My Personal TTI Full Exhaust Review

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Dodge72

Odd one out
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
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Location
Olympia, WA
Hello! If you are here, you're probably either curious about TTI systems, how easy/hard it was to install, or just bored and reading things on FABO. Either way, I thought I would share my own experience installing one of TTI's full manifold-back exhaust systems.

A few things to note. I has never previously dealt with or install any sort of exhaust system. Anything that needed fixing or replacement had gone to a muffler shop, which was cheap enough to warrant the cost. This was also done on a bare concrete floor (okay, we had cardboard) with no garage and some 6-ton jackstands. I also had help from my boyfriend when pipes needed a bit more "love" to get into place.

Okay! So first, what I am dealing with. My car is a 1972 Dart Swinger, with a swapped in 360 on adapter motor mounts from a Slant-6 k-frame. I have 340 HP manifolds. A 904 backs the engine, and I have a 8.25 rear in the back. Stock spring location. I also have the 3-piece factory kickdown linkage, and a column shift. A lot of this matters when considering an exhaust, and TTI likes details; be sure to be accurate as some modifications and/or different PN for different pipes may apply.

Ordering was easy; I filled in their order form online, emailed it to their sales team, and within 24 hours got a confirmation of my order and a way to pay. I got the full exhaust kit within a week from SO. Cali to WA State. All packed up VERY well, and zero damage to anything. I got their manifold-back kit, 2.5" all the way through with the Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers and the H-pipe.

20200514_153622.jpg


20200514_153633.jpg

(Oh boy, a sticker!!)


The instructions were nice, although some pages were for headers and varying exhaust pipes. Not that it matters. Great info to have especially for a beginner. Pictures were all very clear and things were easy to read. If you want any scans of the instructions, let me know and I'll happily do so.

The kit came with everything you need; from pipes, to gaskets, to hardware. According to the instructions, they suggest starting from back to front. So, that is what we did.

Now I didn't take pictures of the entire process, sorry! But in reality it is only 8 total pieces, and the pipes were each stamped with their part number. so you knew which side was which and if you got the correct parts.

But tailpipes! The easiest part. I opted for the lesser expensive turndowns, but they still had a welded on L-bracket for the exhaust tip mount (included).

20200528_185251.jpg
20200528_185312.jpg


In the pictures, you can see where we decided to mount these. In the frame there are holes, and it helped to have somebody hold one end of the bolt while the other fit the washers and nut on the other side. Didn't need to drill into anything. We used a flathead screwdriver to push the washers into place, and a deep socket to lock them in. With that installed, wiggle and push that L-bracket of the tailpipe into place until it fully sits in to the bend. I should be sturdy enough to hold the tailpipes up for the next headache---er, install of the mufflers.

Sigh, the muffler hangers....since this was a slant-six (single exhaust) car, I only had one muffler bracket that was crumbling into dust after 48 years. TTI recommends using the rear seat belt bolts, which you can see under the muffler brackets as a rectangle with a bolt sticking out. So, taking out the rear seat, undoing the bolts for the first time in 48 years, and using the provided grade-8 bolts (they are longer). Personally, we needed to tap/clean the threads out. The longer bolts were the same thread, the holes were just very old and rusty. Get those in, go back underneath to install the hangers, aaaand....


20200517_150754.jpg
Huh. Doesn't QUITE match up!!

I'm sure with all the slightly different A-body styles, their "universal" bracket doesn't suit everyone. Evidently, it doesn't suit a 2-door 70's Dart. In a video posted on TTI's website on installing their system, they show a Valiant and these suckers pop right into place.

Long story short, we tried to bend them but ended up going down to the part store and picking up the universal brackets. Got them bent up like the pic below, and was able to position the mufflers and the U-Bolt/clamp correctly. (This is Walker PN 36508).

20200517_182136.jpg


The rest of it was slightly uneventful, just trying to position the H-pipe and everything in place. Uneventful was good; the pipes really, truly, bent in all the right places and tucked up underneath the car really well. I know a few people warned me on needing to modify the kickdown bracket: fortunately, that was only for console shift cars, and I had a column. Nothing was in the way of the driver's side. Note: I do have a mini-starter. I very much recommend one!

For the passenger side, I did use a 90* oil adapter in able to clear the downpipe (the instructions mention this). I pointed the oil filter towards the firewall, like so:

20200517_190516.jpg


I will also mention I used Remflex gaskets (PN 8070). Lots of crush and zero leaks.

