?'s on cutting ceramic coated Thorley collector pipes for stock converter placement question/s here

Hello. Like it says. I got a really good deal on some new Doug Thorley headers. I have read that D.T. header quality can be spotty, but the set I got look amazing. Welds, flanges, ceramic coating looks to notch (I can put on a couple photos if anyone wants).

If I remove the long, single 2.5 collector tube, I can practically have all 4 cats in positions very close to stock.

The ceramic coating on this set is so nice, I hate to cut it. But to keep my converter-keeping plan, I need to.

Any ideas on this? I live in a dry place that never snows and it hardly ever rains. Is there a very tough paint I can use?

Does the inside of the exhaust system trap & keep more moisture than the outside?

Can rust "creep" up a coated tube from cut ends of pipe?

Thank you for sharing any ideas/thoughts/experience on this topic.

 

Assuming we’re talking about long tubes? The collector is important. Essentially 50% of the design of a long tube. Chopping it off probably negates the entire effort of putting them in(which is a giant pain in the ass).

 

Yes, long tubes. The 2nd "Y," before the collector is long. It goes about the back of the first converter I think. I know the AFE's are more of a mid-length header, and with their headers (4 into 1), the make good power with the first cat in about the stock position.
Thanx.

 

@dirtydeeds

chime in on this???

 

I actually already talked to DD a few months ago. Totally cool. At the time I thought that the $120 ebay, Tundra, tri-Y headers were OBX brand. I contacted the seller, they were not.

I had asked about having a set of the ($120 non existent) OBX headers sent to him, and all 4 converters, and have him make up a mid-pipe set up w/cutting the extra foot or so of the tri-Y header (again, to keep cats in semi-factory position). He was great to talk to. Overall price was a great/fair. But it was more than I could muster w/o hitting up a credit card at the time.

I have been reading on some different paints (spray or can) reviews for exhaust.