The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Dual exhaust - need suggestions for mufflers

I am about to install Fenton headers and a dual exhaust. I want the extra power but I would like a low growl rather than something too loud... it’s a 1954 235... any suggestions for mufflers?

Have you ever heard a 235 with dual exhaust once the gas pedal was hammered? You may well find that it is a racket which you would like to silence quite a bit. Personally I find that noise irritating to the ear. I am not against dual exhaust, just the clattering racket with a 235.

I have a 1949 PU with a 235. I installed a 53/54 corvette exhaust manifold and Porter mufflers. A little noise but not that loud.

Where is this "extra power" supposed to be coming from? With a cylinder head design from the 1920's, the only thing a dual exhaust system adds is another pipe and muffler to rust out, and a lot of extra expense. The constant ringing in my ears called tinnitus makes me wish I'd been kinder to my hearing a few decades ago.

I have invited several people to show me chassis dyno results of power they added by installing the popular dual carburetors and/or dual exhausts without making extensive internal engine modifications, and so far nobody has been able to document the alleged improvement they were looking for.
Jerry

But Jerry, headers are second only to stickers for bonus power. Everyone knows that!

My added power is off the charts.

OP, I believe that Magnaflow and a few other manufacturers have sound bites on their web sites. How that translates accurately to your ears from a real life sample, I don't know. But, at least, it will give you an idea of sound along with the manufacturers description.

Sick brah!

(That's what the kids are saying these days, I think. They mumble.)

I am pretty sure that is what the kids were saying 30 years ago...

The loud deep tones comes from high compression, low compression engines just rattle the pipes. Any muffler that fits that's not straight through will be good. Hollow core mufflers ( Flow Master ) will rattle the pipes.

I think the deceleration cackle is the annoying part of a stovebolt dual exhaust.

The addition of a balance pipe will help take care of the deceleration "cackel". With a good set of chambered mufflers and a balance pipe an inline six can sound pretty good.

The low growl will come from you. Once you total up what the project cost, I expect there'll be plenty of growling. Like Jerry, I'm still waiting for somebody to explain where the extra power is.

Try Walker Quiet Flow Mufflers. Similar to the old Corvair turbo design. Nice little low sort of rumble at idle, not loud at WOT and no droning whatsoever. Mount them as far back as possible and yes, I agree, a cross over would help even more.

As for power, probably a little but you need to be realistic with this motor. These are not giant power gains. Small motor small gains and in some cases very small gains.

I have run Clifford tube headers on my 235 and 261 motors for over 40 years. One of my vehicles has a set of old Hush Thrush mufflers and smallish 2 inch exhaust. Runs pretty well. Uncork the headers, it runs even better but the design of the head and the lack of real ability to easily add compression has its limitations as to power enhancement.