I've done the search and there doesn't appear to be much out there on this. What are you running in you torque tube headers to muffle/baffle them? My tubes are 2 1/2" ID, ('36 Ford) with approximately 12 1/4" before the taper to baffle them. I was thinking about cutting apart a couple cheapy hot dog style glasspacks and putting the guts inside my tubes. Bike baffles are too small at about 1 3/4" and running them open in Pa. is not gonna' happen. The typical header mufflers are all 3 1/2" and up. I'm not a fan of spiral baffles as they seem to give a "tinney" tone. I do like the low end rumble of the glasspacs. Thanks guys!
Try searching for collector baffles or header mufflers, or header baffles. A torque tube is an entirely different thing on old cars.
Or lakes headers. Even thought they are/were made with a torque tube they aren’t commonly referred to as such and that’s why your searches aren’t showing you the dozens of threads discussing your options
If you have built the headers why not just go on and build your own baffles? All they need to do is brake up the sound wave. making your own will let you make them as quiet or loud as you want. You don't need any muffler packing.
The question is how quiet do you want it? there is the auger style or baffle check speedway thet offer several styles
What I'm discussing is headers made from a '36 driveshaft, commonly referred to as "torque tube" headers. They are very different than Lakes Headers as they use a 2 1/2" tube, much smaller than the 3 1/2" to 4" collectors of the lakes variety. They also have a very different sound. Most guys run them open and as such I haven't seen anyone post on any of the many threads here any means of baffling them. My Dad built many sets back in the day and if I am correct, they were all open headers. I was hoping someone remembered a trick from back in the day to quiet them up somewhat. As I noted in the OP I don't particularly care for the spiral style baffles as they always seem to have a metallic Flowmaster or "tinny" sound more like a muscle car than a flatty. Also, they really don't quiet things down that much. For lack of anything else I'm going prune a pair of 12" Speedway extension mufflers to 2 1/2" diameter and pop them in to see what they sound like. I'm having these chromed and I don't want to draw any more attention to them than I have to as they are not compliant in Pa. I've never been real good at following the rules anyway. The quieter I can get them the better. I may end up with two slugs in each pipe if I can which would entail tapering the front ones to fit the taper and opening areas to clear the #2/3/ and rear ports on each side. Or I could just pay the fines everytime I go around the block.....
Cops in PA. Must be different than the ones in Wisconsin because I’ve never had a problem with running open headers on my junk. Of course I realize you guys have to go Through an inspection I think. Also I didn’t drive it like I stole it in town Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
I made my own glasspack inserts using components purchased online. There are some photos and info in the build thread of my "Arin Cee Roadster" (see the link below). The car isn't on the road yet so I can't tell you what it sounds like, but I designed it to be deep and mellow, not loud. We'll see... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-arin-cee-roadster.1025634/page-8
How about super traps? They take a little away from traditional looks, but you can tune your noise level by adding or subtracting gaffe plates in tye stack.
This is what I was looking for missysdadl ! You used the same components I was contemplating and hopefully it works for both of us. I'll use some stainless bands in place of the masking tape though. So everyone knows, Pa. vehicle inspection code requires all pipes to exit past the rear axle and beyond any passenger compartment. Any exposed headers must have either heat wrap tape or appropriate heat shields installed, (no chrome headers!) and they do enforce it if they see you out with them. Also Pa. has very specific fuel tank requirements and require all fans to be shrouded etc. They are pretty tough at inspection and roadside stops. Most cops are pretty cool about a lot of stuff but you will get nailed for the above.
I run the baffles made by car chemistry from Texas in both sets of headers. Good product and they can be further baffled by adding steel wool or matting. He offers many sizes and lengths. The baffle is held in by a 1/4 in bolt and nut. Check ebay or summit for pics of the baffles, tubes and packing he sells. The 32 pictured has tork tube headers from a 36 Ford, the others are a kit I put together with 3.5 in ends. https://www.ebay.com/str/Car-Chemistry-and-CC-Inserts?_trksid=p2047675.l2563
Look very similar to the guts out of the hot dogs. Great site that shows I'm barking up the right tree. Thanks!
I have used loosely rolled chicken wire in Harley’s and in my 27 high boy. Not pretty, but it is effective. It doesn’t last as long as steel baffles, but is effective, and cheap. You have to play around with it to get right amount .
Hmmmmm, doesn't sound tinny or Flowmastery to me..... Actually sounds pretty damned traditional hot rod, just at a low volume. BTW, they lowered the exhaust volume level about 10db, that's not a small amount.
I was thinking along these lines as well. I suppose if someone wanted to they could make their own cone style baffles. Like the ones from Dyna Tech. Be pretty easy to roll them out of a piece of extruded metal.
The video sounds really nice Blues4U. Sounds nothing like the ones I'm used to hearing. I'm assuming those are the ones on the pickup? I might need to run the headers all the way along the side, similar to the on Missysdad1 has on the ArinCee roadster and just baffle the shit out of them. Won't look as good and will probably need to be wrapped but they would do the job. If I put the glasspac slugs in they should be OK for inspection and will probably get me out of most violations. Pa. does not like loud cars at all. If I painted them black they would be less obvious. Would look really nice chromed and short though. Just wondering, What gears you running in that rear?
here's a video of my motor running with the torque tube headers from a 36 driveshaft and baffleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c0iFfpJ2WY
My flatty should turn 2,450rpm. with 3.78 at 65mph., 7.50-16 tires. That's pretty much screaming for a flatty but it should live. It sounds like maybe 4.11 in there? 3.54's are just too anemic out of the hole for me.
I'm not sure because most car videos make the road speeds appear way higher that they really are? I watched it again, and I don't think his road speed is very high in that clip? We will find out if he replies here. I run 3:23 with 37 Buick trans with Olds V8 gears in the 32 with early Olds Rocket motor. I love it, as that torque monster really "shits & gits" in first...or 2nd and 3rd.
Haha, 3.23 rear gears. Creampuff 283 w/ Powerglide trans in Low. It's running right in the sweet spot there, very smooth, and very responsive. Frank is right, the video makes it look faster than it was. It was a downhill run after having cruised up to about 7000' or so elevation, where it was loading up real bad. So I was just keeping the rpm's up in order to clear it out and get it running smooth again. At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
I thought that it was running really high there. A flatty with 4.11's sounds about the same at 65mph or so. A flatty is tapped out around 4K so there's a lot of difference between a flathead and a Chevy, (which would be the more practical engine to use). My car is built to take either engine but I'm concentrating on the flatty for now. They just sound entirely different than the small blocks. The video does sound great but not like a flatty!
Both times I watched that vid, I was thinking about what the oncoming drivers were thinking.. It had to look & sound some serious bad azzz.. (keep up the good work)
The Jalopy Journal
