Well, I called Flowmaster and the tech guy told me that their 70 Series Big Block II muffler were very quiet and flowed as well as their 30 or 40 series mufflers. I have them and am getting them installed with headers over the next couple of days. I will let you know exactly how quiet they are. I have OEM mufflers on now and they are quiet.
Borla DOES have the best flowing "turbo style" muffler that I know of. and they sound sweet! unfortunately 2.5" is the biggest size. Borla's XR-1 line is a "staight-thru" design, but I don't necessarily like the way they sound on some applications (like hi-po V-8'S). P.S. Anyone try hookers "aero chamber" long case mufflers? P.S.S. I,m curious to see how those flowmaster 70 series work out. steve
Besides the XR-1's, there also are a couple of 3" applications in the Pro XS models.. http://www.borla.com/proxs/pages/mufflers.php?cartID=2003102121182263.228.112.67 Probably sound the same as the XR-1's though? They also list a 3" "universal" exhaust kit that includes "hemi-style" mufflers. I don't know if those are "turbo-style" or not. http://www.borla.com/uk.hotrod/?cartID=2003102121182263.228.112.67 P.S. How about Edelbrock Performer RPM's? Anyone try these?
Some good exhaust references with sound clips: http://www.pypesexhaust.com/mufflers.html http://www.boyleworks.com/ta400/psp/exhaust.html http://performanceyears.com/exh_sounds.html
Asking muscle car enthusiests who makes the best or quieter muffler or muffler system is like asking them (including myself here ) who makes the best engine oil. Most opinions are based on anecdotal opinions and experiences and not comparison tests made under controlled conditions. Asking a manufacturers own tech people whose exhaust flow the best or is the quieter is a rhetorical question. Common sense tells you they all cannot be superior relative to their competitors yet a survey of manufacturers will yield such a survey. The test report involving the Pontiac linked above is what I had seen before and is the best attempt I know of to test the products head to head under some kind of controlled conditions. Until something better is published, it would seem to be the most reliable relative comparison of exhaust products.
Hooker Aero As it happens I put a set of aero chambers on my father-in-laws pickup to see what they sounded like. It is just a 350 with 2.50" and a h-pipe. It sounds real nice don't know what it would sound like with more cubes and larger pipe? I talked to the exhaust guy about them when he put them on and he said they were not that popular. But he sells mainly flow masters. I was interested in the flow master delta flows which are supposed to be better flowing and less noise. Also they sell a heat sheild that incases the muffler and inturn reduces the interior sound level.
Re: Hooker Aero I call them Drone Masters. Never seen any head to head testing under independently managed, controlled conditions to back up their claims. As big as they are and with so many dealers pushing their products, which are really loud, one might suspect they would not like the results. It takes more engineering to design a better flowing and quieter muffler. If I wanted that much noise, I would modify a stock muffler with an ice pick. I will admit they were clever with marketing that name. The scientific tests I have seen just do not back up their marketing hype.
My advice is to not ask anyone with a buzzbomb Ricer. TA makes three inch exhaust systems which showed virtually no horsepower loss according to their catalogue.
3" pipe from header collector or manifold into 3" in 2 1/2" out X pipe. I used the Dr Gas. For muffs Magnaflow or Walker Ultra flow. All Mandrel bent pipes. Check out www.magnaflow.com/02product/universal/oval.htm The bigger the case the quieter without ristricting flow. 3" pipe is much louder than 2 1/2". I used the 5x8x18" case offset center #12256 but IF you can fit it the 5x11x22" case #12586 would be quieter without restricting flow. Sorry if you want all 3" you can do the same as above except 3" all the way through. Part numbers are listed right with the pics. From the above link click on "wide open" to see a cut away pic then clink performance solutions on the left side of screen and page thru by clicking arrows at the bottom of the screen. When you get back to the cut away pick click tech tips up top and scrowl down and check out pipe size.
I never have used Flowmasters. I dunno if their design flows any worse (or better) than anyone else's. But, I personally have heard a LOT of HOT Big Block cars using them. They do sound very good in my opinion, in SOME instances. Mostly at an idle, OR very stock. But they will NEVER be on my car, because of the noise and the DRONE during cruising RPM's, and the attention they draw. I've never liked that, and besides the Walker Super Dynomax's are "tough" enough for me. I wish the 3" X-pipe setups were available back when I bought my exhaust like they are now. I never could convince myself that H-pipe setups were worth the bother. Damn NASCAR for being so tight with their technology! Thanks for finally releasing this tech. to the general public finally! I feel that these X-pipe setups are worth the effort.
I had flowmaster Delta flow 40s on my car for almost a whole month. I :af: hated:af: these more than any muffler I have ever owned. They were so loud that I was almost afraid to drive the car for fear of sitting next to law enforcement at a light. The car would literally rattle windows in store fronts at an idle while sitting at a light. I have since gone to the Walker ultra-flo mufflers and I like them a lot better. The car is much much quiter now and I no longer worry about muffler tickets (unless I stand on it:grin: ). In defense of the flowmasters, I had short ones and the walkers are 21 or 22 inches long. My friend Shane Wagner has 3-chamber flowmasters on his 600 horse Chevelle and even though they are considerably louder than the walkers, they are not objectionable. He does also have full tail-pipes wheras my car terminates in front of the rear axel and that also helps a lot. IMHO--- Use the walkers. they are fairly quiet and being a straight thru design are extremely low restriction. -----------Mark D.
Aero chamber pickup How would you compare the Aero's sound to say; a stock type muff, or how about a flowmaster (you know that "echo chamber" sound that some love & some hate!) ?:grin: Thanks, Steve
