What exhaust on my 383 - experts please

[Born_Fast]

...Incidentally, it looks like you have 3" exhaust. No reducers between your headers and pipes.  I would try to swing a X type crossover too....

Would it be a bad thing to have 3" on a 383? I mean bad as in - loss of hp due to lack of backpressure.

And what's the purpose of a X type crossover??

[Born_Fast]

Since you recommended me the DynoMax Turbo, i did a little research online.

What i found out is, that DynoMax themselves claim the dyno proven performance of their Ultra-Flo mufflers quite a lot higher than that of their Super Turbos. This makes sense to me, as the construction of the Ultra Flo is just a straight perforated tube with fiberglass around it - very much like the Cherrybomb glasspacks. While the Super Turbo muffler has a 3-tube construction inside that redirects the airflow two times, thus creating more backpressure and less noise.

So how come you recommended me the Super Turbo over the Ultra Flo?

[go-fish]

I like the DynoMAX muffs too. I also was pleased to see that Cherry Bomb is diversifying their exhaust products with baffled and turbo style mufflers. I have used glass packs on everything I've owned with a V8.
I love the sound but now I am grown up and thought I needed grown up exhaust. I went with 3" pipes and Flows on my Duster and hated the drone sound of the Flowmaster. I went back to the glass packs.
From the picture yu pposted I see  that you have Flowmasters on 3" pipes. My suggestion would be to get glass packs if you like that classic "plikity plunkity plikity plunkity" exhaust music.
If you like the "muffler" sound, meaning the Flowmasters, DynoMAX, Magnaflow, etc. I would give the DynoMax's or Magnaflow's a shot. If you like the throaty sound.

There will be no need to get rid of your exhaust pipes, just replace the mufflers and have the tips welded on the back.
Good luck!

[go-fish]

Since you recommended me the DynoMax Turbo, i did a little research online.

What i found out is, that DynoMax themselves claim the dyno proven performance of their Ultra-Flo mufflers quite a lot higher than that of their Super Turbos. This makes sense to me, as the construction of the Ultra Flo is just a straight perforated tube with fiberglass around it - very much like the Cherrybomb glasspacks. While the Super Turbo muffler has a 3-tube construction inside that redirects the airflow two times, thus creating more backpressure and less noise.

So how come you recommended me the Super Turbo over the Ultra Flo?

Didn't read this till after I posted. Yes the Ultra Flow is essentially a glass pack.
If you feel you are lacking torque you should go with a more restrictive exhaust. Straight through exhaust build horsepower, Yes. They can also make you lose alot of torque it it is free flowing.
In retrospect what I would recommend is if you want a straight through muffler/glasspack you really should use 2.5" pipes to not lose too much torque. If you go with a Muffler that redirest flow and Isn't straight through 3'' will do you fine.

Remember, these adds for the mufler companies will show you comparisons showing how they built alot of horsepower versus another muffler. Horsepower is good unless the exhaust is so free flowing that torque is flowing right out of your tailpipes and is lost.
Freeflowing you want smaller pipes to *retain* torque. All in all, these aftermarket mufflers are not going to make you lose any noticeable horsepower. If you go with a really really free flowing muffler you my feel a little less low end torque.
Have you ever seen an add where they not only show you how much HP they made over Brand X but how much more torque they made also? Those gains in HP can be deceiving.

Go with what you think souds the best, the gains and losses are too minimal to care about, especially for a car that isn't out for every last ounce of performance.

[mopardave]

Flow master make a good kit as well. I and We at work have used them. Nice deep throatty sound.  Kit we used came with teh Delta flow 40 series, but you can used the others that they offer.

[go-fish]

I am certain those in his oic are Flowmaster. Might actually be the Flowmaster kit on his car too. I know that the Flowmaster kit does not come with a cross-over or X-pipe and his pic shows he doesn't have one.
Since he is saying he doesn't like his current set up I don't think a suggestion for Flows is a good one.
My Flowmasters were the 40's, btw they are all Delta flow hence the "Flowmaster sound". Mine had that "Flwmaster drone" at cruising speed. It was almost such a bad droning sound that it would nearly give me a headache. Personally I am not a fan and from the sounds of it Dreamcruiser isn't either.

[Born_Fast]

Thanks for that lesson in muffler-stats fish. So a non-restrictive glasspack style muffler along with the 3" pipes would probably gain me a few more hp while losing some torque? 

Let's assume the mufflers i got are actually flowmasters, then would there be any notable difference in sound and performance if i switch to the Dynomax Turbos? The droning sound that some of you descrive at cruising speed is not very pleasant with my current setup and overall it just doesn't sound mean enough for a musclecar.

And what about this X-type crossover thing? I read it "improves power output and offers more tuned sound". Would be great to hear some before/after experiences of guys who had them installed. Is it worth the bucks? Then i might get one as well.

