Flaming exhaust kits

[chev74]

I am posting this here because of the mass amounts of people who view this part of the forum:

I have searched the site and never found any good, solid info on these kits. I have wanted one... well, since FOREVER!!!

I have scowered the net and found a few kits for sale, but I want feedback from those who have them or have helped install them. How hard is it? Does it really work well?

I know gas is expensive right now, and that i will most like end up melting something important, oh well. it looks sweet.

HELP ME!!!!!

www.hotlicksexhaust.com is one site i found

[chev74]

ttt?

[GMT900]

Its not hard but can ruin your engine, pocketbook, or both depending on what you buy and how you plumb it. the majority of kits are going to sell you a wiring diagram a relay and a switch or trigger, and if your lucky a handful of connectors . Some may throw in a coil and spark plug to make you feel like you got something for the money.
The the old school trick works by running the engine as rich as it can stand then bypassing or interupting the ignition and flooding gas through the valve train out the cylinders and into the exhaust. As it leaves the exhaust it gets ignited near the end by a spark plug. The down side to this is you end up with raw fuel running past the rings and into the oil where it breaks down or thins the viscosity making frequent plug and oil changes a must. Late model FI cars equipt with catalytic converters are a nightmare and you end up trashing the cats and throwing codes. You can get around all the problems by injecting propane. Makes for a nice bomb in the car if you ever have a wreck. You can also plumb fuel from the tank directly into the exhaust and ignite it as it leaves. This method is the best imop but its expensive due to the fact that you use NOS nozzles and valves. But you wont go up in a ball of flames and you can install it on anything you want.

[chev74]

any diagrams/plans for this NOS nozzle setup?

[GMT900]

I got em at the house and will send them to you if you get me an e-mail

[Shane]

post them here ... we'd all like to see

[Select]

Check these out.

Flame thrower kit from Autoloc

http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/autol...c=flamethrower


If you wanna go James Bond on people. Only I didn't find an oil slick kit.

http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/autol...c=flamethrower

[GMT900]

Here are the diagrams. Do not look to me if you burn the house down this is informational.

[GMT900]

This document has been written with the intent to inform you of how most components to install a flame throwing exhaust can be sourced locally for a small amount of money. I will provide you wiring and fuel routing diagrams to give you a starting point to setting the whole thing off. This is simply information I make no warranty claims about how safely or unsafely you assemble and utilize the components. I make no recommendations that you even attempt installing or using something as illegal and potentially dangerous as a flame throwing exhaust. Common sense is not inherent and does not apply to everyone. Let’s go over some common sense questions.
1. Is the car under warranty? This stuff can void that warranty.
2. Is it illegal? Yes. You can and will get cited if you get caught using it on the street.
3. Can I damage my exhaust? It can shorten the life of catalytic converters and if you don’t set it up right you could damage more than that.
4. Can flame throwers damage my car? Yes you can damage painted surfaces, blacken bumpers, as well as catching fiberglass and urethane bumpers on fire.
5. Can I hold the author of this document responsible for damage that occurs from using this information? No, I the author do not recommend using this information for anything other than informational purposes. I do not claim any responsibility if you are in fact a moron, lacking common sense, or have some other mental defect that would cause you to catch the house on fire, destroy your car, injure your neighbor or kill the dog.
Still want to continue?
Ok. There seems to be a great deal of confusion as to what it actually takes to set up a car or bike. This is because of product liability so to speak. In the last 15 years I have read one magazine article on the subject. When I attended tech school the issue came up and was quickly dismissed. The reason for the lack of information is due to legal liability. How many of the “Hot Rod” TV shows will go into detail and actually provide this information? Everybody today is **** scared of a law suit. There is no black magic involved and the process can be as simple or as complicated as you design and install it.
There are many different kits on the market today and there success depends on the user being un-skilled enough or un-creative enough not to just figure it out or do any research. The premise is simple. A lack of available credible information means these company’s can extract as much of your hard earned dollars as they think you are willing to pay. How many of the kits come complete and ready to install? Not one. They will have you source most all of the parts from Radio Shack and the local parts house yourself.
What do they provide? They provide wiring diagrams or the “Voo Doo” and a switch that they have wired and mounted in a box or pack of their own design. They may have included some other small parts that set their kits apart from another kit. Basically what you spend your money on is the “Voo Doo” and some small parts.
All this sounds very negative like I am downplaying what they are selling. I am not. Most are very good and the information they provide in most cases works well. All I am saying is that you don’t have to spend $50.00 to $200.00 for a wiring diagram and 5 bucks worth of small parts. You have what you need; air, fuel, and spark. They just charge you for the information to put it all together in a working application assuming that you can read and understand the diagrams. When you order the kit no one is going to ask you what make or model car you need it for. These are kits and designed to be universal. The only caveat to that is does the car have fuel injection or is it carbureted? The information I provide could be applied to both because this method describes how to set the car up by directly introducing the fuel to the exhaust.
The makers assume the user can find a 12v hot lead, the accessory side of the ignition switch, and know what a screw driver is. If you don’t your gonna have to call tech support (if they provide the service). If you have to call tech support chances are you have damaged something and the tech’s now don’t trust your ability and won’t be too willing to walk you trough anything that is not already in the directions. They think your gonna burn the house down and sue them. All the kits will include one other little nugget the “Weasel Clause” That’s the wording on the package and in the instructions that they are not responsible for anything. You can read these little gems in this information.
NOTE: If you can’t by looking at the diagrams discern what they denote, or don’t understand the word discern you might want to forget flame throwers and install some fuzzy dice instead.


