They make Stainless steel scouring pads , they look like lathe turnings, a little more open than steel wool which breaks down quicker. Had to repack a fiberglass packed muffler on a Mazda Rotary race engine, it got sooooo hot that the glass packing melted and turned to glass pebbles. It was a large muffler and took about 40 pads to fill
I've always had steel...but like many have observed, with the economy and prices of steel, I've seriously considered a glass body... btw...love the car...
I'm running some very short headers on my coupe, so whatever style baffle I made had to be very efficient. My issue was that the collector was 4", so anything on the market was overly expensive, and I'm a broke kid, so I made my own. It was actually my first welding project, and you can literally see my welding progression from the bottom to the top here LOL Between the 3 plates, I very tightly wrapped SS wool, and used SS zip ties to keep it tight. My SBC coupe went from sounding like a race car, to nasty sounding, yet very tolerable. Even the old guys don't complain, nor any cop that I've pulled up next too. I only had 1 pic from building the baffles, thus my screen shot from IG.. Hope this helps!
The HAMB needs to adopt a don't ask don't tell policy. That way if you posted a pic of your car and didn't say that it is glass most of us would have said, "Well its really, uh yellow." Corse steel wool makes good packing, as does fiberglass mesh. I lean toward the steel myself, but we will each have a better idea.
First off, only a knot head would object to your car being fiberglass. You can park it in my storage all day long! As for muffler packing, when I received header baffles from Speedway, I was upset because all they were was a short length of pipe, drilled with holes and wrapped with fiberglass insulation. I could have made them myself. They lasted a year and I pulled them out. Got some fiberglass insulation from Lowe's and re-wrapped them.
Stainless Steel Wool sources: http://www.amazon.com/Pestplug-10-Stainless-Steel-Wool/dp/B00H61BJU6 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-S...451c34&pid=100338&rk=1&rkt=30&sd=310322027556
Well, I guess I'm all set. Another member, VOETOM, has selflessly offered to send me some high temp steel wool and high temp ceramic wool. Really a very classy and generous act of benevolence toward a complete stranger. Thank you all very much for your responses!
Would something like this work for packing, available in steel, stainless steel, alyminum, brass, copper. http://m.ebay.com/itm/310142568847?_mwBanner=1
Proper to get the sound you want. Baffles in the headers are not very effective and restrict the exhaust more than straight thru mufflers.
OK. My point is I am working to get "the sound that I want" with the look that I want. Capiche? No kidding that "baffles in the headers aren't very effective". They are not very efficient either for that matter. Again, this is a hot rod. Isn't that what this particular forum is all about? Way too many people on the internet want to regurgitate the old "recipes" for small block power. Jeez, there is nothing new with a small block Chevy. Pick ANY power level... It's only a matter of money. Really simple to achieve. If I were looking for real power, I'd start with an LS engine, there would be full length headers, correct diameter pipes, an x-pipe or h-pipe, modern fuel injection, a computer, et al.
I HAVE to give one last public THANK YOU to HAMB member "VOETOM". He sent me some very good high temp steel wool and ceramic packing. It took about 20 minutes to pop off the baffles and pack them with this great material. In my estimation the sound is a good 30% quieter and the tone is less raspy and much deeper. I believe I will be able to run these headers without much notice from cops and still have a great look and hot rod sound. And thanks to ALL of the members of this unique and valuable forum! Hot rodding seems to be a dying hobby. Maybe it's my age, but it seemed to be a thriving hobby in the 60's and 70's, not so much in the 21st century. Pity. This is a large piece of american history as far as I'm concerned. Sad to see it go.... Peace.
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