Buick V6 Fenderwell Headers To Rear-mounted Exhaust? Pics?

Does anyone have experience with or pics of fendwell headers that DON'T use a side-dump exhaust? I don't want the fumes or the noise right next to the side of the jeep, but I'd like too keep the headers since I already have them.

It's a win/lose because I also want to eventually move to a rear-mounted 15 gallon gas tank, but I don't think I can get everything in that rear area, can I?

I'm going to have a pro shop do the exhaust work, so I'd like to give them some pictures they can work with.

 

No matter how you do that you will be looping under the frame.. That's gonna look a bit weird and be a catch all off road.. Maybe look for inside the frame headers? I think they do exist however rare.

 

A couple fellas here have stayed outside the frame and gotten it to the back.

 

Novak makes block hugger headers.

 

Why would I need to loop under the frame?

 

Looking from the front, this is my idea. The headers already eat into ground clearance below the floorboards and if i start by accepting that fact, i can basically encapsulate their pathway under the floorboards, in a set of either round or square tube sliders. Maybe even weld a simple, specific plate in the header tube area to protect it.

From below you can see that the slider supports start before the tube curves down to the floorboards and after they would head up into the rear fender-well area. I’m already going to be installing sliders at some point, so i thought this might work as a low-buck solution to protect the exhaust, too.

 

For clearing the rear tires during a full droop/ stuff situation.

 

OK, thanks, trying to visualize what I'd have to do going rearward. I guess there would have to be a point where I went under the frame into the space between the rails, right?

 

This might be one of those situations where somebody put way too much time and money into an engine swap just because it was an engine he had laying around. $3 spent to save $1.

You might be willing to overlook the added install headache (and cost) and pipe vulnerability just to save a few bucks on headers.

IMO, sell the headers, and either get some block huggers or some decent manifolds. The area behind the front tires is one of the most rock-happy spots on your Jeep. I personally will never run my exhaust in that area again, but YMMV.

Aa far as the muffler vs fuel tank goes, if you have a lift, there is some room in the area for a muffler above the driveshaft if you get creative.

 

been running out the rear for years . getting harder to find a muffler shop willing to do the exhaust anymore

 

This is a perfect example of how to get over the axle imho

 

Man, I seriously love this forum - that's almost exactly what I'm looking to do! Thanks for posting up, Ron!

I think the ONLY difference I was considering, was if I didn't have a tank in the back, if I could potentially put the muffler(s) back there? Though, I have to say, I am really wanting the tank out from under my passenger seat. (might replace it with new poly tank just for water. Can you say on-board shower...haha!)

BTW, your jeep looks awesome with the green and black!

 

Thank for the thoughts, I agree about the area being rock-happy, and that's why I was thinking I'd build my sliders around it. The motor is a 198 V6, that is very similar, I'm told to the 225/231, so much so that if I eventually find a good, used 225, I could probably just swap it right into the 198's place with the correct bellhousing, so this exhaust setup SHOULD work for that eventual swap. good to know about the room above the driveshaft with a lift! I didn't know that.

As far as cost, right now it's just $ for re-routing exhaust pipe ($200-300, maybe?) and sliders that I was going to build anyways ($100-150 in metal supplies), so I THINK I might be taking the smoother path, that also keeps my rig on the road.

I appreciate the perspective, though, keeps me thinking clearly about this rig.

 

I have fenderwell Headers that dump under the jeep ahead of the rear wheels - between the springs and the frame. I don't get any fumes and its a DIY system.

 

I was always the guy who drove home with at least one muffler in the bed after a rock ripped it off.

 

I have a 225 with block-hugger headers and a rear tank, and I was able to tuck the pipes inside of the frame. I plagiarized CJ Joe's implementation V6 Block Hugger / DIY Exhaust and can post pictures if interested.

 

Pics would be great!

 

As indicated above, I plagiarized CJ Joe's routing in the front. Unfortunately I think his thread has suffered the Photobucket issue.
Here are the links to what I did...
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