I know very little about exhaust systems and would like your advice.

As far as I know this is how an exhaust system works (all pipes should be as large as possible and smooth to help with the velocity of gasses.)
1. Exhaust exits the engine into the headers.
2. From the headers the exhaust enters the Y-pipe which joins the output from both sides of the engine.
3. From the Y-Pipe the exhaust enters the catalytic converter.
4. From the catalytic converter the exhaust goes down a pipe and enters the muffler.
5. From the muffler the exhaust exits to the exhaust tips where it goes into the air poisoning us all and causing a green house affect which will inevitably burn us to a cinder or cause a new ice age.

My questions:
1. Why does everyone always talk about Catbacks? I understand this to mean everythig after the catalytic converter (muffler and tips only?). What good is having a performance Catback if your headers and Y-pipe are restricting gas flow? Seems pointless unless you just want the muffler to "sound" different.
2. Why have true duals gone out of style? Are the new single pipe systems significantly larger to make duals obsolete? Or, is it just too expensive, which I find hard to believe considering the moolah people pour into their rides.
3. Many headers I see for sale say "w/o air inj. or EGR". Is this something my current stock system probably has? If so, where do I find something with that? We have emissions standards in Texas and I need to keep things kosher. The Pacesetter headers say "equipped with Oxygen sensor hookup but no AIR/EGR hookup". Do I need it?
4. Do high flow catalytic converters not clean the exhaust very well and so can't used in those states that check exhaust, or do they mainly work pretty good?
5. I don't have much money but would like a more performance type exhaust. What would be some good choices? Pacesetters headers? Borla Cat back? Which Y-pipe and Cats? Anyone got budget deals for the whole system?
6. Why are there different length headers? They make it sound like LT (Long tubes) are the best. Why?

Thanks for any advice, corrections, or comments. Don't forget to answer questions I wasn't intelligent enough to ask!

 

1. The power in the exhaust system is made through the headers, I don't think anyone changes the catback expecting much horsepower from it.

2. True duals are not going out of style. In fact, more and more people are switching to true duals. True duals are the best.. not only for sound, but for flow. Also, No Y-Pipe outflows true duals. The only reason I can see someone not getting TD's is because it can possibly take a significant amount of cash to bring them over the axle (if the person doesn't want them dumped before the axle.)

5. TDs are the best flowing exhaust you can have. If you must stay with a y pipe, Magnaflow & Hooker are cheap catbacks that flow very well.

 

1. Most people buy a cat-back for the sound. All of the brands sound a little different from each other. The performance gains you'll see depends on the cat-back you buy. I personally think the TSP Rumbler and SLP Loudmouth I are the best-flowing due to their low-restriction design. I KNOW I picked up a few ponies after my Rumbler was installed. The stock muffler keeps the car quiet and is also said to be somewhat restrictive. Many aftermarket cat-backs have better mufflers and will outflow the stock cat-back even if both systems look the same to you.

2. I don't think true duals are out of style, they're just too loud for some people. I initially wanted to do TDs and LTs, but determined that'll be a little too loud for my daily driver. TDs sound excellent and will probably outflow any cat-back.

3. If you're sure your '98 is stock, it has an EGR system and AIR pipes. The AIR pipes go into the top of each exhaust manifold and are basically sensors that transmit operating temps to your car's computer.

4. I'm not 100% sure on this, but I'm sure they'll keep your car legal as far as having an emissions system in place.

5. If you're on a budget and are doing a cat-back first, get the Rumbler, I love mine and it was only $200. It's got a nice growl at start-up, sounds like a real muscle car when you're cruising and is a little louder on the highway. The absence of a rear muffler on this cat-back really cleans up that back of the car too. Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a replacement y-pipe, they're a waste of money and headers won't bolt up to it. As far as economical headers go, everyone seems to like Pacesetters, which is what I'll buy after I get done fixing all of the stuff that's wrong with my car right now.

6. I'm not quite sure why there are different length headers, but I heard shorties are basically useless and LTs are the best because they flow more exhaust and flow it faster, equalling more power.

7. Your engine is 346 c.i., not 350 c.i.

 

If you got the cash go with GMMG really nice sound.

 

This link should help out quite a bit, and it always is the best place to start because it has A LOT of answers. Click here.

 

Also, with ls1 cars the catalytic convertors are placed at the end of the exhaust manifolds. It can actually be considered the begining of the y pipe.

 

What should an exhaust costs? I'm talking the whole shebang! I've been looking at Bassani and it looks like:
$675 - Bassani 98-02 Camaro Firebird 5.7 Headers
$487 - BASSANI Y-PIPE EXHAUST - 98-99 Camaro Z28 5.7L - 3" (really X-Pipe)
$616 - BASSANI AFT-CAT EXHAUST - 98-02 Camaro Z28 5.7L - 5X10
Which I figure I could scavange for around $1500. Is that a good price?

P.S. Is the Bassani BX X-pipe crossover a true dual exhaust system? It certainly looks like it.

 

If i were to do an exhaust system from scratch itd be:
Coated Pacesetter LTs
Summit universal x
True duals with Sweet Thunder chambered mufflers
some extra tubing to run it out the back.
All this would most likely be under 1000, would give best performance, awesome sound, and probably would be loud enough for anyone if not too loud.

 

Agreed.

 

I'd pick up some coated Hooker longtubes or if you have the cash, some Kooks stainless longtubes, a true-dual setup, and a catback setup of your choice with little restriction (ie, no Flowmaster)

Also, change your sig. The LS1 is 346ci, not 350ci.

Mike

 

Hooker catback = the best bang for the buck at $300. With the addition of Lt headers and a $35 cutout, it sounds like a monster! My cutout stays open.

 

Flowmaster American Thunder.......

@ idle, it's got a nice thump, at 4500K, it sounds mean as hell.

Definately what an exhaust should sound like!
[CA SMOG sucks.....]

Also, it will make all those V-TEC Civic punks feel like a bitch with their annoying, whiny BS PVC sized garbage exhausts. Hell, I got a 4-stroke weedeater that sounds better than most of those bitchmobiles.

 

I know there have been alot of posts about how the true dual is the best but thats not what the rags have dyno'd. I apologize for not remembering which one it was but they dyno'd true dual against x pipe and the x pipe was higher. I have also seen articles showing on the dyno where numbers were higher with cats as opposed to no cats. It was something to do with the LS1 liked to have just a little bit of backpressure.

David