do mufflers give you that hot rod engine noise?

i am looking at an antique truck. The original engine was replaced with a
Chevy 350 crate engine. Otherwise it looks original. Problem is, when you
start the engine it sounds like a hot rod -- throaty muscle car type of
sound. I want a sedate old car sound. My question -- is this sound simply a
funciton of the muffler? Could I tone it down by changing to a different
muffler? Or is this engine sound due to the engine, and no muffler is going
to change it?

thanks

On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 23:12:41 -0400 "John Smith"
> wrote:

> i am looking at an antique truck. The original engine was replaced
> with a Chevy 350 crate engine. Otherwise it looks original. Problem
> is, when you start the engine it sounds like a hot rod -- throaty
> muscle car type of sound. I want a sedate old car sound. My question
> -- is this sound simply a funciton of the muffler? Could I tone it
> down by changing to a different muffler?

Yes.

> Or is this engine sound due
> to the engine, and no muffler is going to change it?

Partly, but a muffler change will fix it.

--
remove MYSHOES to email

John Smith wrote:
> i am looking at an antique truck. The original engine was replaced with a
> Chevy 350 crate engine. Otherwise it looks original. Problem is, when you
> start the engine it sounds like a hot rod -- throaty muscle car type of
> sound. I want a sedate old car sound. My question -- is this sound simply a
> funciton of the muffler? Could I tone it down by changing to a different
> muffler? Or is this engine sound due to the engine, and no muffler is going
> to change it?
>
> thanks

Depends on what you find objectionable about the sound. If it's simply
the volume, then yes changing the mufflers will help. However you will
have to seek the advice of a GOOD muffler guy as most aftermarket
mufflers are aimed at the "performance" crowd who value low
backpressure over quietness. Stay away from "turbo" mufflers,
glasspacks, and Flowmasters or imitations thereof. They sound good,
IMHO, but aren't what you seem to be looking for.

Alternately, you could run a glasspack in series with the existing
mufflers, if they're "turbo" style or similar. This will yield a deep,
throaty sound without a whole lot of volume. Also adding a balance
tube, crossover, H-pipe, whatever you want to call it, will mellow out
the sound without any performance hit.

If what you dislike is the lumpy idle due to a performance cam (which
crate motor are we talking about, anyway?) there's really not much that
can be done short of installing a milder camshaft, which IMHO isn't
worth it.

good luck,

nate

"N8N" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> John Smith wrote:
>> i am looking at an antique truck. The original engine was replaced with a
>> Chevy 350 crate engine. Otherwise it looks original. Problem is, when you
>> start the engine it sounds like a hot rod -- throaty muscle car type of
>> sound. I want a sedate old car sound. My question -- is this sound simply
>> a
>> funciton of the muffler? Could I tone it down by changing to a different
>> muffler? Or is this engine sound due to the engine, and no muffler is
>> going
>> to change it?
>>
>> thanks
>
> Depends on what you find objectionable about the sound. If it's simply
> the volume, then yes changing the mufflers will help. However you will
> have to seek the advice of a GOOD muffler guy as most aftermarket
> mufflers are aimed at the "performance" crowd who value low
> backpressure over quietness. Stay away from "turbo" mufflers,
> glasspacks, and Flowmasters or imitations thereof. They sound good,
> IMHO, but aren't what you seem to be looking for.
>
> Alternately, you could run a glasspack in series with the existing
> mufflers, if they're "turbo" style or similar. This will yield a deep,
> throaty sound without a whole lot of volume. Also adding a balance
> tube, crossover, H-pipe, whatever you want to call it, will mellow out
> the sound without any performance hit.

Ditto on what N8N says about adding the H-pipe/crossover pipe for
quieter operation. I've seen many guys who were unhappy after paying for
dual exhaust systems (with turbos, glasspacks, or Flowmasters) when they
were too quiet. Only after going back and removing the original crossover
pipe did the sound level increase to their expectations.
sdlomi2

John Smith wrote:

> i am looking at an antique truck. The original engine was replaced with a
> Chevy 350 crate engine. Otherwise it looks original. Problem is, when you
> start the engine it sounds like a hot rod -- throaty muscle car type of
> sound. I want a sedate old car sound. My question -- is this sound simply a
> funciton of the muffler? Could I tone it down by changing to a different
> muffler? Or is this engine sound due to the engine, and no muffler is going
> to change it?
>
> thanks
>
>

It depends. If the engine has pretty high compression and an aggressive
cam, then quieter mufflers will HELP quiet it down, but it will still be
a little thumpy, and probably won't run very well with the more
restrictive mufflers.

"Steve" > wrote in message
...

> It depends. If the engine has pretty high compression and an aggressive
> cam, then quieter mufflers will HELP quiet it down, but it will still be
> a little thumpy, and probably won't run very well with the more
> restrictive mufflers.

