Hello everybody. I hope your all enjoying the holiday season.

So I'm pretty sure I'll get getting a set of headers for Christmas (box showed up that had Hedman on the side before my wife wrapped it up) and its goe me thinking about exhaust systems.

What I'm working with is a 1983 F-250 with a 302. I've replaced the stock intake manifold with an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake and replaced the stock carb with an Edelbrock 600CFM carb. I know the carb is over sized for this truck but I got the intake and the carb used for about $100 bucks. The combo is running much better than the stock intake and carb, though when the funds are available I'd like to get an appropriately sized carb on the old girl. The headers that are going on next are Hedman Hedders 89358 - Hedman Elite Hedders - Overview - SummitRacing.com . The previous owner removed the Cats and installed a true dual setup with 2 1/4" pipes and some cheap glass packs.

So my question is what does everyone thinkg about this H-pipe

Hedman Hedders 18811 - Hedman Equalizer Tube Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com

versus this x-pipe

MagnaFlow 10790 - MagnaFlow Tru-X Stainless Steel Crossover Pipes - Overview - SummitRacing.com

From what I've read an H-pipe is supposed to give a lower tone? Id that correct? Will one or the other offer better performance? Does anyone have experience with either of these parts? Relevant experience? Any opinion welcome and thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Also completely unrelated but just yesterday I got my new dash cluster installed with the factory tach. Replaced the bulbs with white leds and got rid of the blue diffusers. Looks great. I'll try and get a pic up as soon as I can get the pictures off of the wifes camera.

 

You have a basically stock motor so performance will be virtually the same. H will be slightly lower pitch and (in my opinion) sound better than an X. Either will be quieter than true duals. If it were my I'd probably just make my own H pipe. Also note, if you're doing stainless (like that X you linked) it's different than welding regular aluminized pipe.

Personally I have a higher HP 460 and run true duals with no crossover. I like the sound and am not worried about the small power loss at my power level, I don't mind losing whatever small amount for easier removal and installation with no crossover, but I run side pipes which would complicate a crossover.

 

600 cfm is just right for the 302. It should be a vacuum secondary type carb, and if it is, it sizes itself somewhat. It only gives what the engine will take at any given throttle opening.

You are dreaming about this exhaust system, but I can tell you have never even looked under your truck to see how you are going to run it. You have to juggle performance gains versus the practicality of physically installing it.

You probably have faith that if a company sells headers for your vehicle, they will fit properly and it will be obvious how to hook them up underneath. Wrong. They come out very low underneath, and you or the exhuast shop has to figure out how to run them to the rear. If you leave the exhaust system low, sure you could add a h or x pipe, but how in the world are you going to work on the tranny if you need to, and if you leave the system low, it hangs up on everything and looks terrible standing beside the truck with all those pipes showing underneath.

The factory tucks the exhaust system up high on the passenger side, since the gas tank is in the way on the driver's side. It may be easier to try and bring the headers together over on the pass side and run one large pipe tucked up high inside the frame.

There are several ways to do it, but I think a x pipe or a h pipe is not what you need to worry about.

 

Note Dave is correct on carb sizing. While I don't care for Edelbrock and it'll leave power on the table, 600 CFM is a good match for a 302 though the performer RPM not so much on an otherwise stock truck engine. Regardless, you got the setup for $100 so you're doing fine. Run what you have and don't waste money changing carb or intake, there are more gains to be had elsewhere.

 

The E'brock 600 is a good carb. It is actually a Carter AFB design and is a vacuum secondary as Dave said, so it will size itself. It isn't too much carb for a 302, so you should be fine.

And, as Dave said, putting any kind of X or H pipe on these trucks with headers is going to be a problem as there isn't enough room. I know all the literature says you should do it as there's low-end power to be had, but it isn't going to be easy. I'd suggest spending your money on a true dual system with mufflers that flow well and give a low tone, and from what I've read and heard the Magnaflows would be my choice.

 

What they said.

600cfm good.

Performer RPM is big for a stock motor, but will perform better than stock. You can grow into it.

Headers will make a big improvement, but as they stated, the exhaust has challenges. What is important with exhaust is velocity and scavenging is the bonus. Only a Dyno or race track can tell you which will perform better. Some exhausts like X's some like H's. I would go with a X, but from a cost perspective the money might be spent better else where.

 

No room? What are you talking about?? Most of these trucks with duals have both pipes down the passenger side next to each other. You really only have two choices, go in on passenger side between frame and driveshaft or go out and have no crossover or a worse scenario. Very few trucks go out to true dual side pipes. With the pipes next to each other on passenger side a H or X is cake, they're right next to each other!

 

Yes, and no. Yes, there is room if you do the X or H well down the pipe. But, according to everything I've read the real benefit is crossing over immediately after the headers. So while you can do it the benefits of doing it later are minimal.

 

I read something somewhere, but have never tried it. Again we are talking small gains here compared to being able to actually do it. But they said once you get the system on without the crossover pipe, paint the system from the headers back a couple of feet with regular spray paint. Then run the engine, and where the paint burns off first, that's where the crossover pipe needs to go. Like I said, I have never tried it.

 

I know I'm bringing up an old thread but for those of you that run true duals did you have the pipes custom bent or did you order them prefab? Also, Franklin, we use that trick on the dirt track car to know where to cut off the pipes, so yes, that is where the X or H-pipe would be installed.

 

The ones that were on the '82 I sold were custom bent, but by a PO. And, the feedback I got from several on the forum was that prefab never fits quite right and takes some bending to make them fit. But, I'll let them chime in and tell you that themselves.

 

Hooker makes a set mandrel bent 2 1/4 and I believe Dynomax or Blackjack make some nonmandrel in 2 1/4, both exit behind the passenger rear wheel like stock. Where they run parallel down the pass. side you could place an X or H.

 

I found these:

Dynomax 89000 Exhaust System | Auto Parts Warehouse

but I'm afraid they won't work with the side tank in place...

This looks a little closer to what I'm looking for:

Flowmaster 815936 U-Fit Exhaust System | Auto Parts Warehouse

Opinions, thoughts?

 

If you want to make your own, those kits will help, this http://m.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-16565HKR is what I was referring to .

 

Thank you Terp. +Rep to you. That is exactly what I was looking for.