don

Where is the best online place to get a complete exhaust system for an 1985
S10 Blazer.... street legal, and whats the difference between OE and a
Direct Fit part?

steve w.

If by complete you mean from front manifolds to tailpipe then the BEST
place is likely not online.
That is because there are some parts where the shipping will be more
expensive and kill the price difference from your local parts store.

BUT if you still want online try http://www.rockauto.com. They offer you
different pricing levels and the prices are good.

Check the manifolds over VERY well, they have a bad habit of cracking
between the ports on that vintage Blazer. BTDT on a few of them.
IF they are broken the easiest way to go is to grind/cut the heads off,
then use vice grips or weld larger nuts to the studs and remove them
from the block. Usually they will rot about halfway between the head and
block and just twist off there.


OE parts are supposed to be the exact same as factory parts. Same
material, thickness, all bolt holes/threaded holes the same and in
theory they are even made by the same company that produced the originals.

Direct fit are parts that fit the same as factory parts BUT may have
differences. That means that if the OE pipes were mandrel bent the
direct fit parts may have accordion bends. They may use a shorter
muffler with a longer pipe, or possibly the only difference is that the
maybe the OE part was made by Maremont and the DF part is a Walker.

I have used both with no problem. One thing with a direct fit that
sometimes works in your favor. It is possible that the factory part has
a known problem and the newer direct fit part has an updated design that
helps with that problem. I believe that is the case on at least one make
of the exhaust manifolds, they used a slotted hole and better gasket to
help with the cracking between ports.

--
Steve W.