Header sound

[chadvicki]

Hello,

I am thinking of getting headers for my truck. Right now I have dual Flowmasters. The sound is very low and really quite on the fwy.

I wanted to know what the difference would be if I added the headers. Any before and after sound clips?

Also if I want a more growlier sound in the exhaust would I add glasspacks or just change out my curent FM. I dont know the number for the FM.

Whar would be the best glasspacks to get if that is the way to go. I am looking for a kinda hot rod race car kinda sound. I dont know how to describe it. Kinda like when you hold your lips together and blow the air out really hard.

KNow what I mean?

Thanks

Chad

[bryanw1968]

There are many variables that affect the sound of your motor.
How big is the exhaust, how many bends are in the pipe, what type of muffler are you running, how much compression are you running, do you have cats....etc.

If your motor is stock with stock exhaust manifolds and no cats and it's quiet you're prolly running a 50 or 70's series FM. Even on a stock motor hedders will help performance and give them a slightly pingier throaty sound. I personally don't associate glass packs with a performance application although they do flow like the dickens. They're just loud loud loud. If you do get them the longer the better. It will be a little more mellow. IMHO

[Slammed70]

If your gonna go with a "glasspack" style muffler. Id hit up Dynomax and get their Bullet muffler. I have 4in in/out thats 12 inches long on my Camaro. Its quiet at idle, but its so loud it makes my ears bleed.

As far as headers go. Longtubes are the only ones that will sound different....well, good ones anyway. Headers with good long collectors will create what they call a scavenging effect that accually sucks the exhaust out instead of relying on the pistons to push it all out. They tend to give you a cleaner more even "pulse" to your exhaust. And back them up with decent mufflers and free flowing pipes you can accually hear each cylinder firing.


The setup my truck has is midlength Sanderson coated headers-dual 2.5 in-(I think) 50 series Deltaflows. They dump right after the rear axle.

[bryanw1968]

Originally Posted by Slammed70

If your gonna go with a "glasspack" style muffler. Id hit up Dynomax and get their Bullet muffler. I have 4in in/out thats 12 inches long on my Camaro. Its quiet at idle, but its so loud it makes my ears bleed.

As far as headers go. Longtubes are the only ones that will sound different....well, good ones anyway. Headers with good long collectors will create what they call a scavenging effect that accually sucks the exhaust out instead of relying on the pistons to push it all out. They tend to give you a cleaner more even "pulse" to your exhaust. And back them up with decent mufflers and free flowing pipes you can accually hear each cylinder firing.


The setup my truck has is midlength Sanderson coated headers-dual 2.5 in-(I think) 50 series Deltaflows. They dump right after the rear axle.

I agree that mid length and shorty hedders don't do as much for sound as full length hedders. Also, as far as scavaging and evening exhaust pressure is concerned I would recommend having an "H" pipe or crossover pipe installed. That really helps balance things out and makes it sound and flow much better.

I also had a set of dynomax bullet "glass pack" style mufflers and they sounded amazing at idle. But like slammed70 mentioned they are VERY loud at WOT!!!!

A buddy of mine has a set of dynomax welded FM style mufflers that are a straight through design and I really like the way they sound. Quiet at idle but much louder at increased RPM's.

[PanelDeland]

Most of the exhaust systems I've heard the ones with coated headers were slightly quiter.I think a lot of the pingy or whatever you would call it is from the actual header.Also generally thicker headers will be quiter.Make sure you get the thickest header flange you can.This will help with gasket retention.The biggest complaint about headers is people who buy cheap thin flanged headers and spend a lot of time replacing the gaskets.

[cdowns]

if you want a more performance type sound ,instead of the garbage can rattle from blowmasters get a hi performance engine

[Slammed70]

I wanna hear them "race" magnaflows. You know, the round ones that are $140 a pop.

[68C15]

trust me, after a while you will get tired of the glasspacks.
I have hedman longtubes (thanks KurtL) with 2 1/2" pipes running just as straight as possible. they run outside the frame at the rear. and 12" glass packs about 3 feet from the rear. it might as well be open header. it drones sooooooooo bad at cruise!!!!!! but then again it sure does wake up sleepy drivers around me.

[bryanw1968]

Originally Posted by cdowns

if you want a more performance type sound ,instead of the garbage can rattle from blowmasters get a hi performance engine

Ageed, HP will make even the quietest muffler sound good.
I still like the way my "blowmasters" sound and I do have a performance engine.

Is anyone running just regular ol' turbo mufflers anymore?

[Shane]

Originally Posted by chadvicki

I dont know how to describe it. Kinda like when you hold your lips together and blow the air out really hard.

No offense, but it's gonna be pretty hard for anyone to take you seriously with a statement like that.