Dual exhaust vs. Single

[pookster]

I am hoping in the near future to redo my exhaust on my 200. I am planning on fspp headers. I was wondering what would be a good exhaust to get...and where? Also, will dual exhaust give me a good amount of performance for the extra money I will have to spend?
Money is a big factor in this upgrade!!!!
Thanks for your time.

 

[rbohm]

8) i always prefer dual exhaust when i can install it. that said a good single exhaust, properly sized, would work well with a six.

 

[Anonymous]

I want dual for no other reason than it sounds better, particularly on a 6.

Having said that I wish I could go a little smaller than 2" but I can't find the Borla's smaller than 2", and I want the Borla's.

 

[CobraSix]

a dual exhaust system will not out perform (or do worse then) a single exhaust system properly sized on our 6's. It's more for image and looks. I love the dual exhaust look, but it is cost prohibitive.

Slade

 

[Falcon62]

If you run duals all the way out, then go no larger than 2" on your pipes, and 1 7/8" would be better yet. If you go with a single exhaust system, then you could go a little bigger, but I wouldn't go any larger than 2 1/4". Just my $.02.

 

[Anonymous]

Assuming you can hide it, a single pipe weighs less, costs less, is easier to isolate from the chassis, and retains more energy since the wall surface is smaller than 2 pipes with the same cross-section.
E.g.: 2 2" OD pipes (assuming 18ga.) = 1.902" ID, or 5.68" area. Equivalent area single pipe is 2.79" OD. Surface area of 2 pipes (per inch): 12.57". Surface area of 1 pipe (per inch): 8.77", only 70% as much.
Also should reduce undercar temperature.

 

[addo]

Money is a big factor in this upgrade!!!!

You said it. Why pay twice?

 

[pookster]

That sounds like a good point for the single exhaust. Where would be a good place to look for exhaust?

 

[mugsy]

I bought my header from Clifford. They said 6-8 weeks, but they took 12. That was about 5 years ago, so they might have a little better service now. If FSPP doesn't have what you want is stock then call Cliffy. But if it's not in stock with them, then you will take your chance.

As for installation, I used my best tool; my checkbook. I dropped the car with the header off at a local muffler shop (I called first) and they put the header on and installed a new 2-1/4" pipe. They did ask if the intake has to be removed to install the header, this is a problem with some straight six Chevys, but not our small sixes. As for a muffler, the shop used one for a duel exhaust 5.0 litre Mustang. It has a nice deep sound.

Mugsy

 

[Anonymous]

Or get the dual from AZcoupe with the Y adaptor. He ships promptly. He may have the single out now as he has added some new ones.

 

[Anonymous]

I like my duals with the FSPP header.

Got my exhaust system off ebay for around $160.00-$170.00 and installed it myself

Later,

Doug

 

[AzCoupe]

Just so you know, I have all three types of headers (on my website) in stock.

From what I have learned, most sixes (stock or mild build) will actually benefit by using a single pipe rather than duals. The exception to this would be a well built six with big cam, larger valves, increase carburation, head work, etc.

Falcon62 is correct. Dual out pipes should be from 1 3/4 -2 inches, but no larger. I would recommend 1 3/4 for a stock or mild build. Single outs should be 2 - 2 1/4 inches.

If you like the looks of a dual out, but prefer a single, then run the pipe back to a mufler with a single in and dual outs. Then you have the best of all worlds. Cheaper, easier, good sound, good performance.

If you go with the Pacemakers and a Y pipe, you can always convert to dual out when required and/or when you have more cash.

 

[CobraSix]

Mike, that is why I bought the y-pipe. No more money, you cleaned me out...

Slade

 

[amartin83]

My concern about putting dual exhaust on my own '66 Mustang is how close the ex. pipe can get to the rear rubber brake line. This is a problem on the V8's and I would assume it is a problem on I6's as well but have not heard much on this. On the V8 you must relocate the rear line bracket farther to the left and make a new hardline, and replace the rubber line with one for a factory dual car. Maybe there is a enough room to custom bend the pipe around the brake lines but it seems pretty tight. I know many do convert to duals without changing lines. If it wasn't winter I would just check it out myself, but car is in for the winter. Has anyone with dual exhaust have an opinion on this.

