Taming the Beast

[dkn1997]

Just got done quieting down my ride.  for years the 440 breathed through headers 2.5" mandrel bent exhaust w/H pipe and 2 chamber flowmasters.  Needed to quiet it down some so the wife and kids will ride with me, so I put HP manifolds on.  I was too cheap to tear apart the entire exhaust system, so I installed 2.5" summitt glass packs just before the exhaust tips. still real throaty, but not nearly as loud.  actually "feels" faster because it's quieter.  not wimpy, just not obnoxious like before.

so it's a sad day, but good day because I can enjoy the car with my family now.....as soon as my 3 point belts arrive and I put them in the rear for the chitlins....

[Charger_Fan]

Who needs three point belts? Just throw 'em in a basket, like this lady.

[dkn1997]

Hey dude, thanks for the drawing you sent. 

yeah, it's so quiet now, very strange. This thing was very loud for the last 8 years.  Now,  with painted stock valve covers, painted 68 stock unsilenced air cleaner and HP manifolds, it's looking and sounding pretty stock now.  Now's the time to get a set of E heads, paint them orang, put my EFI on and go into stealth mode.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Its addicting believe me......

Next you will be looking for correct "H" bolts for your thermostat housing...... DAMHIK

[dkn1997]

yep, I am already looking at ditching all of my worm type hose clamps for those factory ones.  Now I just need a way to make my Be Cool radiator look stock....Not!!

[Brock Samson]

a couple questions:

Do the headers make that much noise?.. themselves?..
It was suggested to me I use Caddy muffelers if I wanted quieter exhaust...
did ya' try any other fixes before setteling on your present arrangment?

any pics?.. 

[70charginglizard]

Heres a stupid question for all you shortie header guys.
Why don't they make a shortie header that has a dirrect connection to your existing hp manifold connection? Seems like every header I've ever seen requires you to go and have a muffler shop cut off your existing end pipe connection off and put an header adaption connection end fitting on it. Why do they all do that?
I would possibly go to headers if this wasn't the case so I could easily change back in forth if I wanted to but all the headers I've ever seen require a connection modification so I'm not doing it.

[firefighter3931]

a couple questions:

Do the headers make that much noise?.. themselves?..
It was suggested to me I use Caddy muffelers if I wanted quieter exhaust...
did ya' try any other fixes before setteling on your present arrangment?

any pics?.. 

Dave, it depends on the brand of header. Some of the thinner 18guage tube headers are a little noisier. The thicker 14guage are actually quiet.....so the correct answer is "it depends".

I don't know what mufflers you have on the car now, but dynomax superturbos are pretty quiet. The Ultraflows are louder but nothing like a flowbastard.   An H or X pipe will also mellow out the tone....and improve both torque and horsepower. I prefer the X because it increases cylinder scavenging better than the H pipe does.


Ron

[firefighter3931]

Why don't they make a shortie header that has a dirrect connection to your existing hp manifold connection?

The proper way to design a header is to have the pipes relatively close to equal length....that is way they work better than manifolds.  Just imagine the mess of tubing you'd have under the hood if the headpipe flange was located in the same area as the factory manifold.  Tubing length and diameter both affect performance and generally, most headers that work well will be at least 30in long on the primary tubes. Personally, i wouldn't even bother with a shorty style header....very little, if anything to be gained, performance-wise.


Ron

[firefighter3931]

yep, I am already looking at ditching all of my worm type hose clamps for those factory ones. 

Dk, This type of talk is very disturbing ! 


Ron

[Brock Samson]

thanks!

I got the Bastards!
and an h-pipe.. behind three inch TTIs cause i picked the parts in '97 prior to being on the site and that's what i thought was best then.
so my whooptie has basically two sounds,.. "Horny Panther" or "Pissed Off Tyrannosaur"... 
...now I'd do the X pipe and either the turbos or the ultras..

thanks again..

[dkn1997]

You got it Ron, "Hello my name is kevin and I am a stockaholic"  the first step is admitting I have a problem. 


as far as what I tried before this....well, my old exhaust system is listed in my first post.  It was loud and obnoxious, but in a good way.  When I wanted to quiet it down, my first step was HP manifolds.  The exhaust man told me that this alone would not work and he was right.  It was a little louder...but deeper.  Unfortunately there was some reverb.  The man told me that it was louder because the headers allowed the sound to travel a longer distance before coming together in the collector.  plus they lost some sound through the tubes (that "tinny" sound you hear with headers. 

