thanks guys, looks like it will certainly flow enough, and I will check out the Magnaflow muffflers as well.

Cheers Brendan

[Grega]

yes, i've done this of late also for my VL turbo
make sure you can get the car up in the air as high as possible.
find a low point (as low as the exhaust is allowed to hang) and make sure you don't go below it
lots of trial fittings. don't fully weld until you are 100 certain it is right
do each of your full welds on your pipe then test fit as the welding will warp/bend and may cause fitment issues for you
magnaflow mufflers are extremely good and also extremely expensive. my 3" mandrel bent exhaust for my VL turbo (with only an external resonator - its not that loud actually) cost me $250 to make which is a far cry from what some of the exorbitant rip off merchants are selling their kit for.

[andrew_mx83]

both my magnaflows were $200 each. but well worth it for the flow and quietening in one. one look inside their offset straight-thru mufflers and i was in love. u can see how they would pose almost no restriction but are still going to cut out a lot of noise. kinda like a hot dog....but better

go to an exhaust shop and buy at least 1 pair of flanges (should be less than $10 each) as it will make ur life much easier.

also plan out how u cut ur bends, if u do it right you may be able to do the whole system with just 2 x 90deg bends.

as greg said, lots of trial fits. time spent planning is much more valuable than trying to figure out all the little details as you go

to avoid warping/bending which is a real bitch weld an inch or so at a time on opposite sides of the join

[ta22 3tgte]

Wow guys, now where getting somewhere.

Ok, I had planned on using flanges either side of the CAT, and where the exhaust drops from 3" down to 2.5".

I hadn't really thought about warpage, when I made my intercooler piping, I was only welding an inch or so at a time and it wasn't a problem. So I figure I should be right there.

What I am having trouble with is how you make the whole exhaust out of 2 90 degree bends(and obviously straight sections). Are you cutting it on an angle and in short lengths around 2", does this not make the bend too sharp and hamper gas flow, even if the pipe stays the same diameter.

I found rivers thread on his RA28, he has just posted pics of his exhaust, so just looking there has given me some good hints, its exactly what i had planned. As you guys will see there is a whole lot of bends though(in regards to only using 2 90's).
Thoughts???

Cheers Brendan

[andrew_mx83]

you probably wont need to do a full 90 deg turn in one spot.

the idea is to keep it as straight as possible and just use a small turn to angle it to where you want to go next.
so you can hold the 2 pieces of straight in place with a small gap in between. with ur 3rd hand (really need 2 ppl here) butt the end of the bend against the first piece of staight and you will find you may only need a couple of inches of it to join to the second straight section if u cut it on the right angle. this way you minimise the amount of bends you use and you end up with a very unrestricted exhaust.


2 points to bear in mind here:
a) ive had a few bourbons so may not have written that very well and
b) ive not done an exhaust on the car in question and in some cases (like if u want to go over a live axle) you will probably go through a few more. 2 is a best case senario

[Grega]

a good idea too - get the factory exhaust - and copy it
ie: the bends and all that crap that you need to replicate - copy

under a ta22 theres not much in the way of bends. depends if you have that section in your gearbox crossmember that you need to move thru - IIRC mine comes straight back thru there, cuts in toward the tailshaft then up over the diff and out to the rezzi

[ta22 3tgte]

Thanks guys, the more tips the better.

One other question, it's better to taper the 3" down to 2.5" smoothly rather than just bolt a 3" flange to a 2.5" flange, right?

Cheers Brendan

[andrew_mx83]

buy a reducer from wherever u get the bends

[Grega]

or go see an exhaust joint to get the 3" swaged down to 2.5" - thats what i've done in teh past