CAT STACK and new Exhaust for the HotRod Lodge

[HotRodLodge]

8.5" Cat Stack in Stainless looked too big last year when I got it up there, but now I think could have gone 10". Also added the Jet Hot Coated Full Tilt/Pittsburgh Power Manifold, New Borg Warner Turbo and stainless BH tubes all wrapped up snug to the roof with 2" Lava Header tape. YES, I KNOW IT WAS AN OVERKILL! So was shipping it to Hawaii for the past year long visit...

David Brady had a write-up on a his exhaust update, but after doing it... I recommend
- DO NOT USE the Pittsburgh Power muffler Brady "had built", and available there, it has no insulation and will be loud and dump heat into the chamber & then rear tunnel (smoking hot on mine). The muffler body is slightly wider and too close to walls. Would be better off & cheaper using a straight pipe if you cannot get a Donaldson or similar stock replacement. I worked with that PP and had to shim up height, cut off the top of mine and stuff the chamber with ceramic blanketing to quiet down and COOL OFF. Before I added the blanketing, IT WAS RIDICULOUSLY LOUD when Engine Braking. Had one person jump over a guardrail, seen others scream in pain & cover their ears when I would pass or veterans go back to Vietnam for a minute (ratta, bat, ba, bat, BAAAAAAAAA), plus some Real happy looking Truckers.
- Make sure you are ready to do mods, BH Tubes sent my two parts that DID NOT make a direct replacement of old tubes. They looked great, but I spent hours and hours and HOURS "making it" fit. Specify size of pyrometer or they will give you what they think you have.
- Know someone with more tools than you have, you will be doing more custom work than planned if it goes anything like mine. Took me at least 5 times longer than I expected.
- Do Not stand on your roof and gorilla drag that old rusted out stock muffler from the roof alone... then Shot Put onto the ground (difficult clearing the coach & not going with it). I had no choice and I am sure it looked impressive as I am about 5 feet tall and a lightweight, but unless you are a wild-man... get help. If you do it like me, get it on video so others may enjoy the show, or submit you for Darwin Award posthumously with evidence.
- Get practice standing on your head for hours on end before starting this project. Maybe loose 40 lbs too.

Worth it? I needed a new system, sounds and looks nice now, so... Yes.

Do it myself again? Nope, never, hire someone to enjoy all the experiences for you.

Don't show said hires this post before they start on your system or you will be doing it yourself.

Now A Real HotRod Lodge? well...

[Randy Dupree]

I have done several exhaust jobs on LXIs and the BHTubes fit perfectly for me,the PP muffler i got was smaller in diameter than stock and fit well.
I have heard of one other PP muffler that was too big too,wonder whats going on over there?
The big pipe on top looks great,but one problem we have had is rain going down the pipe and filling the engine with water.
So,tell us about the shipping etc to get the coach to Hawaii,that has to be a good story!

[susanmarycamilleri]

My Brady muffler was smaller diameter than the original, and the SS tubes were a perfect fit. Lifting the old muffler was very heavy, the replacement, while not light, but was not as heavy.

Overall it was not that bad a job, so i wonder what happened with your order. My bird is the WB model which has different SS pipes, they sell both, LXIs and the WBs. I wonder if you received the wrong ones?

I did this mod 4 or 5 years ago, (45000 miles ago), all working perfectly. I painted the muffler with POR high heat, before installing.

I also helped Rob Robinson with his muffler, don't remember any real snags. There must be an explination for you issues.

[speeddixon]

I just finished an install. 5" in/out truck muffler $55.00, 90deg elbow, and a 45deg that had to cut off expanded end, new clamps, new SS flex pipe, and one day with Great help. Total cost. $200. Used the original turnout.

[Flyfisher]

Sean we got to talk about that, replacing my muffler is on my bus-fix-it list. At those prices it has just risen to the top. Good job at a good price!

[Stephen]

Stainless mufflers and pipes or aluminized steel for both
Mufflers from 8 inch round to 12 inch round Baffles or no baffles
and insulated
We have them and if we do not we will build it for you

[HotRodLodge]

Originally Posted by Randy Dupree

I have done several exhaust jobs on LXIs and the BHTubes fit perfectly for me,the PP muffler i got was smaller in diameter than stock and fit well.
I have heard of one other PP muffler that was too big too,wonder whats going on over there?
The big pipe on top looks great,but one problem we have had is rain going down the pipe and filling the engine with water.
So,tell us about the shipping etc to get the coach to Hawaii,that has to be a good story!

I verified that I had the correct tubes for LXI with BH guys, the WB would have never fit... each set are made to order, so it is possible that it was not measured correctly by the fabricator and it threw off all the geometry. I had to re-engineer the manifold to Tube Mount completely. It dropped about an inch lower than factory. Lots of cutting, grinding, swearing, drilling and more swearing.

The Cat-Stack is actually the same height as stock, and Stainless will never need to be replaced.

I must have got the oversized PP muffler, which may have contributed to my heat issues and fitment.

I have the louvers in the muffler facing up like little mouths (they can go either direction depending on "sound" you want), they also swirl so most any rain "should" be picked up at some point as it drips down. Then the louvered insert is not perforated a few inches off the bottom of the chamber and there it would collect... BUT I welded in an open nipple at the lowest point to drain any possible accumulation. In Hawaii, the Trade Winds always pushed rain in the same direction and we never had the Cat Stack facing open to prevailing winds/rain, so with both factors, no water in the system... ever.

I started the Detroit after weeks of sitting in good steady rains, no water blown out. Re-Replaced the Turbo (I had tried an aggressive 80mm turbo when I did the manifold upgrade) with a more tame upgraded 75mm Borg Warner that matched my fuel rate better. The 80mm was a serious blower and I didn't want to have to do new injectors, so pulled it. That Turbo on the exhaust side, showed no signs of rust from moisture one year later.

The only place to ship, is the Big Island. You will not ever need to run AC or Heat if you are in the right locations. You have places to drive and park if you have friends or lease a lot. Land is still pretty cheap if you buy. Solar tie-in is a good option. The cost of shipping both ways covers rent if you stay in your Lodge for at least 18 months... but you gamble with letting the Shipping guys drive it on and off the boats. These guys do not do this much with rigs like ours, and we received some souvenirs. Long Beach is the cheapest.

I ignored Hawaii registration "requirement" and never had any issues. I would have taken a $75 dollar ticket for non-register every month if it ever came up, and just counted it as road rent. The cost for switching would have been about $4500 PER YEAR... Hawaii is set-up on a weight system that penalizes anything over a half ton truck. They have there own little "State" mafia to penalize business and the working man... but if you are "poor", you get everything for free. What was priceless, was seeing the faces of locals as we drove by... turned heads everywhere! We love island life, but are going to try another country/kingdom next. HotRod will not be taking another voyage this time around.