The rest was just a few tips which, I suppose would be obvious to a lot but wasn't obvious when we were under the car for the 8th hour:

- Don't tighten anything up until everything is mounted and in the place you want it. We didn't do that, and thankful we didn't because we needed to remove pipes multiple times.

- Install the H-Pipe as a UNIT. Otherwise it will be very difficult/near impossible to get it to mate with the other half of the H-pipe (it slides in) AND the downpipe exit. Install the two sides first, then slide it into both downpipes at the same time.

-When you finally go to tighten it, do yourself a favor and go FRONT TO BACK on tightening. We went gun-ho on it and tightened every single bracket, then ended up undoing some on the downpipes because we needed the flexibility in positioning the flange to the manifold properly. Avoid that.

-Six-ton jackstands really made a difference in lifting the car up a few inches higher so there was more room underneath.

-While we tried to go rear-to-font on the install, it ended up being "test-fit-everything-then-take-it-all-down-and-install-for-real" sort of thing. The final install was actually front to back after we confirmed things fit nicely.

All in all it took me and the boyfriend a total of maybe 9-10 hours to get it all done, including lunch break and part store trip. Overall, SUPER HAPPY. I couldn't ask for better fitting pipes. Everything is super clean and tucks in underneath like it was meant to be. Nothing rattles, nothing shakes. While I could gripe about the hangers, it was only one real misstep that was remedied by a very easy to get part.

97311430_3588258927903187_2080755404001771520_o.jpg
98194005_3588258851236528_8094595017319907328_o.jpg

(Yes, I fixed the crooked mufflers before it was tightened down).

If you're curious on what Dynomax Super Turbos sound on a mild 360:



Personally, maybe a little quiet for me? I'll have to drive it around to see what I think. I do like the tone though. If anything, they can be remedied by their Ultra Flows.

Wow, you read til the end! Maybe I rambled on something as trivial as exhaust, but I know I really appreciate all the long threads and 'how-tos' on FABO. Maybe this will help the next guy. I hope this helps somebody, or at least amused you for a few minutes! :)
 
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Dry nice! I installed the same system save they were a D pipe & for there own headers as well. It is on a ‘67 Cuda. The intermediate pipes needed a trim to fit and all is good.

Sorry, no sound video.
18BAA4F5-C541-43FD-AB1B-0D24BD0046CD.jpeg
1233217B-AB20-4779-8802-311E825690E2.jpeg
35A7CAAA-4FEE-4360-80C5-9E96B50A0C2E.jpeg
3951D13B-816B-4D94-BA08-BE45EF5F0690.jpeg
 
Looks and Sounds good! I've been happy with my experience with TTI.
 
Nice setup and thanks for posting the detailed instructions. It will be handy for others!
 
I wouldn't be happy having to use the part store hangers.
I would take that up with them, and get the correct hangers.
 
That universal bracket you picked up might relax with that offset and end up sagging. Did you check the supplied brackets for left and right?
 
Outstanding , thank you . I had the exact issue with the hangers . Called them , no help . Bent the hangers , worked fine . TTI knows this but denies it . Haha , Mrs. says it's too quiet .
 
I did the same installation on a 74 Duster and those brackets to support the system are not bent to the proper angle. I also used a universal hangar to support the system. Being 1/4 thick maybe heating them up to bend to the right angle would be very difficult. Although that bracket is a work of art it is useless. I don't think the angle would vary that much between the cars, so if TTI would get the bend closer to the right angle we could use it. Now I have two brackets worth quite a bit that I can't use.
 
Do you have the brand and part #on that hanger and from what parts store- Thanks
 
I bought mine from "Advance auto parts", brand name is "Sure Bilt" and part # 17146. I couldn't use the rubber part, I just bent metal bracket to get it to work for me.
 
Hello! If you are here, you're probably either curious about TTI systems, how easy/hard it was to install, or just bored and reading things on FABO. Either way, I thought I would share my own experience installing one of TTI's full manifold-back exhaust systems.

A few things to note. I has never previously dealt with or install any sort of exhaust system. Anything that needed fixing or replacement had gone to a muffler shop, which was cheap enough to warrant the cost. This was also done on a bare concrete floor (okay, we had cardboard) with no garage and some 6-ton jackstands. I also had help from my boyfriend when pipes needed a bit more "love" to get into place.

