Wooo I installed my DMH Electric Exhaust cutout a couple days ago and man am I lovin it...here are a few pics and an explanation of the install, performance, and sound.
THE INSTALL:
The kit from DMH includes a 3" Steel Y that has two regular pipe ends, and the dump end has a 3 bolt flange welded to it to attach the electric cutout valve to. The smooth ends are 3" O.D, the same size as the exhaust piping on the PW. Therefore, I made two 3" I.D. couplings to peice the Y in with.
I in slid a coupling on each end of the Y and line it up on the 3" pipe that is just infront on the muffler and made my marks. I cut the pipe easily with a sawzall with a good metal blade. I cleaned up and de-burred the ends of the pipe with some emory cloth just to make the install a little easier. Then I slid the front coupling, with DMH Y on it, onto front exhaust pipe. Unfortunatley I had to take the back portion of the exhaust (from muffler to tailpipe) off the hangers in order to slide it into the rear coupling, but it really wasnt too bad. I then put the four clamps on (two per coupling) and cranked them down.
**I had planned on welding my connections, but I got lazy and just clamped, but hey the rest of the exhaust uses the same clamps so w/e. Plus I can still get to all sides of the pipe with my mig, so if I ever think its necessary I can weld the connections.
With the Y now installed and clamped on, I installed the gasket and tightened the electric cutout onto the 3 bolt flange. It is a metal gasket, and I put a little High Temp RTV on both sides of it. Then all that is left is to run the wire....which is extremely easy. I routed it alongside the o2 sensor wires, and then followed the harness into the engine bay, connecting one wire to a switched 20a fuse, and the other to a ground. Then I popped out the grommet in the firewall and ran the switch inside, mounting it below the locker knob.
The instructions tell you to allow the engine to warm up to operating temp, and then cool back down before using the cutout. (I assume to help seat the gasket before you open the valve) even after doing that, I think the whole thing took me about an hour and half, and that included some beer drinking and BSing. Def. not too bad at all.
THE SOUND:
WOW! I think thats all I can say....the sound is fukn incredible.
With the valve just cracked I would say it has a similiar tone and noise level of a typical catback.
At half open it sounds alot like a straight glasspack or maybe a FM40 or other obnoxious muffler.
At fully open the truck sounds like it is going to eat the next the civic that drives by lol....its great. It got an awesome low growl, and then at WOT above 3k rpm it sounds like a nascar. I love it.
I really like being able to vary the noise level, on the highway I like it about half open, b/c fully open it just has too much loud drone. It is also nice to be able to shut it completley and have the stock sound back, when its early in the morning (before I get coffee in me, especially w/ a hangover) or whenever I see a cop lol.
THE PERFORMANCE:
There is def. a noticeable gain in power and mileage with the cutout. I still have to play around with my superchips and figure out how open the cutout should be for optimum power, but I think somewhere around half open is best. When it is fully open there is not enough back pressure and it is little sluggish at low rmp, but great at high rpm.
I was VERY pleasantly surprised with the gain in MPG from the cutout, with much less restriction on the exhaust, it is obvious that the engine is not working as hard. Ofcourse my foots been to the floor alot since I installed it
but after a few days of driving it looks like I picked up about 1.5-2 mpg with the cutout. That is a mix of city and highway, and with the cutout in various open positions.
....in all, this is a great mod. I would reccommend it to anyone, its a fraction of the cost of a catback, easier to install, and you have the option to change the sound whenever you want.
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THE INSTALL:
The kit from DMH includes a 3" Steel Y that has two regular pipe ends, and the dump end has a 3 bolt flange welded to it to attach the electric cutout valve to. The smooth ends are 3" O.D, the same size as the exhaust piping on the PW. Therefore, I made two 3" I.D. couplings to peice the Y in with.
I in slid a coupling on each end of the Y and line it up on the 3" pipe that is just infront on the muffler and made my marks. I cut the pipe easily with a sawzall with a good metal blade. I cleaned up and de-burred the ends of the pipe with some emory cloth just to make the install a little easier. Then I slid the front coupling, with DMH Y on it, onto front exhaust pipe. Unfortunatley I had to take the back portion of the exhaust (from muffler to tailpipe) off the hangers in order to slide it into the rear coupling, but it really wasnt too bad. I then put the four clamps on (two per coupling) and cranked them down.
**I had planned on welding my connections, but I got lazy and just clamped, but hey the rest of the exhaust uses the same clamps so w/e. Plus I can still get to all sides of the pipe with my mig, so if I ever think its necessary I can weld the connections.
With the Y now installed and clamped on, I installed the gasket and tightened the electric cutout onto the 3 bolt flange. It is a metal gasket, and I put a little High Temp RTV on both sides of it. Then all that is left is to run the wire....which is extremely easy. I routed it alongside the o2 sensor wires, and then followed the harness into the engine bay, connecting one wire to a switched 20a fuse, and the other to a ground. Then I popped out the grommet in the firewall and ran the switch inside, mounting it below the locker knob.
The instructions tell you to allow the engine to warm up to operating temp, and then cool back down before using the cutout. (I assume to help seat the gasket before you open the valve) even after doing that, I think the whole thing took me about an hour and half, and that included some beer drinking and BSing. Def. not too bad at all.
THE SOUND:
WOW! I think thats all I can say....the sound is fukn incredible.
With the valve just cracked I would say it has a similiar tone and noise level of a typical catback.
At half open it sounds alot like a straight glasspack or maybe a FM40 or other obnoxious muffler.
At fully open the truck sounds like it is going to eat the next the civic that drives by lol....its great. It got an awesome low growl, and then at WOT above 3k rpm it sounds like a nascar. I love it.
I really like being able to vary the noise level, on the highway I like it about half open, b/c fully open it just has too much loud drone. It is also nice to be able to shut it completley and have the stock sound back, when its early in the morning (before I get coffee in me, especially w/ a hangover) or whenever I see a cop lol.
THE PERFORMANCE:
There is def. a noticeable gain in power and mileage with the cutout. I still have to play around with my superchips and figure out how open the cutout should be for optimum power, but I think somewhere around half open is best. When it is fully open there is not enough back pressure and it is little sluggish at low rmp, but great at high rpm.
I was VERY pleasantly surprised with the gain in MPG from the cutout, with much less restriction on the exhaust, it is obvious that the engine is not working as hard. Ofcourse my foots been to the floor alot since I installed it
but after a few days of driving it looks like I picked up about 1.5-2 mpg with the cutout. That is a mix of city and highway, and with the cutout in various open positions.....in all, this is a great mod. I would reccommend it to anyone, its a fraction of the cost of a catback, easier to install, and you have the option to change the sound whenever you want.
