Questions about exhaust setup

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl
Ive had m80s on my 07 gt now for about 3 years or so and Im tired of the damn clamps from the x pipe to over axle pipes coming loose and my exhaust always falling off while driving. Its happened to me a number of times and happened again yesterday on my way to work. Luckily I was close enough that I walked there, grabbed a 15mm wrench and tightened it up as best I can by reaching under the car. First off does anyone else have this problem? Do the stock over axle pipes have a little nub on them to grab the clamp?

Last time this happened I took the muffler deletes off and ran it that way with the exhaust dumped right after the axle. It never comes apart when I have it that way. Now Id like to go with dumps but theres not a good shop around to weld it together for me and I dont want it to completely come apart while Im driving. So is there a way a hanger can be fashioned? I was thinking I could also use an sn95 mid pipe modified for my long tubes and use flow tubes so itll at least bolt together. Any thoughts?
 

o2sys

forum member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Posts
4,367
Reaction score
19
Location
NY/NJ
Are you using factory clamps where the x-pipe meets the OTA pipes?

I never had this problem. Been reusing OEM butt clamps with multiple setup ups with no issues.
 

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl
Yes factory clamps. I think its because everything is all clamped together at odd angles and maybe I took too much off when installing my m80s.
 

o2sys

forum member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Posts
4,367
Reaction score
19
Location
NY/NJ
How do you have the m80s installed?

Back when I was running them like this:
59aaa78b1b2b9adf473306f690ed8784.jpg

cef506157ef1b4a5f50f2d46d0d1338a.jpg


Aftermarket exhaust pipes are slightly thinner than OEM so the factory clamps can’t hold them tight enough. Might want to give aftermarket clamps are try maybe?
 

ghunt81

New parts on old junk!
S197 Team Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Posts
1,074
Reaction score
160
Location
Clarksburg, WV
I've never had that issue and I've even had clamps that didn't grip the pipe super tight. My factory clamps were rusted up when I put my first aftermarket midpipe on so I've had various Walker and Torctite clamps on there over the years.

Were the bolts on the clamps actually loose? I've honestly never had that happen with a band-style clamp.
 

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl
Mine are mounted right before the ota pipes bend over the axle. Its possible the flow tubes Im using are not perfectly round where the clamps go but yea they were still tight. Aftermarket ones may be the way to go if I dont get ball and socket connectors in place of the clamps and yes they are factory.

Im thinking its a combination of the pipes not being perfectly round and me cutting the exhaust a little too short. Im really considering going with ball and socket connectors to replace the clamps and dumping my exhaust right before the axle. It seems like a lot of work for a mediocre result but I think Ill like it. You dont see too many s197 guys running dumps.
 

Pentalab

forum member
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Posts
5,211
Reaction score
1,093
After installing my JBA ceramic LT's on my 2010... + JBA high flow catted H, the exhaust was too loud... + bad drone @ 1900 rpm. ( this is with SS FRPP FRS-500 mufflers). The 'fix' was to install a pair of Pypes M80's. I had em WELDED into place, just b4 the rear axle. End of problem. Toned down the level to acceptable..and got rid of the drone.

Shop where I had it done, had gone through your scenario b4. They sliced off the slotted ends in the bandsaw. ( both ends of both M80's). Then everything slides together nicely. Each M80 has a circular ring in each end, to restrict how much tubing can be stuffed into each end. They then welded it 360 deg at both ends. These folks were good, esp welding the portion of tubing over the top 40 degs.

Zero problems since the original install..and that was several years ago. That section of Ford oem tubing that goes from back end of new JBA catted H...and up and over the axle, had a section cut out of it, then the M80 inserted. The entire process went real smooth, but they had done this umpteen times b4. But those slots had to 1st be sliced off each end of each M80. Just b4 the axle puts the M80's up off the ground. The car is lowered 1" at the rear..and 1/2" on the front.
 

ghunt81

New parts on old junk!
S197 Team Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Posts
1,074
Reaction score
160
Location
Clarksburg, WV
I have found that when you're actually butting two pipes together, more often than not the band-style clamps unfortunately don't work THAT great because pipes are so often not the same OD. Been having the same problem at my midpipe-to-over axle pipe connection, because I'm pretty sure it leaks, and I can never get the clamps tight enough to actually prevent the pipes from rotating. I've been considering ball-socket connectors there but I don't want to have to cut stuff to put them in.

Most of the time when making joints now, I try to make it an OD-ID slip joint and either use a stepped band clamp, or a strap clamp. I've actually been running stepped band clamps for my axle back for awhile now because they're so much easier to disassemble/reassemble than regular strap clamps.

Anyway, another thing I wondered is if you have something putting a preload on the pipes that eventually allows them to work loose as they go through heat cycles? Possibly something with the hangers, pulling backwards a bit.
 
Last edited:

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl
I installed the m80s myself while the car was up on ramps. I thought to make it easy I would buy flow tubes, cut off the flared end and assemble the tubes and mufflers before I installed them. So I only had to make 1 cut before the axle and then slide on the m80s with the tubes. I remember leaving a gap between the mid pipe and the rest of the exhaust so tje clamps could be removed instead of fighting with then and trying to slide them all the way onto the mid pipe so I could detach the rest of the exhaust if need be. I think whats happening is the rest of the exhaust can slide towards the back of the car the gap opens until the mid pipe clamps have nothing to hold on to and it slides out. So Im sure this is all my fault. Now I just have to decide what Im going to do to fix it.