Okay! So first, what I am dealing with. My car is a 1972 Dart Swinger, with a swapped in 360 on adapter motor mounts from a Slant-6 k-frame. I have 340 HP manifolds. A 904 backs the engine, and I have a 8.25 rear in the back. Stock spring location. I also have the 3-piece factory kickdown linkage, and a column shift. A lot of this matters when considering an exhaust, and TTI likes details; be sure to be accurate as some modifications and/or different PN for different pipes may apply.

Ordering was easy; I filled in their order form online, emailed it to their sales team, and within 24 hours got a confirmation of my order and a way to pay. I got the full exhaust kit within a week from SO. Cali to WA State. All packed up VERY well, and zero damage to anything. I got their manifold-back kit, 2.5" all the way through with the Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers and the H-pipe.

View attachment 1715536819

View attachment 1715536820
(Oh boy, a sticker!!)


The instructions were nice, although some pages were for headers and varying exhaust pipes. Not that it matters. Great info to have especially for a beginner. Pictures were all very clear and things were easy to read. If you want any scans of the instructions, let me know and I'll happily do so.

The kit came with everything you need; from pipes, to gaskets, to hardware. According to the instructions, they suggest starting from back to front. So, that is what we did.

Now I didn't take pictures of the entire process, sorry! But in reality it is only 8 total pieces, and the pipes were each stamped with their part number. so you knew which side was which and if you got the correct parts.

But tailpipes! The easiest part. I opted for the lesser expensive turndowns, but they still had a welded on L-bracket for the exhaust tip mount (included).

View attachment 1715536836 View attachment 1715536838

In the pictures, you can see where we decided to mount these. In the frame there are holes, and it helped to have somebody hold one end of the bolt while the other fit the washers and nut on the other side. Didn't need to drill into anything. We used a flathead screwdriver to push the washers into place, and a deep socket to lock them in. With that installed, wiggle and push that L-bracket of the tailpipe into place until it fully sits in to the bend. I should be sturdy enough to hold the tailpipes up for the next headache---er, install of the mufflers.

Sigh, the muffler hangers....since this was a slant-six (single exhaust) car, I only had one muffler bracket that was crumbling into dust after 48 years. TTI recommends using the rear seat belt bolts, which you can see under the muffler brackets as a rectangle with a bolt sticking out. So, taking out the rear seat, undoing the bolts for the first time in 48 years, and using the provided grade-8 bolts (they are longer). Personally, we needed to tap/clean the threads out. The longer bolts were the same thread, the holes were just very old and rusty. Get those in, go back underneath to install the hangers, aaaand....


View attachment 1715536845 Huh. Doesn't QUITE match up!!

I'm sure with all the slightly different A-body styles, their "universal" bracket doesn't suit everyone. Evidently, it doesn't suit a 2-door 70's Dart. In a video posted on TTI's website on installing their system, they show a Valiant and these suckers pop right into place.

Long story short, we tried to bend them but ended up going down to the part store and picking up the universal brackets. Got them bent up like the pic below, and was able to position the mufflers and the U-Bolt/clamp correctly.

View attachment 1715536823

The rest of it was slightly uneventful, just trying to position the H-pipe and everything in place. Uneventful was good; the pipes really, truly, bent in all the right places and tucked up underneath the car really well. I know a few people warned me on needing to modify the kickdown bracket: fortunately, that was only for console shift cars, and I had a column. Nothing was in the way of the driver's side. Note: I do have a mini-starter. I very much recommend one!

For the passenger side, I did use a 90* oil adapter in able to clear the downpipe (the instructions mention this). I pointed the oil filter towards the firewall, like so:

View attachment 1715536853

I will also mention I used Remflex gaskets (PN 8070). Lots of crush and zero leaks.

The rest was just a few tips which, I suppose would be obvious to a lot but wasn't obvious when we were under the car for the 8th hour:

- Don't tighten anything up until everything is mounted and in the place you want it. We didn't do that, and thankful we didn't because we needed to remove pipes multiple times.

- Install the H-Pipe as a UNIT. Otherwise it will be very difficult/near impossible to get it to mate with the other half of the H-pipe (it slides in) AND the downpipe exit. Install the two sides first, then slide it into both downpipes at the same time.

-When you finally go to tighten it, do yourself a favor and go FRONT TO BACK on tightening. We went gun-ho on it and tightened every single bracket, then ended up undoing some on the downpipes because we needed the flexibility in positioning the flange to the manifold properly. Avoid that.

-Six-ton jackstands really made a difference in lifting the car up a few inches higher so there was more room underneath.

