ACLR810

Well, I am currently in the middle of installing the dual exhaust on the shark. The Hooker Competitions fit nicely. Broke a center exhaust bolt off on passenger side....tried to drill for easy out..... broke drill bit in bolt..... had enough to get easy out in... twisted and rounded off easy out.... tried next bigger easy out.... you guessed it, it broke off inside of the original exhaust bolt. Glad my dog can't repeat things I said in the garage, wife would shoot me! Not real sure what I am going to do now, don't want to pull the head to take to shop. I may have to bubbify it till new motor goes in in spring '04.

I am using the Mid-america Chambered exhaust kit for headers. I have a couple of problems with them: 1. It is advertised as a 2.5 inch exhaust system. Where the mufflers ar joined to the pipes, it is necked down to 2 inches. This is gonna really restrict the exhaust. The pipes are 2.5 inches, its just the mufflers that are necked down. Can't do to much about it now, the system is bought and paid for ($300). Since I have already been monkeying aroudn with the fit, I can't return it. I love the sound (heard a couple of cars with the system at Bloomington Gold last year), not too excited about the restriction. 2. I know it said fabrication may be necessary when I bought it, but the pipe that needs to be made will need two 90 degree bends pretty close to one another, further restricting the exhaust. Plus, there is no way I can run an h-pipe because of the design configuration. AAAARRRGGGGG!!!! Does anyone think would be better off running 2 1/4 pipes from the headers to the mufflers, then 2 1/2 out the back? I think it would be better, wouldn't have all that pressure building up against the 2" restriction waiting to get through. I think the 2 1/4 would provide more velocity to get through the mufflers. I should explain the mufflers are kinda similar to glasspacks in design, but don't sound like them. They are joined to the pre-formed pipes and can't be removed, unless cut off, which would put me at taking it to a shop for fabrication. Any thoughts?

Bottom line, I do not recommend the Mid-America chambered exhaust to anyone who is looking for performance gains with a true dual exhaust. It would proabably cost the same amount of money to take it to a shop and have a custom fabrication done with a good set of mufflers in the factory locations. I have a feeling when the new engine goes in, this will happen. Just gotta figure out how to do it without torquing off the wife......

Gotta love being a gearhead. Remember, there are no such things as problems, just opportunities for creative solutions :) :chevy

vette68

Well, I wouldn't get too concerned about the restriction from the mufflers. I crank out 350 horse (at the flywheel, I know..) with 11:1 CR, and they have NO problems with restrictions. I have the 2.5" set on my car (with an additional 2 to 2.5" bottleneck at the rams horn manifold) and I couldn't be happier. It bolted right up with NO fabrication necessary, but then again, I wasn't trying to cut headers & H-pipes into them. On mine they are just straight back, no cats, bolted right to the cast manifolds and sound great. You kind of lost me on the 2 - 90 degree bends. I don't know where those would go, unless the header collecters sit way down near the bottom of the engine. I mean, seriously here. Were you expecting to take an exhaust system designed to fit up to the factory cast iron manifold and not have to modify it to fit on your headers? That hardly qualifies as a design flaw in my book.

Here's a picture I took of the "chambered" section of the exhaust pipe, showing the packing and the "restriction".



Bill

DaBo

I was either going to buy the chambered system...or buy the chambered mufflers for $40 a piece and carry them into the exhaust place and let them fab it.

I will be using standard rams horns....no headers.
Sounds like you possibly received the wrong system for your application.

BDAZVET

Sorry I can`t help much, but this is what I would do. Go to a muffler shop and have them do exactly what you want. If MAD won`t take the system back, sell it here on the forum. I got the chambered exhaust on my car for two reasons-1) It was cheaper than paying for just the correct mufflers;2) It will suffice until I`m ready for side pipes. I love the tone. I also have stock manifolds. A good muffler shop should also be able to get that bolt out if you can`t.

Bob Jenkins

If you change from the 2" factory size pipe to 2 1/2", you will need to change the transmission mount hanger for the 2 1/2". The 2 1/2" pipe will not fit in the 2" mount. It is not that difficult to change but will need to be done. :smash:

Ganey

Yes, it is restrictive & the mufflers should be at the end ! Not rec. for performance.

:cool:

MELVIN

Ive had the MAD chambered for about 4 years now. I used my stock exh manifolds on my BB, and yes, some tweaking had to be done.

Lately, I installed a set of Hedman Headers

I cant see why you cant install an h pipe, I have a 4 speed, and there is plenty of room for an h pipe, even with long headers. I have heard that some folks with auto trans may have a room prob

ACLR810

I'm looking forward to the tone, just a little frustrated right now. I did not expect it to bolt right up, i knew there would be some fabrication required. I was gonna put the h-pipe right behind the headers, but there doesn't seem to be enough room. The bends are required to mate the headers up to the holes in the crossmemeber, nothing drastic, but I'd like it to be more of a straight shot. I know, wish in one hand and s**t in the other and see which one gets fuller. I'll get there and I am sure I will be satisfied with the outcome, I was just pretty fed up when I posted the message. I don't think I got the wrong product, it is supposed to fit all sharks. I think Mid America is an excellent source for parts, not to mention they put on the free event at their factory every year, if you haven't been to it, I highly suggest it. They have discounted pricing and free shipping when you order that weekend from the event. Nice deal!

Petes73

Put the system om my 73. Local shop bent the pipe sounds and looks good

szercer

I was reading in othr threads and some used a pipe spreader to widen the MAD setup in places. Are we talking about something else that can't be fixed with the spreader? I'm considering this setup also and just want to get some more opinions, gonna be using dynomax cerama coat headers if so but I just don't like the idea of the 2" portion of the pipe... a chain is only as strong as the weakest link...

szercer

ttt

BeaterShark

Mid America no longer sells the $40 universal mufflers.