Dougs Exhaust Cut Outs

[BMosely]

We have had these on the car for a few years now. TTI long tube headers to a 2 1/2" full TTI system thru mufflers. Quiet in the neighborhood and let her eat on the street. The feedback on the cutouts is to consider them a maintenance item. Even with constant use and cycling the carbon build up eventually becomes to heavy and the blades start hanging up. They are easy to service as long as you are smart enough to leave the electrical connector under the car before pulling the wires up thru the floor for routing. Pull them, scrap them down and keep going. On the last attempt I out smarted myself and thought that some aluminum anti-seize would both add lubrication and prevent the carbon from sticking. In practice, anti-seize will not withstand the heat and it eventually caked up adding to the problem. Just clean them and run them dry. It looks like an 8-10,000 mile service interval.

 

[AR67GTX]

There is a high temp anti-seize protectant. Not sure if it’s high temp enough though.

 

[Sinitro]

Hmmm..
U must be referring to the later Doug's electric cut-outs that uses the butterfly flange design,
as the original Doug's electric cut-outs used a sliding door mechanism that self-cleans..
As I have been using a set of the original Doug cut-outs for many years and they never required any maintance..
Below is a pix of the original type..

Just my $0.02...

 

[Dennis H]

My experience with QTP’s is trouble free for about 15 years IIRC. Zero maintenance and seal shut on demand.

 

[Sinitro]

My experience with QTP’s is trouble free for about 15 years IIRC. Zero maintenance and seal shut on demand.

Good news they work for U.
I have talked to a few guys that complained about them clogging up.
Also there are some negative reviews on YouTube...

Just my $0.02...

 

[BMosely]

No, my Dougs are the new style and have the metal gears that are the current design. I will say that this is my sons car and no sooner did I install the cutouts that they we put in the open position and there they stayed for at least 4 months of daily driving. I assumed by not exercising the valve that it allowed carbon to build up in the channel and cause the issue. As stated, the anti-seize may have contributed to round 2 of cleaning. They are recleaned and installed dry this round so we will see how it goes. The motors could be a little stronger and this would solve the issue. I actually sourced and bought 2 new motors to rebuild them (not Dougs replacements) if needed that are stronger and are 12 rpm rated so they deliver better torque. If I ever finish the current project list, new trolling motor on the boat, sell the other boat, fuel tank canister pick up on the diesel truck, boat trailer master cylinder replacement/rerun all new brake lines/repack all 4 wheels, I will report back.

 

[BMosely]

Misspoke, the sourced motors are 5 rpm. They will need the cross hole drilled in the shaft but that is pretty basic.

 

[Sinitro]

No, my Dougs are the new style and have the metal gears that are the current design. I will say that this is my sons car and no sooner did I install the cutouts that they we put in the open position and there they stayed for at least 4 months of daily driving. I assumed by not exercising the valve that it allowed carbon to build up in the channel and cause the issue. As stated, the anti-seize may have contributed to round 2 of cleaning. They are recleaned and installed dry this round so we will see how it goes. The motors could be a little stronger and this would solve the issue. I actually sourced and bought 2 new motors to rebuild them (not Dougs replacements) if needed that are stronger and are 12 rpm rated so they deliver better torque. If I ever finish the current project list, new trolling motor on the boat, sell the other boat, fuel tank canister pick up on the diesel truck, boat trailer master cylinder replacement/rerun all new brake lines/repack all 4 wheels, I will report back.

Mine are the original style as my posted pix showed. One drawback of the original style is that they are bulky so I added an additional support strap. Its motor is a Daytron, available from Grainger as I talked with Doug directly when he 1st designed it. Anyhow I have been running them for almost 20 years and they still operate fine, they have provided alot of surprises...

Just my $0.02...

 

[33 IMP]

I've never understood the concept of cutouts. Maybe it's Loud-***-harley syndrome.
If you've got a proper, good quality exhaust system, a cutout gets you NO power, just noise. And if they are on a mild street car engine, it usually sounds like **** uncorked, even worse if the cutouts aren't in the right place.
If you want em, go for it.... but I'm certainly not impressed with bad noise for noise sake.


And don't cite the EM test of cutouts. A more bogus product-promoting magazine test I have NEVER seen!

 

[Dennis H]

I've never understood the concept of cutouts. Maybe it's Loud-***-harley syndrome.
If you've got a proper, good quality exhaust system, a cutout gets you NO power, just noise. And if they are on a mild street car engine, it usually sounds like **** uncorked, even worse if the cutouts aren't in the right place.
If you want em, go for it.... but I'm certainly not impressed with bad noise for noise sake.


And don't cite the EM test of cutouts. A more bogus product-promoting magazine test I have NEVER seen!

The Comp Cam has a killer lope at 750 RPM. They are only open for a grand entrance. Also set off car alarms in Reno parking deck.

 

[BMosely]

I've never understood the concept of cutouts. Maybe it's Loud-***-harley syndrome.
If you've got a proper, good quality exhaust system, a cutout gets you NO power, just noise. And if they are on a mild street car engine, it usually sounds like **** uncorked, even worse if the cutouts aren't in the right place.
If you want em, go for it.... but I'm certainly not impressed with bad noise for noise sake.


And don't cite the EM test of cutouts. A more bogus product-promoting magazine test I have NEVER seen!

Because nothing drops panties faster than a loping big block on pipes.

Cut outs

 

[MarPar]

Also set off car alarms in Reno parking deck.

 

[Sinitro]

I've never understood the concept of cutouts. Maybe it's Loud-***-harley syndrome.
If you've got a proper, good quality exhaust system, a cutout gets you NO power, just noise. And if they are on a mild street car engine, it usually sounds like **** uncorked, even worse if the cutouts aren't in the right place.
If you want em, go for it.... but I'm certainly not impressed with bad noise for noise sake.


And don't cite the EM test of cutouts. A more bogus product-promoting magazine test I have NEVER seen!

My electric cutouts switch also activates my NOS...
So I not only get the louder exhaust noise but also the added boost!!

Just my $0.02...

 

[dadsbee]

Different strokes for different folks! I use to be able to blow the front windows out of Woolworths in 79/80 by backing up to the curb with stock exhaust, giving her the gas and then backing off. The crackle would blow an 8 x 8 window out..