Headers and exhaust

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1972 Ford Mustang Convertible
In a month, I will be ready to drop the 302 back in my 1972 "vertible". I need advice on headers and exhaust. I am replacing my rusted manifolds and stock dual exhaust system. I want to have a "throaty" sound but not too loud. I am on a mid-priced budget. Do you suggest headers and a new stock exhaust system with turbo mufflers? Or, my Old 1960's Motorhead Father In Law suggest headers and Smythies???? glass packs. He says a shop could make me the exhaust system from a pattern.

 
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Dynomax race magnums are throaty but not too loud. They are perfect on my 65 vert. They are almost too quiet. I was running a 351w, headers and the race magnums at the time.

 
Just a warning. Headers are very low, probably decrease ground clearance 1.5".

If ground clearance is important to you, take this into consideration.

 
I'm thinking of running shorties, I have a manual trans and trying to find ways around the zbar clutch linkage without going cable or hydraulic is a bear.

 
I like stock manifolds for no other reason than they are stock. Headers will certainly improve performance, but they also need semi-regular maintenance and tend to rust out if not cared for, or if used as a frequent daily-driver.

I had my stock CJ exhaust manifolds extrude honed and it made a noticeable improvement in performance and a big difference in sound. Not quite like hesder sound, but better nonetheless. Plus, it looks totally stock and is maintenance-free.

 
I'm thinking of running shorties, I have a manual trans and trying to find ways around the zbar clutch linkage without going cable or hydraulic is a bear.

My q code 351C 4V with the mechanical clutch linkage has no interference with Hooker Comp headers, but they do hang down a bit, still I have plenty of ground clearance unless I hit a dip or other significant road problem.

 
I'm thinking of running shorties, I have a manual trans and trying to find ways around the zbar clutch linkage without going cable or hydraulic is a bear.

My q code 351C 4V with the mechanical clutch linkage has no interference with Hooker Comp headers, but they do hang down a bit, still I have plenty of ground clearance unless I hit a dip or other significant road problem.
Thats great, but i have a windsor :p

 
I have the Stock Manifolds, I went from the single Y pipe exhaust to a H pipe dual exhaust with Magna flow mufflers, and it sounds great at Idle (a light rumble) and its makes a nice deep sound when I take off, and relatively quite at Highway speeds.

 
I went with Hedman shorty style headers, just wish I had spent the extra money and got the ceramic coated ones. they run to an x pipe with magnaflow mufflers through 2.5" piping, in the back I have 3" double wall slanted tips. Sounds nice at idle and gets nice and loud on the throttle. whole system was about $800, had the pipes and mufflers put in at a local shop run by Ed Hanson.

 
blkulis,

What ever header you decide on, Eastwood makes an internal Eastwood Hi-Temp Internal Exhaust Coating that is suppose to help reduce heat and internal rust/corrosion.

Eastwood Hi-Temp Internal Exhaust Coating

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-hi-temp-internal-exhaust-coating-w-extension-tu.html

Eastwood External High Temp

http://search.eastwood.com/search?w=high%20temp%20exhaust%20paint

71_resurrection,

I got the ceramic coated shorty headers and they did not prevent the rust from appearing. So. I believe you bought the right ones. I should have bought the standard coated ones and used the Eastwood high temp exhaust paint. Sure would have saved a few dollars!

mustang7173 :D

 
Interestingly enough Hedman is probably the cheapest and the make the lowest profile header(tucked) header for that engine. The will sit just inside of the frame rail and they will never touch the ground. Mine is lowered 3" and I haven't ever bottomed out my header flanges and I am running the long tube headers. While I have a Cleveland, I have built a few with 302's and tried a bunch of different brands of headers(owners choice), only to find out what I already knew, Hedman tuck the most!

For mufflers, keep in mind that headers make everything flow faster, and as a result create more noise. So someone that has stock manifolds with turbo muffler's is going to be way quiter than that same engine with headers and turbo mufflers. Dynomax will give you that standard turbo sound, but with headers, they tend to resonate a tad, Flowmaster makes a 3 or 2 chamber Delta Flow that isn't too loud, but also still resonate at low rpm and idle just a bit. My personal favorite by far is Spintech. Made here in California, they sound very similar to a Bassani system at a fraction of the price. I expalin it like a Indy Car sound, as opposed to a NASCAR(like Flowmaster) sound. It's a higher pitch sound with no resonation and relatively quiet inside the car, but with a very clean and unique sound out the back. Then when you get on it, it comes alive witha very throaty beefy sound, but still retains that pitch difference. It's a very unique sound and a highly recommend them. It'll make your car sound different then any other one out there.

If you are looking for more of a stock type sound, but still want a little something but without resonation, I'd put some Magnaflows on there. Quality design and sound, but with very little tone.

Good luck!

 
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I also kept the stock manifolds. The restriction promotes more torque which suits street driving. Adding the full dual exhaust with the H pipes helped across the full rpm range. With the higher stall converter it gets much louder leaving a light and is still a bit louder on the highway than i would prefer. And this is with a pair of full sized plain turbo mufflers. Id pop for magnaflows but i expect they would be even louder.

 
A crossover ( H-pipe) on a dual exhaust system will increase low end torque andhelp to smooth out the engine.

To be exacting, the H-pipe should be placed right at the end of where a full single-cylinder exhaust pulse reaches down the head pipe. This will give you the maximum advantage from the H-pipe.

Unfortunatly, most people have no knowledge, tools or skills to actually determine where this is, so...I have just used the spot where Ford placed the crossover originally, even though there may have been several reasons that had nothing to do with performance as to why they placed it there. Right at the rear of the transmission pan is where mine was factory-located, and I have kept it there.

Lots of "hipper"(younger?) car-guys are quite enamored of the newer X-pipe arrangement. It definitely has some performance advantages, but also sounds markedly different and too "modern", at least to me, anyway.

 
I agree about the H-pipe. One old school method to determine location is by temperature change. The method is to apply some spray paint on your exhaust from the bottom of the firewall to near the end of the transmission. At some point the temp changes abruptly and will cause the paint to burn off on the engine side of the pipe and leave the paint intact on down the pipe. The point e the paint burned off and where the paint stayed is the proper location for installing the H-pipe.

 
Sounds like a great old-school method! I think my addled old noggin seems to remember someone telling me that years ago.

I think a modern infrared digital thermometer would give the info you need quickly and easily. Maybe...

 
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