a few misc questions???

[billygeg]

Hey guys! Havent been on in a while. Hope everyone is doing well. I've been working a lot for once! So havent had much time to work on the restore project. Things are slowing down a bit now so I will be back in full force once again. Anyway, I have a few ??
First, Can I take that ugly braiding off the up and down pipes and just paint them? Will there be any ill affects if I do so? Also, Advance Auto sells this high heat paint rated at 1500 to 2000 degrees. Do you think this will hold up to paint the waste gate and pipes? Tired of looking at a rusty unit under the hood! Last question.......I bought new shocks for the rear of the car. I tried to install them a while ago but that project came to a dead hault when I noticed the first top bolt I tried to get off was turning with the nut. I believe they are probably spot welded and the weld broke. Any way I can get this nut off the bolt without having someone reweld the bolt to the body? There is a small opening above the bolt but it will probably be a major PITA to get anything in there to hold it.
Any advice? Thanks! Bill

 

[RegalT-type85]

SprayPaintDepot - High-Heat Primers

You could take off the braided heat wrap, shouldn't be to hard.
better deal might be using a high heat primer then High heat enamel. Just do a good prep job on any metal before hand.

For your rear shocks, what did you go with? The bolt just turns ? Cut the take thing if you can or grind it off with a dremel, should pop out might be striped why it just turns.

TIP ...I compressed the shocks by hands/chest method(kind of fun but takes longer ) but to make it easier on you. Put a jack on the rear bumper to help lift the rear up. Lift it just enough to help put the shocks in place.

 

[novaderrik]

you don't want to take the braided covering off the up pipe- not only will you realize just how crappy and ugly that pipe really is- it's crushed down to about 1.5" at the crappy crinkled bends and also necks down to 1 7/8" inside the ugly expansion joint that you will immediately look at every time you pop the hood.
the expansion joint in min blew out, so i had to unwrap it to fix it. i cut the joint out, welded a new piece of 2" pipe in it's place, them wrapped it with some header wrap. it feels like it gained about 20hp and throttle response is better with immediate boost buildup. plus, it looks cool with the wrapped pipe..

 

[billygeg]

you don't want to take the braided covering off the up pipe- not only will you realize just how crappy and ugly that pipe really is- it's crushed down to about 1.5" at the crappy crinkled bends and also necks down to 1 7/8" inside the ugly expansion joint that you will immediately look at every time you pop the hood.
the expansion joint in min blew out, so i had to unwrap it to fix it. i cut the joint out, welded a new piece of 2" pipe in it's place, them wrapped it with some header wrap. it feels like it gained about 20hp and throttle response is better with immediate boost buildup. plus, it looks cool with the wrapped pipe..

Sounds nice! Any pics? would be cool to see and get ideas. What kind of pipe needs to be used? Can I use electrical thin wall emt? I am a electrician and can probably use a bender and bend the pipes myself to fit.

 

[turbonut85]

The rear shocks are fastened with a bolt and loose nut....you CAN get a wrench on the nut on the top....but it is kind of a PITA...Don't cut it off though.

 

[usetaboost]

use a wrench on top and a air ratchet or whatever you got on the bottom. THey are just bolts and nuts. As far as using paint, I'm not fan of it on exhaust parts. I'm sure others have had luck but I never did. Only tried it twice though. If you don't plan on upgrading the stuff (which I think you should at least upgrade the DP) have the stuff ceramic coated. I'm getting headers, crossover, turbo shield, maf pipe, and radiator hold down plate done for 250. a buck a foot, 25 minimum. Includes blasting. Can't beat that

 

[novaderrik]

Sounds nice! Any pics? would be cool to see and get ideas. What kind of pipe needs to be used? Can I use electrical thin wall emt? I am a electrician and can probably use a bender and bend the pipes myself to fit.

i bought a 2" exhaust pipe couple at NAPA and welded it in place of the stock expansion joint.
i didn't have any shielding gas, so i used flux core wire to weld it. i hate flux core wire..

this is what the pipe looks like when you unwrap it.

here is how much it necks down inside the joint. i did some math and came to the conclusion that it loses 30% of it's cross section thru this joint, and ALL of the exhaust from the engine goes thru it before getting to the turbo.

here is the pipe installed with the new section welded in

and here is what it looks like all wrapped up

it is actually noticably cooler under the hood- especially the alternator case. the alternator is actually cooled by the fan pulling air thru the back of the case and blowing it out the front- the stock pipe kicked out a LOT of heat that was getting sucked thru the alternator..

 

[billygeg]

Thanks for all your responses guys! I figured for sure the shock bolts were welded or pressed being there is so little room to get in there. I guess its better that way in the long run in case of a broken or stripped bolt which would be a nightmare if they were welded in. I think I am going to remove the braiding. I will be doing the pipes over in the future. Is there any special piping I have to use oram I better off buying them off someone here on TB? Dont have much $$$ to spend though! Like I said in a earier post, I am a electrician and we use thinwall emt pipe all the time. Its probably about a 1/16 in thick and I can bend it myself. If that will hold up fine I will use that and make my own pipe. What is the most common size used as far as dia? 2"? I would love to get them done and wrap em! It would make the compartment look so much better! One other thing! I know those bolts holding the up and down pipes are going to be a real PITA to get off! Any recommendations?

 

[usetaboost]

Probably gonna have to get the pipe a little hot by letting the car run for a few minutes. I would at least do that. As far as building your own pipe, why not? If you don't succeed you won't be out that much money.

 

[billygeg]

Probably gonna have to get the pipe a little hot by letting the car run for a few minutes. I would at least do that. As far as building your own pipe, why not? If you don't succeed you won't be out that much money.

Your talking about getting the pipes off right? Would that make it easier to break them? I tried when I first got the car (while it was cold) and the result was just leaving them alone! lol...I will try warming it up. Sounds like a good plan!
Thanks! Bill

 

[novaderrik]

i've had a couple of exhaust shops quote me $75 to make a 2.25" up pipe.
i think that when the time for a new up pipe comes, i'm just gonna get a couple of 90 degree mandrel bends and the proper flanges and make my own- if i can make a Y pipe for a 350 in a 4X4 S10 from scratch, this should be a walk in the park.
the downpipe might be a little more fun, but still doable and even if i screw it up a few times, it will still come in under what they charge for aftermarket pieces..