The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Suburban muffler woes

I put Fenton headers on my '54 with a 248. Then I had the same glaspacs put on it that are on my '56 with a 350. The '56 sounds deep and mellow. The '54 sounds loud and obnoxious.

The installer claims it is the difference between a 6 cyl. and an 8 cyl. They won't do anything about it unless I pay more money. I already paid $100 more than what I paid for the '56 system. They aren't getting any more of my money.

Now I need to figure out how to fix it myself. I'm thinking about adding another set of mufflers near the outlet. My reasoning is maybe the long pipe after the muffler is making it sound obnoxious. The '56 pipes are shorter, exiting just forward of the axle. The burb pipes go all the way to the back. Any comments on that theory?

Someone told me that Suburbans are going to sound louder than pickups because of all the empty space in the cab. Opinions?

I'm thinking about using these Walkers. Have any of y'all used them?

Any other suggestions?

I'd suspect they're right, a 6 would be a lot different sound with the same muffler .... rather than the length of the tail pipe per-se I think a panel/burb body will be louder [to the driver] the further forward the mufflers are ... might consider adding resonators at the back

Bill

If you split the exhaust with the fenton headers and are running two exhaust pipes and two mufflers consider adding an x pipe 18 inches or so back from the headers.

This will help equalize the exhaust pulses and cut down on the exhaust rap on deceleration.

Cletis, had the same problem over the years. "My" take on it is the fact the 54 has the pipes going over the rear end which can cause a " back pressure" and will them sound louder.

...that said, I had a 350 with headers in my 63 stepside awhile back with the pipes coming out the side (not going over axle) and it was fairly quite untill I stood on the gas pedal.. but even then it was not as loud as the 350, with the same mufflers, but with the tail pipes out the back. So, I think its the fact they are going over the rear "hump". I've been wrong before but this is "my findings" anyone else tried both??

Charlie,

With a 6-cylinder Chevrolet 261, I am using Patrick's stainless steel dual-exhaust system muffler (one muffler with two-inlets and two outlets) and it is too loud in the cab for me.

Previously (with the same 261), I used two stock-style mufflers (Walkers from NAPA) and they were quiet in the cab. The stock mufflers had no packing material and had a slotted/baffled straight-though pipe inside the round/cylindrical muffler.

However, from the rear of the pickup the sound was another matter. A local policeman who stopped me for speeding said he had to call me in when doing 55 in a 30 zone because the sound from the pipes made him think I was going to try to run him. I thanked him for the compliment and asked him if he would write that down to show my friends (he was just a kid and did not know that the ticket would disappear after a phone call).

An X pipe and mufflers more toward the rear are good pieces of advice. What diameter pipe are you running? Also, running the tips all the way back to the bumper and then angled like factory would be better as well. Not so sure about the theory of pipes running over the rear axle causing excessive back pressure, therefore making them sound louder.

I agree with Tim,the mufflers from Patricks are on the loud side.
I like the sound out the tail pipes,but when in the cab,it sounds loud.

Tim

Did you use the long or short headers??

I have the cast iron Fentons on my engine.



Tim

I also have the cast-iron Fentons on my engine.

Me too, cast iron Fentons. I'm not aware that they come in long and short.

different cylinders will always make a different sound for sure, whether it be 4,6,8,10,12,16 or what. probably has something to do with how they breath, not sure, but ever since day one, I always heard six cylinders sounded better then 8 with duals, you guys never heard that


get you some smitthy's, had them on my 235 with fenton headers and they sounded great, I believe the length may determine how quite they are. they are also on my current 52 sedan with the 350..as mention previous total different sound out of eight vs six

Sorry i thought fenton made a long header version too im still learngin this stovebolt stuff are these headers any good that are sold by langdons??im working on as 292 for my suburban
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k237/bigtony55/3n03mb3l25Q55T45S4abe5a97140271db193e.jpg

Charlie, you didn't say how long the glasspacks are that you are currently running. The longer the muffler the quieter the exhaust will be. The idea of putting mufflers closer to the exhaust exit in conjunction with the current glasspacks will work to "mellow out" the exhaust note a lot. As mentioned earlier you can install resonator tips to help some. Can't wait to see the "Burb" on an Oklahoma run!

The glaspacs are 18". They are the longest the shop stocks. The way he has them bent there's no room for any longer ones. There is room for another set near the rear.

I plan to have it in El Reno in June.

Quiet is for the girls.

And, quiet is nice for passengers in the back of a Suburban.

I welded in the Walker mufflers today and it sounds great. Thanks to 64fleetside for hitting the books and finding a muffler I could use. It still has that great split manifold sound going through the gears but is quiet once up to speed on the highway.

Do you have a ouple pictures of your system? And, can you give a little more insoght about the Walkers? Glad you brought this up! tom

These are the mufflers I used. That page has the specs for them.

Quiet is for anyone who has to be in the car for more than 1 hour.
Then why doesn't it bother more people?
They're going deaf.
No, I'm not kidding. It's not as loud because you damaged your eardrums. Most of it comes back, but some of it never does.