Exhaust H-Pipes vs. X-Pipes: What You Need to Know

[@jnicksnewstart]

Back in the sixties and seventies we would install our exhaust system without the H pipe initially. Spray some cheap white paint on the exhaust pipes starting 6" behind the collector For an additional 18". Take the vehicle out and drive it for about an hour and put it back on the lift. A short heat discolored area will show up on the pipes. That's where you install your balance tube. Works equally as well without headers. Just spray a longer area. This may sound crude, but it worked quite well. Sometimes you will find that but heat spots are not in the same location on both pipes. Some people would take the average distance and weld the pipe in there. Others would install the balance tube exactly where the heat marks were.

[@tcap7917]

I was wondering if they were going to mention this in the video.

[@HazyTown01]

Nice tip

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Interesting trade skill! :D Thanks for sharing :)

[@Hiazhunter]

Old School rules 👍🏻

[@TheShnozz]

😂

[@jaybilis9723]

Placement is key here, old school trick is to draw a line running back along the pipes in crayon, run the engine, where the line stops burning is where you put the crossover. 👍

[@jaybilis9723]

@slade bonge It was a trick used by Bill 'Grumpy' Jenkins back in the day, aparently he found that the line drawn in crayon stopped burning where the exhaust gasses cooled down and began to expand, he saw HP and TQ gains throughout the rev range when he put a balance pipe at this point in the system, although im sure todays off the shelf systems are designed using the same principles, but might be of help if you are building your own. But dont make the mistake of thinking bigger is better, if you go too big it allows the gasses to expand and cool down faster, this actually creates backpressure, 3in pipe is usually plenty for a street driver. Happy building!

[@jaybilis9723]

@slade bonge I cant help but smile when i see guys in small displacement cars with 4in pipes, because its loud they think its faster, cherrys sound mega in v8's too!

[@20alphabet]

@@jaybilis9723 Thanks Jay !

[@davidmarks9476]

@@jaybilis9723 I’lm m mm mm. M m m. 0l. Kkilkkk ),,."”-46 O g N O M nmnl. H B.u. , Nah. N N. Pub

[@megastick9324]

We did this on motorcycles back in the day too to determine length.

[@cruzanity7478]

H Pipe= Old-School Classic Rumble. X Pipe= NASCAR/Exotic Car Sound.

[@livebig6414]

CRUZ_GT My choice is true dual, deep uneven engine burble.

[@cmcolfax1]

LiveBig7 only gonna work properly on a vehicle that you can run equal length pipes on. The GMT400's have a side mount gas tank, so you can cross in the front, but still have to run the pipes down one side, then split back to have "dual" exhausts. But your sound won't be like "true duals" since the pipes are distinctly different lengths.

[@tempo869]

CRUZ_GT love Xpipes for mustangs

[@goodnewz8330]

So you mean that the X pipe is that tinny loud noise but the H pipe is the old Skool loud rumble I’ve got a Audi S6 V10 what do you think is best I’m looking for the loudest koz the car is to freakin fast allready so speed is not an issue

[@tempo869]

good newz look up the sound comparison on youtube, I think xpipe is better, it's louder

[@moparchallenger749]

After watching the video and reading comments I am more confused than ever🤔

[@federicopilarte667]

me 2!

[@oneslave3318]

Kevin Grazier Easy, Stupid is true dual. Low end torque is H pipe. High end torque is X pipe.

[@thomassarman9510]

When in doubt; straight pipe

[@dmoeskyrealla2473]

I know right

[@muaythai193]

TL:DW Get an h-pipe.

[@highrzr]

It all comes down to what RPM range and throttle opening you drive the most with. If you spend most of your driving time at or near WOT higher RPMS, go for the X-Pipe. If not, go for the H-Pipe. There's a reason the OEMs still use H-Pipes in their exhaust systems even on their higher output engines, and the majority of people will be well served by an H-Pipe over an X-Pipe.

