I'm looking at possible weak points in my setup (besides the 3.0) and I was thinking about long-tube headers, but I want to keep the existing 3-inch Warpspeed flex, cat, and entire rest of 3-inch system.

What about installing two 2-inch cutouts on the existing 2-inch downpipes? The car looks like this underneath:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...3inchunder.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...3inchypipe.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../3inchback.jpg

and these cutouts from Jegs look good:

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...13929_-1_11529

Maybe I could mount one cutout in each downpipe for better exhaust? And yes, that's Mr. Warpspeed, Dallas... I want to get upgrades made to the exhaust before dyno-tuning, and I do have the nitrous feed lines upgraded to 6AN now, so it's time for an exhaust decision. And I do want a cutout somewhere in the system.

???

 

So you would cut each ypipe and do it? It should work and yield a decent power increase. It will be very loud, our cars sound like real race cars open header

 

That was my thought - cut into each 2-inch downpipe and insert a cutout, so I could open up the exhaust completely for the track. I'm getting tired of having the quietest car out there.

I'm not a fan of the cable-operated cutout, but these could be capped with a plate if they leak too much, or extended downwards a bit.

 

Have you looked at electronic cut outs? Might be a lil pricey though.

 

Nope, I don't want electrics - they're not long-term reliable, I keep hearing. And there aren't any 2-inch ones, either...

How about an old classic? :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Antiq...QQcmdZViewItem

 

They make electric valves that will fit on 2 1/4" cutouts. If you can find a 2" cutout, I bet the electric valve might bolt up. I'd ask Mccord and QTP.

But the electric cutouts are reliable. I have the McCord Power Plate electric cutout and the first one lasted 3 years until I must have hit something on the road and it broke the motor away from the gearing unit.

So I called up Mccord, they shipped me a new motor for $25 and I bolted it on and I'm back up and running again! It was that easy!

So they are definitely reliable. And if they do break, it's easily fixable! The only part that can brake on it is the motor and gearing system. That bolts on by 2 small screws. The actual aluminum CNC plate won't brake unless you really hit something on the highway. But you would probably have bigger problems to worry about if you hit something that bad.

As far as that old school cutout, I've never seen that one. But I doubt it seals when closed. I know the other popular cast iron ones you see for cheap have that little pull cable. It sounds like a good idea, but it does not seal. You will have a constant exhaust leak!

The electric ones seal most of the time. It doesn't get much better than that. Mine seals as long as I have a little red RTV on it to help the plate seal when closed, which is what Mccord and QTP recommends.

I thought about cutouts before the o2 sensor, but it would mess up part throttle performance. If you will only have these open for the 1/4 mile, you should be just fine! I put my cutout in place of my cat in a WSP testpipe.





http://www.iwdwebdesign.com/maxima/pictures.html

 

Aaron, thanks for the details.. I thought the old original Model T cutout showed that new ideas are truly hard to find..

I intend to use the cutout(s) just on the strip - and I have zero clearance under the car when I put it on the trailer. Just enough clearance to get it on when the 23" M&Hs are mounted on the front. So, I thought about what you did with the cat-replacement cutout, but there isn't any room for the outlet.

That hung me up for a bit, then I thought about putting two 2" cutouts on the 2" downpipes. That isn't ideal, but I would have ground clearance for cutouts. If I do that, then I would have plates to cover the openings and skip the cable thing, and keep the noise down.

Another thought is, if you look at the photos, is to have a cutout built into the 3" collector either ahead of or behind the flex section. If the cutout could dump horizontally, then there would be room for it.

I'm still looking for the "right" answer for my existing plumbing, but I don't feel I have it - yet.... but I bet some ORGer will think of it...

