Need help choosing X or H pipe

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pjc360

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I recently got some new hedders for my crate 360 magnum (300hp) engine and they sit up higher under my truck, so i decided to just go ahead and get new exhaust. In case some of you dont remember, i have a dual exhaust with only 2 inch exhaust pipe.... Wich is kind of small... So i wasnt too bummed out to find i need a new exhaust system.
I plan on going true dual again and having it routed exactly the same as it is now, only i'm going to get 2 1/4 inch exhaust pipe this go around.
I have always ran H pipes on my v-8 powered vehicles with dual exhaust, but i have been hearing alot about the X pipe and its benefits over the H pipe, the only thing that i have questions about is does the X pipe take away torque or does it gain you torque? because i have heard some people say H pipe is for low end torque and x pipe is for high rpm horsepower.
I'm in a 4x4 truck so i dont wanna lose any low end power.... And also how does the x pipe sound on a 360 magnum? Surely there is someone here that has an x pipe on a 360 magnum or has heard one, i plan on running 18 inch glass packs and i plan to put an x or H pipe before the glass packs, just havent decided on wich one i'm going to get, i know the H pipe sounds good and that they had a little more power, i know the x pipe scavenges better but have no idea how they sound on magnums?? I have heard x pipes on chevys and they seem to make the tone more raspy in my opinion, do they make the magnums sound more raspy? or since i plan on running 18 inch glass packs will my sound still be pretty deep with an x pipe?
Anyways just hoping to get opinions on the H pipe vs x pipe, i'm leaning towords the x pipe right now because i have never ran one before and if i dont like the way it sounds i can easily cut it out and replace it with an H pipe.
 
I dont think the power difference is going to be very noticeable. The X pipe is going to be higher pitched when you get on it. I would however choose a better muffler over the glasspacks.
 
I dont want any other muffler, i hate the way flowmasters sound and i have heard some dynomax mufflers on the magnums and didnt care for that sound ether.
The guy at the exhaust shop that i talked too said that glass packs acually flow better then flowmaster mufflers, i mean a glass pack is just a straight thru tube with fiber glass on the sides, how could that be power robbing or restrictive?
And another question i had, is 2 1/4 inch pipe sufficient enough for my set up? or should i consider going 2 1/2? it would cost me the same ether way. I just read keeping the diameter a little smaller helps with torque, and since this engine is in a 4x4 truck i'd rather keep some lower end power if i could. I have been told 2 1/4 inch exhaust pipe is suffiecient enough to handle 400 hp.
 
oh and i forgot to add, an 18 inch glass pack isnt very big at all, its accually quite small for a muffler, i could go down to a 12 inch glass pack and i'm sure a 12 inch glass pack wouldnt be restictive at all, ive just always liked staying with the 18's because they reduce the noise a little better then the 12 inch ones.
 
They are restrictive because those 2.25" inlets get necked down to 2" inside the muffler. You may as well just keep your 2" pipes
 
I got 2 1/2" dual exhaust with flowmaster 40s with for my 318. There isn't an H pipe or X pipe. It doesn't feel like it lost any power but seems like it gained some. It is pretty loud.
 
every glass pack gets necked down to 2 inch? seriously?
 
well that sucks because i dont like the sound of any other mufflers really, maybe i will just get straight piped with an X pipe then
 
ether that or run a really small 12 inch glass pack. it will be loud but owell, i never knew every glasspack was necked down to 2 inch inside, i always though if it was 2.25 inlet it was 2.25 all the way thru
 
every cheap glass pack Ive seen necks down, I know cherry bombs do.

Maybe look at the Dynomax bullets or the Moroso spiral flows
 
i guess i could bite the bullet and buy some 40 series flowmasters, i just have never really cared for the way they sound, the only engine i have heard that sounded good with flowmasters to me was a 428 big block ford that had some super 44's, other then that i have never really cared for them
 
The 2 I suggested are both straight through bullet mufflers like glass packs
 
To me flowmasters have that raspy hollow tone to them and i dont care for that at all, i will ask the shop if they have any glass packs that are necked down to 2 inch inside, and if they dont i guess i will run straight pipe or buy some flowmasters.
I think i will try the X pipe this go around tho. If i end up having to run flowmasters should i just go with the original 40 series or should i go with the super 40 or super 44 wich one flows the best?
 
the super 44s are deeper less tinny sounding. The x pipe is going to add some raspyness to the tone. You may want to stick with the H.
 
would it be a bad idea to just run straigh 2 1/4 inch pipe into an X pipe then just run straight 2 1/4 inch pipe the rest of the way out? There wouldnt be any muffler of any kind to be restrictive and hurt the exhaust flow, and the X pipe should help control the noise, right? i mean how loud do you think it would be straight piped with an X pipe.
 
ya i have heard that about the X pipes, but i have seen and heard of huge gains that you wouldnt think possible just from adding one, so i'm thinking i might just have to live with it, because if an x pipe can really add 10 to 15 more horse power or ft lbs of torque then i would deffanatly run one and live with the sound.
 