“Old School” Carbureted and Emission Controlled
Ok. Flame throwers have made a recent resurgence in the past few years and there seems to be a great deal of confusion as to what it actually takes to set up a car or bike. All four of the provided diagrams are used together. 2 show the electrical requirements. 2 will show the fuel routing and fuel component wiring. These are for both fuel injected and carbureted vehicles
In the old days you had to romp on the gas then hit the switch while pumping the gas. When the switch was thrown the current was drawn away from the operating ignition causing the ignition to stumble while the flame was ignited. The idea was to close the switch just long enough to flood gas through a dead engine and out the exhaust valves to the sparking plug in the exhaust pipe. The switch gets returned to its open position allowing the engine to fire back up. On carbureted cars excess fuel will run down the cylinder walls past the piston rings and into the oil. This makes frequent oil changes necessary due to the loss of viscosity in the oil. That will reduce the internal lubrication in the engine more than likely burning up the piston rings. It is not recommended to do a setup that involves interrupting the ignition of the car. Older cars using this technique will shoot a longer flame because they typically don’t have a catalytic converter. If a cat is installed on your car, it will collect any extra fuel before it leaves the end of the exhaust pipe. There can be no flame leaving the exhaust pipe if all the needed extra fuel is stuck in the cat. Cats will not only reduce the size of the flame excess gas running into the cat will reduce its life (catalytic converters can be expensive to replace). Fuel curves have a direct impact on the size of the flame along with your wallet. If you tune the carb rich to get the flames it can also foul the plugs. If you have state emissions requirements applied to your vehicle you wouldn’t pass with these modifications. If you have road side testing you will probably get a nasty letter and a citation to get the car back to spec.
If you’re lucky enough to have computers and whatnot controlling your every move than a flame thrower set up is not any more complex. The environmental politics and the latest fad of global warming and greenhouse gases have insured certain federally regulated mandates concerning the manufacture and operation of your vehicle. The ECM or Electronic Control Module regulates fuel curves and ignition timing and without a great deal of training you can’t change that. The oxygen or 02 sensors are also controlled by the ECM making it all the more problematic. 02 sensors don’t like un-burned fuel leaving your exhaust and they will throw a trouble code to the ECM shutting down your vehicle or causing it to run like crap. That is not what you need when you are showing off to a crowd of people.
The fuel has got to be plumbed after the 02 sensor and the Cat. The spark plug should in most cases be mounted after the cat and 6” to 8” from the end of the tail pipe. You will need to drill 2 holes in each exhaust pipe. One for the nozzle and one for the spark plug. The nozzles should be far enough away from the plug that they don’t get the plugs wet. The nozzle will atomize the fuel inside the pipe and the normal exhaust flowing through the pipe will carry it across the spark plug. The best way to do this is to get an O2 sensor bung and a spark plug that has matching threads. Weld the bung into the side, top, or bottom of the exhaust pipe and screw in the spark plug. You can drill a hole in the pipe and simply thread the spark plug into it but then again I guess anyone can half ass anything. That’s your choice.
Keep in mind when you close the switch you don’t want to shut the fuel to the engine completely off and you don’t want it flooding into the exhaust either. It has to be regulated and as you can see from the diagrams there have been some parts added to do this. The flame is the result of the unburned gas crossing the arcing spark from the plug creating a flame out the end of the pipe. This method shows how to get going without the involvement of the cars computer, the stumbling ignition, or the failed inspection.
A word of caution: The methods described take into account that the car is running and exhaust gas is pushing the flame out of the pipe If you fill the pipe with fuel and the car is not running then you have a bomb. If you then ignite the spark you will cause it to explode and that’s not good. We want flame throwing exhaust not exploding exhaust.

