Customizing my MSA flanged exhaust

[Arne]

Preview of what's to come. The length of the tips is not finalized (can't do that for certain until I get the MSA system itself), and they will certainly end up shorter, perhaps by as much as 3" each. But this gives you the idea.

[70 Cam Guy]

Spray the back end of the muffler flat black when it's done and the resonated tips will POP. I think it will look and sound great. I was toying with this idea for a long time. I think I even know which tips you're using, they were on my Summit wish list for months!

remember to protect that chrome when you have it welded! The exhaust shop will know though, they do it everyday

[FastWoman]

Sort of late to the conversation, but I inserted this midpipe muffler on my MSA premium exhaust:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MPE-10436/

The fit was fine. My installer was a bit worried about the size, but he had no trouble doing it, and it looks great. No clearance issues.

[Arne]

I'm a touch concerned that it might be a bit too loud, but the tips are glass-packed as well, so maybe it'll be OK. If not, then I'll add something in the center.

[cozye]

I think it will be ok. I was concerned that it would be too loud at first as well. It's not. It sounds really good. I also noticed that it got a bit quieter and mellowed after a few miles.

[Arne]

I'm hoping it'll be OK as is. Mike (website owner) has a custom 2.5" system that has only a single Magnaflow at the rear, and it's not bad at all. Totally different sound than the typical Dynomax sound, which I'd like to avoid. The Magnaflow I'm going to use is a bit smaller muffler than Mike's, but my tips will be glass-packed. So I'm crossing my fingers.

Edited June 24, 2011 by Arne

[240260280z]

OK, next part. Let's say that I need to weld a tip directly to the outlet of a muffler.good search terms.

Hi Arne,

I just cleaned the chromed tips on my S2000 and they are removable (part #12 in diagram below). They have an M6 (Part #22) bolt that goes through the chrome cap "finisher" and holds it against the muffler's tip. I was thinking of your application when I did this work: You can probably adapt the same idea with your Z and use stainless steel bolts and lock washers or tapping screws to secure your cap to the muffler. It will also remover your need to weld the chrome part (which may mess up the metal due to heat and spatter).

Here is how Honda secures it:

Edited June 25, 2011 by Blue

[Arne]

I did give using screws some thought, and haven't totally ruled it out yet. But I may have squelched that by changing one part of the plan. After looking in person at a 240Z with this exhaust installed, I decided I might have a bit more room back there for longer tips than I first thought, so I bought a pair of tips with 2" ID inlets rather than the 2¼" I was originally thinking about. Uncertain as yet exactly how this will play out. I need to have the exhaust on the car before I can get firm measurements. Still on backorder...

[70 Cam Guy]

I basically had a clone of the MSA exhaust on my car since last summer. My old Clifford header, 2.5" pipe to Summit glass pack, out to a 2.5" in/out Magnaflow. It sounded great, wasn't obnoxious, and I never had an issue with drone on the 400 mile haul to Long Beach. Arne, I don't remember if you have a header, but if you're running the stock exhaust manifold, it will be downright quiet.

[Arne]

More testing today, and some good news.

1.) MSA reports they shipped the system kit yesterday. I should have it in hand by late Tuesday.

2.) The original plan was to use tips with 2¼" ID inlets over the 2" ID outlets of the muffler. But I changed my mind when I ordered and got 2" ID tips instead. Good call. I took the tips and muffler to a local shop and they expanded the tip inlet to fit snugly over the 2" ID muffler outlets. A much better option.

3.) More mockup and test fitting. Tips and muffler would be easier to position if the tips were 6" long instead of 9", but I'm confident I can make it work.

4.) May pass on welding the tips on. I'm now thinking of using rivnuts in the muffler outlets and bolting the tips on. See below for my test rivnut.

Edited June 26, 2011 by Arne

[240260280z]

Excellent "thoughtful planning".

I especially like the rivnut / nutsert implementation.

You will like it when you prep for a show and can take the whole tip to a polishing bench.

a moot btw... I thought of an internal spacer for the 2" to 2.25" pipe and simply using a stock exhaust adapter pipe and slicing it sideways to just have the ring would do the trick... or getting a flat strap of 1" wide sheet metal then hammering/vice-ing 1/8" undulations in it, then wrapping around your inner pipe would do the trick if in a bind.

[Arne]

Yeah, I think the rivnuts will work well. Besides the ability to remove the tips for cleaning, they should allow me to adjust and fine tune the tip fit to make certain the tips are perfectly lined up. (The twin tips on my current Monza are not as well lined up as I would prefer, which is something I want to avoid on this new system.)

I should also be able to attach the rear-most hanger to the tip using one of the rivnuts, and thereby avoid a visible clamp at the rear.