how do you make your v6 sound like a v8?

Hey you can get a big boom box and play a tape that sounds like a V8, or wait you can put in a V8.........or you can relish the sound of a cool straight 6. Split header and some cool mufflers. Deal with what ya got!!!!

 

A split manifold will improve the sound. HRP

 

keep revving the piss out of your 6 and you're gonna need an 8 sooner than you think

 

The most common route for a six is a 3-2-1 header. Sorta like a pair of V-6 headers run into the same exhaust pipe. First three cylinders go into one, second three, then the two merge. Go to www.cliffordperformance.com and they will have them for the Ford six. Then run a 2" or 2.25" exhaust and turbo muffler, like a flowmaster 40 or DynoMax super turbo. I've got the DynoMax and 2.25" on my big six (280 inches -- AMC/Jeep 4.0L bored and stroked). I've had people think it was a V-8, but that's at least partially becasu I have a "4.6L Fuel Injection" sticker on the back. Lots of people assume I have a Ford mod motor in it. One fellow asked to see under the hood, then stared at the engine "that's not a Ford 4.6", he says!!

Easiest way to get your six to sound like dad's is to peek under dad's hood and floor and see what he has!! Should be easy enough to copy.

 

The old school trick is to split the exhaust manifold 4-2 instead of 3-3.
It does work.

I am not an old guy. My driver's license lies.

 

Reminds me of high school. Buddy had a 6 cylinder Duster. He wanted it to sound better so he installed a glass-pac muffler.

He drove up and asked how it sounded. I can still remember how deflated he was when another buddy said "sounds like a 6 cylinder with a glass-pac muffler".

 

You have a choice: Either have a car that says "Here comes another loud hotrod"
or have a car that says "Here comes that 58 Ford Fairlane, don't fuck with him"

Sound is only ONE reason I like inlines best!

 

C'mon guys - he's a kid who wants to learn; cut him some slack.

HotRodFreak's comment is spot-on; a 4/2 split header will sound an awful lot like a V8. Make sure to run 2" pipes ALL THE WAY back; the longer the pipe the deeper the note - think about a slide trombone with the slide extened - the note's deeper than with it pulled up tight. Try straight pipes first; if the note is too loud then go to a pair of shorty glasspacks to cut the rap.

It'll sound pretty good; but when it's all said and done it'll be about as quick as a diesel rabbit.

 

Baseball cards rubbing against the wheels?

 

By "raps more" I assume you mean the popping crackling exhaust tube is too small for the engine exhaust. Rapping exhaust sounds like ass. Don't do it. My opinion.

 

add 2 cylinders

 

IHMO, a straight six with split exhaust and straight pipes sounds better than a V-8. Although a flathead V-8 with dual Smitties or straight pipes sounds pretty good too. BTW, when I think of exhaust rap I don't think crack and pop. My definition of a good exhaust rap is when it gets sharper and louder during deceleration.

 

Hijack alert!
How can that type of "rap" be avoided? A lot of guys like it, that's fine, I just prefer a more "competition" or high-pref type of sound. I want to run straight exhaust, maybe just headers, off a small block Chevy with six two barrells and a solid lift cam(boring I know). When I rev it, and let off, I don't want it to make that loud de-celeration noise. I can't describe the sound, but I've heard V8s do it, in addition to almost ANY loud non-V8.

 

Just make it loud and be proud!

 

the rap (a noise not unlike the compression brake on a semi) is a function of pipe diameter, length, and muffler (or lack thereof) type. Small diameter long pipes can rap so hard your ears will bleed...making the pipe larger in diameter and shorter in length will cut the rap and drop the exhaust note.

After that - length of glasspack has an impact - the longer the 'pack, the less rap you're gonna get. I've done systems with paired 'packs - a front and a rear - to 'tune' the system to the desired note.

Everyone's 'ear' is different when it comes to exhaust note, but please note this...

After 30 years of straight pipes, open headers, etc...my hearing sux. I'm afraid to have it tested; if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say 20-30% hearing loss. Can't hear people talk in a loud restaurant or bar, can't hear my wife talk in the car (not always a bad thing, IMHO) and the constant ringing sometimes makes it hard to fall asleep at nite.

you may think you're twentysomething and frickin' indestructible - you're not. I did, and hearing loss is one of the sacrifices to the God of Speed I'd take back if I could.

 

That's exactly the sound I meant. Thanks for the info. I'm thinking "lake"style headers, I care about my ears too, so they will be capped most of the time, and an exhaust system under the car with long glass packs (or turbo mufflers?) to get a mellow tone with no "rap".

 

Look Dude .....If no one else has told
you ,Check into (clifford) intake and split exhaust header..
It will help the sound and make more power
AND have some coooool facture!
Some people will love and some won't
FU%K-EM!

 

I had a 250 six with a clifford dual outlet header with 2" pipes, Heart throb turbo style glass packs and Meg's oval tips... Did not sound like a V8 but definately not a six cyl... Sounded like something exotic like a V12 Jaguar (no kidding). Best sounding car I had.

 

Ford v-8's are just not that expensive in yards. If you use a 289/302 with the right bellhousing you can probably keep your original tranny (and budget) as those are not killer torque engines. A cheap rebuild kit like from here:
http://shop.enginekits.com/osb/showitem.cfm?Category=97
and you're "thundering away".
If you love sixes, there's plenty of good advice here on them. If v-8's move your soul, don't waste precious pennies on the six, get you an eight. I hated the original engine in my Stude, pulled and scrounged a small Chevy through my brother and his buddies and I am happy with it now!

 

I'm 59 and I gotta agree with Chuck, my hearing sucks. Go out to dinner with friends and I'm lonely there cuz they might as well be speaking Mandarin Chinese for all I can cipher from the conversation. Man, there's a reason old Richard Petty has two hearing aids on him all the time!

 

I'm a diehard I6 guy. If you are trying to save money on the project, then take the advice given above and buy an old truck for the V8 engine & trans. Inline 6 engines are usually expensive to build, with the exception being Chevy 235's & 250's. I have 2 Slant 6 225's and a 250 Chevy.

(NOTE: it will never sound like a V8, but you can make it sound alot better than stock).

To get that cool growl out of your engine, split the manifold or buy a 6 into 2 header. If you want that rap on deceleration, start with 2" pipe and reduce it to 1.5" or 1" near the rear end. Without glasspacks or a regular muffler it will be LOUD. Make sure to run the exhaust out the back, if you go out the side it will be really loud when you are near the center divide on the freeway, If you stop the exhaust under the car you will go deaf (at least that is what my mom told me).

Post a couple of pictures, I'd like to see it. Is that the engine with the killer sidemount aircleaner?

 

Like this?

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Just embrace the straight 6 man

 

Engine swap...

 

after 5 years I imagine he installed a siren to let people know he was coming down the road

 

5 year old thread, revived by a spammer?

 

Yes.

But the spammer had some urgent spamming to do elsewhere, so he couldnt stay, and the OP has started his Big Block swap long time ago.