[DeTomaso] Exhaust pipe/Halfshaft interferences

[Larry Weston]

If your exhaust pipes hit the halfshafts ANYWHERE within their possible range of motion, you've got a problem.
Turn the halfshafts around and put the skinny side next to the transaxle or/and modify your pipes for better clearance. I had to do both.
Swapping the halfshafts around is easy if you're already fooling around with your exhaust. Modifying the pipes was easy too. 
To get my Mindtrain system (2.5" dia.) installed I had to decide what was causing the misalignment and interference. It appeared to be the bends closest to the flang . So I cut each pipe at that bend. Then I attached the stub to the header and I trimmed (little bites) and rotated the pipes until I had the perfect fit, tips were high, level and even with the bumper. I actually made a wooden holder to keep the tips where I wanted them during the process. At the same time I reengineered my hangers to hold the pipes higher than the stockers ever could.  After I had both pipes trimmed and fitted I wrapped the connections tight as I could with masking tape, undid the header flange and carefully extracted the pipe and mufflers. I took them to my TIG welding guy who cut 1/2" dia holes in my tape, right over the joints, and tacked them. He didn't even burn the tape! I took them back home, one fit perfectly, one needed a tweak, then I had them welded 100 percent. $60 for services rendered.
Best fitting Mindtrain system I've ever seen. When I can get the wife to process my photos of the project I'll post them or forward them to anyone interested.
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