Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Exhaust Sound and Performance on 250L6

I found this in another thread and was wondering what everyone's opinion on the setup was.

I have a similar setup: Long tube headers by Pacesetter , A 1969 Chevy 250 with the monojet carb. The rest of the exhaust is on the to do list and was wondering what everyone's opinion is. Would the quoted setup be a good setup for me? Thanks.
-Nic

I-6's don't sound like 90deg V-8's. Can sound as good but always different.

The quoted post above is from one of my posts, and I beg to differ with Hemiman - well somewhat. The engine described is my 292 with tubes and a 2-into-one, then two-out muffler. Sounds like a stock small (283 or 327), small block block with turbo mufflers. The exhaust note doesn't get "raspy" until you get to near the rpms limits of the engine (4k or so).

Nice low sound up through about 3k. Just like I wanted it. Could you tell the difference if I were parked next to a truck with a small block and tube headers. Absolutely! The small block would definitely be distinct. But it doesn't sound like your typical straight six. By far!

-magic mike-

I also had dual exhaust at one time & was constantly asked , hey whats under the hood & I would reply ,it's a straight six, they would usually say, yeah right! I also was told f--- you because they thought I was being a smart a--.
Fooled a lot of people, they all thought I had a v-8.
Spanked alot of v-8's with it street racing. The good old days :-)
Hank

The long headers I have now are split into 2 seperate exits, with the first three pipes coming together right at the end and the last 3 pipes doing the same. So, I was wondering if I should keep these 2 lines seperate and maybe go with 2" pipes out the back or sides and a muffler for each line. Would there be any drawbacks for performance or sound with this setup? My main concern is performance. Thanks in advance.

Dear Nic;

That should work just fine.

Good luck, John M......

Nic,

I set up my exhaust the way I did solely for the sound (on a very mild street engine performance tuned exhaust isn't noticably beneficial anyways). I'm very happy with the results, though I wish my muffler was a tad quieter.

-magic mike-

I like Smittys, Cherry Bombs, or Thrush; 2" pipes out the back. That makes a hot six SOUND like a hot six. I've never understood anyone wanting there inline to sound like a V8. :rolleyes:

Just my difference of opinion (and something to think about):

As most here building inline 6s are doing so to differentiate their ride from the all-too-common v8, if you get too many dual Smitty, dual Cherry bomb (dual whatever) inline 6 exhaust solutions, then what you create is more commonality and it too will eventually become "just another six with dual cherry bombs and a split six sound".

Just for my own personal tastes and satisfaction, I chose to go a different sound with my exhaust. I want the "near 8" sound because, even among six cylinder builds my exhaust note sound is very uncommon (which is my intention).

Just another personal opinion. I like and respect all of what each of you's guys are doing.

-magic mike-

I ran a single 18" turbo muffler from NAPA for awhile. I pulled the original muffler off, and got rid of everything from muffler back, then put on the turbo muffler with a chrome stinger to turn the exhaust toward the ground. I liked it, but it was a bit to civilized for my blood. Dual 18" turbos might give one the best of both worlds: fairly quiet under normal conditions, and then sound off good when you jump on it hard. Anyone tried that? Of course if you're looking for maximum high rev performance I think ya need a straight through design.

Boo

I think you are right. Dual Turbo mufflers would probably sound real good, but for the performance minded glass packs are probably better due to the straight through design. My truck is a 70 chev fleetside long wheel base. Pretty much anything is an improvement over stock exhaust on those trucks!

Boo

I have homemade headers on my roadster (Chev 250)with 1 1/2" x 24" primaries into (two) 2 1/2" x 7" collectors into dual 1 3/4" pipes to 2" turbos back to 1 3/4" side-by-side duals to the rear.
I LOVE the sound! Mellow till you kick in all three rochesters, then it sounds like no other I6 or V8 i've ever heard!
Uncapped, it sounds like a slightly anemic hemi!

Eventually, I'll get a sound clip on the web so you all can hear my set up. Unfortunately, every sound clip I've heard on the computer doesn't sound anywhere close like the real thing. It sounds more tinny and weak.
If anyone was at the Midwest Inliners Picnic in Davenport, Iowa or knows of anyone that attended this last May, then you heard my '40 Chevy leave the park. "Luke" emailed me and told me it had a "Distinctive" sound and heard me all the way to the freeway!

My Chevy has Langdon's new Cast headers, 2 1/2" mandrel bent exhaust with 2 18"x3" Chambered mufflers from Corvette sidepipes and 5"x12" exhaust tips. It has a throaty rumble at idle and cruise (not too loud) but is straight wide open at hard throttle and is .....distinctive!