[go-fish]

X-pipe or H-pipe will no doubt help equalize yur exhaust note. There is no need to hear a before and after. Difference in sound is subtle but it will be equalized on both sides. It is better for perfomance on most cars as well.
With a "mild" 383 I would say a 3" exhaust with straight through glasspacks you may have a slight decrease in torque, compared to Flowmasters I don't know if you would make alot more HP. Fowmasters do make good power, it's just the sound that is annoying.
If you were to go with a traditional style muffler, Turbo's or something, you would likely retain the amount of torque you have now and may gain a little HP. Flowmaster has been the benchmark for making HP with exhaust for better than a decade and any new designs that muffler companies come up with are likely tested against Flowmaster and designed to be better than the Flowmasters. Sorry to Flowmaster but that is just the nature of being the top selling muffler, everybody is gunning for you.
With all this talk about mufflers you have to remember, all these exhaust companies are at the top of their game. The performance of all these brands are probably so close to each other that any difference is minimal and you won't feel it on your Seat of the Pants Dynomometer. The glass pack being very free flowing, you may feel the very slightest low end grunt decrease if your exhaust has no back pressure.
This brings me to think the most important factor with all these very good mufflers is which one you think sounds the best.
The H-pipe would be the easiest and cheapest for you to do. It is just a tube of the same diameter as what you have connecting the driver/passenger side tubes. Put it in 10" behind the tranny crossmember. If you can weld and have a hole saw and have a foot of 3" pipe laying around you can do it.

[asm74]

In general, any type of crossover is going to improve your performance, but the sound differences, I think, are minimal.  The factors that really affect sound are cam, muffler, and pipe diameter.  

There are two types of crossovers: H and X.  H is a dual exhaust, like the one you have now, with a transverse connecting pipe after the transmission linking the two main exhaust pipes. An X crossover, actually routes the two exhaust flows into each other.  I definitely noticed low end torque gains on my 67 camaro ss after installing a 2.5" H crossover, and expect the same, if not better, with the TTI X pipe on my challenger.

When all is said and done, the sound of the car is going to be a very personal thing.  One thing you may want to do is search youtube for videos of cars with dynomax, flowmaster, magnaflow and see what you like.  Personally, I don't want a ridiculously loud car; headers are going to be loud enough, thank you.  And I want a fast launch (i.e. low end torque) more than I want top end horsepower, in my environment, there are not very many opportunities to redline.  As with most things, you have to decide what you want out of the car.  The best part is, you can change your mind later on.

[BP23G0B]

I put the TTI  system on my Challenger and it came with Dynomax mufflers, I wouldn't change a thing.

After running with my TTI/Dynomax system I decided I wanted something more aggressive and swapped in a pair of Spintech Pro Street mufflers.  I'm very pleased.
Videos are here,
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=46649.0

I'm still working on getting a good video at WOT.  I shot 3 at WOT last week, but the sound is garbled in each video.

[71chally416]

X pipes have proven to give more HP than the old crossover pipe for whatever reason. Since you have neither I would definately go for the X.  

We had a 454 chevy dually crewcab truck with flowmasters for a tow rig. The droning drove everybody nuts towing the racecar to the track. I personally think the sound they make is horrible and it has to be a cop magnet, but to each their own.  

[Chryco Psycho]

I hate the drone & machine gun sound of Flowmaster & I believe they are relatively restrictive as well as I have seen them totally change color during cam break ins
 Backpressure is the wrong term with exhaust , you actually want no backpressure , what changes is velocity , a 2.5" system will move the exhuast at faster velocity through the system which will actually help create a vacuum behind the pressure wave & help vacuum out the chambers [scavenging] , with larger 3" system on a 383 scavenging is reduced making the engine work harder to push out the exhaust  , not beneficial . I would not recommend a 3" on less than 440 CI unless you are pushing over 6500 RPM regularly . I read a book  on exhuast design it was extremely complex but informative & often what looks like it would flow better as in straight through with fiberglass packing is actually more restictive than reverse flow through a muffler , often flow tests do not incoperate pulse waves either , even flow is very different then pressure vacuum pulses 

[asm74]

How much of a performance hit do you take going from 2.5" to 3.0" pipes on a small block? 
Doesn't Goody run a 3" exhaust on a 318, how much better and where would the gains be if he went down to 2.5?
I don't want to hijack the thread, I ask because I have a new 3" TTI for my 360 I bought off a member here, still not installed but If I can trade it for a 2.5 I just might.

[Chryco Psycho]

you will feel it in the lower & midrange powerband, I have yet to dyno an engine that made the change up or down to directly compare it

[MrMopar440]

I run 3" with an H-pipe and Summit turbo mufflers. Not the most attractive set-up at the moment as the pipes are under the axle - don't ask. BUT, I also had to have louvers installed in the tailpipes to meet the German noise restrictions (just barely though with 92db on a 95 dB max @ 3K rpm). I do have a 440, but not sure that makes a whole lot of difference. I like the sound, but it is pretty darn loud. When I get back to the states, I will be shopping for a system that is a tad more noise friendly (and actually goes where it should - over the stupid axle).