Exhaust Talk

[bigben5054]

I am planning on installing 2-1/4 dual exhaust on my 1979 K20 w/350 and have a couple questions.  1) Headers - I see long tube headers with a 3" collector or a 2-1/2" collector.  If I am going with 2-1/4" exhaust, does it make a difference what size collector is on the header? 2) Mufflers - glasspacks are just a touch too loud for me these days.  Can someone recommend a budget-friendly muffler that is a step down from glasspacks, but still has that classic truck sound?

[bluevan]

I am also shopping for some headers - it is a a k10 with 350/700r4/241.  I put on the crusty long tube headers that came with the truck to get an idea where the exhaust will lay out.  These old headers have a 3" collector that the previous owner reduced to 2 1/2".  Upon installation, I found that the top rear shackle bolts were rubbing on the headers at the collector.  So the long tube 3" could be made to fit by turning the top shackle bolts around or cutting off the excess threads.  Needless to say, unless you have to run a 3" exhaust the 2 1/2 with a reducer to 2 1/4 would be best.

On the passenger side the header ends up right in front of the transmission crossmember so some creative bend will need to be made.  Somewhere behind that, a crossover tube will find a home in front of the mufflers.  I am probably going to make it exit in front of the rear tires.  Thats as far as I have got, so I would love to hear some opinions from people that have gone down this road.

[Ed4all10]

Hooker 2453 long Tubes fit well....No denting or fab required. May have to bend your shift linkage A bit, depending on the year. Not a big deal at all, takes maybe 15 mins of trial and error, using a Bench vise.

Paint them with some high temperature grill paint before you install them.

As far as budget mufflers, try Thrush Turbos....they have a decent sound wide open, and give a nice rumble at idle. They sound best, IMO after a few hundred miles of driving, once they have worn in.

Edit: you can buy different size reducers, so that is up to you.....most headers that fit our rigs come with a 2.5 inch reducer off of the header, but they sell them in different sizes. I wouldn’t run dual 3 inch exhaust on a stock 350.


Good luck.

[dusterdude]

I noticed the 2453's are 4wd headers,will they work on 2wd's also?

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[VileZambonie]

Run shorty's and be happy

[Ed4all10]

If these will fit a 4X4, they will fit your 2WD. Vile knows his stuff, so you may want to look into shortys too....there is all kind of data online about where long tubes and shortys have peak to and hp, depending on your application.

[JAH]

...2) Mufflers - glasspacks are just a touch too loud for me these days.  Can someone recommend a budget-friendly muffler that is a step down from glasspacks, but still has that classic truck sound?

BB,


I was just under one of the K30's, in the garage.  I can't find any markings or stampings on my mufflers.  But, I bought them (and had 'em installed) locally, after I had the "AIR" stuff removed from the 454.  The factory mufflers were over 30yo, and the South Texas heat (combined with the AIR emissions stuff, which was still working) really put the hurt on 'em.

Anyhoo, they are just a tad louder (barely noticeable) than the factory pieces, and give the big bad 454 a nice baritone sound...nothing nauseating. 

I'm out-&-about, in the K30s, quite a bit.  If I'm in the area, by the muffler shop, I'll stop in and get a brand name for you.

[bigben5054]

Thanks.  As best I can tell, chambered mufflers would be a tad less obnoxious than glass packs, but maintain a performance muscle car sound.  Quieter yet (at least at idle) are turbo mufflers.  I'm leaning towards the chambered mufflers. 

[ehjorten]

I put magnaflow mid-length mufflers on my '77 and am reasonably happy. I would have actually liked it quieter. If you want it quiet then you want to go with a turbo muffler.