Exhaust cutout installed
Yesterday, UPS delivered my order from Summit Racing. It included header and collector gaskets from Earl’s (the Pressure Master line) for the Chevelle – which will be discussed in a future post. The other main thing in the box was a shiny new electric exhaust cutout. So, I went out and wired up the cutout as soon as I was done with supper. It took about three hours in total to hook the valve up (I had already included a cutout in the exhaust when I built it) and run the wire into the car. The hardest part was running the wire, honestly – it’s a pain to route wires from the exhaust all the way around from the passenger side, up along the firewall, and back into the passenger compartment.
I’m honestly not real excited about the switch it came with. It’s nice that it’s lighted, but I’m pretty sure it’s really just a cheap power window kit switch with an even cheaper sticker over the top. I’ll be using a different switch when I do the final install. Not only because the switch that came with the cutout is huge (over an inch by about a half inch), but also because I also need to put the remote start disable switch somewhere as well, so it’d be nice if they matched. Off to the nearest Digikey catalog for me, I guess.
Anyway, the electric cutout is probaby the most fun thing I’ve done to a car in a while. It’s great – it takes about 5-10 seconds to get to full open, but the noise level goes up almost instantly. So, I can open it up, nail the gas, make a lot of noice, and then close it back up quickly. The Grand Marquis isn’t really quit with the 3″ Magnaflow Ultraflow installed, but a 3″ straight pipe is significantly louder. I’m particularly happy that it doesn’t sound like total garbage either way, though. It’s a good loud, and a good “even louder” sound. The 2 valve 4.6 doesn’t sound the same as the 3- or 4-valve versions, but it’s pretty similar.
I’ll get some video soon and post it up here – or, more likely, post it on You Tube and link to it. I have to use the real camera, though – the mic on my phone is just no good for exhaust sounds. Here’s an example of that:
Grand Marquis through first gear, on cell phone
