So I am running a new exhaust on my dentside when I get there(soon), and am paying a shop to build it. They want to run glasspacks on it, I am not a big fan. I want a good sound, but not that obnoxious slappy deal. So a friend recommended turbo mufflers instead. So now I'm not sure what to get, the Thrush turbo's, Hooker comp turbo's, or Thrush welded(not even sure those are turbo's), basically I'm in the middle of muffler 101, because I don't know much about it. But I don't want to mess with it much after I get her going because this has taken altother too much cash.
Oh yeah, running off a 390. With no aftermarket headers or anything, just a true duel system with I think 2.5 pipe. Open to the madness, folks! Arm me with your knowledges! I also want to buy the mufflers myself online to try and save a few bucks. Thanks fellers!

 

Well, first off, good for you for not letting the shop put glasspacks on your ride. It's your truck, not theirs. They can make recommendations, but the final decision is yours.

I've used Thrush Turbo mufflers in the past and liked the way they sounded. Deep, throaty, rumbling V8 noise, even from my little 260-cid in my 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe. I don't have that car anymore, but that's another story.

I would suggest you search YouTube for the mufflers you're interested in to see if you can find some videos so you can hear them. The only other thing I'd suggest to you is to ask the shop for references from their previous customers. Maybe someone else has already done what you want to do.

 

Thanks, MooseMan! Take it you're in Idaho?
I actually did the YouTube deal and listened to some mufflers. It's kind of funny, every dude just sets his camera down and then goes and hops in his rig and gets after it in neutral. I think I am going to get the Thrush turbo's. They seem to have the sound I'm after. I just wonder if the Hooker's are any better. They all seem to be around the same price range. For the turbo's anyways, I saw more expensive in Flowmasters and others but at this point I'm just trying to get this rig driving. There's already a friggin' snowstorm on it's way here.

 

Montanaboy, in all honesty with the stock exhaust manifolds muffler selection isn't going to matter that much...

The stock manifolds, particularly on a FE, are very restrictive and a bottleneck to your exhausts ability to flow freely.

I'd highly recommend headers, even if a cheap $180 set, they'll free up 30-40 horsepower and allow for a free flowing exhaust, it's the cheapest/easiest HP gain you can do to your 390.

After that, you can weigh your options between mufflers, e.g. chambered, turbo, straight-through, etc.

 

Please be advised that the term "glass packs" would include:

Allied
Edelbrock
Borla
Magnaflow
Hooker

All of which use packing material which although is not fiberglass (as no one has used in 20 years), they each use a sound material absorbing design. Even conventional "glass packs" are proven in flow testing to out perform many of the so-called "Free Flowing Real Mufflers". For reference, WyoTech, Hot Rod Magazine has numerous published articals on this. On the net, please read:

broaderperformance.com/muffler_flow_tests.htm (Independently tested cfm flows of the more popular mufflers, glasspacks and resonators @ 15” wc:
2 ½” diameter straight pipe 521
2 ¼” diameter straight pipe 365
2” diameter straight pipe 283
2 ¼” diameter tailpipe 268
2 ¼” round glasspack- no louvers 274
2 ¼” round glasspack- with inward punched louvers 133
2 ¼” round glasspack- inward punched louvers/installed backwards 141
2 ½” inlet/outlet Dynomax SuperTurbo 268
2 1/4” inlet/outlet Thrush CVX 260
2 ½” inlet/outlet Flowmaster 2-chamber 249
2 ¼” inlet/2 ½”outlet Cherry Bomb turbo 249
2 ¼” inlet/outlet Flowmaster 3-chamber 229
2 ¼” inlet/2 ½”outlet Maremount Super C (OEM Replacement) 149
2 ¼” inlet/2” dual outlet Maremount 183
2 ¼” inlet/outlet California Turbo 229
2 ½” inlet/outlet Hooker Aerochamber 324
2 ½” inlet/outlet Hooker MaxFlow 521
2 ¼” inlet/outlet Maremount Cherrybomb Vortex 298
2 ½” inlet center/outlet offset Borla Turbo 373


http://www.popularhotrodding.com/eng...../index1.html (this is an in-depth article that tests not only the mis-conception of flow demand but also how placement of a muffler (a glass pack in this dyno test) can actually "fool " the system into thinking that it is essentially a straight pipe.




