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Chambered, or straight thru muffler for deep tone?

17K views 44 replies 20 participants last post by  5.0specialist 
#1 ·
In general what gives a deeper tone to an exhaust. That kind of through board boat gurgle that sounds like deep not raspy, a chambered muffler or straight thru? From what I heard the chambered sounds deep and the straight thru style sounds raspy, is this generally the case?
 
#10 ·
Any padded muffler with enough chamber size and padding will kill highs.

This is a Borla Turbo XS muffler....but it is on a turbo car.

 
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#16 ·
I can tell you I had flows on my stock 5.0 and switched them out with Jones straight through mufflers. The jones are deeper but not as loud volume wise. I may eventually go with a round straight through muffler since they have less packing. I had Bassani on my
4v cobra so I looked it up on foxes and it sounded good.

LM1 will be extremely loud. They are almost like race bullets. You can't trust YouTube videos that much. Cameras, phones and a bunch of other variables plays into the quality of video.

My advice would be try to listen to different kinds of mufflers locally. Then when you start the system don't weld anything. Invest in some good clamps. That way it's less of a headache if you wanna change.
 
#18 ·
I was going to say, getting a mild 5.0 to sound "deep" is going to be tough. Not enough airlow, not enough "thump". Even a well built 302-based engine doesn't sound like a bigger engine with the same power, nowhere near actually. So you'll likely have to do some experimenting.
 
#22 ·
The best sounding 'Stang (Foooord period actually...) I've ever had was an '82 GT with a mild 289 & early 351 heads. IIRC BlackJack long tube headers and the old Sonic Turbo mufflers, dumped but no turn-downs, no h/x-pipe either since we ran the pipes side by side (single hump cross member!). EVERYBODY asked about the exhaust in that car...
 
#24 ·
Since I'm whoring out my youtube videos anyway, here's the 1 3/4" shorties/Mac 3" prochamber, Jones Full Boar 3" mufflers at the track (exterior) and just driving around town:



If you want loud and deep, 3 year old ultraflos and an h pipe are the way to go, esp with a little power going through them. In the first video, the db meter tells the story - I don't think you'd want anything louder for the street, unless you just enjoy pissing people off. Sometimes those people are cops. The prochamber definitely quiets things down a bit.
 
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#25 ·
Since I'm whoring out my youtube videos anyway, here's the 1 3/4" shorties/Mac 3" prochamber, Jones Full Boar 3" mufflers at the track (exterior) and just driving around town:

https://youtu.be/j8SNo7kpcxw

If you want loud and deep, 3 year old ultraflos and an h pipe are the way to go, esp with a little power going through them. In the first video, the db meter tells the story - I don't think you'd want anything louder for the street, unless you just enjoy pissing people off. Sometimes those people are cops. The prochamber definitely quiets things down a bit.
Thanks for all the help brother! So generally speaking straight thru mufflers are deeper then chambered?
 
#26 ·
Yeah, that's probably accurate. Years ago I did have three chamber Flowmasters, and they were pretty deep, but in a different way. The louder (2 and 1 chamber). Flowmasters are raspier. Also, an H pipe is deeper than an x pipe.
 
#29 ·
One thing that you're still not thinking about.

Sound is subjective.

And from what you're saying, I don't think you're going to get the sound you want, with a stock 5.0.

My advice, for a "deep" sound (again, subjective) is to start with 1-5/8" long tube headers, 2-1/2" H pipe, get yourself some 3" tails (like Flowmaster for ex) and just start playing with muffs. Use band clamps. You'll thank me later.
 
#37 ·
ok, my .02...
I think pretty much every small block ford is going to have that raspy sound you are wanting to get rid of. The reason you can recognize a Ford H.O. 302 from half a mile away sight unseen is because of their "unique sound".
The burble is going to come from a cam, or a poor tune, vacuum leak... you get the idea.

If you still have the stock headers, or are running shortie headers, regardless of mid pipe and muffler you are going to have a higher pitched wail, just how much...
To tone that down, you'll need long tubes.
If you want it to scream, H pipe, wail, X-pipe.
My ears tell me chambered are deeper than straight through, but, the chambered also ring out more of the raspy-ness.

My advice on a stock motor for what you are trying to do...
1-5/8" long tubes.
2-1/2" H pipe.
3 chamber delta flows, dumped.
That is about as deep a sounding stock H.O. 302 that I have been around... but the 3 chambers are not going to be "loud" like I've seen you looking for in other posts.

So, for loud, I would advise;
1-5/8" shorties.
2-1/2" x pipe.
Race Bullets or Loudmouths.

See what happened there...

In short, the 302 is never going to sound like a big block chev... and will always have the raspy ring to it.
My opinion is that the H.O. 302 sounds way more evil/devious/angry, and the big chev just sounds mean and strong.
Pick your poison.
 
#38 ·
oh, the above is based on what I have seen/heard with "my" ears, I'm no acoustics engineer... nor am I a music aficionado... so take the above as just another bellybuttons opinion.
I've been around these cars since they were rolling off the assembly line, and belong to a Mustang Club in a big city, that, back in the day, had a tonne of these things in just about every configuration imaginable... so I have heard them in real life, not on you-tube.
 
#41 ·
This topic, like others, has been beaten up, choked, stabbed, shot, stabbed and shot again for good measure and blown to bits, scattered to the four corners of the galaxy.

Bottom line, your tastes are different than others. You'll just need to experiment. Find a local club and hear what others have. Then the real experiment begins and the wallet opening up.

Good luck on your choice. It will sound great no matter what you do to it.
 
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