NOTE: If your going to make a trip to the junk yard many of the components required for the install can be had for pennies.

SINGLE EXAUST
Parts Qty
Standard Automotive 5 Prong Relay 3
30 Amp Fuse and Holder 1
16 Amp Toggle Switch 1
Ignition Capacitor / Points Condenser 1
2 prong Automotive Ballast Resistor 1
Standard 12 volt Ignition Coil 1
Long reach spark plug 1
Plug wire long ones 1
Several different colors of 16ga wire
Momentary push button switch 1
3 way fuel filter Application specific 1
Fuel Solenoid part# 16080NOS 2
Nozzle part#13500NOS 1
Both Several feet of braided stainless steel fuel line or custom bent hard line plus an assortment of electrical connectors.







PARTS
Qty
Standard Automotive 5 Prong Relay 5
30 Amp Fuse and Holder 1
16 Amp Toggle Switch 1
Momentary push button switch 1
Ignition Capacitor / Points Condenser 2
4 or 2 Prong Automotive Ballast Resistor 1
Standard 12 volt Ignition Coil 2
Long reach spark plug 2
Plug wire long ones 2
3 way fuel filter Application specific 1
Fuel Solenoid part# 16080NOS 2
Y Fitting, 4AN part#17830NOS 1
Nozzle part#13500NOS 2
Both Several feet of braided stainless steel fuel line or custom bent hard line plus an assortment of electrical connectors.

[Sport/Truck]

Meh.
A good way to “rice” out your classic American truck. Next will be neon lights and LED valve stem caps.
s/t

[GMT900]

I don't know about LED valve stems but to each his own. chev74 asked the question. Shane requested the post. I simply fufilled the request. I don't run this on my vehicles but I make no judgements about thoes that do. I think its more or less the folly of youth. Take it or leave it

[Shane]

Originally Posted by Sport/Truck

Meh.
A good way to “rice” out your classic American truck. Next will be neon lights and LED valve stem caps.
s/t

dude ... guys have been putting flamethrowers on their exhaust BEFORE japan even exported cars.

did you drive a ricer before becoming a truck expert?

P.S. Thanks for posting those GMT ... very much appreciated. Don't worry about the haters ... some folks wouldn't know fun if it hit them in the a$$.

[GMT900]

No problem. If Sport/Truck had ever witnessed the petrified look on a tailgaters face when you set this off he be first in line to set one up.

[ChevLoRay]

When I was in high school, in the mid-60's, I thought it was cool to coast in high gear, shut off the ignition for a few hundred feet, then turn the key back on.....and wait for the backfire.

