I am converting from stock exhaust manifold with single exhaust to Fenton headers dual exhaust and glasspacks. I plan to use the stock intake manifold and heat the manifold.
Has anyone used the exhaust heat to heat the intake manifold? I was wondering how that works compared to the water method that Langdon shows on his website.
Does anyone have opinion on a particular glasspack muffler?
What diameter exhaust pipe do people recommend?
I am looking for a little exhaust rumble but I'm not looking for the 18 year old straight pipe no muffler sound. lol
I have done it both ways (with one or two carburetors) Will you be using one or two carburetors?
Some people will tell you that two carburetors on a 216/235/261 stovebolt engine is just eye candy (so what, if they are a good match to your engine). What carburetor/carburetors are you using?
Manifold heat is easier/better with regards to messiness if/when you get leaks.
I either case, water or exhaust-gas, what intake and exhaust manifolds will you be using? Some/most dual carburetor intake manifolds (and adapter plates) do not move the "coolant" as follows:
into one side and then side-to-side and then out the other side
If you post a photo or link to the opening on the bottom of your intake manifold, I/we can post further comments.
With regards to mufflers. why glass pack?
Stock 235 mufflers are straight-through, with baffles. Nice mellow sound (a little "rapping"), with little/no back pressure.
You might get replies that tell you that this is all "eye/noise" candy. Even though they are mostly correct, ignore them.
Joe, I can't speak to the Fenton's, but I'm running an old school split manifold, split exhaust (dual) with 1-3/4" pipes to long glasspacks (brand unknown), then out the back, on one of my vehicles, a '53 Bel Air with 235/Powerglide. The exhaust system was installed sometime in the '60s when the engine was replaced with a '54 235, from what I can piece together of the vehicle's history. It's not loud, but it has the rap that is the signature sound of the split exhaust. If I need to replace the mufflers at some point, I will use Smitty's, also famous back in the day.
The stock muffler was similar to a lot of tractor mufflers you see on old farm tractors. Rounded shape, straight through design. I'm running one of them that I got from Jim Carter truck parts in Kansas City. I like that it is not whisper quiet, but also does not have that annoying glasspack raspping sound. I love glasspacks on V8s, but our inline 6s sound terrible with them.
PM me if you want to hear my truck, i'll text you a clip of it.
And about the dual carb thing...does anyone actually have dyno proof that (2) 1-barrels provide any substantial power gains? My guess is it would mean more maintenance since you would have to run each one so lean.
Last edited by Green_98; 10/16/20201:31 AM.
-Patrick 1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 / 4-speed / 4:11 / Commercial Red
If the truck is running well, then why change it? Just change the muffler and drive it. I would hate for you to start messing with it and then it doesn’t run as well. Just my thoughts.
The other option is to simply add another exhaust outlet from the stock exhaust manifold. Otherwise you will need to make a plate for the stock intake like this: