exhaust

[86chev]

I'm looking into replacing the exhaust on my 77 gmc k20 camper special. it a small block with hooker comp headers. i called heartthrob to see if they sold a kit and they sell a manifold back true dual kit but they said it will not work on camper specials. does anyone know what is different on camper specials that would affect the exhaust? or does anyone know where i can get a header back true dual kit? thanks

 

[HotRodPC]

That is strange about the Camper Special. Chances are their catalog just doesn't mention Camper Special so they told you it won't fit.

Honestly though, if you've got the headers on already with collectors, then you've already paid for the expensive part. I wouldn't buy an expensive "KIT". I'd go buy 2 of the mufflers of my choice at my favorite auto parts store, and take them to a muffler shop, and it can't cost all that much to get your pipe welded on from from the collector to the muffler with 2 turn downs just before the rear axle and 2 hangers.

 

[86chev]

i want full tailpipes though with either glasspacks or no mufflers at all. i can do all the welding and hanging by myself at home, i just don't have a bender/expander

 

[Jims86]

i want full tailpipes though with either glasspacks or no mufflers at all. i can do all the welding and hanging by myself at home, i just don't have a bender/expander

If you can take some shots of the undercarriage of the truck, we may be able to spot a difference if any, with the non CS trucks. you can get a nice dual kit from summit for under $150.
The only difference that I could think of, may be some extra bed brackets to bolster the bed for a large camper, but those would be outside of the frame rails.
The exhaust runs inside the rails. You could get a stock replacement setup from walker, and get glasspack instead (see the bottm of the diagram for optional mufflers), and should be a piece of cake. I have bought 2 complete replacement systems from walker, and had no problem with fit or clearance...installed in my driveway with clamps. Very good quality for a good price.

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[Green79Scottsdale]

I have a 79 Camper Special and the only things that pop up in my mind are the rear sway bar and the wiring that runs up between the cab and box. I am not aware of any extra bracing for the bed with the CS package. And from the looks of how the exhaust is run on mine, you will have no issues with the sway bar. The biggest area on conflict looks to be around the transfer case, and that is not bad. You should have asked why it wouldn't work. All the kits I have researched say they fit all models. Order away and be happy!

edit: Put mufflers on it please! I know your young and want it loud, but put some nice mufflers on it. Straight pipes don't impress anyone around here. That's my .02

 

[Jims86]

edit: Put mufflers on it please! I know your young and want it loud, but put some nice mufflers on it. Straight pipes don't impress anyone around here. That's my .02

Yes! I vote for the Quietflows, which still have a nice low mellow tone, but even the ultraflows...at the very least.
I personally was fed up with all the noise by the time I turned 25.

 

[HotRodPC]

I prefer quiet too, but understand some prefer louder or at least a rumble. I can see going with some flowmasters, but yeah, loud straight pipes is about ridiculous. All show, NO GO. Make a bunch of annoying noise that impresses very few, and noone that would matter for sure. I hear loud trucks getting on it, and turn around and have to shake my head. You'd think he's hauling ass, and he's barely getting out of his own way. If you're running hi 11's or low 12's in the quarter I can see it, but even then you can do that with Flowmasters.

 

[86chev]

heartthrob said something about the rear leaf springs but i really dont think there is any differences that would affect exhaust. Sorry guys but im not ready to grow up yet, it will probably get straight pipes first and then ill add glasspacks when i get annoyed of the sound

 

[Jims86]

heartthrob said something about the rear leaf springs but i really dont think there is any differences that would affect exhaust. Sorry guys but im not ready to grow up yet, it will probably get straight pipes first and then ill add glasspacks when i get annoyed of the sound

The only issue I would see is if the rear shackles/frame mounts were different, even then, my tailpipe comes pretty close to mine.
Are there extra springs inboard of the primaries?

 

[HotRodPC]

heartthrob said something about the rear leaf springs but i really dont think there is any differences that would affect exhaust. Sorry guys but im not ready to grow up yet, it will probably get straight pipes first and then ill add glasspacks when i get annoyed of the sound

No, there's no difference in springs at all, so I say you're good to go.

I don't think it's a matter of growing up. Even when I was 18-25 and drag racing I ran headers and Turbo mufflers. I always liked the element of surprise and not expecting to be Fast and Loud and hand those loud guys their ass at the finish line.
I had straight pipes off the collectors to the mufflers, then turn downs just before the axle on 1 hanger each pipe. If I wanted Loud, Took 10 minutes to take off 6 collector bolts, 2 hanger bolts and put the pipes in the bed of the truck then I was 100% uncorked. Being the pipes were cooled off by the time I was ready to split, I could put them right back on in a matter of 10 minutes.

You live in Wisconsin so I don't have to hear it. Doesn't really bother me what you choose to do, but just one last suggestion since you're running headers and it makes it pretty easy. Go ahead and do your full exhaust with mufflers and tailpipes, but do it in a way that you can take those pipes off in a matter of about 15-20 minutes or so. Then for your LOUD itch, have you a set of just flat ass straight pipes that dump before the rear end. It'll cost you another set of collectors and the straight pipe is cheap. Being so light, you probably wouldn't even need to use hangers. That way can have better of both worlds.

Nice thing about headers having collectors you have options. I'd even borrowed my buddies little short mufflers off his El Camino for a weekend, just to see if I liked them and if they improved my performance. They didn't, and I gave them right back Monday evening and bolted my straight pipes with mufflers back on. But we were crazy like that back in my days. Hell, we'd even swap motors for a weekend just to see how each other motors performed in each others car./truck.
I remember one night a buddy lost a $500 race with 3.08 peg legger rear end. We went and borrowed 4.10 LSD out of another buddies car and went back 2 hours later, told the guys we did a little tuning and wanted another crack at it for the same $500. They looked all over that friggin motor to see if we added NOS or what we did. Nothing found so they took the race. We got our $500 back. We were crazy like that.

 

[Green79Scottsdale]

Rear leaf springs would just be the number of springs. My 3/4 ton CS is just 1 ton spring packs from what I understand. No extra inboard springs, and the shackles and frame mounts are standard issue items.

Like HRPC said, you don't live near me so I don't care what you do with your truck. It is all what you want to do and like. Guy I work with put a 5" straight pipe exhaust on his Cummins powered Dodge pick-up. He thought everybody at work was looking at him because it sounded great, but we were all looking to see what retard drove the truck.

 

[HotRodPC]

He thought everybody at work was looking at him because it sounded great, but we were all looking to see what retard drove the truck.

EXACTLY what happens. Chicks don't like loud either.

 

[bucket]

If it's still in production (might be hard to find), the Hooker dual exhaust kit is designed to bolt right up to the Hooker headers, so there won't be any clearance issues when installing. It's mandrel bent tubing too.

 

[HotRodPC]

If it's still in production (might be hard to find), the Hooker dual exhaust kit is designed to bolt right up to the Hooker headers, so there won't be any clearance issues when installing. It's mandrel bent tubing too.

That sounds like the plan right there. Anything Hooker puts their name is good IMO. I've never come across a bad Hooker product that I recall.

 

[86chev]

If it's still in production (might be hard to find), the Hooker dual exhaust kit is designed to bolt right up to the Hooker headers, so there won't be any clearance issues when installing. It's mandrel bent tubing too.

I found this kit on summit so I will probably go with this, thanks guys!