-While we tried to go rear-to-font on the install, it ended up being "test-fit-everything-then-take-it-all-down-and-install-for-real" sort of thing. The final install was actually front to back after we confirmed things fit nicely.

All in all it took me and the boyfriend a total of maybe 9-10 hours to get it all done, including lunch break and part store trip. Overall, SUPER HAPPY. I couldn't ask for better fitting pipes. Everything is super clean and tucks in underneath like it was meant to be. Nothing rattles, nothing shakes. While I could gripe about the hangers, it was only one real misstep that was remedied by a very easy to get part.

View attachment 1715536859 View attachment 1715536860
(Yes, I fixed the crooked mufflers before it was tightened down).

If you're curious on what Dynomax Super Turbos sound on a mild 360:



Personally, maybe a little quiet for me? I'll have to drive it around to see what I think. I do like the tone though. If anything, they can be remedied by their Ultra Flows.

Wow, you read til the end! Maybe I rambled on something as trivial as exhaust, but I know I really appreciate all the long threads and 'how-tos' on FABO. Maybe this will help the next guy. I hope this helps somebody, or at least amused you for a few minutes! :)

Super cool write up. And you are correct we all post many things that perhaps are simple to a lot of folks but brand new to others. On my build thread I have got many PMs thanking me for posting what is really 101 type stuff. This is a great forum to help out new people to the hobby and your post is a reflection of exactly that. Well done! And TTI is the best, I won’t even entertain anything else as I have their stuff on all of mine, fits good last long time! Thanks for a great write up!
 
Great job of describing your experience with the installation, should be helpful to others who have not done anything like that before. Sounds good and looks good, what else can you say. Unfortunate that you had the problem with the hangers, I don't remember that with my first TTI system, installed on a 70 Dart.
 
This is a photo of when I did a 68 Valiant.Using the seat belt bolts.
Hangers worked for me. And they are left and right handed.
IMG_2643.jpg
 
i used the tti x-pipe system on our 70 dart. slant six k-frame with conversion mounts like yours and stock 340 manifolds along with a 904...

weird you had issues with the seat belt bolt hangers.. they went right on for me. i had to trim about 4" off each side head pipe to get the X-pipe to fit in to the proper location.. i also cut and moved the exhaust turn downs in some because the system is obviously mad to also fit a 67-69 dart with a bumper and they looked really stupid sticking out as far as they did.

DSC_0016.JPG


DSC_0017.JPG


DSC_0011.JPG


DSC_0014.JPG


DSC_0015.JPG
 
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Mrs. Pype's got some new pipes! That's awesome everything fit and was able to be done on site. Good call on the snug everything but dont tighten yet. That works on almost everything requiring multiple bolts.
 
i also used band clamps on mine. everywhere but the tail pipes because they wouldn't fit there. they look cleaner and don't crush the pipe so easy removal if i ever need to remove the pipes.
 
That universal bracket you picked up might relax with that offset and end up sagging. Did you check the supplied brackets for left and right?

Yes, the supplied brackets had an offset that according to the instructions, "Offset towards the driveshaft." we had flipped them, swapped them, but the space in between the end of the tailpipes and the brackets is too great without bending or using an alternative. I'll keep an eye out on the cheap brackets, thankfully they're at least easy to swap out.

Outstanding , thank you . I had the exact issue with the hangers . Called them , no help . Bent the hangers , worked fine . TTI knows this but denies it . Haha , Mrs. says it's too quiet .

We should've bent then a little different, we got one almost to work but it looked like it might hold it funny lol. You might need to upgrade your mufflers of it's too quiet!


Do you have the brand and part #on that hanger and from what parts store- Thanks

I used the Walker PN 36508. I want to say they are available at every parts store. What we did was to cut the metal bracket down to the last hole, then bent it at a 90 and twisted the rubber and hanger holder into that 's' shape.
 
Darter6 your seat bolt looks like it comes out almost 90* where my 74 it comes out an angle almost giving me a 45* to the muffler and exhaust pipe.
 
This is a photo of when I did a 68 Valiant.Using the seat belt bolts.
Hangers worked for me. And they are left and right handed.
View attachment 1715537051

Makes sense, as the install video I watched did it on a later Valiant. I wonder what the difference in the angle of those seat belt bolts are?

before: ugly as hell...
View attachment 1715537064



after: better but would still like them tucked in a little more...

View attachment 1715537065

View attachment 1715537066

Do you find that your lower valence gets dirty from exhaust when you drive it? I did not trim my pipes yet, but I do like how yours are tucked in.
 
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