open sidepipes?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 6
From: CT
open sidepipes?
I was wondering how much motor/(hp) does it take to benefit from an open exhaust?? 
I've read posts where high hp motors make the most power with open pipes and then lost power depending on which inserts or baffles they used.
I have a set of hooker headers and sidepipes I'm putting on soon. The car has been apart for 8months and now has a rebuilt 4.11 rear, rebuilt super T10, new hays street/strip clutch, rebuilt front suspension and the hooker sidepipes.
I haven't purchased any baffles or inserts yet because I haven't decided what to go with and since I have to still get the car on the road and get an alignment. I was gonna run headers hooked up to open pipes for a few week until I get inserts.
I wanted to know if the car would be a dog with open headers and pipes or run fine but just really loud?? The last thing I want is to have a vette that runs like a turd and sounds like a loud redneck truck or something lol. I don't really have a hp monster, just a 350 with 280h cam, sportsman II heads, 9.5-1 cr, rpm intake, 750 speed demon. My old exhaust was 1 5/8 headers and 2.5" flowmasters.
I've read posts where high hp motors make the most power with open pipes and then lost power depending on which inserts or baffles they used. I have a set of hooker headers and sidepipes I'm putting on soon. The car has been apart for 8months and now has a rebuilt 4.11 rear, rebuilt super T10, new hays street/strip clutch, rebuilt front suspension and the hooker sidepipes.
I haven't purchased any baffles or inserts yet because I haven't decided what to go with and since I have to still get the car on the road and get an alignment. I was gonna run headers hooked up to open pipes for a few week until I get inserts.
I wanted to know if the car would be a dog with open headers and pipes or run fine but just really loud?? The last thing I want is to have a vette that runs like a turd and sounds like a loud redneck truck or something lol. I don't really have a hp monster, just a 350 with 280h cam, sportsman II heads, 9.5-1 cr, rpm intake, 750 speed demon. My old exhaust was 1 5/8 headers and 2.5" flowmasters.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,309
Likes: 24
From: Coastal Georgia
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
It's going to be loud, that's for sure. I fired mine up with open sidepipes, and it sounded like a Nascar event in my garage. I loved it, though. For what it's worth, I went with the Sweet Thunder 2.5in inserts, and I think they sound like open pipes, just quieter.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 665
Likes: 0
From: wilmington nc
make sure you put anti-seize on the sidepipe tubes so you can get them back apart. I like my spiral turbo baffles, they come with a cap on the center tube. If you remove the cap there like open headers, you can tig a piece of threaded s/s pipe about 3 inches long on the rear, an reach into the rear of the sidepipe tube an remove a threaded cap rather easy at the race track!!!
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 495
Likes: 1
From: Lubbock TX
I doubt you would feel a difference in power between open pipes and some high flowing insert like spirals or max flows. But sound sure will change and you might get in trouble runnig open pipes around town. I drove about 10 miles with just headers and no pipes and while it was sweet, it sure got annoying quick.
Sean
Sean
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: Allentown PA
With no mufflers the sidepipes sound like open headers to me. I've tried 2 sets of mufflers so far...the fiberglass hooker inserts and the max-flo's. The fiberglass ones were just to restrictive and also to quiet for my taste. The max-flo's do flo better and are louder. A forum guy here had his max-flo's on and off during dyno runs and reported only a 7 h.p. loss with the max-flo's on a 515 h.p. motor compared to open headers and sidepipes. That caught my attention. While the spiral baffles also sound good, they are twice the price of max-flo's, but they are tuneable to a certain extent. It is tempting to just run them open and you should hear them at least once right?.. but IMHO it would get annoying after an hour or so on a trip.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 6
From: CT
I gonna run open tubes for a few quick drives around town, get an alignment, and then order the inserts. I wanted the sts baffles but $335 is out of my price range for now, so I'm thinking the max flows. I want it loud but also have good tone, I want that deep muscle car rumble at idle. I have a choppy cam so I'm hoping the max flows have that sound I'm looking for. The car sounded good with headers and 2.5" 40s flowmaster, I wonder how the max flows and 1 7/8" headers will compare.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 6
From: CT
make sure you put anti-seize on the sidepipe tubes so you can get them back apart. I like my spiral turbo baffles, they come with a cap on the center tube. If you remove the cap there like open headers, you can tig a piece of threaded s/s pipe about 3 inches long on the rear, an reach into the rear of the sidepipe tube an remove a threaded cap rather easy at the race track!!!
