update on Magna flow.....

[Shed]

Some of you may remember an exhaust problem I was having earlier.

4" cat back exhaust from magnaflow installed 2 summers ago. Recently went to do full tranny service and found that exhaust was touching/rubbing on upper tranny line. Thus transferring heat and elevating temps in tranny.

Took the truck to the aftermarket vendor(to remain nameless) and they did nothing except say that the engine had shifted and maybe it needed to be moved back into place!!!! I'm no mechanic, but i laughed in the guys face face and told him that was hilarious!

Contacted Magnaflow. They DO NOT make and exhaust for the extended cab short boxes. Which I have. They can't do anything about it. I understand thier position, can't fix what you don't make.

The vendor states that they will bend the line for me but stated that they did not know how to do that at first.

Chevy dealer says they can modify a new line in thier "race shop" (essentially taking a 1/2 " out to gain clearance. But that a new line is reccommended due to the possible heat damage and the rubbing. This will cost about $250.

Contacted the vendor and provided the info from magnaflow and the dealer. They denied any responsibilty and that they did nothing wrong. They WILL NOT pay for anything! I offered to pay for the part ($80) and still no go.

So tommorrow the truck goes to the dealer to have the modified line installed and hopefully this will lower the tranny temps while towing into the area I had always hoped they would be.

Lesson learned, always do your own investigating as to what is put on your truck! It all boils down to my own fault! Sorry for the long post, please give any thoughts or ideas on this! Have a great day! Shed

[Mark Rinker]

Sounds to me like you've worked the problem, and are taking the best path to the right outcome.

Hope all is well after the modification.

What towing temps were you seeing?

[More Power]

If it were mine, I'd loosen the band-clamp that fastens the pipe to the turbo downpipe, then try to rotate the pipe away from the transmission cooling line. There is usually some amount of adjustment possible on most pipes. The installer should have caught this when it was first installed.

If this is possible, it won't cost you anything if you do it. ;)

Jim

[Shed]

Mark, M.Power,

Thanks for the advice. I do think I've gone as far as I can with the problem. Just heard from the dealer and they told me the truck was ready and the problem is fixed! I got a $265 dollar lesson.

Temps were getting into the 250 degree range pulling hills in northern Arkansas with 90 degree outside temps and high humidity. This all with the 30' fifth wheel loaded down for a 2 week camping trip, And 5 people in the cab! I was concerned because I had just put on a deep pan and filled her up with Amsoil. Thought the temps should have been alot lower. I just pulled off and let her idle for awhile while we had lunch.

The vendor said that they could loosen the clamp and adjust off the turbo, I took it in and they said it was ready to go after 30 minutes. I was happy, said thanks and left. Crawled under her at home and saw that nothing had been done!!!! Called them and found out that there was no room for adjustment. But, this fix makes me more comfortable, and if the line was damaged I want it fixed before the camping trip coming up on Thursday! Hate to lose a tranny line on the road!!!!

Thanks again gentlemen! Once again the best advice and knowledge comes from TDP forums!!!!!!

Shed:D

[MagnaFlowRep]

I think I recall talking to you about this here at Magnaflow

[Shed]

Chris, Yes I did talk you! Thank you very much for all of your help! The e-mail you sent was perfect! I will have to see if the installer will now help ofset the cost of the "fix".

Another update: Pulled to our annual convention and noticed the temp never went over 160. This was a huge relief! It was a little cooler outside than when I recorded the "high" numbers, but I was still very pleased. After dropping the trailer we took the truck into Chicago for a long weekend. I noticed something strange..... My MPG was way up! Normal for this truck on the hiway running 65mph is 17.7MPG. After dropping the trailer she got a whopping 19.9MPG running 75mph with the air on (my foot was a little excited to get to chicago). So I'm wondering would the increased temps have anything to do with MPG? Or did I just tow and maybe "blow out" the system allowing more MPG? Not much wind except while towing home, and the MPG was better because of the tail wind. But unloaded was the real increase.:D

Thanks to everyone for thier insight and help in this hopefully closed matter!!!

Shed

[More Power]

I participated in a 4" MagnaFlow exhaust system installation this morning. It's a very nice system that installed without any problems. When all the clamps were tight, there was still about 5/16" clearance between the pipe and the Allison ATF cooling line. During the install, we pushed the pipe away from the ATF line while the first couple of clamps were tightened. If that had been forgotten, it would have wound up resting against the ATF line.

MF's instructions didn't specifically mention the ATF line or the rear shock as items to check for proper clearance as the exhaust system clamps are tightened. While they recommend a professional installation and to "Adjust the system for overall aesthetics and clearance of the frame and bodywork", perhaps an addition to the instructions would be a good idea.

Overall, the MF system is one of the best looking and fitting I've seen. And, it sounds great!

Jim

[Kennedy]

OK back on topic. I really doubt that radiant heat from an exhaust pipe Let alone physical contact over a very small area) can pass enough BTU's to have a serious impact on TFT, but I could be wrong. I've heard from a quite a number of people stating that their trans went way hot on them just out of the blue. Never did before and conditions should not have caused this, but it did.


On exhaust install: The Vee clamp is basically one of the last things that I tighten. I leave it semi snug as the junction forms a ball type joint that allows a fair bit of movement in all directions. Once the system is in and fit up nicely, I center it out as best I can and then tighten this clamp. It may take some prying and adjustment, but most any pipe can be made to fit decent. The MBRP pipe for example, typically needs to be lifted a lot at the rear as it appears to be just a shade underbent.