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My exhaust pipe from the manifold to the muffler has been patched two or three times now (I don't have a cat conv. and don't want one) and is cracking yet again in two places. I think it is time for a new one. The parts stores tell me that they don't make 'em anymore, I have to get one custom made (first price estimate was $240 plus they threated to make me buy a cat conv. too for $150). How much should this cost without the cat?

Anyone know where I can buy a premade one?

Is there any other truck that has a similar shaped pipe that would be close? There is a junkyard nearby that doesn't have any Luvs but only charges $10 for a pipe.

I don't have a welder to bend it myself.

thanks!

In my old tempo, it only cost me $80 to have a new exhaust system put on from the catalytic converter to the tailpipe (including a cheapo muffler).

do what i did cut it off befor the muffler and put a glass pack on it
woo haa lots of noise

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my frends dodge says its eaten chevys and shiting fords well i say AT LEAST ITS EATING SOMETHIMG GOOD
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1978 LUV
1980 4X4 LUV
1977 LUV

Unless your LUV is a california emissions model you don't have to have a cat. There should be a big sticker on the underside of the hood that will say NON-CATALYST and I'd think that should shut up the shops about making you put a cat on it. If they still insist, go to the next shop.

You are not going to find anything pre-made unless it has been on a shelf for decades. Just keep shopping around muffler shops and see what kind of deals you can find. $240 seems a bit steep, but the front pipe section is the toughest to make up, the bends have to be exact and it takes more work to swap it out.

You could try pulling it out yourself and getting a shop to make one using yours as a copy. That might save some bucks as they won't have the labor of removing the old and installing the new pipe.

I've had a couple crack right at the manifold connection, they can be welded up or brazed, but who knows how long the fix would last.

As for other rigs, MAYBE an early 80s Isuzu pickup, but I think the exhaust dumps on the other side of the truck so it is probably different back under the cab just before the muffler.

Thanks guys! This gives me some good ideas (and an idea of what I should be charged). The pipe is already detached from the manifold because I am changing my head gasket. I will just take it off the rest of the way and start driving around (in a different vehicle to find a shop that is willing to make one to match it. I'll let you know how it goes. For now the main project is getting the engine back together! Thanks again for your advice!

Hey Dottie, if possible, I would wait til you can find one at a junk yard, Crap, I wouldnt spend a ton of money on something you can eventually (hopefully) get at the bone yard!! My .02

ever think of a headder? $150 on e-bay. and do like i did on my monte and buy the straight pipe, mark it and have a muffler shop bend and flange it and clamp it all together and go back to the muffler shop and have them weld it all together. its easy really. "when" I do the exaust on my luv thats the road im going to take. also i am going to dump it infront of the pass rear tire insted of behind it. bottom line is its easy to do the exaust work yourself and have a shop bend it and what not. this will also save you a TON of money. the shop here charged about $20 for the bends and another $40 to weld it together. I dont know if this is easy for everybody though, so it mite not be the route you want to go.

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80 luv 4x4, 2-1/2" torsion lift, 31x10.5/r15, 3" body lift, soon rear shackle lift.

85 monte carlo, goodwrench 350, cam, headders, intake, U know... the works.

I had the whole exhaust system, other than the manifold, replaced a couple years ago for what they want to charge you for an exhaust pipe.

http://www.walkerexhaust.com/

check this website and go to the model of LUV you have. They list part numbers for the entire exhaust system.

EDIT:CORRECTED LINK THANKS RON

Hey boB, Your link didn't work.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

fixed the link... just click on catalog lookup and go thru it until you get to your truck

for that much i would buy a header

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

thanks for all the input! I am still weighing my options, now I have a better sense of prices. I can't wait too long to git 'er done, because she is my only transportation and I need something attached to the manifold. Roadshow Bob, thanks for the pics, that is an image I was trying to find after seeing it on Advance's Auto Part's computer! Are those part numbers for each bent section of the pipe and if so, are they genereic? What I am getting at is if I bring that picture to a exhaust shop, will they have those parts (and know what those numbers mean), and then they can splice a unit together from those pieces (from manifold to muffler)?

80luv, that is a good option too! I checked out headers too, forgive me for being dumb bout this stuff, but does the header replace the exhaust manifold and the first few bent sections of the exhaust pipe? What is the benefit of having one vs a stock manifold and stock pipe? I feel fine installing the exhaust stuff once it is welded together. thanks!

With all of those pieces on the Walker website, you should be able to just slide it together, clamp it and hang it under your truck. I am not sure which pieces you need to replace, but a good muffler shop should be able to use that information on the website to get what you need done.

As for a header, it replaces the exhaust manifold and the downward portion of the exhaust pipe. It flows smoother than the stock exhaust and lowers the back pressure some also. It generally gives your vehicle a bit more performance. Things to note about headers though, you usually lose the warmed air from the little tube off the exhaust manifol to the air cleaner and sometimes your engine can actually lose a bit of performance due to the decreased back pressure (not usually on a LUV though)