C6 the C5 of tomorrow
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,665
Likes: 2
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
Open pipes can help if the engine is tuned for it. It can also make the car slower if not tuned for the open pipes.
Also around town it makes no difference. If you are not WOT at redline, it doesn't matter how good your exhaust is or isn't, just push the foot down further!
These pipes open completely :-)
Also around town it makes no difference. If you are not WOT at redline, it doesn't matter how good your exhaust is or isn't, just push the foot down further!
These pipes open completely :-)
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Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,491
Likes: 2
From: North Royaton Ohio
make sure you put anti-seize on the sidepipe tubes so you can get them back apart. I like my spiral turbo baffles, they come with a cap on the center tube. If you remove the cap there like open headers, you can tig a piece of threaded s/s pipe about 3 inches long on the rear, an reach into the rear of the sidepipe tube an remove a threaded cap rather easy at the race track!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,209
Likes: 12
From: Montgomery Alabama
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
My 72 big block has the Hooker inserts, and it sounds great.
I fired it up with the side pipes off, and it just had the side exit headers. It was wonderful, but I know I could not drive it like that for very long.
The Hooker header primarys are a little large for my engine, and the Hooker inserts are a little too restrictive, but I can live with the loss of torque and HP. The car is hard enough to handle like it is.
If I find myself with an extra $400 or so, I will order the STS baffles for it.
I fired it up with the side pipes off, and it just had the side exit headers. It was wonderful, but I know I could not drive it like that for very long.
The Hooker header primarys are a little large for my engine, and the Hooker inserts are a little too restrictive, but I can live with the loss of torque and HP. The car is hard enough to handle like it is.
If I find myself with an extra $400 or so, I will order the STS baffles for it.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 6
From: CT
I love american graffiti, every once in awhile when I want to get inspired to go out and work on the vette I pop in the dvd and fast forward to the milner racing scenes. lol
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 6
From: CT
Open pipes can help if the engine is tuned for it. It can also make the car slower if not tuned for the open pipes.
Also around town it makes no difference. If you are not WOT at redline, it doesn't matter how good your exhaust is or isn't, just push the foot down further!
These pipes open completely :-)
Also around town it makes no difference. If you are not WOT at redline, it doesn't matter how good your exhaust is or isn't, just push the foot down further!
These pipes open completely :-)
Racer
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
I went with the sweet thunder 2.5 incerts and luv the sound. sorta sounds like a mid year with factory sidepipes I think I gain some horse power as well, broke the tires in forth gear never did that before. If you like it loud,those are the incerts for you.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,226
Likes: 2
From: Lake Wylie SC
make sure you put anti-seize on the sidepipe tubes so you can get them back apart. I like my spiral turbo baffles, they come with a cap on the center tube. If you remove the cap there like open headers, you can tig a piece of threaded s/s pipe about 3 inches long on the rear, an reach into the rear of the sidepipe tube an remove a threaded cap rather easy at the race track!!!
A setup like that will run OK with the cap off at the track but when you are on the street the cap is on the wrong end and the exhaust flow is about as screwed up as can be.......... you have gasses running down an open pipe only to be trapped and have to fight their way back out the open end thus disturbing the flow of gasses that are not going in the open pipe ending up with a totally $%^& situation while you are on the street.
However if somehow you are able to get your cap off from the motor end of your sidepipe where it is suppose to be then you have done well and I would like to see a picture if you could please post one.
Doug