I think many of us like a somewhat throaty sound, but don't want a loud
glasspack type of noise.

Remember how the old MG-B's and similar European cars had a growl?
It was not loud, but sounded far racier than in fact they were. Could this
sound be duplicated with an American V6 or V8?

wrote:
> "Steve" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > It depends. If the engine has pretty high compression and an aggressive
> > cam, then quieter mufflers will HELP quiet it down, but it will still be
> > a little thumpy, and probably won't run very well with the more
> > restrictive mufflers.
>
> I think many of us like a somewhat throaty sound, but don't want a loud
> glasspack type of noise.
>
> Remember how the old MG-B's and similar European cars had a growl?
> It was not loud, but sounded far racier than in fact they were. Could this
> sound be duplicated with an American V6 or V8?

Every engine has its own unique sound, there's no way to duplicate the
exact sound you're thinking of on anything but an inline four or six.
You could come close with a V-8 but it will always have a deeper "beat"
to it due to the irregular firing impulses. And a V-6 will always
sound like crap (just MHO)

nate

wrote:

> "Steve" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>>It depends. If the engine has pretty high compression and an aggressive
>>cam, then quieter mufflers will HELP quiet it down, but it will still be
>>a little thumpy, and probably won't run very well with the more
>>restrictive mufflers.
>
>
> I think many of us like a somewhat throaty sound, but don't want a loud
> glasspack type of noise.

Count me in there. I love Dynomax mufflers, can't stand glasspacks or
2-chamber Flow*******s.

>
> Remember how the old MG-B's and similar European cars had a growl?
> It was not loud, but sounded far racier than in fact they were. Could this
> sound be duplicated with an American V6 or V8?


V6 maybe, inline-6 definitely (ever hear a slant-six with Dutra Duals?),
but a v8 has an asymmetric left-right firing pattern (l-r-l-l-r-l-r-r)
that gives it the characteristic v8 "burble" no matter what you do short
of using headers that criss-cross a couple of pipes from right bank to
left exhaust pipe and vice-versa (aka "180-degree headers"). Personally,
I prefer the burble if its subdued. Inline-4, Inline-6, V6 and V12
engines tend to sound flat and "farty" to me unless they're muffled
heavily. The most godawful sound on the road are these rice-rockets with
coffee-can exhausts.

John Smith wrote:
>
> i am looking at an antique truck. The original engine was replaced with a
> Chevy 350 crate engine. Otherwise it looks original. Problem is, when you
> start the engine it sounds like a hot rod -- throaty muscle car type of
> sound. I want a sedate old car sound. My question -- is this sound simply a
> funciton of the muffler? Could I tone it down by changing to a different
> muffler? Or is this engine sound due to the engine, and no muffler is going
> to change it?
>
> thanks

The selection of a muffler will make a big difference. This assumes that
you have ruled out a hole in the exhaust or a bad exhaust gasket as the
source of the existing sound first.

--
Paul Hovnanian
------------------------------------------------------------------
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.
-- George Carlin

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N8N wrote:
<blockquote
legroups.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">John Smith wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">i am looking at an antique truck. The original engine was replaced with a
Chevy 350 crate engine. Otherwise it looks original. Problem is, when you
start the engine it sounds like a hot rod -- throaty muscle car type of
sound. I want a sedate old car sound. My question -- is this sound simply a
funciton of the muffler? Could I tone it down by changing to a different
muffler? Or is this engine sound due to the engine, and no muffler is going
to change it?

thanks
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
Depends on what you find objectionable about the sound. If it's simply
the volume, then yes changing the mufflers will help. However you will
have to seek the advice of a GOOD muffler guy as most aftermarket
mufflers are aimed at the "performance" crowd who value low
backpressure over quietness. Stay away from "turbo" mufflers,
glasspacks, and Flowmasters or imitations thereof. They sound good,
IMHO, but aren't what you seem to be looking for.

Alternately, you could run a glasspack in series with the existing
mufflers, if they're "turbo" style or similar. This will yield a deep,
throaty sound without a whole lot of volume. Also adding a balance
tube, crossover, H-pipe, whatever you want to call it, will mellow out
the sound without any performance hit.

If what you dislike is the lumpy idle due to a performance cam (which
crate motor are we talking about, anyway?) there's really not much that
can be done short of installing a milder camshaft, which IMHO isn't
worth it.

good luck,

nate

</pre>
</blockquote>
From the OP...this is an "antique truck".&nbsp; Can we assume there's little
or no sound insulation material around the cab area?&nbsp; When you "start
the engine it sounds like a hot rod".&nbsp; Does the sound diminish/go way
after startup?&nbsp; Is the sound acceptable after startup?&nbsp; Are there
headers or the stock exhaust manifolds?&nbsp; Do you care what it sounds
like outside the cab (i.e., what others hear, but not you)?<br>
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