Ghunt, as far as preload I dont know if you have ever seen flow tubes for the sn95 cars that runs between the mid pipe and muffler so Ill post a link for reference

https://lmr.com/item/DYN-42113K/Dynomax-Flowtube-And-Flange-Kit-Mustang-79-04

Theyre probably not perfectly straight at the end where it goes into the mid pipe clamp preventing the clamp from sitting 100%. All the other clamps hold fine.

This might sound a little stupid but what I wanted to do was get a pacesetter x pipe for long tubes so an sn95 so it would have a flange on one end, get shorty legs for my pypes knock off headers and another set of flow tubes so it could be bolted together. Like I said earlier its a little convaluted and would probably cost more than an s197 specific x pipe for lt's and just clamp it together and hope for the best lol.
 

46addict

13726548
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Posts
1,832
Reaction score
56
Location
Lawrenceville, GA
You dont see too many s197 guys running dumps.
I've thought about running dumps many times when I had a 2008 that was lowered. I had to choose between having slanted mufflers or OTA pipes that touch the panhard brace and hit stuff every time I go over dips in the road. My current car is stock height but once I lower it I'm sure I'll be back to square one. I wonder how loud dumped M80s would be with a high flow/off road midpipe and if other glasspack style mufflers would fit in that same spot.

This might sound a little stupid but what I wanted to do was get a pacesetter x pipe for long tubes so an sn95 so it would have a flange on one end, get shorty legs for my pypes knock off headers and another set of flow tubes so it could be bolted together. Like I said earlier its a little convaluted and would probably cost more than an s197 specific x pipe for lt's and just clamp it together and hope for the best lol.
You lost me here. Do you currently have LT headers?
 

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl
I've thought about running dumps many times when I had a 2008 that was lowered. I had to choose between having slanted mufflers or OTA pipes that touch the panhard brace and hit stuff every time I go over dips in the road. My current car is stock height but once I lower it I'm sure I'll be back to square one. I wonder how loud dumped M80s would be with a high flow/off road midpipe and if other glasspack style mufflers would fit in that same spot.


You lost me here. Do you currently have LT headers?

Other ones will fit for sure. Ive seen a lot of other people run generic 18" glass packs mid mounted. 07boss is running cherry bombs mid mounted. Ive even seen people mid mount borla stingers. The problem is that there is no mounting location so either you have to go with a flange setup at the mid pipe to ota connection or weld it all together or you run the risk of band clamps working loose and you losing everything past the mid pipe. Thats why Im thinking about using a ball and socket connection in place of band clamps. Now as far as loud I bet they would resonate like a mofo under throttle but Im skeptical how loud they would be. There is a video on youtube that has a new edge with an off road x pipe and m80s dumped and its pretty tame. Take that with a grain of salt as its not the same platform but the same principles should apply.

I figured lol I did say it was convaluted. No I dont have my long tubes installed just yet. I was looking for a set of full length headers like bbk's so I could use an sn95 mid pipe because both are flanged but the sn95 mid pipe is also flanged on the other side where it connects to the rest of the exhaust. Then I could bolt flow tubes meant for an sn95, which Im using but Ill need another set because I had to cut the flared end off to use with the factory band clamps. Have I confused you enough yet because theres more lol.

So my thought was to use a pacesetter x pipe for long tubes for an sn95 because I got pypes style long tubes and will need the legs they sell so you can reuse one of their mid pipes with their headers. Back to the pacesetter x pipe and why I want to use it, well it looks like the x portion of the 3 piece x pipe kit for s197s but it has flanges on one end, to connect to the sn95 flow tubes, and nothing on the other so I could clamp on a set of shorty legs to make it compatible with the pypes style headers.

Im not the best at explaining things sorry lol.
 
Last edited:

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl

46addict

13726548
Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Posts
1,832
Reaction score
56
Location
Lawrenceville, GA
I had a new edge with the stock H and dumped Magnapacks. It was drony and would rattle plastics. I can deal with loud to a certain extent but drone sucks. I guess I'm sticking with the stock OTA setup and OE mufflers lol.

I see why you need SN95 midpipes and flowtubes now. I forgot those midpipes are flanged at both ends. Will the Pacesetter X not fit on a Pypes header?
 

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl
I had a new edge with the stock H and dumped Magnapacks. It was drony and would rattle plastics. I can deal with loud to a certain extent but drone sucks. I guess I'm sticking with the stock OTA setup and OE mufflers lol.

I see why you need SN95 midpipes and flowtubes now. I forgot those midpipes are flanged at both ends. Will the Pacesetter X not fit on a Pypes header?

Im glad you understand lol. Btw I used to have dronemasters on my old 00 gt, and both my 07 gt and 02 gt before I swapped to m80s on both. For a while I dumped them on my 00 gt and that thing droned lol.

The pacesetter will fit but will not directly bolt up because the pypes headers are not full length so the collector isnt where it would be on the pacesetter. Hence the reason it would need those legs.
 

luisvts

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2022
Posts
8
Reaction score
2
Location
brownsville tx
did you find any solution? have the same problem, want to use a wider clamp but i have search all over and nothing
 

07gts197

forum member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Posts
1,171
Reaction score
124
Location
Naples, Fl
Nope but the car mostly sits now. I’ve since swapped to cherry bombs but never had an issue when I switched. How is your setup installed.
 

Latest posts

Support us!

Support Us - Become A Supporting Member Today!

Click Here For Details

Sponsor Links

Banner image
Back
Top