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Bryon Irons
UPS was off their game with this delivery as not a single pipe was dented, and all clamps were accounted for in out exhaust kit.
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Bryon Irons
At this point you should have all the existing exhaust components off the chassis. This is also a GREAT time to clean up any rust spots. These square body chevy trucks are notorious for rusting out in the blink of a snowstorm.
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Bryon Irons
With any “V” architecture engine such as our V8, having the left and right banks connect, even briefly before the mufflers, can create a scavenging effect which can release a few extra HP. An “X” pipe such as ours is more efficient than an “H” pipe design.
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Bryon Irons
The kit includes stainless steel banding clamps to assemble the system and the pipe ends are all a slip fit with notches to allow for easy assembly.
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Bryon Irons
Brackets included in the kit are also made of stainless steel. Be prepared to drill a few holes in the frame rails to mount them.
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Bryon Irons
We used “V” band clamps with an interlocking ring to attach the exhaust manifold down pipes to the rest of the exhaust system. They don’t use gaskets, make a great seal, and are strong. The downside is that they do need to be welded in place.
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Bryon Irons
We used a transmission jack, two axle stands and a few ratchet straps to get the entire system loosely placed before final tightening.
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Bryon Irons
Moving on to the intake system, our Delta Force kit came with enough components to make another entire system if we needed. Stainless hardware and quality silicone elbows confirmed we picked a good kit.
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Bryon Irons
Our 92mm F.A.S.T. throttle body is not a “stock replacement” but our kit had the proper coupler to fit it perfectly.
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Bryon Irons
After careful consideration, we started making our first cuts to the single, long, pre-bent tubing section. There are rubs cast into the tube that not only make a very nice cut guide, but also keep the clamps from slipping off the tubing once assembled.
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Bryon Irons
Multiple MAP and MAF sensor types can be added to the 4” tubing with included mounts. For our system, we only needed an IAT sensor. A drill and a pipe tap were all that was required to feed data back to the fuel system.
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Bryon Irons
The 7.5” long, 8-layer gauze filter is reusable and fits beautifully on the filter adapter to mount it to the 4” tubing system.
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Bryon Irons
We still need to enclose the filter assembly to draw cooler air from outside the engine bay, but overall, we are very pleased with how the system turned out, not to mention, how well it all performs!
Words and photos by Bryan Irons
You may have noticed that our recent shop-time endeavours have revolved around building a junkyard LS based engine and swapping it into 1978 Chevrolet ½ ton pickup truck that we have owned since “the beginning of time” according to our kids. A sad and somewhat tired 250ci inline 6 cylinder called the spacious accommodations under the hood home before all these swap shenanigans, and we had hoped to make the swap as seamless and easy as we could. That doesn’t mean it was done on a budget of pocket lint and dreams, but being a typical working stiff with a family, we also didn’t have the coin to drop it off at a custom fabrication shop and have all the work done for us. What fun is that?
Plenty of drivetrain swap kits are available on the market but most specialize in just a few groups. An engine and trans swap kit may require a custom exhaust system. Or a universal swap kit requires custom shimming or adapter brackets. Holley Performance is no late comer to the drivetrain swap game, and we used Hooker brand swap components throughout the entire process. Engine mounts, transmission crossmember, exhaust manifolds, downpipes and the entire exhaust system were ordered with only a few part numbers. Incredible to think that in days of old transplanting a new drivetrain into your old vehicle could take months or years and require specialty tools and equipment worth more than the parts themselves.
A single part number can be used to complete a C10 exhaust system from cylinder heads to tailpipe with an LS swap. PN VK090005 last we checked will set you back roughly to the tune of $2100 Canadian. We ended up piece meal ordering our parts from Summit Racing just to select a few slight differences over the single part number kit.
Starting with PN 2235G and 4805G are a set of Mr. Gasket locking exhaust manifold bolts and stainless-steel gaskets that help to attach the 8501-5HKR Hooker LS cast irons exhaust manifolds. We went with the manifolds over a tube style header for added longevity and durability. We also opted for the Ceramic finish to keep the under-hood temps down as much as possible.