[@JameGoFast]

tf is a wot rpm

[@AutoMotoMechanic]

​@@JameGoFastwide open throttle. It's a common term. WOT

[@sir.lithium81]

@@JameGoFastfix your name jamedontgofast

[@frankcobra6890]

X pipe blows away that old h pipe..x sounds better and makes more power.. debate what debate.. people always pick wrong..h pipe is worthless

[@Zero-Fox-Garage]

Engine masters just did a dyno shoot-out comparing straight duals, H-pipe, and X-pipes. They did multiple pulls with each, exhaust size and muffler's were the same for each test. The variance between the three was shy of 4 ft/lbs of tq and 1.5 hp. Maybe NASCAR finds those numbers important, but for the rest of the planet running full exhaust you'll never notice any power difference. The real difference is sound, and packaging. The X-pipe sounds best, and is the hardest to fit under the car.

[@raymondgilmore6097]

Rene Jelles b,

[@blainesnider9089]

Rene Jelles they do tje pulls at gull thottle all so tje does not show part throttle

[@TexasNova]

Rene Jelles is that on KZbin. Wanted to see that.

[@Zero-Fox-Garage]

So you think there are bigger differences at part throttle? OK...

[@Zero-Fox-Garage]

It's currently on motortrend on demand, but should drop on youtube in the next two weeks.

[@kslvlkdfhkvhkfviwehbhjhj]

Let me save you 5 minutes of your life. Video summary: The H pipe may be better in your application or the X pipe may be better in your application or maybe even the Y pipe may be better in your application.

[@captainhowdy9557]

Mr Bob y pipe lol 😂 Italian retart our crusin

[@ALKHALiiFA]

Mr Bob loool

[@palehorse720]

I can't find this application on my Google play.

[@commentbeast3985]

LMAO

[@darrinwatts9229]

That’s no shit! All performance cars of the 60s and 70s didn’t use this shit. And they were just fine. Bullshit for ppl to buy more useless parts

[@drtonysmalls9252]

Ive spent around 15grand at summit and never once was I let down. Had one item that needed to be returned but that was due to manufacturer flaw. Thanks summit.

[@robertclymer6948]

Agree Dr Tony! Summit is a great place to do business. Great customer service and excellent shipping times! Thanks Summit!

[@SterlingT800]

X pipes are more raspy, H pipes are deeper more rumbly in V8s at least

[@JDJD-mw9rr]

Im just going to use all 3, then I can't go wrong

[@gabehintzsche2064]

Think of how much horsepower you’ll get

[@tygervoods8358]

@@gabehintzsche2064 like 50 at least

[@samuels4130]

My experience removing my H pipes for X pipes is. I noticed that the H pipes sounds better and deeper, X pipes it sounds good but not very deep, the X pipes gives you arround 4 hp or little more than H pipes. I honestly miss my H pipes I regret removing it. I drive 2002 mustang Roush stage 2 with side exhaust. By the way every engine will sounds different. With new mustang will sound better than mine, 5.0 cayote sound good. mine is 4.6 2v. I will do a cayote swap when this engine goes bad. Future plan. I hope this will help guys. X and H

[@231mac]

You 'noticed' by watching the Engine Master's dyne test, huh?

[@DanielPerez-vt5ez]

I have a 2016 5.0 with an x pipe, RTR Magnaflow axlebacks and it has a great tone especially at start up. I don't like obnoxious loud so I can still sneak out of town. Would've went with the competition mufflers but my neighbors would probably hate me since it is my daily driver. One still says car is too loud but x pipe ain't going nowhere! 🙄😁

[@nofuture6881]

How about crack pipes?

[@jonathanvazquez9685]

No Future 68 LMAO!

[@allthat8487]

Omfg I'm dead 😂😂

[@mrprice8671]

Dude this made me lol

[@robertmelroy2772]

Crack pipe is bad mmmmmmk!

[@15DurangoRT]

How about Crackhead?

[@gotj]

Summary: a smaller diameter exhaust may be better, or not, and an X pipe may be better, or not.

