exhaust opinions

willtow

Daily Driver
Jul 9, 2012
29
0
0
on my 79 malibu bracket car im currently running long tube headers 3 inch collectors with 2.5 inch exhaust all the way out behind rear tire with flowmaster mufflers.....im making some changes getting ready for this racing season thinking of doing away with full exhaust but dont want to run just headers i want to get the exhaust exiting behind me so its not so loud in car (i like to hear my motor) im thinking of coming off the header with a 3" pipe and going back and turn out right before the rear axle...i was first thinking about just doing a straight pipe but after doing some searching and reading im leaning towards running a 3" x-pipe ran as i stated above no mufflers dumped before rear axle .....whats your opinion straight pipe? x-pipe ? h-pipe ? or............? pros/cons if any ?
 

LS6 Tommy

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 15, 2004
15,847
1
38
North Jersey
Mufflers are good enough these days that a well designed system like one from Torque Tech has almost no loss compared to open headers. If you don't want it to drone, go with something other tha the Flomasters. The X pipe may or may not increase power, but it will definitely reduce the harshness...

Tommy
 

prairiehotrodder

Pro Stocker
Dec 17, 2005
1,576
4
38
46
Melfort Saskatchewan Canada
i have a 3 inch flowmaster scavenger pipe kit (basically and X-pipe) and flowmaster super 44 mufflers. On a 600 hp motor i gain nothing by taking it off at the track. It sounds good and dumps by the axle.
brian
 

bracketchev1221

Dragway Regular
Apr 22, 2009
1,111
1
0
Mountville Pa
If you don't have to run mufflers I would go without them. The headers will blow the smoke away from the tires during the burnout. It is less weight too. I haven't run mufflers in 10 years on my car. And that was only due to track requirements.
 

cutlass389

Frequent Racer
Feb 2, 2009
684
0
0
NC
On my bracket car I run headers into 2.5" reducers and about 12" of pipe into bullet mufflers and turndowns just behind my seat. Mostly this is a cutdown version of the previous full length street system but other than the extra weight versus open headers it costs no power. 18" collectors are the best average length anyway and the fumes are behind me rather than in my face and eyes. Last thing I need when trying to chop down the tree is watery eyes. I run a little lean to try to be consistant with weather changes but even still it can be problematic in a closed car with short exhaust. Not only can I listen for weird noises I don't EXCESSIVELY annoy the neighbors when "tuning". Personally I despise the sound of straight pipes with no mufflers at all.
 

Malibuwagon80

Dragway Regular
Aug 8, 2007
1,255
0
0
North Jersey
cutlass389 said:
On my bracket car I run headers into 2.5" reducers and about 12" of pipe into bullet mufflers and turndowns just behind my seat. Mostly this is a cutdown version of the previous full length street system but other than the extra weight versus open headers it costs no power. 18" collectors are the best average length anyway and the fumes are behind me rather than in my face and eyes. Last thing I need when trying to chop down the tree is watery eyes. I run a little lean to try to be consistant with weather changes but even still it can be problematic in a closed car with short exhaust. Not only can I listen for weird noises I don't EXCESSIVELY annoy the neighbors when "tuning". Personally I despise the sound of straight pipes with no mufflers at all.
Mine is pretty much the same situation as yours. Although I have 3.5 in straight pipes off the hooker 2241's to flowmaster race mufflers, with turnouts. I live in suburbia and have a 80yr old neighbor!! So I don't run the car on off hrs. Although I know she goes to Church every Fri nite!!! lol. It pays to keep the neighbors happy when you run a small business and have alot of car stuff around. We have 5 vehicles in our family, 3 are mine lol.
 

cutlass389

Frequent Racer
Feb 2, 2009
684
0
0
NC
Yeah, I'm in suburbia also so even with mufflers I don't start the car before 10:00 or after dinner time. I try to ruffle as few feathers as possible. Beauty of a bracket car is that even if the mufflers did slow it down, as long as I don't change anything it's OK. I'm carrying 110 lbs of ballast in the trunk which I'm sure slows it somewhat but again as long as I don't CHANGE it I'll take the consistancy of guaranteed traction on any track condition every time. Another side benefit to being able to hear what's going on is I can tell if and how many whomps my opponent is perpetrating over there. :shock:
 

Firetruck1

Dragway Regular
Jan 3, 2013
1,104
0
0
Ocala Florida
You better run a single digit 1/4 mile time if you dont have mufflers. Nothing worse then a 13 second crapbox loud as hell to go and run the slowest pass of the night. Quite popular around here with the rednecks! If you would simply replace your flowmasters with a better muffler and put dumps or ever leave the tail pipes, you will have a better performing exhaust. Remember this too, the exhaust starts at your head and headers. If they are not right, nothing will make it correct.

Personally I have edelbrock mufflers on a 700 plus horse power motor and have no problems. I street drive it a little. You can also go with some magnaflow or some ultraflow mufflers. They flow well, are not chambered and sound good.
 

MalibuRacing.com Gear

Stickers & Shirts!!