3.5L Electric Cutout Questions

[Dan Wogan]

Hi friends,

Among the many mods I have on my to-do list (low beam and fog HID retrofits, lowered suspension, wheel spacing, etc.), I'm considering installing an electric cutout just after my resonator and before the Y-split. My current exhaust setup is stock everything with Thrush Turbo muffler replacements, which is honestly pretty much 95% stock and not giving me the loudness I was hoping for. So, when I want that noise, I'll have this handy switch to take care of that. But first, I was hoping anyone could answer a few questions for me.

1. I've searched high and low for the sizings of all 3.5L exhaust components (diameter of piping from cat to tips). The only thing I can remember off the top of my head is that the piping after the Y-split is 1 7/8". I'll obviously need to know these measurements so I can purchase the correct size cutout Y-pipe.
2. I see many different brands/companies offering electric cutout kits and was wondering if anyone had overwhelmingly positive experience with any brand. I remember XJSman89 had one from DMH performance and liked his a lot.
3. Any input on location for install? As stated above I will probably put it just after the resonator, assuming there's room for it there before the Y-split (some confirmation on this would be helpful as well). My second option, if I can get confirmation that this positioning won't be much louder, would be just after the cat and before the resonator.

Ultimately I want loud loud loud on demand (pretty much strictly for "showing off") and stock at all other times (daily driving, night time, neighborhoods, highway, etc.). So it may be worth it to just go after cat to get it as loud as possible. I don't think I want to go before cat since I can't stand the smell haha

Thanks a ton for your time everyone!

[tigger]

[Dan Wogan]

You're the man, tigger! looks like there's lots of space after the resonator but not a whole lot after the cat, that is if this diagram is to scale. And what the heck is up with the weird piping diameters haha looks like I'll just have to go with a 2.5" cutout and adapt or try to weld the gap. Thanks again!

[XJSman89]

I liked mine from DMH a lot, Dan. 5 year warranty, came with the Y pipe and a flange for welding a turn down to, and was easy to hook up. It opens pretty quickly and I never had a problem with it. Mine has been installed for a few years now. It came with a switch too that I mounted under my driver's kick panel to keep it hidden.

I did mine after the resonator as well. Like you observed, it seems the 2G is much like the classic in that there is little to no space between the cat and the resonator for a cutout. I was happy with the sound level, it was loud but not overly so. If you're looking for loud loud though, you might consider moving some stuff to put it right after the cat, or before the cat even. I don't know how much louder it would be if you put it before the resonator. Theoretically you could move the resonator down and put the cutout where the resonator sits currently, but that would require a lot more modification than putting it just before the Y for sure.

Hope that helps! You don't have to wonder if you'll like it or not. I personally guarantee that you will 110% love it.

[Dan Wogan]

Sept 30, 2015 13:15:28 GMT -6 XJSman89 said:

I liked mine from DMH a lot, Dan. 5 year warranty, came with the Y pipe and a flange for welding a turn down to, and was easy to hook up. It opens pretty quickly and I never had a problem with it. Mine has been installed for a few years now. It came with a switch too that I mounted under my driver's kick panel to keep it hidden.

I did mine after the resonator as well. Like you observed, it seems the 2G is much like the classic in that there is little to no space between the cat and the resonator for a cutout. I was happy with the sound level, it was loud but not overly so. If you're looking for loud loud though, you might consider moving some stuff to put it right after the cat, or before the cat even. I don't know how much louder it would be if you put it before the resonator. Theoretically you could move the resonator down and put the cutout where the resonator sits currently, but that would require a lot more modification than putting it just before the Y for sure.

Hope that helps! You don't have to wonder if you'll like it or not. I personally guarantee that you will 110% love it.

Thanks for the reply! I checked out the cutout from DMH on their site and I was hoping you knew how long the wiring is from the mechanism to the switch. I'm hoping it's long enough to get through my firewall. I'm sure they'd make it long enough to do so but you never know haha

Thanks for the info about the install location. Can anyone else confirm the lack of space between the cat and resonator? If you don't think putting it before the resonator will make it that much louder, perhaps I'll just put it before the cat. I really hate that non-cat smell in some of my friends' rides tho haha it's almost dizzying after a while

Any opinions on the JEGS brand one? It's $15 cheaper than DMH which leads me to believe it's a little less reliable or doesn't come with a warrantee

[sall]

Badlanz kit is a bit lower profile. If you are considering lowering you are going to need every bit possible.