 

Well, this is a very good idea for nitrous, n/a i gained 7lb tq from just opening the cutout, and i think i gained about 5whp as well. with nitrous it will be even more gain. Now I think your best bet is removing your cat and putting a test pipe with a cutout on it how i had. (btw i removed it from the car if ur interested). I had a local muffler shop cut and reweld the cutout 3" outlet a bit and angle the outlet flange so that it would have more clerance with the ground, i occationally had some slight scraping when the car was full of people and huge speedbumps. but no big deal at all. you can use the same type cutout i used, and just have dallas angle the flange even more so its almost horizontal. i can draw you up a pic of what i am refering to if u would like?

If you dont not wish to remove the Cat, then i think its a good idea of putting two cutouts one on each pipe coming downt to the collector. since its only 2" the cutout can be 2" outlet as well, u just have to make sure they clear everything from hitting or from blowing exhaust into something that can melt or get damage. also, make sure u put them after the o2 sensor.

 

Yes, I would like to see what you did with the test pipe. If I had the room underneath, that would be my first choice. The problem is that when I put my car on the trailer with the M&Hs on, the car drags on the bobtail metal seam at the last two feet of the trailer. If anything is lower than the hangers at the front of the cat or the bottom of the 3" cat, it would be torn off getting on the trailer. Did you get the cutout up high enough to clear, do you think? Send me pix, please... Did you mean it's for sale?? Huummmm...

The clearance issue is why I was thinking about 2" dumps on the downpipes - I think they would be high enough to clear the ground, open or capped. Why would the O2 sensor make any difference? The cutouts would only be open at the strip, and that's always WOT, you know...

Show me what you got. I need ideas here. I've got this huge nitrous pipe from the trunk to the engine, just waiting for a chassis dyno.

 

LOL I just did this about 2 weeks ago on my SC max. I had a test pipe already, took it off and used the flanges to weld on my open cutout from summmit. 2.5" straight 3" cutout. It is LOUD but works great. I welded it with my friend so we got under the car and marked everything to make sure it doens't scrape. I didn't angle it enough, still could go another inch or so, but I don't scrape it as much as I thought I would. if I re angle it i imagine it will be just fine. Given its location, it clears just fine, I would do this ever again before attempting to hassle with 2 off the down pipes.

trust me grey99, your car will load just fine. I will load pics of mine and post, possibly tonight for ya,

 

Well with my current setup a cutout is basically useless, so yea i guess i would sell it to you if ur interested. heres a pic i took while ago.


Now what im saying is, to have someone cut the cutouts 3" outlet, and basically get it as close as possible to the test pipe itself so the outlet flange dosnt stick out soo much and also angle it so that its pointing down and not to the side.

 

Appreciate some pix if you can make some ... I really would rather replace the cat and dump from that location instead of hacking up the downpipes.

Duh - what I should do is figure out how to get the car loaded after I do a 3" test-pipe cutout, shouldn't I ?? It's a wooden deck "Buck Dandy" from Texas, with a 16' deck and 2' dovetail, then a pair of ramps. Heavy-built trailer, dual axles... The car does scrape when loading, but if I built up the tire paths on the trailer with wood, to lift the car when going over the dovetail, then I bet everything could be made to clear!

 

My pipes are all 3", from the flex on back to the tip, so if I got a 3" replacement pipe made for the cat and put the cover plate flat against the new pipe, then the cutout wouldn't stick out more than 1/2" with the plate off and maybe 1 1/2" with the cover on. Hummm... room for some custom work here... then make a removeable section in the center of the trailer deck that I could take out before loading the car, so I could pull the cutout cover fron under the trailer if I had been streeting the car to a show or whatever.

See, I knew someone here had the answers! Thanks, guys, lot more to think about....

 

ok I will get some pics taken and post, but it might be later since i get off @ 5 and its dark by then. go to summit racing and get a 3" straight and 3" cutout, go to a auto store that sells flanges and then remove your cat, (use those flanges if they fit) mark how you want it to line up, then take it to get welded.

Mine looks like streetzlegends only on the other side, and hangs down a little more, which I planned on fixing...