Can't really do that in an automatic without a rear pump, can we?

Flamethrower exhausts are impressive, after dark. Oughta be a serious deterrent to tailgaters, too. With the proliferation of plastic bumpers on the frontends of so many vehicles, leaving the bumper melted into a puddle on the ground might be grounds for a 'whoopin'.

[chev74]

Im bringing this one back -

my dad and i had talked about another way to get some spark down there to your tailpipe. What if you ran a wire from your distributor (see arrow on pic) from under coil down to plug in pipes?

[68shortstep]

Quoting from ChevLoRay:

"When I was in high school, in the mid-60's, I thought it was cool...."

We must be about the same age.

I had a buddy who used a wooden box Model T coil to fire one of these off, & a spark plug set into the tailpipes of his '50 Ford coupe about a foot back from the end.

Wrap up the engine, & get off the throttle, just to make the glasspacks roar, & then throw the switch on, to burn off all the excess gas fumes.

Sure keeps the tail-gaters back at the drive-in, once you've seen a sizeable ball of fire roll up over your hood & windshield.............

Saw a fight or two break out over these, too.

[see ten]

I've never thought of going with NOS valves but it does seem like a safer choice than propane injection. I shot these pics at the turkey run.





This truck was a diesel and wasn't getting it to work like he wanted it to. He actually lit the fumes with a handheld torch to get em started.





This car shot impressive flames. It actually worked better when they extended the tips out and up.

[KFreddy]

Here is a schematic that I had used for my '68 Nova, not only did it work well and look cool, it made my Nova faster then the Bat Mobile...

[chev74]

thanks for all the input guys. i really do appreciate it. i think this will be a holiday project for me and my dad

[llama]

sport/truck must be a youngun

[Sport/Truck]

Originally Posted by llama

sport/truck must be a youngun

And you say this because??? Because I don’t like gimmicks? I live in the mountains, and as president of the community I live in, I don’t think I should be promoting such stuff. I also don’t want to be responsible for starting a forest fire either, or being questioned/suspected of such an event. Not to mention what the base police/national labs police will say when they see my truck with all that wire crap hooked to what they are going to call an incendiary device. Those pipes are going to attract attention I don’t need/want. That’s just me, I’m weird like that. To each his own, it could be fun at times, but think it will fade quickly.
Signed
Flamed on the flamethrower thread.

A picture I took about a week ago….all that snow has already melted (we are in a drought). But I’m sure you’ll vouch that I’m a youngun and didn’t know better.

[see ten]

Sorry, but I seriously doubt the flame throwers are going anywhere. They have been around in one form or another for years so they're far from being new. The large tips I showed in the pics are usually only installed for a performance or show. Most of the flame throwers I have seen won't even run them without placing an insulated blanket/heat shield on the rear of the vehicle to keep from damaging the paint. Of course there's always that moron who wants to do something at the wrong place and time that makes the rest of the crowd look bad.

[Sport/Truck]

I agree, I’ve seen this topic come up before with lots of links for the components etc. I just don’t see a need for it. It would be cool when you get together with your friends, but that’s at work (on base) or when I’m at a trials event…again in the mountains.
These trucks get all kinds of attention, so I don’t see a need for all the flash. I’m sure it’s a blast with all the kids.
To be honest, I would get myself in trouble- flaming tailgaters & gang members ricers etc.
One positive note it could block the license plate from the red light / speed cameras!
As always See Ten, cool pictures!
s/t

[johnboyrox]

The only way I ever tried it was on the cheap. My dad told me how. Run a wire and with a switch split off one of the plug wires (I used #7). Run the wire back to your exhaust tip, I drilled a hole and tacked in a spark plug. I had a cam with some overlap and revved it up a bit and threw the switch. With the one plug not firing and the overlap in the cam, enough unspent fuel came out to lite 'em up a little. It is not quite as cool as metering propane though.