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JohnIL · 10-03-2022, 10:58 PM

When I bought the truck, it was obnoxiously loud. The previous owner was an old hot rodder with bad hearing. He installed headers, 3" FlowMaster 40's, and pipes that dump just behind the cab. No judgements, I get the whole loud pipes thing. There once was a time when my daily driver had a small block with headers and sonic turbos. But, that's not my style anymore. I'm more into subtlety now. Quiet exhaust is sneaky exhaust.

I fully intended to take the truck to the same exhaust shop that built the pipes on my son's El Camino. But, there was a wrinkle. I want to replace the rusty headers with ram-horn style manifolds. I already have a pair of chrome plated ram-horn manifolds sitting on the shelf. The problem is, the exhaust shop doesn't do manifold swaps. They only work from the flanges back. I was annoyed, but I can understand why they don't do manifolds. Imagine all the broken bolts they would have to fight. That would definitely cut into their productivity. I could install the new manifolds myself, but that means that I can't drive the truck the to the exhaust shop in the middle of the city 20 miles from home. I would have to find time to load the truck up on the trailer, haul it into the shop, then come back the next day and haul it home. I just can't arrange the logistics right now. So, instead, I threw together a quick and dirty temporary exhaust at home in the garage.

I hacked the 3" pipes off about 18" past the header collectors (the pipes are welded directly to the collectors). Then, I reduced down to 2 1/4", directly into a pair of 2 1/4" Walker Quiet-Flow SS mufflers. Then, I added short turn-downs to the exit side of the mufflers. The Walker Quiet-Flows are A LOT quieter than the old Flowmasters. The turn downs exit about halfway between the rear of the cab and the rear axle. That puts the sound well behind the passenger compartment. Eventually, I will take the truck to the exhaust shop for a custom bent system with an X pipe and tailpipes over the rear axle and out to the rear bumper. But, in the meantime, this "temporary" exhaust makes the truck drivable without the excessive volume and drone of the 3" Flowmasters. A better (and more complete) exhaust system can wait until next spring when I have time to install the ram-horn manifolds and schedule a visit to the exhaust shop.

10-03-2022, 10:58 PM	#15
JohnIL Registered User Join Date: Aug 2022 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 112	New (Mostly) Exhaust When I bought the truck, it was obnoxiously loud. The previous owner was an old hot rodder with bad hearing. He installed headers, 3" FlowMaster 40's, and pipes that dump just behind the cab. No judgements, I get the whole loud pipes thing. There once was a time when my daily driver had a small block with headers and sonic turbos. But, that's not my style anymore. I'm more into subtlety now. Quiet exhaust is sneaky exhaust. I fully intended to take the truck to the same exhaust shop that built the pipes on my son's El Camino. But, there was a wrinkle. I want to replace the rusty headers with ram-horn style manifolds. I already have a pair of chrome plated ram-horn manifolds sitting on the shelf. The problem is, the exhaust shop doesn't do manifold swaps. They only work from the flanges back. I was annoyed, but I can understand why they don't do manifolds. Imagine all the broken bolts they would have to fight. That would definitely cut into their productivity. I could install the new manifolds myself, but that means that I can't drive the truck the to the exhaust shop in the middle of the city 20 miles from home. I would have to find time to load the truck up on the trailer, haul it into the shop, then come back the next day and haul it home. I just can't arrange the logistics right now. So, instead, I threw together a quick and dirty temporary exhaust at home in the garage. I hacked the 3" pipes off about 18" past the header collectors (the pipes are welded directly to the collectors). Then, I reduced down to 2 1/4", directly into a pair of 2 1/4" Walker Quiet-Flow SS mufflers. Then, I added short turn-downs to the exit side of the mufflers. The Walker Quiet-Flows are A LOT quieter than the old Flowmasters. The turn downs exit about halfway between the rear of the cab and the rear axle. That puts the sound well behind the passenger compartment. Eventually, I will take the truck to the exhaust shop for a custom bent system with an X pipe and tailpipes over the rear axle and out to the rear bumper. But, in the meantime, this "temporary" exhaust makes the truck drivable without the excessive volume and drone of the 3" Flowmasters. A better (and more complete) exhaust system can wait until next spring when I have time to install the ram-horn manifolds and schedule a visit to the exhaust shop.