Aaron

 

[CobraSix]

I think I've heard of that before. I'll keep an eye on it when I put my dual exhaust on. Maybe I'll get the shop to avoid that area

Slade

 

[100_2023]

I say ya gotta let 'em breathe!!! I've probably always put too big of an exhaust on my favorite cars. I have a single 3" exhaust on my Dodge Caravan 3.3 bent 6. It runs great and sounds awsome!!! It has a 3" pipe that comes down from the back exhaust manifold. It goes into a 3" IN/OUT Products for Power Cat, then into a 3" center IN/OUT 40 Series Flowmaster. It angles at 45 degrees behind the muffler and exits in front of the passenger side rear wheel. It really isn't very loud. It has a nice low rumble at idle and a nice burble at 55 MPH. It does talk when you get on it hard though. I've suprised a few younger guys with it( and older guys for that matter). The guy at the muffler shop was laughing after he finished putting the exhaust on it. He said he had never put a Flowmaster on a minivan before, much less a 3". He said he was suprised at how good it sounded. He admitted he was afraid it would be too loud, but was suprised. It has been on the van for 6 months now and I still love it. I used to have a dual 3" PFP cat and Flowmaster system on my 5.0 Mustang LX. I had a single 3 1/2 " Big Block Flowmaster on my 5.0 '62 Ranchero. I like Flowmasters with cats. You have to make sure you use a 3 chamber though, especially if you don't use cats. The Ranchero didn't have a cat. It sounded like it had echo cans on it. I like the sound of the Walker Dynomax turbo mufflers too. They have more of a low frequency idle rumble, but don't get as loud when you get on it. I guess it's all in what sound you like.

 

[MustangSix]

Velocity good, backpressure bad.

On this issue, I kind of disagree with Azcoupe. IMO, 1 3/4" pipes are too small . The stock V8 2" pipes make great, economical duals on a 200 Mustang. 2 1/4" pipes would even be fine, though sould quality might be off.

If we were looking at smooth, straight pipes, there might be some value in sizing them like that. But a typical exhaust system is full of bends, kinks, and mufflers. There is little or no "tuning" effect to be gained once you get past the collector on the header in the rpm ranges we typically see in a small six. There can be some gains if you go to some extreme exhaust tuning science like on the current BMW M3, but they are marginal.

I think you should just keep the header tube sizes reasonable, 1.5" or less to keep velocity up in that part of the system, then reduce the backpressure in the rest of the system, at least to the point that the noise gets to be too much.

 

[ruckus68]

I installed a FSPP header with y pipe and went 2.25 pipe straight back to a 40 series flowmaster. It's pretty loud inside and out. has a nice rumble at idle. but sounds like all show and no go. maybe tomorrow i will try to post a sound clip with my digital camra. I still have lots to do and now i am thinking of changing cams to a more aggressive one. do youthink a dual pattern cam would make a big difference over my comp cams 260? I'd love to take it to chassis dyno and see just how i am doing - maybe this weekend i will check it out.

John

 

[MustangSix]

I have essentially the same thing on my car. I hate that damn single Flowmaster. :x Dumbest thing I ever got talked into. I will eventually go back to duals and turbos, but for now it's just loud with a crappy drone at 1500/3000/4500 rpms.

Someone posted a sound clip a while back of the same setup with a turbo muff that sounded nice.

 

[CobraSix]

Borlas are supposed to have a nice quality sound. I found a research article once that rated the sound quality on the same car at different RPMs. Borla was the quietest (which I like) and had the best sound quality (whatever that is judged by) and still flows as good as any flow master. I have a flow master now and I hate it. It was on the car when I bought it, so I had no choice. Just way to annoying at highway speeds. Sounds like at idle, horrible at highway speeds. Sometimes I wonder if I sound like a ricer.

Slade