2nd Gen Truck Exhausts?

[ttravis5446]

When I bought my truck last month the exhaust pipe was broken in between the manifold and the Cat. I have welded it up twice and it has broken twice, most recently it broke 200 miles before the end of a 700 mile trip last weekend. So I guess its time to fix it right. What have you guys been doing for exhausts on your 2nd Gens? Trying to get some ideas to do it myself since I'm 100 miles from an exhaust shop.

 

[ntsqd]

My '84 came with a Thorley header on it. I still pulled the exhaust loose a couple times. When I re-did the exhaust I used mandrel bends from SPD with flanges at 5 places along the length of the system so that it could be removed in sections if need be. Just downstream of the collector I used a SS bellows from SPD to allow for flex and temperature induced change in length.

I also have had exceptionally good success with using brass nuts on stainless bolts at all of the flanges. Only one nut per bolt, and tight but not "striped and a 1/4 turn" kind of tight. With the stepped flange system that I use I've never had this system leak or had a bolt come loose.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Downey headers, regular exhaust, gibson cat-back, and a free flowing air filter. I never thought I would say those words but all helped noticabily with power nad performance. This is on a Gen 3 though, but worked pretty well.