Exhaust system for v8 fj40 (1 Viewer)

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May 3, 2003
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Does anyone know if there are prebent exhaust kits available for chevy v8 converted fj40's? Also, has anyone tried using blockhugger headers with v8 conversions that also have a saginaw power steering conversion? Will there be enough room between the steering shaft and the engine block?

Anyhelp is appreciated.
 
I used to run blockhuggers with a Saginaw. There was enough room, but your conversion may be different. My whole exhaust system was made at the muffler shop with aluminized tubing. It cost me $150 w/o muffler, with an exit behind the rear pasenger tire.

Dave
 
blockhuggers are great....summit for $80 I think....and no, there isn't a prebent-option for exhaust, I had a custom crossover made with a single exhaust out the back, ran about $200 IIRC. Any decent small exhaust shop can bend custom stuff easily. Avoid the big places, make sure you fine a shop that understands exactly what you want.
 
Another thought:

I wanted dual exhaust for the notes but I let the shop talk me into running the tubes under the frame and mounting the mufflers under the rocker panels, with the exits in front of the rear tires. Big mistake since the tubes and mufflers are all susceptible to crushing even from minor wheeling situations. You should try and keep the entire exhaust system above the level of the frame.
 
Dscf0039.jpg


Unfortunately, a great shot of my exhaust system...all above the frame, has never been crushed....and yes, there have been many many many opportunites to crush it!  lol

Only change I would make now is a center in-offset out muffler rather than offset/offset.
 
A selfless act of kindness tipping your cruiser over just to answer a question on the forum. That's dedication!
 
I would go with the block huggers, they just are more out of the way. I am running the outside framerail style and they work fine but i have hit my mufflers multiple times.

burrows
 
When going to the muffler shop (I'm using block huggers) I insisted on 2 things ... Dual 2 1/2" lines all the way back and I wanted the pipes turned down behind the rear wheels (like on old Nova's and Chevelle's). Happy with the results and it all fit.

Sorry, I haven't flipped it over for a picture yet.
Good Luck,
R
 
It's all relative to how much time and $$$$ you are willing to spend... I love to fabricate in steel... so the only choice for me was a hand made set of tuned headers that fit, are turned, and put the muffs between the frame rails...

Lots of folks sell header kits on line...
 
Woody, have I mentioned how much I love that pic :D

Gettin' it!!!!!!!


If you run dual exhaust inside the frame try to fit an H pipe in the equation, it will help with low end torque delivery and it will sound much better.
 
Dscf0039.jpg


Unfortunately, a great shot of my exhaust system...all above the frame, has never been crushed....and yes, there have been many many many opportunites to crush it! lol

Only change I would make now is a center in-offset out muffler rather than offset/offset.
 
Walker makes a crossover pipe for a 1970ish 283 that works with straight down 'Ram Horns'. NAPA has them in USA, Lordco in Western Canada. Can't think of the PN right now... I don't have the right manifolds to work with it.

Walker has a decent flowing, Quiet, SS muffler P/N 22105. I've got a sound clip on a different thread of a V8. Stock 'replacement' for a 1970s Chevelle V8 or l6.
 
Many recommend block huggers, so do I, but get the Sanderson Ultra Block Huggers. Most Huggers stick out from the side of the engine 4 to 6 inches, the Sanderson "Ultra" huggers only stick out about 3 inches.
 
An exhaust kit for a conversion would be hard to do because of the different ways the conversions are done. When I did my V8 conversion on my 70 FJ40 there was no enternet to get info from and magazines didn't really give much so I was pretty much on my own so I am sure it is different from all the others. When I first did the conversion in 84 I put some steel huggers (Hooker I think) and ran them until they were so rusted I couldn't patch them any more. That was around 2014. Always thought I should have put ram horns on so I did that and ran them for a couple of years. Didn't like the horns so bought a set of stainless hugger on ebay for $70. Was pleasantly surprised with the quality. Bought some mandrel bent stainless pipe from summit and some glass packs from NAPA and put it all together with mufflers under the rockers and tips out ahead of the rear wheels. Sounds nice through 2500 RPM then starts getting noisy. I like the sound with the headers better than the ram horns and it might be my imagination but think the headers are slightly quieter. I like the huggers but the right hand collector is closer to the end of the starter than I like. I put a piece of aluminum shielding on the starter on the first set and drove many long miles with no problem there. I have to get around to doing this one soon. Once again I was on my own when I put the power steering in. The shaft is about a half inch from the tube on number 1 cylinder on my application. By the way, Nice job there John.
 
The OP posted this question 14 years ago. :confused:
 
The OP posted this question 14 years ago. :confused:

I'm always glad someone brings back an old thread that I never would have read if not reincarnated.

Had a custom muffler shop in Austin Tx install my custom exhaust back in '84 after I installed the 350 Jimmy engine. Rams horns from local salvage, they did a good Y crossover under the oil pan, into a then, new fad single "Turbo" muffler, then out the back single exhaust. Whole darn thing still working great and still non offensively quiet. Can't believe it's lasted this long.
 
I'm always glad someone brings back an old thread that I never would have read if not reincarnated.

Had a custom muffler shop in Austin Tx install my custom exhaust back in '84 after I installed the 350 Jimmy engine. Rams horns from local salvage, they did a good Y crossover under the oil pan, into a then, new fad single "Turbo" muffler, then out the back single exhaust. Whole darn thing still working great and still non offensively quiet. Can't believe it's lasted this long.

Got pics?
 

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