[Flex]

I have been listening to an ever worsening exhaust leak since I bought it. One broken passenger stud became two followed by a blown gasket. A few weeks ago the driver's started leaking. Couldn't stand it anymore. I bought some headers last year hoping they would work.

After taking apart a lot of under the hood quagmire, the skid plate, transmission cross member and cat y pipe, my brother and **** remover extrordinaire began taking out the studs and bolts that remained. Once he got the manifolds off, he removed the 4 broken ones. We then tried to fit the passenger header. Unfortunately the collectors are massive at 3.5" and almost 5" at the flange so it hit the frame. I saw two SRT8 Grand Cherokee being parted locally so I inquired about the manifolds. Ballony eating turds wanted me to buy the engines to get them. A local wrecker didn't have any but gave me the number of a US wrecker that did. Guy was awesome. Pulled them, gave me deal and shipped them same day. Now I just need to wait for them to arive.

We noticed that the muffler was leaking too so I purchased a Flowmaster 70 from a local speed shop. I hate drone because I am getting old so I didn't want to run a Super44. I was going to leave the resonator but hearing the Super44 audio clips posted I think I can cut it off with the 70 series being substantially quieter. I will update the progress once I get the SRT manifolds.

 

[CmdrOrvis]

Good luck with your upgrade... I just wish everything was that easy here in Europe... There are not so many wreckers here to sell Jeep parts, so obtaining used spare parts is usually a nightmare...

Just noticed you live in Canada... Well, still better than Europe... :grin2:

 

[Flex]

Thanks bud. Maybe not for too much longer if the costume wearing sub 50 IQ piece of garbage pretending to be Prime Minister keeps wrecking the economy and insulting our allies.

Keep your eye on Ebay if you are interested. They come up occasionally and some wreckers have no issues shipping.

 

[Flex]

My SRT manifolds showed up today. Finished the front suspension today so hopefully exhaust tomorrow.

 

[Flex]

A bit of a disappointment. Three inches of snow outside. Never seen it this cold this early in my time. If some piece of garbage tried to talk about Global Warming bull**** to me, I would stomp his ass and ram his face in this crap. I was able to strip all the surface rust of the manifolds but that was it.:mad

 

[Big Blue]

A bit of a disappointment. Three inches of snow outside. Never seen it this cold this early in my time. If some piece of garbage tried to talk about Global Warming bull**** to me, I would stomp his ass and ram his face in this crap. I was able to strip all the surface rust of the manifolds but that was it.:mad

Hang in there brother. Good things come to those who wait.

 

[Flex]

A bit of an update.

Weather is still brutally cold. Pretty scary consideting it is still summer.

Got the passengers SRT8 manifold up without much issue. The driver's side is a different story. Who ever said it was an easy fit must have had a shop do it so has no clue. The wiring harnesses for the starter etc. are literally sitting against the header and are stretched so tight that there is no slack. We are considering pulling them and adding some length so that they can be re routed away from the manifold. If it was at least warm, it wouldn't be so painful.

To make matters worse, my brother went to fire up his Durango on Saturday and it appears to have thrown a connecting rod. I drove it on Friday with no issue. Now we are looking for a replacement motor for it to do a swap.:icon_mad:

 

[Big Blue]

A bit of an update.

Weather is still brutally cold. Pretty scary consideting it is still summer.

Got the passengers SRT8 manifold up without much issue. The driver's side is a different story. Who ever said it was an easy fit must have had a shop do it so has no clue. The wiring harnesses for the starter etc. are literally sitting against the header and are stretched so tight that there is no slack. We are considering pulling them and adding some length so that they can be re routed away from the manifold. If it was at least warm, it wouldn't be so painful.

To make matters worse, my brother went to fire up his Durango on Saturday and it appears to have thrown a connecting rod. I drove it on Friday with no issue. Now we are looking for a replacement motor for it to do a swap.:icon_mad:

Based on your description of how the wiring harness is sitting Flex, you pretty much have to try and add some length to it, or, see if you can possibly find a replacement harness; a replacement harness might come with longer wires - but I have no idea what that might cost.

That being said, you definitely can't leave it as is.

Sorry about your brother's ride.

 

[Flex]

We pulled it out completely. My brother thinks if we re route it under the engine mount that it will take a shorter path and leave some slack. Worst case, three wires would need to be lengthened.

Installed the driver's today. Tomorrow I will reassembled the engine bay while my brother cuts and splices my cat pipes and welds the new Flowmaster to mid section.

We found a low km 2008(27k miles) hemi but he wants $3250. Might just get a stroker kit instead although the cheap one I saw a few months ago is gone.

 

[Flex]

I stripped the loom off the harness and all the tape and rewrapped it stretching the separation points. I put a fresh loom on it and wrapped it in some Percy's heat reflection tape. I then ran it under the engine mount and it reached everything with ease and is about 2 inches away from the header.

My brother sliced off a section of the cat pipe and we were shocked to find it was a pipe within a pipe. The inner pipe was only 2.25". To come even close to splicing it to the new headers, he cut it of flush with the cats. So at least that portion will be new stainless 2.5" pipe. What a stupid setup.

 

[johnnymac2k6]

following... I have a growing leak back at the Y pipe or the suitcase muffler. IDK if i have ever seen an exhaust with more miles of bends than this factory system.

 

[PokerMunkee]

I'm seeing a lot of Flowmasters on Youtube. Replacing muffler and removing resonator.

This is my favorite:

Love his 4" rolled tip sticking down at an angle. I don't know about the drone, could be an issue. Can anyone confirm?

I'm doing this if/when I get my XK 5.7

 

[consumedbywater]

I'm seeing a lot of Flowmasters on Youtube. Replacing muffler and removing resonator.

This is my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEWx01lUs-c

Love his 4" rolled tip sticking down at an angle. I don't know about the drone, could be an issue. Can anyone confirm?

I'm doing this if/when I get my XK 5.7

I'm running a Super 44 with no resonator, and I would never go this route again. Highway drone is awful, it drones through the city when I hold a constant 1200-1300rpm, it burbles and pops a ridiculous amount during stop and go city driving and in highway traffic, and overall it's just not a pleasant experience.

The resonator does cut down on the unpleasantness significantly, while still allowing most of the aggression of the exhaust through. I'd recommend leaving it on for the best experience.

 

[Flex]

Finished it today and fired it up. Sounds awesome. Just a low deep rumble while idling and a little louder when it revs up. In the cabin there is no drone or loud exhaust just revving it up. I haven't dropped it yet as I cleaned up the front frame and painted it and wanted it to cure before I bolt up the skid plate. All Flowmaster mufflers flow the same, so unless you want a loud exhaust, why run a 44?

 

[Flex]

following... I have a growing leak back at the Y pipe or the suitcase muffler. IDK if i have ever seen an exhaust with more miles of bends than this factory system.

It is not just bends. Those "dimples' most likely keep the inner pipe from banging against the outer. It is literally a 2.25" pipe inside a 2.5" outer shell and there is packing in there. If I had the time to source a SRT8 cat pipe or afford an aftermarket Magnaflow after spending $2000 on the manifolds, mufflers and control arms, I would have.

 

[Flex]

The front half of my factory cat pipe has been replaced with 2.5 inch stainless with the reducers being 3" in diameter and 6" long. This provides a better transition from the SRT8 headers into the cats.

 

[Flex]

Drove it around the neighborhood yesterday. Absolutely dead quiet in the cabin. No drone whatsever up to 40 miles per hour. I did not want to take it for a longer drive until I have an alignment done as I have replaced the front and rear control arms.