Jeffs Rebuilt Crossover Pipes?????

[tgpguy21]

Does anyone know what jeff makes his crossover pipes from??? what does he do with the bellows?? any help would be much appreciated.

[idbeast]

The billows are inconel, it's the same metal that the pins that hold jet engines to the wings are made of.

[Jeff M]

I am the one that took on that job, back in 1996 though knowledge of the OEM pipe failing regularly was discovered back in 1991 during the ownership of my first, and brand new black TGP. Within the first year I started to have stalling coming to a stop, foul smelling exhaust, weak spot in power around 4,000 rpms, a smell of raw exhaust in the AC/heater ducts and a failed o2 sensor (among other problems the cracked pipe gives to owners). From these issues the dealer was fast in determining an exhaust leak somewhere prior to the o2 sitting on top of the turbo. It was found that the crossover pipe was cracked, though it could not be seen with the shield over it, it was there and a new pipe was installed under warranty. Fortunately the (only) low bid item on this car, the crossover pipe, failed again before another year was up, and this happened every year till I sold it 4 years later! By 1996 after being on the internet since 1995, I had already amassed numerous comments from TGP owners of their pipe failing over and over too, so I decided to take on designing a crossover pipe that would not fail, and outlast the car if possible. To not assume a simple welding of the crack in the thin metal of the flex joints in the pipe as a fix, I needed to come up with a way to make up a correction to those weak flex joints, but needed a TGP to use for those first proto-type crossover pipes, so I bought another TGP (damn that was a hard choice :-). I needed to get the input from the best in the business at making exhaust components so no better place than in Motor City Detroit Michigan (once my home state). There I hooked up with a firm that provided proto-type intake and exhaust systems for the Big 3 automakers, they analyzed the pipe and its failings and weaknesses (aside from the flex joints/bellows) and for cost reasons, decided to go with the replacement of the flex joints with a solid piece, that necessitated very precise tolerances when assembling. We also implemented a number of other improvements to the design and went into production. After about 150 pipes sold in about 2 years I was having a few returned failed in the weld joints, though this was a small amount (less than 3%), I was not happy with even one unsatisfied TGP owner. With that I took on a 3 month task to find a supplier for new flex joints, trying all the typical places like Turbonetics, who did have a bellow, that was too long but was also $75 for just one, too much to add along with the other work/costs to the pipes. After a lot of research I had to step up to knocking on the doors of some big Tier 1 OEM suppliers, that sell millions of dollars of exhaust components to the Big 3 and others. Not to my surprise they were not interested in anything less than runs totally a minimum of 100,000 pieces, or more. But I kept trying until I did find one that said they would work with me, my contact there was a new guy and he needed to get some accounts going and some purchases under his belt, and took on my small order. I still need to place a minimum order of $3,000, but it was worth it, these new flex joints have all the features, Inconel bellow, T-409 Liner, T-304 outer braiding and all robotic construction. After over 400 pipes sold now, there have been no failures, and the excruciating tests I put mine through (glowing red after repeated hard runs at boost levels higher than anyone) shows no signs of distress either, mission accomplished!

 

So to answer your questions, yes, I do the pipes for the TGP and TSTE only. A number of members here have put very detailed information on there web sites regarding the OEM pipe and my Premium Crossover, but you are also welcome to email me.

 

Jeff M

[TGPilot]

I like the nice comments I get from people when I open the hood and they start to look close at the turbo. When they see the braid they start talking about how nice it looks and say...wow McClaren/Pontiac put some work into that! I very quickly correct them and let them know that Pontiac's design fails year after year. It is a very nice looking and obviously proven design! 8)

[Jeff M]

Thanks, no one knows all the tools and supplies that I use up to work on these animals too, but I enjoy the work. It takes a full 1hp grinder with an 8†stainless steel coarse wire wheel and grinding wheel to clean these up (a lot, what a welding mess) before I take them to the real welders. I go through those wire wheels fast, and leather gloves it likes to eat, and 3/8†titanium coated drill bits. A good respirator and a full face mask as those wire wheel wires like to come off and harpoon you in the forehead :-). It was fricking $65 for the larger die to chase any damaged threads on the EGR bung, though now I stock new ones and replace as needed, anyways.

 

On to the good stuff, McLaren did indeed spec a lot of good parts for our cars, a more common Garrett water cooled turbo, Blackstone/Spearco intercooler, stacked plate aux tranny cooler (not a lesser serpentine one) with larger tranny fluid lines, and the tranny cooler has its own air ducting, too cool. Nice big functional hood louvers, though ASC was put to the task to design these, but they flow some air. Now GM may think they should charge and arm and a leg for these but with some care, we can make what we got last, until we upgrade it. Also as mechanical as our MoonRoofs are, it’s really surprising I have only heard of a few problems, mainly the position switch not working and the weather strip coming loose. Our ASC MoonRoofs main hardware is actually from a company called Inalfa, a huge company in Europe that has divisions in a host of areas, and among them supplies SunRoofs systems to many OEMs and Aftermarkets Companies.

 

So with all this good stuff, its hard to believe you are going to part with your TGP, from Waskie and your description, its in excellent shape, BUT I understand needing a more Sport Brute application for those mountains, maybe a hood-louvered V8 Jeep Cherokee, their not too slow either.

 

Jeff M

[TGPilot]

I am trying with all my might to hold on to my TGP. It is a blast when some punk in a 5.0 Rustang, Turbo Eclipse or a Talon pulls up and you smoke them with hardly any effort at all. I have found another way to pull in the $$ for another vehicle. Auto-Auctions and a Colorado Dealers license....gotta love it!!! 8)

[LukeZ34]

Hey TGPilot, if you ever consider selling your TGP, let me know. I would be intrested if the price was right.

[TGPilot]

Well... http://www.netavalanche.com/tgp/viewtopic.php?t=645

[LukeZ34]

Well crap.

I wish I could afford that, but I can't. Oh well, one of these days I'll have a TGP, just don't know when.

[TGPilot]

I'll take $5000 without the aftermarket stereo. I still have the stock CD Player (not for sale) and the original speakers... 8)

[Lemental]

Does anyone know if Jeff is still around? Or another source for the crossover?

 

[White93z34]

Jeff's been MIA for probably longer then he ever was here at this point in time.

There was another fellow doing them, however he's long out of the game.

However he sold his tooling/jig to @GOT2B GM who I know is still around, he's not on the forum much these days but I sent him a text, maybe he'll jump on. I think he has a Pinned thread in for sale about these.

[Pontiac6KSTEAWD]

Years ago, Jeff and I were emailing/texting/calling back and forth for a some time, his health was failing, and one day it just stopped, and his phone got disconnected.

I have a feeling I know what happened, but never got confirmation.