C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

H-pipe vs No H-pipe

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 04:09 PM
  #1  
Oldguard 7's Avatar
Oldguard 7
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,337
Likes: 14
From: Norfolk VA
Default H-pipe vs No H-pipe

I have read several posts about the "benefits" of having an H-pipe.
Most of us with 75-82 vettes have converted their exhaust to true dual exhasts. Here is my point of debate. If an H-pipe makes a car sound better, flow better (as I have read in previous posts since I have been a forum member) The 68-74 dual exhaust vettes came from the factory without an H-pipe, so what is the "great" benefit of an H-pipe?
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 04:25 PM
  #2  
GruntyPants's Avatar
GruntyPants
Instructor
15 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 223
Likes: 1
From: Kennesaw GA
Default

From what I understand, the H or even an X pipe will help equalize pulses in the exhaust stream. This will increase scavenging and produce a nicer tone. Lots of folks swear by them, I've never seen a dyno comparison, but I'm sure there's one somewhere.
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 04:32 PM
  #3  
Philvet's Avatar
Philvet
Instructor
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Grand Island NY
Default

If you have read the posts on the benefits of a H pipe there is no sense in going over them again.

68 technology is 38 years old.
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 04:33 PM
  #4  
SLVRSHRK's Avatar
SLVRSHRK
Burning Brakes
20 Year Member
All Eyes On Me
Photogenic
Liked
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,193
Likes: 176
From: Hillsborough NC
Default

632C2 did an excellent job of describing the benefit and provided Dyno results with his engine.

Here's the X-Pipe thread

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ghlight=x-pipe

Do a search for his other posts, they are really great and backed up with proof.
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 04:37 PM
  #5  
Oldguard 7's Avatar
Oldguard 7
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,337
Likes: 14
From: Norfolk VA
Default

Originally Posted by Philvet
If you have read the posts on the benefits of a H pipe there is no sense in going over them again.

68 technology is 38 years old.
Point taken, but that does not answer the question. What is the benefit of an H-pipe??? There is not much "technology" to welding a small section of pipe between two pipes, if so, I'm quite sure the factory would have done this back in 1968 if there was some benefit. Maybe someone will chime in with some info or perhaps direct me where to do research so I can get a satisfactory answer.

Last edited by Oldguard 7; Jun 6, 2006 at 04:45 PM.
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 05:10 PM
  #6  
73383's Avatar
73383
Instructor
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 237
Likes: 0
From: TAMPA FL
Default

I put an H-pipe in mine. I put flowmaster 50s w/2 1/2 duals. It was to loud for me and had a drone at 2000-2400 rpm that would hurt your teeth.
The H-Pipe made it quiter plus took 75% of the drone out. What drone was left came in at 1500 rpm and was gone at 1600 rpm. I love my H-pipe. If I got 3-4 HP out of it I consider it a bonus.
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 08:43 PM
  #7  
hubes's Avatar
hubes
Burning Brakes
20 Year Member
All Eyes On Me
Photogenic
Liked
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 100
From: Nova Scotia
Default

Originally Posted by Oldguard 7
the factory would have done this back in 1968 if there was some benefit.
the c5, and Im assuming c6, has an h pipe
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 09:49 PM
  #8  
Ironcross's Avatar
Ironcross
Race Director
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
Default

All the high HP early Vettes were factory equiped with a balance tube and those are over 40 years old.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jun 6, 2006 | 10:38 PM
  #9  
vetteaddic's Avatar
vetteaddic
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 899
Likes: 1
From: Kansas
Default

Ive heard 5 to 15 hp just from the h pipe ,mine arrived today x pipe that is from Summit.
632 thread convinced me.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2006 | 09:22 AM
  #10  
SanDiegoPaul's Avatar
SanDiegoPaul
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Default

On a conventional car with chassis headers and room underneath, the perl of wisdom is that you want an equalizer tube located 18 inches behind the header collectors.

Old OLD exhaust tuning trick.

But on a C3 that's not possible so we use H pipes further downstream, in the middle of the body. Exhaust equalization has been around for decades.

I remember when I was a kid, pulling the exhaust off my '57 Bel Air so I could put headers on it. The OEM pipes had a crossover wrapping under the engine.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2006 | 09:52 AM
  #11  
TopGunn's Avatar
TopGunn
Drifting
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
Default

Originally Posted by 73383
I put an H-pipe in mine. I put flowmaster 50s w/2 1/2 duals. It was to loud for me and had a drone at 2000-2400 rpm that would hurt your teeth.
The H-Pipe made it quiter plus took 75% of the drone out. What drone was left came in at 1500 rpm and was gone at 1600 rpm. I love my H-pipe. If I got 3-4 HP out of it I consider it a bonus.
Interesting info.........I put an "H" in my 2 1/2" new system also and it has a very slight "drone" at 1500 also. It immediately goes away at 1600 too.
I had the exhaust shop put an "X" in mine but it was a really poor fit, I didn't like the way the pipes had to be routed with the quick bends to get into the "X" and had him remove it and re-do the system with an "H". It came out much, much better.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2006 | 12:24 PM
  #12  
desi's Avatar
desi
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,783
Likes: 2
From: Engineers do it better.
Default

Is H better than X for drone issue? My chambered pipes have horrible drone between 1200 - 1800 rpm. Gotta do something about it.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2006 | 12:40 PM
  #13  
theandies's Avatar
theandies
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Veteran: Air Force
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,375
Likes: 1,067
From: Virginia USA
Default

Didn't some of the early Chevy V8's have a crossover built into the intake manifold or was that passage only added when EGR valves came into play?
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2006 | 03:37 PM
  #14  
stingr69's Avatar
stingr69
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,502
Likes: 1,509
From: Little Rock AR
Default

Originally Posted by theandies
Didn't some of the early Chevy V8's have a crossover built into the intake manifold or was that passage only added when EGR valves came into play?
YUP!

The EFE system uses a passage under the intake manifold for fast warm ups. The heat riser is part of that system. If you block the heat riser passage on an otherwise stock setup you WILL hear a difference in the exhaust tone. The heat riser passage is similar to an "H" or "X" pipe in that respect. It gets a little "rhaspy".

-Mark.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To H-pipe vs No H-pipe





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:50 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE