A 521 in Massachusetts

[Crashtd420]

Since the stacks are alittle tall I did some measuring and I figured I can remove about 4 inches out of the bottom of the stack below where it mounts and then another 1 or maybe 2 out of the overall height.

Easy enough....

 

Today i decided to move on to the heat shields....

The first thing i did was try to make the shape I wanted out of some scrap steel... I found a 6" × 20" piece which is perfect....

The 20 matches the large sheet, 5 side 4" long, bent at 72degrees....

 

[Crashtd420]

There is also going to be an angle cut into it.... 

I'll show that next...

I am going to see if making the angle cut first looks correct so I'm gonna try it in cardboard first...

 

This what I'm hoping it looks like...

[Crashtd420]

Made a cardboard template to see what it looks like.....

Good thing because I drew the angle to the wrong location...

Even before I bent to the wrong angle.. in order to make the Pentagon its 108 degree on the inside which makes my bend angle 72 degrees.... 

So I'm glad I'm taking the extra time before I bend the full sheet...

 

[Crashtd420]

The small piece I made earlier helped me keep the cardboard in the right shape.... The first angle I cut was a 4 inch drop.....

Edited December 24, 2021 by Crashtd420

[Crashtd420]

Then I tried 6 inch to see what that looks like....

 

[Crashtd420]

The sides are 4" on the stacks and if you measure a corner across to a flat its 6"... 

I think I like the 6" look better....

Any opinions?

 

Oh and I have been also thinking about using that flat side you see to mount a set of lights... basically high mount brake and turn signal....

I'd love to light the whole inside of the pipe to be the signal but while I think it would look cool I doubt it will be visible during the day...

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Crashtd420

[Crashtd420]

Cleared the table off to prepare to bend the full sheet for real...

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

1 hour ago, Crashtd420 said:

The sides are 4" on the stacks and if you measure a corner across to a flat its 6"... 

I think I like the 6" look better....

Any opinions?

 

Oh and I have been also thinking about using that flat side you see to mount a set of lights... basically high mount brake and turn signal....

I'd love to light the whole inside of the pipe to be the signal but while I think it would look cool I doubt it will be visible during the day...

 

It's definitely over the top, but different is cool.

 

How about doing a 45 or 60 degree tip at the top? A tip that's angle cut so the top is longer than the bottom. That would look pretty sinister, especially if the whole mess was painted/coated satin black.

[Crashtd420]

1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

It's definitely over the top, but different is cool.

 

How about doing a 45 or 60 degree tip at the top? A tip that's angle cut so the top is longer than the bottom. That would look pretty sinister, especially if the whole mess was painted/coated satin black.

I'd like to understand what you mean but I'm not sure I follow?

Are you talking on the actual exhaust pipe?

Or something different on the heatshield?

 

[Crashtd420]

1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

It's definitely over the top, but different is cool.

 

How about doing a 45 or 60 degree tip at the top? A tip that's angle cut so the top is longer than the bottom. That would look pretty sinister, especially if the whole mess was painted/coated satin black.

Or do you mean something like this?

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Yes, like that. I was thinking that the long side would extend past the short side, meaning the cut isn't perfectly vertical, but that looks cool too.

[Crashtd420]

7 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Yes, like that. I was thinking that the long side would extend past the short side, meaning the cut isn't perfectly vertical, but that looks cool too.

Ya you already got my brain going... 

What I think the plan will be is to do the shields as I currently want them and then I could add to it later... 

The biggest part is I wanted it 5 sided so I can mount a light on the inside flat panel, this adds to the complexity of the top piece....

I'll make a few templates,  I was even thinking 2 extra pieces to create a better look.... 

I might even bring the 2 larger pieces back and ask them to shear the corners off to my dimensions, then I'll have a nice even surface when I get the next pieces cut to mate up to....

I will do it eventyally because that would light up pretty cool on the inside like I was hoping to do anyhow...

I cant even use these heat shields till I have the bed on so I need to keep focused.... I shouldn't have even started this idea but things happen....

[Crashtd420]

I was able to reassemble the intake and exhaust today after my wife gifted me a new intake gasket for Christmas....

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

You're still at the car parts fro Christmas phase. Cool.

 

I don't ask for parts anymore.

[thisismatt]

I put specific parts, or mainly tools, on my wish list. Works out pretty well 😎

[mainer311]

I got some whiskey stones and some old fashioned cocktail mixers. I'm not a big drinker, but some nights I need it after dealing with a 3 year old who's bossy.

[Crashtd420]

12 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

You're still at the car parts fro Christmas phase. Cool.

 

I don't ask for parts anymore.

Who says I asked.....

I bought the gasket,  she bought pajamas and we wrapped what the other bought.... 

 

[Crashtd420]

I will say the remflex gasket is excellent for headers,  not one sign of an exhaust leak and everything was still tight before disassembling.

[Crashtd420]

Well I was able to fire up the truck today and I was about 90% happy...

One exhaust leak at the back which was luckily a quick reweld...

But up front the vband off the header didnt seal....

What I found was the 2 flanges wouldnt sit flush together once tightened.. 

Luckily there is a removable pipe just after the header that has my o2 sensor in it.... I currently sliced that In half and am going to mount the 2 ends solid and realign in the middle...

[mainer311]

6 hours ago, Crashtd420 said:

I will say the remflex gasket is excellent for headers,  not one sign of an exhaust leak and everything was still tight before disassembling.

Yeah, I’ve used two so far, one on the 16 and one on the 20, only after seeing your results the first time.

[Crashtd420]

After cutting the pipe in half and tightening up both ends in their clamp I actually had a nice crooked gap.... 

I cut the gap alittle wider and fit a small piece of pipe to fill the gap vs trying to fil it in with just weld....

I'm happy to say my exhaust is leak free.... 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Crashtd420

[Crashtd420]

I also cut the stack height down... I can even take another inch or 2 off the top if needed.... 

Heat shields will determine the final height....

[Crashtd420]

Speaking of the heat shield....

Stroffgren as always you were right...

As of right now the bending rig is inadequate to bend the 16 gauge sheet 40 inches long....

I honestly have no idea why I got 16 gauge for this project. At same time I bought metal to make more of those little door springs, and they are that thick but only 1-1/8 wide, it seemed like a good thickness... it just over a longer span it's harder to bend..

For my test I actually cut the corners off and prepared to bend it.. I decided to try to bend the corner pieces, and it didnt go as planned...

I did bend them but everything was flexing.. 

I dont want to go as thin as 22 gauge so i am hoping the sheetmetal shop has 20 gauge and is willing to do an exchange....

 

Otherwise I might have to get really creative to not waste these 2 sheets and the money.... 

[Crashtd420]

Well the conversation didn't go as I hoped.... I'm stuck with the 16 gauge because it was custom cut....

So now I have 2 choice...

Spend another $60 and get 2 more thinner pieces or make what I already bought work.....

So I guess I'm gonna see what I can do....

1st up I'll strengthen the bender in the middle to try to eliminate some of the flexing...

And then I'm thinking I can try to releave the bend line slightly by cutting along the line with a cutoff wheel but not cutting all the way through....

 

Another choice is to have the shop do 3 of the 4 bends to get me close and then just deal with the final bend to close the shape.....

...

Hmmm that might be the way to go...

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Why can't the shop bend the whole thing?

 

On the flanges - they can warp with welding. To help avoid leaks, I try to buy the ones without the mating step in them. I like the ones with a straight through bore which allows me to stick one piece of tubing out a half an inch and the other mating piece stuck in half an inch. This gives a slip fit much, much longer than the stepped flanges and in a pinch, can be sealed up with high temp RTV.