Can I put mufflers at the end of an exhaust system?

[El Campo]

So the truck is lowered 4/6 inches. Only running 3 inch exhaust (is this necessary with a 630 hp 535CI?) if I have to. The problem is that it is a very tight squeeze everywhere for the mufflers. I am thinking that I am going to get the Flowmaster Super 44s. They only have a 13 inch long body and I THINK that I can squeeze them between my Turbo 400 crossmember and the center crossmember. If I cannot however the only other place that I can imagine they would fit is at the very back immediately after the axle. Can you do this??? Oh yes and I definitely definitely want the exhaust all the way out of the back.

[oldgoalie]

You can put them where you want. My 70 Firebird muffler is behind the rear axle. Came that way from the factory, I have a Flowmaster system and they still put it still there.

[PanelDeland]

I have a 67 tht was run outside the framerails in the front kickup.Then they run down the outside of the frame rails with the mufflers and back under the frame and over the rear to exit straight out the back.You can put them almost anywhere.

[John Gilbert]

Sure you can. In fact on some applications such as the early British built Austin Mini Cooper S, it was proven a muffler at the very end of the system made the best horsepower.

On a Chevy V8, I think you could shove a potato up the pipe, and you couldn't hurt the horsepower much... Maybe that's a stretch.

[El Campo]

So I got my Flowmaster Super 44s and on the sheet that came with the mufflers it said that there needs to be at least 12 inches of pipe AFTER the mufflers. Said this gives the best sound and performance. May only be for this muffler though. Like you say I know there are quite a few factory cars that have mufflers at the very end.

[Willys47]

found magnaflows put theres here

[dukcaln]

nice.............

[screaminchevypickup]

I always put mine right before the rear axle then run tailpipes over the axle!!!
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[DaBigKahuna]

If it's a chambered muffler, you should be ok.

However, if it's packed muffler... like a glass pack, you should have a couple of feet of pipe after the muffler. The pipe will dampen out the pulsing effect of the exhaust and keep them from blowing out the packing.

[fastwillie 696969]

here's mine flowmasters dump before the rear end

[TobyArnot]

Found this old post of mine. Thrush Turbo's ($$) on 2-1/4 pipe. Exhaust shop sold me (2) 3" tips.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by El Campo

So I got my Flowmaster Super 44s and on the sheet that came with the mufflers it said that there needs to be at least 12 inches of pipe AFTER the mufflers. Said this gives the best sound and performance. May only be for this muffler though. Like you say I know there are quite a few factory cars that have mufflers at the very end.

If the manufacturer says put at least 12 inches of pipe after the muffler, I'd put at least 12 inches of pipe after the muffler. I'm guessing that if you don't your V8 is gonna sound like one of those fart can import mufflers. That would be tragic.

The other issue I see is water. I never saw it written or proved but when I worked at a shop my boss said that for every gallon of gas you burn a gallon of water goes out the tail pipe. While I don't think it is a 1-to-1 ratio I do know that you do get water in there. When I worked at the shop I replaced many, many, many mufflers on the GM 4 cylinder products that had the muffler at the back of the car with about 4 inches of tail pipe. The old ladies would start the car, drive it one mile to church and back on Sunday. Then drive it one mile to Rainbow Foods and back on Wednesday. Never once did they warm up the car enough to evaporate the water out of the muffler. We always sold them lifetime mufflers because they needed one every other or in some extreme cases, every year.

So long story short, if you drive around town and never really warm the vehicle up, that muffler back there may be a rust out issue. Stainless or not, all steel eventually rusts. If you have a muffler full of water sitting in your garage it will rust from the inside out in no time.

[jjzepplin]

I believe early Corvettes did this. No other place to put them..

[cdowns]

lincons and caddys had back mounted mufflers for many years// i think the thinking there was that there was less heat going up into the passenger compartment that way//tho i'm not sure it's just a guess

[Tom Vogel]

FWIW... A few years ago, Car Craft did an article where they tested several muffler and pipe setups with dyno results. The vehicles did the best on HP and Torque with the mufflers as close to the back as possible (like the Vette) So... not only is it OK, its Best.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

I believe early Corvettes did this. No other place to put them..

The C2 and C3 (63-82) Corvettes have the muffler right at the back with a tip and that's it. Not sure about C4, but I think they are also similar.