Pete, Craig, et al,
Pete's mod of removing the restrictive parts from the factory pipes and adding flow mufflers & H pipe got me to thinking. I have spare parts in the garage that I've been wanting to mod & fab up similar to Pete's description. Here's what I have ... a complete LT4 cat back (reportedly one of the most free flowing exhausts for the C4) and a pair of Magnaflow SS mufflers (3" in - twin SS tips). I'm looking at a 3" x-pipe sold by Summit
part #643130 that indicates the following dimensions: 3" aluminized pipe, 5" center to center spacing, and 22.75" total length.
But the photo tells a slightly different story unless I'm looking at this thing completely wrong
According to my calcs a 3" x-pipe on 5" centers should have a 2" clearance between the 2 pipes. The LT-4 pipe centers (at each end of the resonator) is very close to 3.5" leaving approx. 3/4" space between the pipes. This is why a narrow x-pipe is needed if trying to align original pipes as well as fitment in the tunnel. Looking at the photo it certainly appears to me that the summit x-pipe doesn't have much more than 1/2" clearance between pipes which should make for an almost ideal fitment to the stock pipes.
Has anyone measured this particular x-pipe? Is the photo correct or is the description correct? I live about 3 hours away from Summit-Atlanta but I don't have time to make that trip in the near future. Last time I was at Summit and wanted to check a "catalog" item, I was told that I had to buy it at the counter, then the item would be pulled from the warehouse & given to me within 10-15 minutes. If I didn't want it then I had to go to customer service and do the return merchandise bit ... when all I wanted them to do was to look at the item and check a measurement. That process seems bassackwards for the customer. Nevertheless, if the Summit narrow x-pipe is a close fit it should be fairly easy to fab up my spare parts into an interesting exhaust for very little out of pocket cash.
Thoughts? Advice? I'm curious about the possibilities and I've really been interested in the good info coming from this discussion. Thanks in advance.
George