[Dan Wogan]

Oct 1, 2015 7:54:39 GMT -6 sall said:

Badlanz kit is a bit lower profile. If you are considering lowering you are going to need every bit possible.

Thanks for that suggestion, sall. They have a 5 year warrantee and more options for sizing, so I can do quarter inch and match without adapting. I might go with this one then. Does anyone know the diameter of the piping before the cat? tigger's image doesn't seem to have that info

[tigger]

Oct 1, 2015 10:41:51 GMT -6 Dan Wogan said:

...Does anyone know the diameter of the piping before the cat? tigger's image doesn't seem to have that info

I'm thinking cat in is 3", no promises though, lol!

[Hurricane87]

I don't plan on modding my exhaust, but I do have a stupid question I've wondered about since I had my Grand Prix. Does the Y-pipe and dual mufflers produce any performance advantage whatsoever over a single pipe and muffler, or is it entirely for show?

[tigger]

No, there is no performance advantage to the Y pipe setup, dual or single exhaust. But it's not a big disadvantage until you get into the higher displacement/horsepower applications. I would like to know how my 4.0 would run/sound with headers and true dual exhaust though, lol!

[Dan Wogan]

So I'm thinking now of installing the cutout after the cat and before the resonator. The problem, again, is that there's not much space according to tigger's diagram for that to happen. So I was planning on moving the resonator down towards the y-pipe, per xjsman89's suggestion, but that little jut the exhaust takes right after the resonator leads me to believe where it currently sits must fit pretty tightly and neatly for that bend to fit into place. So does anyone know if this is the case on the 2G exhaust? Will there be something in the way if I just run the resonator straight back without that bend, or will there be enough room to just move that bend down towards the y-pipe?

[sall]

You can put it wherever you want. The cat has a four bolt flange integrated in it where it connects. If you cut there to place the cutout when you need a new cat you'll have to go aftermarket or alter a proper fit cat.

There is not much room under there. Someone barely fit two 2.5" pipes for true dual exhaust on a Classic. If there is room go for it go for it. Plato442 is the only 2G I know of with a cutout. You are going to have crawl under and investigate with your tape measure and calipers. Using a low profile cutout right before the Y seems to be the best for them on these vehicles.

How are you going to lower?

[Dan Wogan]

Oct 6, 2015 7:43:22 GMT -6 sall said:

You can put it wherever you want. The cat has a four bolt flange integrated in it where it connects. If you cut there to place the cutout when you need a new cat you'll have to go aftermarket or alter a proper fit cat.

There is not much room under there. Someone barely fit two 2.5" pipes for true dual exhaust on a Classic. If there is room go for it go for it. Plato442 is the only 2G I know of with a cutout. You are going to have crawl under and investigate with your tape measure and calipers. Using a low profile cutout right before the Y seems to be the best for them on these vehicles.

How are you going to lower?

Thanks as always for the info, sall. So there's no pipe between the cat outlet and resonator inlet at all? The two fit into each other via that 4-bolt flange that you described? Yeah I don't have jackstands where I'm living currently, I do all my car work at a friend's place with a decent setup. So I was hoping to get as much info as I could before I drive cross-state to actually get under the car. I suppose I may be able to squeeze a bit under the rear of the car but I won't get as close of a look if it were higher off the ground.

I originally wanted coilovers until I did research and saw that there weren't any on the market anymore fit for an Aurora. The threads I've seen have either ended in completely custom suspension (which I believe I saw you did haha) as well as parts going out of stock and completely disappearing entirely. So, my next idea was lowering springs on the stock suspension, and the threads I've seen these in have suffered the same fate (no one making lowering springs that fit our suspension). I did see that the Bonneville is basically the same car underneath, and that springs made for this car would work, but still (as far as I've researched) I would need to convert the rear suspension from air to shock absorber, and honestly all of this is a little out of my comfort zone on a 15 year old car. Hell even the jacking points were unsafe when I was installing my underglow. Unfortunately Michigan rust has eaten away pretty good under there.