96 Ram Exhaust Build

[EvilSpirit]

Finally got around to putting all the parts I acquired for my truck actually onto the truck. Truck is a 96 Ram 1500 - 5.9, auto, 2wd, extended cab, short box. Truck already had the Summit shortie headers on it installed by the previous owner. The converter had been gutted years ago by the original owner - an auto shop teacher - and was finally rusting through and failing. My intent was to install a single exhaust, hopefully 3", using the most efficient off the shelf parts at a reasonable price. Doing some research, I saw that while the converter was part of the Ram y-pipe, they were separate on the Dakotas. Basically the 3.9/5.2/5.9 Rams shared a common y-pipe with cat, while the Dakota's 3.9/5.2 shared another without one. Then I saw that it was the same listing header for many Dakota's as Rams. I kinda guessed that the y-pipe for a Dak would also fit a Ram, being the same manifolds/headers and trans. That said, I compared Dak y-pipes. While Walker showed a p/n Dak y-pipe, it had the typical wrinkled bends seen in aftermarket pipes. Turns out Eastern Exhaust sells a Dak y-pipe that has smooth bends and appears to be less restrictive. Both have 2" headpipes and 2 1/2" outlet and O2 bungs. I ordered one from Rock - was about $60 shipped. Then I researched tailpipes - while gas engine 2nd gen pipes are smaller, the V10 and Cummins pipes are factory 3". Again, while most of the aftermarket tails are wrinkled, I found the Walker V10/diesel pipe was a mandrel bent 3" - actually having a 3 1/2" tip. Found one e-bay for $65 free shipping. Decided to go with a Jones 3" Max Flow S/S muffler - basically a Magnaflow knock-off - for about $50 from Summit. While I had bought pipe, hangers, 2 1/2"-3" adapters, etc. to do the job at home, I ended up just taking it to a friends shop and doing it there.

After removing what little was left of the trucks exhaust, we checked to see what was needed to use the Dak y-pipe. It turns out that some of the factory manifold have a larger outlet than others. I guess the easiest way for the header makers to get around this was to provide an adapter gasket to mate the larger pipe to the smaller outlet. Luckily I had seen this and had a set of the adapter gaskets on hand to use. Using those, the Dak y-pipe fit just fine, with about the same trans pan clearance as before. The outlet was centered up in the opening between the frame, trans and crossmember - no issue there, and the (new) O2 sensor went in fine. We then welded a 3/8" thick 2 1/2" 3 bolt flange to the y-pipe to make the y-pipe removeable. We then welded another 3 bolt flange to a 2 1/2"-3" adapter, and an O2 **** into it, just in case. It took just a slight bend in the 3" intermediate pipe to get past the x-member, and a couple tweaks to get it to run level back to the muffler. Just leaving the muffler loose on a pipe stand, we checked out the tailpipe. Tailpipe fit perfectly - kinda LOL. While it fit the trucks frame, axle, shock area fine, they make the tailpipe to exit all the way to the rear of the lower fender, right at the back bumper. We cut 6" out of the tail, kept the 3 1"2 end, and welded it back on. Outlet is now centered between the wheel opening and bumper.I had bought 10 of the universal 3/8" rod style hangers, and using the new rods was actually was able to hang all the pipe from the factory isolators, plus added a couple. There are no clamps anywhere in the system - we were able to weld the low grade stainless muffler into place, along with the other work. We had about 2 1/2-3 hrs in the install.

The result? Truck sounds great - nice rumble, without being too loud. No cackle, no drone. Really pleased with the result. Since I didn't test the truck at the track or with a G-Tech, phone app, etc I can't give you actual before and after, but the "butt-meter" says the truck runs as well as or better than before. Not going to be "that guy" that makes all the wild performance claims without anything to back that up. Enough said about that. LOL

The cost? The Dakota Eastern Exhaust or AP p/n 93103 y-pipe is about $60 from Rock. The Walker 45672 V10/diesel 3"tailpipe was also roughly $65 on e-bay. The Jones Max Flow muffler p/n MF1259 - 3" inlet/outlet, 18" body, 24" OAL was about $50 from Summit, plus about $50 in various parts. While I just paid my buddy for his materials, he said that would usually be a $200 job in his shop. So for what would normally be about $425 I got a complete exhaust from the shorty headers back - all 16ga aluminized pipe, 2 1/2 into 3", stainless muffler and fully welded. May not be the cheapest, but it is a nice sounding system that should last quite a while, and flow at least as well as stock, and better than the crimped aftermarket stuff.

Sorry I can't share pics - I don't use any of the pic hosts, but you can pull up images of the y-pipe and tailpipe from the p/n's I gave.

As to the converter removed? Truck runs fine, since the upstream O2 is there and in a stock location. We tried to not put in a downstream. Tossed a code for no downstream heater. Just plugged a used O2 into the wiring harness and cleared the code. It didn't come back. We then put the O2 into the second **** we had welded in, just to keep it from having to be tie/strapped up somewhere. Still no code. It reads on the scanner, but apparently the ECM doesn't care what it reads. Not really surprised there - the cat had been gutted for 150K miles and never threw codes.

Hope this gives a few people an option to think about for their Ram exhaust, especially if they are facing cat converter replacement.