I have been reading side pipe muffler posts, both current and archive. After reading many posts it was between STS and Hooker Max Flo (the Sweet Thunder, while a quality product, seems to offer no advantages over the STS or Max Flo).

I had the all three hooker inserts, the glass pak (NOT Max Flo), quiet and open pipes (for the track). The quiet inserts are way too restrictive and I wanted to get another set of inserts.

Please correct me where my assumptions are in error.

The STS seem more restrictive than the Max Flo unless you drill them out. Then they are less restrictive but far louder. Is that a fair assessment?


Hooker Quiet side pipes:
The Quietest and the most restrictive

Hooker Glass Pak:
Louder and less restrictive

Sweet-Thunder 2” insert:
Similar to above

Sweet-Thunder 2.25” insert:
Louder and less restrictive than 2”

Sweet-Thunder 2.5” insert
Louder and less restrictive than 2.25

Spiral Turbo Baffles (undrilled)
About the same a the 2.5 above

Hooker 4” Max Flow:
Louder and less restrictive than above

Spiral Turbo Baffles (drilled):
Louder and less restrictive than Max Flow

Open Tubes:
Loudest and least restrictive


Anyway, any help you can give would be appreciated. Data from a dyno run is appreciated like ZL1powr did in his post.
(http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1799449)

BTW: Excessive sound is an issue. Many tracks are trying to be good neighbors and have noise restrictions.

 

That was a good read! sounds like he likes his max flows. Now i dont have a 565 dart headed brodix engine with 2 1/8 primaries, but i do own a set of spiral turbo baffles. What if you took a set of sts baffles, remove the center cap, weld on a short piece of threaded pipe at the rear then screw on a pipe cap. You could reach your hand inside the sidepipe and unscrew the cap at the track. You could even get a set of channel locks to the cap if you wanted to. Bet you can"t do that with max flows

 

Now that idea I like! Might do that to mine.

On to the original questions. I've had the Hooker glass packs and now have the STS baffles. STS is considerably louder, but the old packs would have choked my new motor. With a 530hp SB the STS baffles with the caps are loud. Not loud enough to get a ticket if you are just driving, but loud enough to really **** off the one neighbor who does not like me . That is with caps on.

 

The STS system isn't as restrictive as the Max Flows. I don't have the calcs anymore, but if you are talking about the MFs with 2.5 in. inner diameter, the flow area is less than with the STS even without any drilling. The STS are a full 4" in flow area minus the approx. 1in. center.

Drilling out the center just allows the sound waves to pass directly through.

 

I rec'd this in an email and I thought I would share it:

"Would "I" recommend Hooker Mufflers. No. Because they don't work the way I would want them to. They are restrictive. The Super Max I have heard are very loud. BUT if you look at their claim, "23% more power than open headers" can't be true............If that was the case EVERYONE in the world would be using them. And they aren't.
Sooooo. What I'm saying is for the most power, and some control of dB's for different situations, the STS Baffles work great. Will it make your set up run at a dB level of 98. Wouldn't even guess. Don't know what your engine is, compression, heads, cam, etc.......... You probably are not going to be able to run the baffles "capped" totally though."

Further opinions welcome.

 

I've been using the STS inserts for two years on a track that monitors sound and have passed every time. They are way better than anything that Hooker has put out and they aren't THAT loud on the street as long as you don't get into the throttle to hard.

 

This is a quote from ZL1Power in the link in the original post when comparing open headers to the Max Flows:
"The peak HP only went up by 7 HP to 587 and the torque peek was the same at 641. The curves are identical and lay on top of each other. The 7 HP advantage at peek was in the noise level. The average HP from 3000 to 6200 was up by 2 hp and the average torque over that range was down by 2 ft-lbs, so the Hooker Max Flow inserts had essentially no impact."
With virually no reduction in power on this monster big block and half the price I would say this is a good option! I like the sound of them in his link. That is what I got for the 63.

 

That is a plus, right?

 

Yep. I live by the 90% rule (if 90% is good, just ignore the other 10% - then all is good in life!). Besides, the cop who comes by when she bitches is very understanding.

I probably made it sound like STS baffles are louder than they are. I can't imagine having an issue on-track with them. On the street if you get on it, you are going to get attention. At that point, it's probably not actually the noise that is going to get you the fine.

If I was 18, I'd say capped they are not loud enough. But, I'm 45 - I am happy with them capped. *One* of my hot rod buddies my age thinks they are too loud, but both of his cars (69 Camaro & Impalla SS) are almost OEM quiet. My wife has never complained about the volume, though ALL of the girls in the house would love to see the car go.

 

Has anyone actually run BOTH Spiral Turbo Baffles (undrilled)
and Hooker 4” Max Flow and come away with a favorite?

If you did, was it based on sound or performance or both?

 

I've ran both, and from strickly a sound standpoint only I prefer the Hookers hands down

 

I bought my Max Flows from Duke94. He put the Spiral Turbo Baffles on. Said the Max Flows were too loud. Depends on what too loud is too you I guess. The Max Flows are $150. Buy them, put them on and see if you like them. if not, Sell them to a forum member cheap and buy the Spiral Turbo Baffles.

 

I've got the Hooker Max Flows and I LOVE them!!! I ran open sidepipes for over a year (Daily Driver '73 w/350+hp)
I PUT THE MAX FLOWS IN AND love Them !!!!
The pipes WILL not burn skin... they get warm but not hot
My "seat of the pants" dyno feels great gains in low-mid rpm Hp... I've never seen redline in 4th gear so I couldn't tell you what they have done to max Hp output.... but I do know I go through 3rd gear ALOT faster WITH the Hooker Hi-Flow's!!!

 

I started out with max flows, way to loud for me. Bought STS baffles alot quieter (not drilled), but I don't care for the tinny sound.

 

69/03vette:

Did you notice or perceive a performance difference between the two?

If so, which was superior?

 

When I first fired the car after installing the STS baffles, I was quite disappointed in the 'tinny' sound. But after a few dozen miles the sound was gone. I assume it needed a bit of carbon to isolate vibration between the baffle and the pipe. My engine is quite rich at idle (but pretty much spot on at WOT) so probably built up carbon faster than most.

If yours has some miles on it and has not settled, you might want to make sure the baffle is tight.

 

"Weld on a short piece of threaded pipe at the rear then screw on a pipe cap. "I did this over a year ago on my Hooker sidepipe headers with STS baffles and it works great. All I have to do is reach my hand in about 3 inches and uncap them whrn I want them a little more quiet. Just leave enough pipe on the end to be able to reach in and cap and uncap it.

 

The iussue is pretty simple to me:

If you want a less restrictive muffler on sidepipes without beeing open mufflers you have to custom build a small streight through race muffler, that's the only way to keep your hp's free from showing at over 5.000 rpms, if your powerplant gives over 400/450hp.
If you're somewhere below this figure you can use a commercial muffler with not too much harm on power and you're done.

On the other side, if you're only looking for the 'best' rumble then to each his own, it's just a simple matter of personal choices.