TeeLex

iTrader: (24)

I'm putting together the components for a custom 2.25" 'Y Pipe' into a 2.25" Magnaflow X Pipe. This will empty into 2.5" tubing to Carson Tuned resonators and mufflers ( with Magnaflow 'big butt' 5" rolled polished stainless tips ). The Carson Tuned exhaust tubing is 2.5" and this is why I chose to exit the X pipe with 2.5' tubing ( butt welded to the Carson Tuned resonators after I cut off the Y flange before the resonators ). At this point I've decided to keep the Carson Tuned resonators, but this could change before I finish. Gonna have to find someone who will do the assembly since my 'Custom Exhaust' shop will not tamper with the 3rd cat I do have access to a MIG welder and have some welding skills, so I'm tempted to do it myself, but it's such a PIA to try this without a lift! Another possibility is to do the 'fitting' and tack the components into place and then take the exhaust out and finish welding, but I would rather do it under the car to make sure on the fit and flange angles ( able to account for distortion from welding when doing it 'on the car' ). Anyway I hope to get this done in the next 2 weeks ( still waiting for 2 stainless steel O2 sensor nuts ).

What you see in the picture is 2 mandrel bent 2.25" 304L stainless steel tubes, 2 304L stainless steel flanges, a section ( 5 feet ) of 2.5" 304L stainless steel tubing, and the 2.25" Magnaflow 409 stainless steel X pipe. I did some polishing to make it look better and match ( almost ) the flawless Carson Tuned Exhaust tubing. The mandrel bent tubes will be sectioned and butt welded as needed to form the two pipes coming off the cats to the X pipe.

I want to say thanks to J Brady and Hameed for ideas and inspiration. Cheers

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

Terry keep us posted on this Custom job.. With the added components of your car already this will make the car sound awesome.. plus some added HP... Good Luck...

TOny

Hameed

Sounds like a good plan to me!

Are you sure you have a third cat? My didn't have a third cat.

chanmannyhc

I thought only california cars have the third cat converter, rest of the country gets another muffler. correct me if i am wrong. u are talking about the canister at the end of the stock y pipe yes?

lexforlife

iTrader: (7)

terry

there is a shop here in miami that my turbo guys highly recc to do what you want to do.. since hameed did this i have been wanting to give it a try as well

i want to do exactly what hameed did so i can retain all stock parts and can change back if i want to at home.. we dont have a 3rd cat , at the y that is a afterburner/resonator.. it cleans up anything that the cats didnt.. i know this as fact fact i had my stock cats replaced under warr back in march and i thought the center one was a cat as well until they showed me it in the bookand what is was called

terry if you are interested in coming down to this high end custom muffler shop , i would go with you and do mine the same time

i know hameed is dying to hear what this would like with the hks mufflers on

TeeLex

iTrader: (24)

My GS430 is a 2004 model and yes I'm pretty sure it has a third cat - labeled like the front two manifold cats in the OEM manual. There are no electronics/sensors though associated with the third cat, just the two O2 sensors before the manifold cats and the two O2 sensors after ( but before two pipes merge into the Y pipe that is connected to the third cat ) the manifold cats like the GS400. I could be wrong, but it certainly appears that this is a third cat. The GS430 is an ultra-low-emissions rated engine - I don't know if the GS400 is or not? Believe me I would prefer it not to be a third cat - would make life easier relative to getting my custom job done.

TeeLex

iTrader: (24)

Ed,

I may be up for doing that. I can give you some links as to where I got my mandrel bent stainless tubes, flanges, X-Pipe and straight tubing if the shop does not do mandrel bending. I'm getting anxious to get this done.

Hameed

Just do it Ed!!!
Even if on the off-chance that it is a third cat, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I just had my emissions test done a couple of days ago and my car passed with flying colors. The test was done at the local Lexus dealer too for that matter.

TeeLex

iTrader: (24)

Ya, Hameed, I'm not really worried about the emissions. After all this car is ultra-low-emissions certified and I'm confident that I would pass the tests ( no tests in Florida anymore ) even with the custom exhaust.

phunkyGS

make that two of us. i've been seriously looking into this same setup, but i've been a little worried that the hks might sound way too loud without the stock resonators. i definitely want a more aggressive tone, but not "hide the children" loud.

keep us posted and good luck with your installs guys.

jeff

Hollywood

I think it will be way too loud without any of the cats/resonators.

I am deleting all 3 cats, and using the dynomax ultra flow X muffler instead of resonators and an X pipe. I kinda sized it up it should fit.

GILLEXUS

iTrader: (14)

Ed, does your GS400 have the canister after the Y in this pic ?
The 430's have this set-up that third canister is part of the TWC ( Three Way Catilytic. Plus our 430's still have the two resonators before the mufflers.
It would be nice if we did not have it , one less thing to worry about replacing.

Hameed

The GS400 has the exact same setup as in the pic you posted Gillexus. I wouldn't worry too much about that first resonator. I replaced mine with an X-pipe. Not sure if you saw that thread or not, but the exhaust now sounds absolutely amazing and is ONLY very loud on WOT.

Hameed

Hollywood, Teelex is NOT planning on removing his cats. Just his resonators.

I did the same mod already and it is loud only on WOT. I posted pics and a vid here last month.

lexforlife

iTrader: (7)

yes it does

when i had my cats replaced in march due to melt down (damm i drive to hard and fast ) i questioned them to death until they proved to me that the cannister in the y pipe was not a real cat, its just a afterburner/resonator so the way hameed has done his is exactly the way i want mine done to the tee..

i really dont care if its loud with the hks, i just want it to be a refined loud afterall i dont drive my car everyday anymore