AdamR said:
I dont think the power difference is going to be very noticeable. The X pipe is going to be higher pitched when you get on it. I would however choose a better muffler over the glasspacks.
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I agree.
 
how restrictive could a 12 or 18 inch glass pack be? even if it is 2 inch inside the glass pack, its not 2 inch for very long a ft to a ft and a half in the exhaust path.
I'm thinking i could just have them put 12 or 18 inch glass packs on it for now and later on down the road i can get something better. Because my appointment is tuesday, that dont leave me with much time to get different mufflers, i could get flowmasters because they sell them but thats it flowmasters or glass packs or straigh piped.
I'm thinking i could just get some cheap 12 to 18 inch glass packs for now, then later on get some better mufflers, but i dont see how the glass packs only being a foot to a foot and a half long could be to awfully restrictive because thats not that long, and i'd like to think an X pipe would help trick the motor into thinking its got bigger exhaust then it really does because cylinders can feed off of ether side with an x pipe correct?
 
pjc360 said:
how restrictive could a 12 or 18 inch glass pack be? even if it is 2 inch inside the glass pack, its not 2 inch for very long a ft to a ft and a half in the exhaust path.
I'm thinking i could just have them put 12 or 18 inch glass packs on it for now and later on down the road i can get something better. Because my appointment is tuesday, that dont leave me with much time to get different mufflers, i could get flowmasters because they sell them but thats it flowmasters or glass packs or straigh piped.
I'm thinking i could just get some cheap 12 to 18 inch glass packs for now, then later on get some better mufflers, but i dont see how the glass packs only being a foot to a foot and a half long could be to awfully restrictive because thats not that long, and i'd like to think an X pipe would help trick the motor into thinking its got bigger exhaust then it really does because cylinders can feed off of ether side with an x pipe correct?
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But why buy twice. If you don't have the mufflers you want, cancel your appointment.

I wouldn't run glass-packs on my lawnmower.

Get an X over an H if money allows (but like others have said, don't expect some miraculous difference).

As far as mufflers go, many of the performance mufflers are very close to each-other as far as flow.

My 2 personal choices are Dynomax Super turbos (nice, muscle car sound).

Or

Dynomax UltraFlows. More aggressive Muscle car sound with some bite when you stand on it.

These are the only two mufflers I run.
 
My advice would be to not buy the flowmasters if you hate the way they sound. If you really enjoy glasspacks, maybe you can try to find some better ones quality ones that don't get necked down. Have you heard of spintech mufflers? I don't have any experience with them, but I'm considering them for my own project, which, granted, is a 383 that's probably going to run 3 inch duals. Search around on youtube for different setups. Don't get into a hurry, and don't buy something that you don't want.
Just my 2 cents.
 
pjc360 said:
every glass pack gets necked down to 2 inch? seriously?
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no,they dont.look at magnapcks,flow monster black cherries,thrush magnum glass packs,magnaflow glasspacks,classic chambered exhaust cobra packs,heart throb flow tubes,dynomax race bullets,etc.im sure there are more,but NONE of the above listed neck down on the inside.an x pipe with glass packs or similar straight through design like hooker maxflow or dynomax ultraflo (magnaflows as well)sounds real nice.the x takes away that annoying "blat" that gp's have with true duals.ive run all three (X,H,and true duals) on my dart.top end was about the same on all three but the x by far made the most low end according to the but dyno.
 
well i'm kinda in a hurry for exhaust because all iv'e got is open hedders right now.... What would be wrong with going straight piped? 2 1/4 inch pipe straight piped with an X pipe. Then there wouldnt be any muffler restriction at all. correct?
Maybe this muffler shop has better glass packs that dont neck down, but even if they dont. will a 12 inch or 18 inch glass pack be of much resriction? thats just a foot or a foot and a half donw the exhaust stream. it'd sureley be better then a huge 36 to 40 inch necked glass pack right?
 
pjc360 said:
well i'm kinda in a hurry for exhaust because all iv'e got is open hedders right now.... What would be wrong with going straight piped? 2 1/4 inch pipe straight piped with an X pipe. Then there wouldnt be any muffler restriction at all. correct?
Maybe this muffler shop has better glass packs that dont neck down, but even if they dont. will a 12 inch or 18 inch glass pack be of much resriction? thats just a foot or a foot and a half donw the exhaust stream. it'd sureley be better then a huge 36 to 40 inch necked glass pack right?
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i would not run the straight pipes jmo.lots of exhaust shops have glass pack blanks as in they have no inlet or outlet nipple welded on the case.you could get a set with a larger core and use reducing nipples to your pipe size.make sure if they are louvered mufflers you face the louvers toward the back of the car .it will be louder,but not mess with the flow as much.a shorty gp will not be that restrictive.i had a set of cobra packs (24") on my 340 dart at one time with a 2.5 h pipe.it seemed to have plenty of power and a nice nostalgic muscle car sound.
 
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