Should I install an "H"- Pipe in my exhaust?

It does sound awesome, but when I floor it, it gets a little loud, was thinking an h pipe would dull the sound and maybe even add more power?

 

I installed one, and it did not quiet it down at all. I had a flowmaster drone, and it moved it to a different rpm range, but that is all it did. Didn't notice if it added power or not.

Now, what DID add power was going from 2-1/2" pipe from front to back to 2-1/4" pipe with an X-pipe. Still as loud, but more low-end torque, faster off the line, breaks the tires loose easier. Not sure how much of the improvement was from the X, and how much from the smaller diameter tubing.

 

I would.

The H-pipe has more of a traditional muscle car sound while an X-pipe sounds more like modern cars (maybe a little raspier). Both increase power by 3 or 4 hp, however the X will place that increase at a higher RPM. Neither is better than the other. It's a matter of preference.

 

What mufflers do you have now?

 

They are fake flowmasters

 

I agree with Larry's assessment.

I have always added a crossover on my cars and it will usually help take some of the poppiness out of the exhaust and might 'tame it down' just a little.

I prefer the sound of an X-pipe myself and like the sound of the Dr. Gas X-pipe the best of all of them. That is what I have on my '72 Grabber.

 

an H-pipe(also called a "balance tube") helps boost throttle response and lower rpm torque a bit better than the x-pipe.. but the x-pipe is superior beyond that as it also helps scavenging in the mid-range rpm's.

To add more detail.. the size and placement of the x-pipe design is also a bit more finicky to get max gains vs the simple balance tube which is much less size and location critical to aid cross pulsing/sharing both mufflers during multiple cylinder firings on the same bank of cylinders.

Also consider the fact that the convergent and divergent angles of many x-pipes is also just plain wrong simply because many chassis arrangements call for "whatever fits behind the transmission and still hits the mufflers at a decent enough entry angle". This reduces power potential and limits many x-pipes to just slightly better than the basic old balance tube design. At that point you're just changing the exhaust tone rather than chasing those last few ponies. Get an x-pipe design even closer to right though?.. and you can nearly double the power gain of a simple balance tube.

 

Back when I worked in the marine industry, we worked with a prominent automotive/marine exhaust company on thru hull exhaust systems that could be adapted to our product. As z28th1s points out, there was an objectionable popping noise that could be heard at the dock when the boat equipped with separated thru hull exhaust idled past that sounded similar to a misfire. Dealers actually got complaints from owners who claimed something was wrong with the engine. Exiting each engine bank on the sides of the boat vs. the transom made it much worse. A balance tube eliminated the noise and gave the exhaust a far more pleasing homogenous gurgling note (I will re-produce the, "homogenous gurgling note" sound at next years Pinto/Maverick picnic if the demand is there).

H pipes and X pipes have long been associated with improving low end torque by several Lb/Ft as well.

 

While I agree with most of this, Dyno tests have shown that there is no increase in power between the two designs. Only a difference in what RPM range that increase happens. Now I don't know if that is due to the placement of the X-pipe when these tests were performed.

 

I think the choice in mufflers is the problem. Get a quieter muffler....like MagnaFlows or Turbo mufflers....and it won't be as noisy.

 

For me, the improved exhaust note is worth the effort alone. Like an Engineer at Corsa once told me, "we sell sound". Performance gains are icing on the cake to most of their customers.

 

I agree that you should choose based upon what sound you like.

 

My god how do you guys know so much stuff about stuff?

 

We're a bunch of know-it-alls.

 

Personally, I am an idiot, and don't believe nothing till I try it myself. So I try it, and tweak it, and don't like it, and go back to what I started with most of the time. But in the process, I have a little something to throw out there for the next guy. Might not be the gospel, or the truth, but just what I found during my own experimentation.