Exhaust

[fisherman]

Almost finished with my PTO winch rebuild and install, just a few little things left and some paint. I've started contemplating finishing the exhaust while the bed and cab are still off. There is a high performance exhaust place down south that will do mandrell bent everything, they are well known and do high quality work. Don't know if I need mandrell bent exhaust or not. I think I can do this myself as well and almost get mandrell bends with pre bent and purchased exhaust tubing and prebent angles. Then there is the local exhaust shop which I can oversee and probably watch while they are doing it. It would probably be cheaper and a lot less hassle to let the local shop do a regular bent exhaust, not mandrell. What are your thoughts. Just a mildly built buick 350, was thinking 2" back to a collector or to muffler and 3" single out the back. Opinions? Thanks.

[k8icu]

IMHO I think you should go with the local shop. Keep the local guy in business, have a warrenty should there be a problem and be able to give you input (maybe) into how you want the pipe to run and where to run it. Does the local guy bend the pipe on site and weld it up. There is a guy here that can make custom pipes and does the bending and welding right on site.

[fisherman]

I think your right, and that is the way I'm leaning. Yes they are a local exhaust and welding shop, and can bend and make stuff right there and weld it up, also have a pretty good selction of mufflers, flowmaster, magnaflow etc. Any advice on mufflers?

[Barrman]

Theory:

The bigger the exhaust, the more flow you get at high rpm's. The smaller diameter the more low rpm torque is produced.

Think 4000 rpm as the divide between high rpm and low rpm. The stock 230 used a 2" pipe. If you run a pair of 2" pipe for your 350, you should be fine up to 5-6K rpm. You aren't planning to run faster are you?

I really feel that all the name brand high dollar "perfomance" mufflers will not make a bit of difference in how your truck will drive 90% or more of the time. I am talking V8 M715's here. The sound however is very different and really determines the mood of the truck. Which often times is just as important as any real or imagined performance gains.

The welded Flowmaster type mufflers have one side benefit that might or might not help you. They don't smush as easily as just about any other type. So, if you are putting them outside the frame rails or below the frame, you might want them just for that reason. Otherwise, I would recommend a regular "turbo" style muffler. Summit has some for like $14.00 each or something like that. I put a pair on my 396 last spring and am very happy with them.

[Barrman]

Oh, I also recommend the local shop. As long as they aren't trying to charge big city prices that is. Being there and making your input as it goes together is a big plus.

[fisherman]

Thanks Barman, I will most likely go with two 2" pipes to the back of the t case and then into a crossover or Y pipe to a Muffler mounted in the stock postion. Maybe a 3" plus tailpipe out the back, again looking for the stock position or whereabouts.

[2ndA]

Mandrell bends are GREAT! I guess. For somebody. And some car. Somewhere... For the bulk of pretty much everybody else out there it's all about diameter and limiting the bends in both number and severity. I wouldn't give a dime extra for a mandrell bend on anything street driven...and probably not anything else, either.

[joesco715]

Just did the exhaust myself with some bending help. My truck has a Hercules 4 cylinder Turbo / Intercooled diesel and I went with 2 1/2 stainless from front to back, no muffler. It took me some time because of some welding that had to be done. I had a bit of a learning curve with the Mig welder!

When I accelerate, if you weren't looking you would swear it was an 18 wheel Mac rumbling down the road. Love the sound.

[Calpyro]

Disclaimer: I am cheap. Sometimes really cheap.
I also spent some time pondering the exhaust options. However, when my local exhaust shop (read: only shop) gave me a price of $500, I decided to do it myself. I picked up 10' of 2-1/2" stainless steel flexible exhaust tubing, a couple of 45 degree bends, hangers a couple of Summit glass packs and for about $90 I got it done.
I was able to connect it to my long-tube headers and keep it all up inside the frame. Pretty clean if I say so myself.
Did I mention I am cheap?