Aftermarket Exhaust options!

[socrbob]

I bought a pair of xforce mufflers with EVC and had a local shop custom install them with a 2.5 flange and pipes from the rear axle back. Also had to have them extend and fabricate exhaust tips and used the stock hanger locations. This way I can bolt the exhaust to the flange and then swap back to stock easily if I want to. The total cost was about $900. The welds aren’t the greatest but it will work for now. Thinking about bringing them to a different shop and have them clean up the welds.

Did they charge you extra for all the additional welding rods they used?

 

[joschneider]

I dont know much about welding but I do know what good welds vs bad look like. One great thing about this thread is it has shown me that if I need to go to an exhaust shop for more than just basic stuff my first question will be.....show me some things youve welded before. If I see welds like this or the ones @Toddasaurus got Im running out

 

[Toddasaurus]

I dont know much about welding but I do know what good welds vs bad look like. One great thing about this thread is it has shown me that if I need to go to an exhaust shop for more than just basic stuff my first question will be.....show me some things youve welded before. If I see welds like this or the ones @Toddasaurus got Im running out

Haha, for reals! My new exhaust is Tig welded, and everything looks beautiful. I'm really glad I found this other shop. From now on I'm not even going to bother with regular exhaust shops. The majority of them are run by total jerks, and they do absolute garbage work.

Don't get me wrong, there are a few good ones here and there. But I've decided that for me, from now on I'm just going to find a performance shop that Tig welds everything and then just go that route. It costs a little more (sometimes!) but it's so worth it.

 

[Vortex951]

Stick welding is incredibly easy. I could teach almost anyone to stick weld and within 30-60 minutes be able to pass a flat weld test. Mig( wirefeed) takes a bit more skill. Not a lot tho honestly and I would assume 90 percent of shops would mig weld exhaust as stick is way to hot for the thin metal. I’ve stick welded 10 gauge sheet metal before and that takes a great deal of patience and skill.
The real art is tig. Anyone that can lay dimes with a tig welder and keeps a smooth ark is seriously a pro. It’s not something that comes easy. There is so much to it. Sharpening the electrode to a specific degree for certain types of materials, even styles of welding take different set ups for the electrode. Then you have to use one hand to hold the torch and feed with the opposite. But in tog you don’t use the feed rod to weld it’s only used to fill. Tig uses the metals being welded together for the majority of the material. Then there is also the pedal that controls the heat and ark for the electrode. Really take a tremendous amount of time and daily use to stay proficient with it. I idolized anyone who can tig weld.

 

[socrbob]

Stick welding is incredibly easy. I could teach almost anyone to stick weld and within 30-60 minutes be able to pass a flat weld test. Mig( wirefeed) takes a bit more skill. Not a lot tho honestly and I would assume 90 percent of shops would mig weld exhaust as stick is way to hot for the thin metal. I’ve stick welded 10 gauge sheet metal before and that takes a great deal of patience and skill.
The real art is tig. Anyone that can lay dimes with a tig welder and keeps a smooth ark is seriously a pro. It’s not something that comes easy. There is so much to it. Sharpening the electrode to a specific degree for certain types of materials, even styles of welding take different set ups for the electrode. Then you have to use one hand to hold the torch and feed with the opposite. But in tog you don’t use the feed rod to weld it’s only used to fill. Tig uses the metals being welded together for the majority of the material. Then there is also the pedal that controls the heat and ark for the electrode. Really take a tremendous amount of time and daily use to stay proficient with it. I idolized anyone who can tig weld.

I think I know what you mean, but please explain what "lay dimes" means.

 

[hi_im_pancake]

I think I know what you mean, but please explain what "lay dimes" means.

Basically a clean weld looks like a stack of dimes laid out. Good welds are definitely a thing of art, it sounds weird but kinda like @Vortex951 said, when you see a good weld it’s hard not to respect the skill that went into it. Almost anyone can weld, but it takes practice and skill to weld properly and cleanly.

 

[Toddasaurus]

I think I know what you mean, but please explain what "lay dimes" means.

Here's an example...



Literally looks like coins laid down/stacked.


Edit: pancake beat me to it, and showed a way better pic!

 

[socrbob]

Thanks, to both of you for the conformation. Completely agree on the 'dimes' being a work of art part.

 

[Vortex951]

I’m gonna see if I can find any of the welds I use to do now. Lol. Gosh I miss welding everyday

 

[tarhoosier]

I was at a trade school presentation and the welding pro who ran their program mentioned the high salary available to welders who do underwater welding for oil platforms among many other applications. His comment was that he could teach a good welder how to dive much easier than teaching a diver how to weld.

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[Vortex951]

I was at a trade school presentation and the welding pro who ran their program mentioned the high salary available to welders who do underwater welding for oil platforms among many other applications. His comment was that he could teach a good welder how to dive much easier than teaching a diver how to weld.

Ya I have met a few under water welders. They make an incredible amount of money. Something like when they are working and if they are 500 feet below the surface it’s like 300$ an hour or something like that.

 

[tarhoosier]

The key is that top welding is an art, as mentioned above. Diving is a skill and the art can learn the skill but not the other way. (just that man's opinion. I know nothing about either one)

 

[hi_im_pancake]

Ya I have met a few under water welders. They make an incredible amount of money. Something like when they are working and if they are 500 feet below the surface it’s like 300$ an hour or something like that.

Underwater welding is extremely stressful from what I’ve heard. It’s the near darkness and weightlessness gets to you after a while. So yeah, $300/hr to do a job that could drive you insane... no, I still wouldn’t do it. lol

 

[socrbob]

$300/hr, I would like to try that. People say I am crazy now anyway!

 

[Vortex951]

The big problem is there is high risk of death compared to welding or diving alone. You have to wear a special rubber suit that is much more expensive plus special diving hoods that also have the dark lens to flip down on them. I use to have a hood for welding that costs 3000$. But it was a full hood with drapes over your shoulders and cane with a special Fanny pack that has a heppa filter and supplied fresh air. Would run and filter for 16 hours before it needed to be recharged. From what I’ve been told that’s cheap compared to the hoods used under water

 

[Vortex951]

Underwater welding is extremely stressful from what I’ve heard. It’s the near darkness and weightlessness gets to you after a while. So yeah, $300/hr to do a job that could drive you insane... no, I still wouldn’t do it. lol

I’d do it in a heart beat if I knew how to dive haha. Just not really a need for it in Las Vegas lol

 

[tumtum]

Has anyone checked out this exhaust yet or even bought it?

Ajun 3.3T-GDI Dual Variable Exhaust System genesis g70

 

[CoconutRob]

I checked it out before I purchased my Kunstwerk. They have a video on YouTube. After shipping was the same price. I personally (only from video clips) liked the sound of Kunstwerk better a little louder and deeper from what I remember. Not sure how the valve is controlled with ajun. It's so hard to judge by video clips especially just revs, the truth is when they are under load.. Very happy with my choice. Try them out and let us know, lol

 

[Vortex951]

Ya mine sounds super raspy in video clips but when it’s actually under a load it’s much better. So I know what you mean there. It’s hard to take video clips for what they are since most tend to be revs only and inside a shop where it echos

 

[Draco-REX]

I just installed the Maintec Variable Catback Exhaust. Overall I'm very happy with it. I'll have a full write-up posted in a few days. I just need to finalize the wiring.