[@kewlbns69]

yup...that settles it eh? lol

[@michaelfrick3687]

There is one other consideration which was not mentioned. Yes, we all want more power, but is there something else we want? Yes! Sound quality....it's one of the reasons so many of us love Ferrari's. They just sound so damn good. I place "X" pipes on all my cars, not just for better performance, but for a noticeable improvement in the exhaust note, with the same mufflers. I learned about this when I was a spectator at Laguna Race Way....I noticed some V8s sounded better than others. After the practice session, I went to the pits and asked the crew why their car sounded so good, compared to the others. They told me they were using an X pipe, vs what the other guys were using: H or Y pipes.

[@Dayandcounting]

Ferrari sound good because they are turned too and often are either flat plane v8 or V12. Either way that harmonic note is because of the collector in and runner length in the header mostly it tunes the exhaust.

[@larryhernandez5062]

Great video on the very basic on how exhaust gasses pulsate , and how a properly turned exhaust system promotes vacuum scavenging . ... COOL

[@SpeedCultureStudios]

It’s a great explanation of how exhaust systems work. So many automatically think that larger diameter pipe is better. However, I have seen a number of tests showing that there is little to no scavenging effect after the cats/test pipe area-so an h pipe or x pipe would play little role in that realm

[@chrismoriarty3342]

Scavenging can also be adjusted with cam timing. Changing the duration and overlap of the intake and exhaust can have a huge effect

[@SpeedCultureStudios]

@@chrismoriarty3342 that is true in cases where that’s possible-or is the change in scavenging more of a biproduct of the cam timing adjustment? You could argue that cam timing is adjusted for purposes other than scavenging

[@phil955i]

I went with an H-pipe on my '06 Merc CLS500 because I wanted the old school V8 sound. Glad I did.

[@yaseen123123]

Bro I just bought a cls500. How are you finding the H pipe? I was thinking of an X pipe..

[@phil955i]

@@yaseen123123 I'll be honest it took a long journey to get the exhaust how I wanted it on mine, I started with a rear muffler delete & it droned like crazy. Long story short I ended up with two glasspacks at the rear, a pair of J-pipes to eradicate the drone & I did run it for a while with an H-pipe in place of the resonator. It sounded good but there was still a small amount of drone, so I lost the H-pipe & had a pair of glasspacks put in it's place. It's now perfect for me, no drone & the V8 soundtrack is always there without becoming annoying on long trips. For me no crossover at all sounds best as it gives the true pulsing V8 sound, which Mercedes seemed to do their best to smooth out & eradicate. But it's all down to personal taste, some prefer an X-pipe which gives a more raspy, exotic car sound, some prefer an H-pipe which gives more of an old school V8 sound, I prefer no crossover at all, as for me it should have the signature V8 pulsing, woofly sound. The difference between an X-pipe, H-pipe or even no crossover at all is minimal anyway, there's only a couple of BHP in it.

[@jmfut]

Suprised he did not mention tone difference. You will get 2 different exhaust notes from 2 different designs. I personally believe you get a deeper tone with a H. An X tends to be more hi pitched. I also believe the H sounds better at idle due to its design as well. I will only runs offroad H's on my Mustangs, just yes deeper is better. Ford runs the H from the factory.

[@sales8026]

jmfut I'm ready to buy a x pipe for my mustang gt. How much deeper is it with a h pipe?

[@jmfut]

SubieFL I would try and search on KZbin and see what you find. No Brainer is O/H pipe and Borla's. Just my 2 cents. My current Mustang is a 03 and I have a upload video.

[@jmfut]

Sorry but the note difference is night and day. If you want loud and Euro type sound go X. I honestly prefer deeper note of the H.

