Exhaust joint midway back...why is it there?

TylerW

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So my '66 300 has a very rotten single exhaust from the muffler back. I want dual exhaust if I'm going to go to the trouble of locating another reputable exhaust guy(the old one retired).

The reason I'll have to find a shop here to build a system is that buying any of the three known kits for this car comes with 3 different problems:

1. Waldron has an 8-week lead time right now to build a kit and I'm not even sure they can or will build the non-factory combo of duals with lo-po manifolds.
2. TTI is only 2-1/2 at the smallest, which is too big and will be too tight around the gas tank I'm certain.
3. Accurate is what I wanted, but there's no way I can pay $1000 for an exhaust system.

So, I'll have one built. What's the joint for? A shop here won't reproduce that unless I specifically ask . Also, what's with the hangers? I read recently that these are some rare, no-reproduced hanger, which I find hard(or not so hard) to believe.

Thank you very much.
 
As I recall, there were no HP manifolds for the '66 Chryslers. Those started with the '67 440HP motors, I believe. Factory duals did exist! The 440 TNT, for example, as well as the 383 4bbls.

At the end of the y-pipe is a "ball joint" connection. No need for a gasket there! Can allow for a minor bit of movement as the engine can move around under torque. If that's "the joint" you're referring to, a slip joint might work just as well, possibly. AND be easier to make happen.

As for "hangers", look at the exhaust illustrations in the FSM for an idea of what they are. Walker Exhaust used to have a selection of them in the back of their paper catalogs. By observation, the universal hangers don't hold up nearly as well as the OEM-styles did.

IF you're used to dealing with an exhaust shop, you probably know that most desire to weld the pipes rather than clamp them. IF you specify clamps, the ones they can have are of lesser quality than an OEM-level item from the auto supply stores. Personally, I like clamped systems of factory configuration. They always fit the best and cause the least problems as they age. But when I was doing these things, I could still buy the OEM replacement items in Walker Exhaust and know I could replace these things in my shop or driveway. My experiences with exhaust shops, even the ones which had decent reputations, always left me wondering WHY I went that route!

NAPA's exhaust parts used to be Walker items. Possibly they still are AND they might have a catalog with the OEM-style hangers in the back of it?

From others' comments, I believe that Waldron's might be the best bet. I believe the factory rear pipes were 2" pipes, so 2.5" at the rear should have no clearance issues. On many factory single systems, there was a resonator in that rear section (by the gas tank). NO clearance or heat issues. Many used the "resonator eliminator" pipe to replace it when it rusted-out. I haven't seen how the TTI systems are configured back there, but I suspect that at this point in time, they should work fine with 2.5" pipes back there. DO your research!

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67
 
You do not need the exhaust ball joint for anything other than maintaining a stock appearance, since you are converting to duals, that is probably not a concern. You can run the 2.5" all the way back without any major clearance issues, it will be serious overkill but will work. If you intend to keep the stock log manifolds, 2.25" exhaust will be more than adequate.

Dave
 
I am on my third TTi system. 3 cars and no problems.
I installed two of them and the fit and finish is top shelf.
As for clearance around the tank,the tailpipes go to the outside of the frame rails.
Just had to tack weld the rear hangers,that's all.
Just give TTi your manifold casting number and the front pipes bolt right on .
The flanges are very thick and never leaked.
Worth the money and sounds great!
BoaB november 2017 003.JPG

BoaB november 2017 002.JPG
 
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If you're going to duals does the .25" matter if it's 2.5"? Duals will be less back pressure no matter what, the larger diameter pipe won't do much (that you will notice) to affect anything that the duals would do with a smaller diameter pipe. The tti kits are easy to install, the 2.5" pipes I put on the Polara this year fell into place almost. A couple light taps with a rubber mallet and I had everything right there where it needed to be. Yes, super thick flanges, and bolts that come with it. I like the 3" system on my other Polara, and I'll put another tti system on my Dart.
 
The ball joint is probably there to ease assembly line assembly of the pipes. It's a more forgiving joint as to not having to have perfect alignment to work well. AND, if the front pipe's ball gets a little eroded with time, I found a way around that on my '67, plus the interface with the 2.5" Imperial pipes, in one feld swoop.

CBODY67
 
The correct reason the joint is in the single exhaust cross over pipe is to allow removal of the pipe without removing the complete system if you have to work on the oil pan, or the rear main seal.
 
I am on my third TTi system. 3 cars and no problems.
I installed two of them and the fit and finish is top shelf.
As for clearance around the tank,the tailpipes go to the outside of the frame rails.
Just had to tack weld the rear hangers,that's all.
Just give TTi your manifold casting number and the front pipes bolt right on .
The flanges are very thick and never leaked.
Worth the money and sounds great!
View attachment 241089
View attachment 241090

Ihave the same 2.5“ TTI Setup installed in my 66 300 years ago. Still shiny without rust.
Which Type/Brand of center muffler did you use?
I have some trouble with resonance droning at about 1400 - 1700 rpm.
Was thinking about adding a resonator muffler parallel to the gas tank, but the room left is to thight.
Regards, Frank
 
Ihave the same 2.5“ TTI Setup installed in my 66 300 years ago. Still shiny without rust.
Which Type/Brand of center muffler did you use?
I have some trouble with resonance droning at about 1400 - 1700 rpm.
Was thinking about adding a resonator muffler parallel to the gas tank, but the room left is to thight.
Regards, Frank

You might experiment with one notch richer jets in the primary side of the carb and/or 2 degrees more base timing. Just enough to change that resonant exhaust frequency, possibly.

CBODY67
 
Ihave the same 2.5“ TTI Setup installed in my 66 300 years ago. Still shiny without rust.
Which Type/Brand of center muffler did you use?
I have some trouble with resonance droning at about 1400 - 1700 rpm.
Was thinking about adding a resonator muffler parallel to the gas tank, but the room left is to thight.
Regards, Frank
All three use the mufflers that came with the kit Dynomax Super Turbo.
There is no drone on my Newport and the 300 is quiet.
Trick is have the tips extend out past the bumper by 2 inches or so but not out too far.
BoaB november 2017 005.JPG

300 001.JPG
 
One advantage of the longer pipes and correct factory ends is that it keeps the rear bumper from getting gunked-up with a coating from the exhaust gases. But I recall that happening on the stock pipes on our '66 Newport. Kind of like the same gray deposits that were in the exhaust pipes, from leaded fuels back then. There's a fine line between being just far enough and too far, though.

CBODY67
 
It must be exhaust season. I am at the point where I need to figure out what I want to do. I am really leaning towards stock style single exhaust, and original hangers. It seems my only options are Waldron, or going down to a local shop to see what they can do.
 
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