I have listed here a muffler shootout test done by CAR CRAFT:

The Mufflers
MAKE MODEL Part No.
SUMMIT Turbo 630125
THRUSH Magnum Glasspack 24214
THRUSH Boss Turbo 17718
HOOKER Competition 21006
DYNOMAX Super Turbo 17733
DYNOMAX Race Magnum 24215
HOOKER Super Competition 21106
SUMMIT Fully Welded 630325
FLOWTECH Afterburner 50322

MUFFLER FLOW TEST

MUFFLER Flow at 28-in H20
DynoMax Race Magnum 528.64 cfm
Thrush Magnum Glasspack 507.40 cfm
Summit Fully Welded 343.38 cfm
Flowtech Afterburner 342.20 cfm
DynoMax Super Turbo 333.94 cfm
Hooker Competition 232.46 cfm
Hooker Super Competition 320.96 cfm
Summit Turbo 331.16 cfm
Thrush Boss Turbo 297.36 cfm

MUFFLER Idle dB WOT dB
DynoMax Super Turbo 89 123
DynoMax Race Magnum 94 133
Flowtech Afterburner 92 124
Hooker Competion 92 122
Hooker Super Competion 90 125
Summit Turbo 89 124
Summit Fully Welded 92 125
Thrush Boss Turbo 90 123
Thrush Magnum Glasspack 92 128

DYNO TEST
All mufflers were dyno-tested on a 355-cube SBC with 10.0:1 compression, Air Flow Research 190 aluminum heads, a CompCams 292 hyd. a Victor Jr. intake, a Holley 750-cfm double-pumper, and 1 5/8 Headman headers.


MUFFLER HP TORQUE 2,500-6,000rpmAverage
Hooker Competition 397.4 381.1 286.8hp/351.9 lb-ft
Thrush Boss Turbo 407.1 384.9 292.1 hp/357.5 lb-ft
DynoMax Race Magnum 409.5 394.3 298.8 hp/366.9 lb-ft
Flowtech Afterburner 409.7 391.2 294.8 hp/361.7 lb-ft
Thrush Glasspack 409.5 389.8 297.7 hp/365.3 lb-ft
Summit Turbo 411.5 386.3 291.5 hp/357.4 lb-ft
DynoMax Super Turbo 412.7 387.2 292.6 hp/358.6 lb-ft
Hooker Super Comp 413.8 387.2 292.8 hp/359.0 lb-ft
Summit Fully Welded 415.4 390.7 295.6 hp/362.4 lb-ft

While there are mufflers that will out flow a glass pack design, it also depends on the design. Does the glasspack use "louvers or perforations" - Louvers reduce the flow by as much as 50% but Allied resonators (that sell for $40) each and available at any muffler shop) installed - in independent test flowed 90%+ of a "race spec muffler". Others using other brands consistently showed similar results. As far as longitivity......
I do live in SoCal so if you are in snow country this should be considered as well. My family and myself have run these on just about everything we drive on the street since the 1960's......we typically get 10-15 years out of a set...there is no "tinny/brappy" sound....and available in just about any diameter/length (IIRR 10"-38")....they have a very deep tone, a rumble on decal and accel....and available nationwide. BTW- "resonators" are the "new term" for glass-packs.....and Allied mfg's (under license) most if not all of the major muffler players you have listed.

 

If you like the turbo sound I would strongly recomend the Dynomax Super Turbos. If you get the offset in/out then they flow like a S. They even have flow directors inside. I have used them on a 460, 4.6 and on a V10. They also have good flow #'s and low sound for a turbo. As far as glasspacks go, Magnaflow makes some good ones. I put 2 of them on my 07 F150 with the 5.4L. X2 on the headers! Read this link as to why the FE engines really need them:

http://www.fordfe.info/Exhaust/Exhaust.htm

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wlk-17734/overview/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mpe-18146/overview/

 

Thanks for the responses! I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me. I guess I'll have to slap some headers on there, probably just get something cheaper in the hooker headers($2oo), unless you guys think I should get something different. It's just at this point this project has hurt me, I rolled the dice on this pickup and she bit me and now it's piling up. So I just want to kind of get it driving for the time being and pick back up on the list pretty much next year at this point. So thanks V10, Beech, and of course highboy. Without this site I would have not been armed with near as much knowledge and would have been doing literally hours of research and reading.

 

FYI on headers..........


In general, the head plate should be at least 3/8" (1/2" is best), tubing should be at least 16 gauge (14 is best).....otherwise leaks and burn-though are going to be a problem as well as the longetivity of the headers.

 

So will I be alright with these for the time being? I just can't really afford more, but if these will just rot away or leak I will have to try and get something better.
Link below.
Holley Performance Products 67-76 Ford F-250 (4WD): 352-390 6905HKR

 

One can always wish for 1/2 or 3/8 flanges but we're at the mercy of the manufacturors most are 1/4 or 5/16. Just use good gaskets and ck the bolts often.

 

With the welded in "O-Rings" they should be good for several years (3-5) befor you would see any potential issues...as recommended above, check the header bolts monthly (for the 1st 6 months, then every 4-6 months after that to ensure no leaks...you should be good to go!

 

Thanks. It's going to be a little bit, but I am "headed" in the right direction!




Had to.