Walker Exhaust 40407 ?

[Fast79Chief]

Has anybody tried to fit the 1980 Y-pipe up to 78 or 79 Cherokee manifolds? I'm thinking of ordering the #40407 and maybe cutting and re-welding the section that has to bolt up to the manifolds. Haven't ordered it yet and don't know what the major differences are ... thought I'd ask any of you that are familiar with what they changed in 1980.

Thanks.

P.S. I'm using all 1980 pipes from the muffler on back including the tailpipe to get 2.5" system. The 40407 is 2.5 for the most part.

[Stuka]

The manifolds for 79 and down and 80 and up are different. The y-pipes will not line up. If you are going to go through to do the work to cut and weld, I would just have a new exhaust from the y-pipe back. I cannot think of any real reason to buy a kit. Especially since the entire exhaust is placed in a different location for 79 and older jeeps because of the transfer case and axle offset.

Its been some time, but I had a complete exhaust built for my J10 for $480 bucks from the manifold back.

[Fast79Chief]

Thanks Stuka. It's the Y-pipe that I need. I have the rest in 2.5" already. So you would just have a shop build a Y- pipe to get me over to the straight run down the passenger side? Money has been the issue, and I was thinking I would see if I could adapt an existing Y-pipe to make it work.
Did they change the direction of the cast iron manifolds outlets in 1980? My manifolds pretty much dump straight down. Is this the biggest change for 1980? Thanks.

[tgreese]

The driver's side manifold changes in 1980, to accommodate the new driver's drop axle configuration. Passenger side is the same. Too different to be workable, I would expect. You could fit the earlier manifold, but the old manifold and pipe would likely interfere with the driver's side propeller shaft.

Plus I can't recommend the Walker replacement pipes. Cheap material, and only last a couple years here in the northeast. My local muffler shop has much better quality pipe, in my experience (IME). The system the local shop built for my J10 is still working fine after more than a decade.

[Fast79Chief]

Thanks tgreese. My drops are passenger side and I'm going to keep my 79 manifolds. So I was hoping to buy the 80 Y-pipe and make it fit since I have no exhaust up front to get me to the exhaust shop. lol. Not a good position to be in. Gotta find a generic y-pipe joint that I can run some pipe into temporarily to get it to a shop I suppose? You guys know of any 2 into 1 Y-pipes out there that have an inlet going off to the left?

Thabks for you help.

[tgreese]

How far to the exhaust shop? I'd call the shop and see what they say. If you have AAA, it might be covered.

[Cecil14]

I've driven to a muffler shop with open headers before. Just took the back(est) route available and kept it slow and as quiet as possible. It was only a ~5 minute drive for me, though.


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[Stuka]

I have also gone to the exhaust shop with open exhaust. 15 min drive for me. If you get pulled over, just explain that you are driving to the exhaust shop. Shouldn’t be an issue.

[derf]

I ran one of those replacement Y-pipes on my truck 80's truck and figured out I had kept the 70's manifold from the donor engine.

I swapped it out for the proper 80's manifold instead of messing around with trying to cut and weld.

[Fast79Chief]

Ok, so I just got out from under my Chief (was installing the rebuilt front driveshaft) and I see that my drivers exhaust manifold is a straight down center dump and the passenger side is dumping out the back on a 45 degree angle down. So here's my question: in 1980, how did they change the manifolds themselves ... I understand about the drivers side drop for driveshafts ... but my question is ONLY about 'how did the 1980 and up manifolds change in respect to where they dump'? If I can get an accurate answer to that. I think I can decide if I have the ability to re-work a 40407. For you guys that have a 1980 or newer Cherokee/Wagoneer, if you look under the hood you should be able to see where your factory manifolds dump, be it Center Dump, or End Dump, etc., etc.
Thanks very much for the info guys!

[derf]

The drivers side manifold changed where it dumps. From just behind the middle to all the way at the back.

This link has an accurate picture of the 70's driver side exhaust manifold: http://www.bjsoffroad.com/Exhaust-Manif ... p_733.html

This link has an accurate picture of the 80's driver side exhaust manifold: https://www.teamgrandwagoneer.com/exhau ... 1974-1991/

[REDONE]

1980 went to a "log" style drivers manifold that dumped all the way back next to the firewall.

Walker pipes are not great. The Y-junction is a 1" or less hole drilled into the main pipe with the joining pipe neatly tig welded around it to hide the restriction.

The pics were lost when I zapped my photobucket account years ago, but I did a write up on cutting and rewelding a Walker y-pipe when I got one way-back when. Walker used to make a 79 and older y-pipe and that's what I got. I cut it because it routed under the front driveshaft, and I wanted it to go between the oilpan and bellhousing. That's when I discovered the hidden, cheap, crummy shortcut. I used a fluted cutter in my die grinder to open up the joint, but I still feel ripped-off by the crummy quality I paid $150 for.


In short, I agree with Stuka, have a quality Y-pipe made.

[Fast79Chief]

Thanks derf and redone ... good stuff! I'll see what I have left in mandrel bends in the garage ... might be able to cobble/tack weld something together to get me up the road to the pipe shop. Probably have a few leaks, but they can fix that.

Thanks. Will let you know how it goes.