Like Walt said, every inline sound is different as everyone's taste and tolerance to sound is different. I have always had loud deep rumbling exhaust on every vehicle I have ever driven. Even my current everyday driver, a 2001 Dakota, has dual electric cutouts for that occasional rumble and roar factor.(actually it's open all the time my wife is not with me)

RapRap
1940 ChoppedChevyCoupe

I have true duals on a ford efi 300, headers, dual 2.25" pipes, no cats, generic bullet style turbos, exit behind each rear tire (truck).

If you go to your exhaust shop and ask for turbo mufflers they probably have two generic options, one an offset in/out pancake style and the other a bullet style, look just like the glasspacks except they are not straight through and usually painted blue. The pancake style was louder, interior wise and exterior, the bullet slightly quieter, thanks to midwest weather and rust, I was able to try both.

I can get a sound clip if anyone wants to hear it, just post your e-mail and I will send it.


The classic mustang crowd (200-250ci I-6's) seem to have success with headers, Y pipe if dual headers to 3" pipe, single in dual out flowmaster 40, dual 2.25/2.5" exhaust out the back. Especially with a performance cam, this sounds like a muffled v-8, very nice, not sure how they do it, when reved it doesn't rasp like a six normally does, IMO thats nice. I have heard a flowmaster 40 with a simillar set up on a larger ford 300 I-6 and it sounded like an I-6 with glasspacks...weird..I would think the sound would be deeper and mimic the smaller I-6 but apparently not.

The difference is probably in the length of the primary tubes on the headers. My 6 has the same sound as you describe of the smaller Ford 200-250 sixes - very v8-like. And when you open it up it retains that low note, instead of raspying up like true duals on inline 6s tend to do. I love my sound and would have it no other way.

-magic mike-

Maybe your right magic mike.

Mine has short primaries, well as far as inline headers go they are short but compared to the stock dual efi manifolds they are alot longer. When I rev mine it doesn't have the rasp but it also doesn't sound anything like a v-8. I have been contemplating an H pipe, right now its sounds like two 3 cylinder engines fighting...

magic mike

Could you post a sound clip or e-mail one?

Dude,

Don't I wish I could post a sound clip! Unfortunately I don't have a mic or anything to capture the sound bite. I'll make it a point to pick up a cheap microphone of some sort this week. If you have any suggestions please forward them on. Thanks!

-magic mike-

Other than a digital camera or mic...thats about the only way I know.

I noticed my turbos let of a pop now if I rev to 2500 rpm real quick and let off, I think the turbos are breaking down... ...I thought it was a vacuum leak but I ruled that out. Might have to find a flowmaster.

I found this on another site.

200 CI ford
264/274 camshaft
headers
dual 2" pipe
H pipe
flowmaster 40 delta flow dual in/out

"right click" and "save target as"
http://www.cquesttechnologies.com/ford6/flowmasters.wav

I am qurious now, I may try an H pipe before I spent money on a flowmaster, the fella that does my exhaust said he'd make and weld in an H pipe for $45, maybe it'll take the edge off and deepen the tone?

That's super sweet! And it's very similar to what mine sounds like. That actually sounds better because of the lumpier cam.

Sweeeeeeet!!!

-magic mike-

Inline 300

That's a very nice sound! Very mellow and very strong sounding! Good Job!

RapRap
1940 ChoppedChevyCoupe

Exhaust is in. I ended up with long type Pacesetter headers dual 3 into 1, ran 2" pipe into a dual in single out Flowmaster 50 series, and 2 1/2" pipe out the back.

I am VERY satisfied with the sound and performance. Nice quiet rumble at idle and pletty of sound at higher RPMs.

Thanks for your help!

Jeepdude

Did you add an X or H pipe?


I had an X pipe added to my setup today, man alive, its very quiet as compared to the sound before. Definitely changed the tone as well. My set up:
95 efi 4.9
dual headers
dual 2" pipe
generic turbo mufflers
exit behind rear tires

Right now it sounds just like a seriously muffled flowmaster. Walt 1940 heard my sound clip pre X pipe and I can tell you its a night and day difference, was expecting a little quieter but sheew, its beefy stock quiet.

Can you post a sound clip Jeepdude or how would you compare your exhaust sound to the ford 200 soundclip I posted in my previous post?

QUIET Who said QUIET????

:p If it's to loud,
You're to old

Who said anything about wanting it quieter?


Actually I was looking for a deeper tone,what I got with the X pipe was beefy factory stock or very quiet flowmaster. Took me by total suprise. I plan to add a single flowmaster (then my set up would be simillar to magic mikes) when these turbos rot off to pick the sound back up and give it that v-8ish rumble.