Because we didn’t go with a header style exhaust manifold, we needed PN 70701403-RHKR intermediate pipes. These connect directly to the main exhaust system and also include O2 bungs in each pipe and come with plugs if you need. All hardware is included, and the fit is great, our only gripe is the company logo that is expertly welded onto the 409 Stainless Steel pipe… is upside down.
For the main exhaust system, there are a few different selections you can make. Some affect price, some do not. You have a choice between straight exit and side exit, 2.5” and 3” diameters, and 304 or 409 stainless steel. We ended up selecting PN BH14251 which is a 2.5” diameter, side exit (behind the rear tires) and made in 409 Stainless steel.
Material type in the exhaust systems makes the biggest difference in price, and we went with the cheaper 409 option. If you’re asking yourself “what’s the difference, they are both stainless steel?”, it’s a good question to ask. 409 has a higher iron content and despite being a good grade of stainless steel, it can corrode when road salts and winter driving are involved. Certainly not to the extent that mild steel or even aluminized or galvanized exhaust pipe is, but it will deteriorate over time. An easy way to check is to use a magnet. 409 stainless has enough iron to make the magnet stick to it, 304 does not. We have no plan on winter driving the truck or even using it as a daily driver, so the 304 was worth the $300 or $400 price saving.
All the mounting and connection hardware is included in the kit and made of various grades of stainless steel. The clamps are re-useable should you need to take the system apart or even adjust the mounting positions. Rubber isolators, and well thought out and tube routing, make the system a breeze to install. The mufflers themselves are 304 stainless units that are fully welded and polished. An errant rock is NOT going to tear these apart or even cause a leak. The system includes an X-pipe to aid in scavenging exhaust fumes and all the mandrel bends are perfectly formed. Holley calls the tone of the exhaust “mild to aggressive” but to be honest, it has a beautiful rumble with no drone and is quite quiet even with our cammed 6.0L LQ9 breathing fire into it.
The only “fabrication” required for the entire exhaust system was the addition to a pair of weld on V band clamps between the intermediate pipes and main exhaust system. We prefer V band clamps over wrap around or pinch clamps where we think we may have to remove a section of exhaust in the future for service. We have used Summit’s PN 694250 clamps on our Tim Toyota exhaust project and for the under $50 price tag, they are well worth the added welding work.
While the LS swapped “square body” Chevy is quite a common occurrence, making the exhaust system an easy bolt-in, finding an intake system with filter and ducting tubes is a different story. Multiple intake heights, and diameters are available. Sure, you can order individual pieces and “make it work” but we ended up ordering a Flowmaster Delta Force 4” Cold Air Universal intake kit. The PN 615400 kit will set you back roughly $520 CAD from Summit Racing’s website.
The Flowmaster Cold Air Kits Polyethylene piping is easy to cut-to-size and work with. One long pipe with straight sections, 90-, 45-, 30- and 10-degree elbows is the main section you cut-to-fit to your application. The kit comes complete with oiled filter, silicone flex couplings, band clamps, adapters, MAF sensor mounts, mounting brackets, and hardware. Our kit took less than two hours to install and looks VERY professional and built to last. The box it arrives in is dauntingly large but in all honesty, we have enough tubing and couplings left over that with just another filter, we could build another complete intake system!
Our plan of a “simple swap” Project truck was just a pipe dream at first, but we have been surprised at how easy the major components of this project have come together. Exhaust work and air filtering are typically the last components to get put on a vehicle build. By that time, the builders are at their wits end and just want to finally drive their creation. Having well thought out kits that go together as intended is a very nice reprieve from what we typically get in these situations, and it’s a pleasure not to have to use a sledgehammer as a “light adjustment tool”. Check out how it all went together.
Bryan Irons
Summit Racing Equipment – www.summitracing.com
Mr. Gasket - www.holley.com/brands/mr_gasket/
Flowmaster - www.holley.com/brands/flowmaster/
Hooker exhaust - www.holley.com/brands/hooker/
Fuel Air Spark Technologies - www.fuelairspark.com/