Dual exhaust "plumbing kits" for 60s GM A-body wagons?

I remember an article in one of the hot rod magazines that said an exhaust can be built with a reduced tailpipe size since the exhaust gases do cool down and contract quite a bit after leaving the engine, so a reduction in flow area is not a huge drawback.

However gross irregularities or sharp bends/angles may result in turbulence in the exhaust flow which may have an impact in power. Would it matter on a low-medium performance street driven car? Probably not. But if your engine does in fact have 509HP I would want the cleanest bends everywhere on the exhaust to not limit it anywhere.

If it is clean enough to flow well it will also look good too, so...

 

Thanks for the thermodynamics reminder.

Hi Tom and Station wagon performance fans.

That's a good point. I've been trying to "visualize" how these gases would be flowing, but I hadn't through about the temperature decreasing. The volume has to be a lot less by the time it has cleared the axle.

This point is well taken. Ideally, I would just like to make a 30˚ or 45˚ bend to send the gases toward the side of the car, then use a downturn exhaust tip provide the final outlet. Not sure that this will work given the location of the spare tire well. This is a problem that will have to be dwelt with when the exhaust is actually put on the car.

It is something of an interesting point. Avoiding the 90˚ turn certainly looks a lot better on a wagon. This is a case there aesthetic form follows the engineering function. Too bad more artists don't realize that what is truly beautiful is also "well engineered" (by mother nature or otherwise! )

Cheers, Edouard

 

I work as an manufacturing and tooling engineer, and I would say there is a lot of "art" in what my team here at work "engineers" every day. There really is art in everything around us, if we just look.

 

Art is everywhere - except what artists call art!!

Hi Tom and Station Wagon lovers,

Definitely sending this thread down a tangent, but sadly I think it needs to be said.

Well, I would agree - except in where modern art, modern classic music and extreme jazz, and even literature has gone. Even architects have increasingly taken to "creations" where the shapes of the buildings "fight" the nature flow of forces and engineers have to do desperate measures to make these weird structures stable.

Somewhere around 1900, artists decided they could liberate themselves from nature and have made a mess as a result. The engineer has no choice, their work has to reconcile human desires with how nature works - or what is created will break. It is very unfortunate that there isn't some analogous mechanism to rein in modern art.

Cheers, Edouard

 

Got the new Flowmaster exhaust for T*C*F*H…
Big boxes


With shipping foam that didn’t prevent all bruises. Ends of the tubes and the stainless tips are a little eggshaped...



Main exhaust


Head pipes for iron manifolds


All laid out



The hardware kit that allows near factory installation of the mufflers and tailpipes


And the rear muffler hangers installed


Going to be a while before I get the system in, but I thought others would like to see what the system looks like in reality. Anyway, it is now in stock at my house, so I will update this as things progress. Getting close to needing this now.
Best
Tom

 

Thanks for the pics!

Hi Tom and mature long-roof lovers,

Thanks for posting the photos of your flowmaster setup. I'll try to do the same for my Pypes kit. However, I'll need to bring the kit over the muffler shop for them to install it. As a result, I've been trying to keep the box as intact as possible. Hopefully I'll get a few photos at the muffler shop when they extract the parts out.

Cheers, Edouard

 

Hello Edouard
No worries, would like to see the Pypes system as I need to get an exhaust for my 70 El Camino too. Also, any info we post here may be of help sometime for future wagon owners.

Pics of mine here when it goes in. Maybe we can use this as the "GM A-Body exhaust thread".
Tom

 

Perhaps start a new thread: "GM A-Body dual exhaust installation examples" ?

Hi Tom and GM A-body wagon fans (El Camino too.)

I'll certainly post some pics when that work finally gets done. Odds are it will be a while though.

Actually, maybe it would be a good idea to start a separate thread. It is something of a different topic and it might be a good idea to give it a more appropriate title to make it easier to find.

Cheers, Edouard