[@sales8026]

jmfut just listened to it and it does sound good! Mine will be slightly different because its a sn95. Decisions decisions 🤔

[@George19532009]

I love the sound of my beefed 350 with Hookers and an "H" pipe designed right at the end of the turbo 400 so I could still R&R the turbo if needed

[@jakefriesenjake]

I put an 3", stainless steel x pipe kit on my 81 Camaro with 511hp. I started it up, and it sounded really bad. Sounded European. I immediately dropped the exhaust, cut a slit, and then slid a plate of stainless into the slit and welded it all up. The plate kept each pipe separate. WOW WHAT A DEFERANCE! true dual exhaust sound, almost stereo... Beautiful and gurgaly. Also, the set of headers used on the dyno weren't that great. I revved it up, and on the deceleration of the engine, it would kinda back fire here and there. Once I got it installed in my car, with equal length, long tube, 1.75" primarys, ceramic coated hooker headers, no more backfires at all. Just pure revs and decelerations. So glorious.

[@Roscomfomfom]

U is the best because you can wrap back around to the turbo and then exit out the bumper

[@reyzo3411]

I Got AUDI a6 c5 2.4i 121kw 2001y and i got y pipe do i can to go for true dual exhaust is it possible and should i go for it ?

[@monkele4584]

@@reyzo3411 fohget abouttit

[@DanielOrtegoUSA]

While I needed to listen to this explanation twice, I finally understood the nuances that helped me make the right choice. Thanks for posting.

[@sm87112]

Love his straight talking delivery on Concepts. I am a relative new entry & just bought a '65 Convertible with a '68 302, auto and am looking to get around 350+/- HP and relative torque. Much of the Media" I see around Mustang resot/mod,... are dunk on uber garage lingo that can be a barrier to entry for me. I am also a conceptual learner, rather than step by step. Kudo Carl Pritts!

[@youarerightboss]

Who else was dizzy watching that exhaust pipe flow? I need a drink.

[@Mr_Chris77]

2014 Mustang GT with a GT500 exhaust. It uses an H pipe and couldn't be happier with the sound. Personally, I think it's all preference. The X pipe has garnered more attention because it's been talked about more. I'd be willing to bet a lot of enthusiasts don't even know what an H pipe is. I prefer more muscle sound instead of rasp. But, again, it's all preference.

[@SSGTA440]

An H pipe creates a balancing of pulsations between each cylinder bank upon scavenging, it does enhance a smoother throttle response somewhat.....doesn't necessarily enhance the expulsion of exhaust.

[@kosfactor]

I liked the fact that the narrator is realistic , an exhaust upgrade does not always result in better performance.

[@namewithheld7835]

Breath in breath out... Incoming air increases will require higher exhaust flow escaping. I noticed a significant increase in horsepower after installing a fresh new stock exhaust pipe. Performance pipes only help on the higher end revs and usually will help only around 70mph and up. . It will actually slow the car off the line a tad bit.

[@SummitRacing]

Thank you, Kos!

[@Mr73OLDS]

I built a X pipe and a H pipe for my olds motor the h sounded way better than the x. The X sounded like Chewbacca taking a shit in my car!

[@P71ScrewHead]

Mr73Olds, lol.. Freakin funny..

[@YourWifesBoyfriend]

phdfxwg Fischercat You're grounded

[@fernandod365]

Mr73OLDS 😂

[@Jonathan1003]

Mr73OLDS reminds me of the Tourette’s guy haha

[@SlikLizrd]

@@Jonathan1003 Hey, wait a minute !! I'M the Poster Boy for Tourette's -- you fuc*ers need to show some respect !!

[@fasnuf]

3:28 Old school rule of thumb is to place the H pipe where the hottest part of the pipe would be if it was just a straight pipe. This applies to fabricators installing an H section into straight pipes. Discoloring of the straight pipe is evident due to overheating and is where the H should be located.

[@danielgallegos8869]

I was thinking about after market exhaust, after watching this I'll stick with stock, you may have saved me some 💰💵💵💵💰💰👍🏻👍🏻

[@daveyelmer3222]

On the other hand, if you happen to enjoy the LOW rumble of a big V8, consider that low frequency sound (i.e. BASS) is slower frequency, as in 4 cylinders at a given RPM versus 8 cylinders at a given RPM. Keeping the two channels of a dual exhaust system maximizes low frequency sound - deep rumble..... Just a thought. If you combine them with a cross over, well, that tends to double the frequency, greatly killing the bass. A little something for those of you who consider a big engine sound music to your ears.