So that was step 1.  I could have just brought it back to swap out the mufflers (2 chamber "flowbastards" as Ron calls them  )  I would have gone with dynomax superturbos based on responses to earlier questions on earlier posts.  However, I had heard of the guys who did the one lap of america in the greeen brick using glasspacks as poormans resonators, so I thought I would try it.  It save money, and more importantly time.  took all of 1/2 hour to cut out a section of the tailpipe, stab these glasspacks in, and clamp them up.  It also avoided a trip to the exhaust shop which is very difficult for me because I work a ton of hours and I am never around when the shop is open.

plus, I could yank them and have my old sound back any time.  If I had the shop weld new mufflers in, I would be stuck If I did not like the sound.

Here is a pic, pardon the Ghetto clamps.  If I decide I like this, I will get my buddy to mig it for me.  although it's right next to the tank, boom!!

[firefighter3931]

thanks!

I got the Bastards!
and an h-pipe.. behind three inch TTIs cause i picked the parts in '97 prior to being on the site and that's what i thought was best then.
so my whooptie has basically two sounds,.. "Horny Panther" or "Pissed Off Tyrannosaur"... 
...now I'd do the X pipe and either the turbos or the ultras..

thanks again..

Dave, if you've got the H-pipe then just leave it on. If you didn't have either and were starting from scratch....the X pipe would be the way to go. I'm assuming that your pipes are all in good shape and don't need replacing. 

With the 3in tti pipes a set of superturbos would be fine, and significantly quieter than the flowbastards. The performance will actually improve...believe it or not. There's nuthin "performance" about the Flowbastards....just obnoxious exhaust tone and an annoying drone at cruise speed. 


Ron

[firefighter3931]

You got it Ron, "Hello my name is kevin and I am a stockaholic"  the first step is admitting I have a problem. 

Fwiw, nice job on the poor man's resonators. 

Whatever it takes to keep the family happy Kevin ! 



Ron

[dkn1997]

I might try flipping all of the clamps and trying to tighten them from the top with a socket. 

[Brock Samson]

from firefighter Ron a man who's knowledge i respect:

"if you've got the H-pipe then just leave it on. If you didn't have either and were starting from scratch....the X pipe would be the way to go. I'm assuming that your pipes are all in good shape and don't need replacing. 

With the 3in tti pipes a set of superturbos would be fine, and significantly quieter than the flowbastards. The performance will actually improve...believe it or not. There's nuthin "performance" about the Flowbastards....just obnoxious exhaust tone and an annoying drone at cruise speed."

i need some quick advice/info guys..
the Battle Star Galactica (aka the Road Runner) is in the shop for a muffler which on blew out cause a back fire while carb tuning...
anyhow.. it's been advised as above to get the dyno maxes or flows but which would be the best on a 340,...
I'm thinking of adding the x pipe while it's up on the rack,...
I know the "keep it original" argument 'n all, but my thought is keep it looking stock but make it better when ever possible...

who looks at mufflers anyway?...

[firefighter3931]

Dave, does the Roadrunner have headers or factory manifolds ? Are you wanting to replace the headpipes or are they still in good shape ? Is the 340 mostly stock ? Probably need more info on what the car's current build is...how big the pipes are, what's being replaced etc...


Ron

[Brock Samson]

exactly,..  i want to keep the stock manifolds ho headers (yet  ) if i did the headers id do 3 inch etc..
but for now i think an x pipe and the new muffelers would be sufficient after all there's this '66 i'm going to see in an hour...  and I'll need the dough for that..
btw: the new rubber on the charger pretty much solved all it's evil darting characteristics... YE HAAW!                             

[firefighter3931]

exactly,..  i want to keep the stock manifolds ho headers (yet  ) if i did the headers id do 3 inch etc..
but for now i think an x pipe and the new muffelers would be sufficient after all there's this '66 i'm going to see in an hour...  and I'll need the dough for that..
btw: the new rubber on the charger pretty much solved all it's evil darting characteristics... YE HAAW!                             

With the manifolds, go with a tti 2.5in x-pipe system....3in is too big for a 340.  I would be tempted to use the ultra flows on the smaller 2.5in system which is substantially quieter than a 3in exhaust. The x-pipe also tones things down as well. The x-pipe is a no brainer, especially with factory manifolds. Better cylinder scavenging and increased tq/hp. 


Ron