the other day for ***** and giggles i was getting ready to pull my 1972 350 and unhooked the exuast from my headers and i loved how loud it was and how good it sounded but my dad said if i ran straight headers it would burn a valve is there anyway around this? can i run straight pipes to the back and it be fine?

 

You wont pass local noise bylaws that is sure. You will soon tire of the droan that a straight pipe sets up in a car. Find a nice sounding free flowing muffler & enjoy that exhaust note.

As far as burning a valve NO. Have you never been to drag races & listened to all the open header cars?

 

ive had a few people tell me that i would loose some torque and the and i wouldnt have any backpressure that would cause it to burn a valve

 

I feel like this is something every young car guy wants to do, ive always wanted to just run around with open headers. If you drive the car often the loudness truly does get old, but if you dont drive it that much then id do it. What you could do is run some glass packs and stop the exhaust before the rear end, thats usually decently loud. also there are header baffles you can buy that slip into your collector.

 

It's true you may lose some midrange torque without a moving column of gas in the exhaust to help scavenge the cylinders, but you'll never notice it because it will sound faster.

As for burning valves, I sincerely doubt it.

All of that said, I will salute you if you can drive a car around every day in the US in the 21st century and keep your driver's license.

- Eric

 

so your saying i could cut my glass packs off the back of the exhaust and move it to the front?

 

if they are under the trunk floor now, yes. if you want it louder you can move them in front of the axle and just stop the exhaust there. It usually provides a nice loud exhaust but you can say you have mufflers on.

 

something like this but you wouldnt run any pipe after the muffler

 

Ditto to the above....loud exhaust is NOT tolerated very well today, anyplace! I have a few tickets to prove that, even back in the '70's!!

 

Back in the day, circa early 60's, we made our own lake plugs by welding a piece of gas tank filler pipe in the exhaust manifolds. They were capped with a gas cap. They exited right behind the front wheels. They sounded mean!

 

I had a civic with a header straight piped and they neighbor called the cops daily, so I put a muffler on because the cop came out daily never gave me a ticket because he didn't catch me with the car on.
Shortly after I put the muffler on he pulled me over had me rev it and told me it sounded good lol

 

I only have 2 Thrush glasspacks after my H-pipe - OK for me and the neighbors.

So far...

 

Two points. First ... you really do need to have enough pipe to get the exhaust out from under the car. Straight pipes out the back, in front of the rear wheels, Zoomies ... just get it out away from you so you don't poison yourself. Second, the exhaust is part of a system. That system starts at the top of the piston to the end of the tail pipe. Messing with any single part of that system will affect the rest. How, and how much, is debatable, and entirely dependent on the system and what you've done. Factory exhausts are designed with certain requirements ... emissions control, noise, mileage, durability, etc. An open pipe can cause some unburned fuel to exit the valves, can lower cylinder temps, and can cause carbon deposits. It can also have the exact reverse effect of leaving burned fumes in the cylinder. All depends on the the rest of the system. A different cam might make a horror story into a pavement terror .... every part of the system affects every other part.

 

Way back in the past century when I was a kid, all I used to run was header mufflers and a turn down. No wonder I'm deaf, between that and the load music...

 

Turndowns at the rear axle will increase the sound of even a quiet factory muffler. It's amazing what that curved pipe going over the axle and to the rear bumper does to mute the sound.

 

I scare small children when i start my car and the exhaust stops before the rear end. I used to get pulled over for the noise but never tickets. Now with the Harley fad I dont expect to get pulled over again. Most bikes are louder than my car. I do plan on putting tailpipes on because I'm getting tired of the noise

 

Put a set of these on!

 

X2 it's to loud and annoying in the car that way,now running straight pipe out back to the bumper now that's not bad inside but sounds not so good to the bystanders out back.Burning valves no not happening,unless by doing so causes a lean running condition.

 

Ah side pipes a highschool friend had a pair of i think they were thrush sidepipes on a 72 ford wagon back in the day.Vans were the thing then too.Ya the good old days.Nick

 

About 5 years ago i had a 71 C10 Hillbilly truck. It had a chevy 307 and i put small longtube headers on it and it had small 2" exhaust out the back. I dont remember why it didnt have mufflers. but it didnt. I drove that around for a year in the suburbs of chicago without getting pulled over once, at least not for the exhaust (thats another good story) Never bothered me at all. I kind of liked it. But it also suited the truck. Dixie flag stickers on it. Beat up, dixie air horns. Man i miss that truck!

 

That looks just like a truck I used to have, except mine was green on the bottom, had a 350, and the front bumper was a 2x8.

Great f__kin' truck.

- Eric

 

OK Eric, lets see a pic! I love old trucks too. I only have an 88 Suburban now. But it is Olds powered (66 425)

 

[QUOTE=oldcutlass;657982]Way back in the past century when I was a kid, all I used to run was header mufflers and a turn down. No wonder I'm deaf, between that and the load music..


Sounds like you've played around with a few explosives as well

 

Sorry, it was a long time ago, and I don't think I ever took a picture of it.

- Eric