I never was a fan of the six rasp, people laugh at fart can imports and IMO, the american 292-300 inline doesn't sound much different with glasspacks...I would take seriously muffled over that anyday but to each his own...haha.

Have you found a project engine yet Walt 1940?

Dear Nic;

Whatever you do avoid the "crossover" or "X-pipe" configuration(s)!!!!

These were created to defeat (make quieter)the whole purpose of the 'dual exhaust system'.

With 2" pipes and 28-30 inch glasspacks it will sound nice and comply with most noise laws/restrictions.

Unless your really reving it up etc.

Remember: Getting the exhaust gases out ASAP is the whole purpose of headers and duals on ANY engine.

John M., #3370

Didn't use an x or H pipe.

I will try to get a sound clip maybe over the weekend.

I have the old 250 i pulled. Needs a rebuild, or at least new rings. It has a almost brand new head on it. It's an integral head, though. Got a brand new points type distributor to go with it. If noone's interested, what do you guys think it's worth?

Will look for the soundclip then jeepdude.


You'll find something soon walt 1940, jeep 4.0 in a chevy, man thats gonna be different.


Actually after I installed the X pipe, the interior has become super quiet, no matter what. The exterior idle sound level really didn't change, the tone of the sound did, smoother. Now acceleration is a whole other story, it has become super quiet..sounds like a cross between a ups truck and a flowmaster muffler...definitely much quieter and different. This would be louder if it had a more open muffler, the turbos I am using are very restrictive.

X or H pipe don't flow??
FWIW, true duals will get you flow but there is an exception. Many tests show an acutal HP and TQ increase over open headers when using an H pipe, more so using an X. It tricks the system into thinking its larger. So I suppose there is no flow loss using an X or H pipe, suppose it has more to do with how loud ya want it.

Actually Walt, I just recently celebrated the 27th anniversary of my 21st birthday

Jeep Dude


I just realized something, you went dual IN and single out, whats the part number on that flowmaster? Now you have me more interested than ever to hear a soundclip of this sucker. Does it get raspy or buzzy in the upper rpms at all?

later

Cool Topic, Finally the instalation of the exhaust system on my truck was done...

Long tube headers with dual glasspacks 36", good sound on my exhaust system but In this topic I read Mufflers and Mufflers.... I have a question...

With all the restriction that is made with Flowmasters or Mufflers, Or Y pipe, X pipe, I dont know, Is not lost the basic Principle of the headers?, I mean, The basic pourpose of the exit of the combustion with minimal restriction and the increase of HP...

Well Its my question, thanks masters.

Well there is two things going on in this thread, one is the talk of the ideal sound for our six and the other, the best flow using a certain exhaust setup.

Sure a person may lose hp potential with the flowmasters but they will still gain over stock, this approach, is geared more towards achieving a specific sound, due to the use of internal baffles vs packing / pipe with holes in it, as far as I know, only a flowmaster could provide this.

You may be suprised, glasspacks are a little more restrictive than you might think, due to the louvers inside.

There is science to the X pipe, its not restrictive as one might think, your only joining a small area of the pipe(s). Do a search on your favorite search engine, you should find more hp gains using an exhaust system with an X pipe, over running open headers. From what I understand the X pipe not only equalizes the engines exhaust pulses but it tricks the system into thinking the ehaust system is larger. Kinda like subwoofers. You take a small box and fill it with fiberfill, it will have a deeper tone, the frequencies slow down, in effect making it appear as if the box were larger. Filling a box and making the box appear larger makes no sense to me, but it works.


What truck did you put the exhaust on, what engine you using? Post a soundclip, always interested in inline sounds.

I forgot all about getting that sound clip, busy weekend. Hope everyone had a good 4th. Here's the link to the muffler that I got. There are some sounds clips on that page.
-Nic

If it does, I haven't noticed.

My truck its a 1987 chevy c15 with a 292 all stock except the exhaust where i install long tube headers by hedman, dual exit pipes into glasspacks near 36".....

The sound is raspy but deep, the pipes ends at the middle of the truck not at the rear bumper...
Sounds very monstruosity... hahaha

I will post a soundclip...
and the comments that the glasspacks are very restrictive its very interesting, I think i will change with other exhaust system.... like turbo mufflers or something like that..

I read in other site that the best flowing mufflers are the Hooker Aerochamber I dont know if its true........

thrash truck

Cool, actually I don't think the difference in flow/ hp poetential, on different mufflers would warrant changing them, especially if you like the sound you are getting, especially on a stock engine. IMO


JeepDude

I will check out the site...now lets hear a soundclip of yours..haha...later