[@hellfire08]

You guys need to fire your web designer. Worst website ever. Almost impossible to find most parts I need

[@xon2013]

I'm a developer and it's definitely not the worst, but does need improvement

[@Sackmatters]

hellfire08 Agreed. It is terrible.

[@ole-mariusbergesen7818]

Many of the parts in my cart at the moment game from google redericting me. Found out it was simpler than searching on the site.

[@tw8032]

Jegs is the worst

[@ThePhillyfingers]

I actually prefer the days of sitting on the shitter and reading the paper catalog.

[@jasonkeeton3603]

loud pipes save lives

[@corvettefever360]

This is a fact actually. While I've seen they said many times in reference to motorcycles oh, I agree also with cars and trucks. Especially today when it seems like most people have their heads up their you know what. Half the people are either spaced out of their brains and Clueless, stoned in some type of way, or too busy fumbling with their phones, so they're not paying attention and next thing you know you're in a car accident. But when you're allowed pipes gets them out of their days and they hear you coming you are less likely to be in an accident. Well hopefully anyways. I particularly think the whole noise pollution thing in reference to loud pipes is pretty much ridiculous and people need to stop being a bunch of pansies. Of all the things that can be offencive I don't think this is one of them especially when OK it may be a little loud but you can save lives because of it I think the pros outweigh the cons by far.

[@Curi0u50ne]

MDS I’ll mention this at my next mot, even though they will still put an advisory on it being too loud😆

[@ProtestingMonkeys]

Found the Harley owner.

[@alecchrz]

This is tru.e I was riding my bike and almost got hot by a Tesla because I couldn't hear it.

[@TribbleBot]

What also saves lives is not riding in my fucking blind spot.

[@NoferTrunions]

DO NOT wrap your headers all the way to the flange. They will keep the first bend too hot if you do a quality wrap! After a few years on the street, the long side of those bends will basically have turned to slag and will blow out leaving a big round hole. Start wrapping about half way up the side of the engine staying away from the top bend by 4-6 inches.

[@kennethperian4370]

I have a 460 fuel injection v8, rebuilding it now after the building the motor I got headman headers. Wanting to put singles for each side should I put a H in between my singles, well it help it. Thanks for showing telling, doing the H well it help thanks again well see ya next time see ya bye.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

I have a 289 in a 67 mustang, it makes great power from 5000 to 8000 rpm, the H pipe allows it to be driven normally below that.

[@SilverStarHeggisist]

Anthony Butera I have a 03 Dodge 3500 that makes great power at 2000 RPM... why I love diesel... we diesels get to use our peak power all day every day without blowing up the engine.

[@guillermovidal3455]

SilverStar Heggisist 😆

[@markp9366]

Nice car

[@thenewviceroy]

Haha! A 289 between "5000 to 8000" rpm is between "dead and impossible"... I'd be impressed if it ever reached 5000 rpm - but going over it would almost certainly mean a 'leg out of bed'.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

@@thenewviceroy Not if built right. Mainly valvetrain beef ups. Oiling is not an issue for SBFs and the short stroke and good rod angle geometry allow it quite easily. Sounds good up there, too.

[@craigpennington1251]

I;ve found that back then, an H pipe used was a good thing. I put H pipes on a few of my big block Mopars and Pontiacs. I did not curve the pipes but left them straight and put the H in at 30" from the down turn of the exhaust from the manifolds. Used 2 1/2" pipe and Walker Continental glass packs. It sounded great and did pick up the performance a bit. This was done on stock non modified engines. Mopars were stock factory solid flat tap and the Pontiacs were stock factory hyd. flat tap. All of those cars were 4 speeds and road cars not drag cars. Great info video.

[@chuggles03]

If I recall, when a twin exhaust was installed, it was installed without a H pipe crossover, then draw along the front half of your new exhaust with a high temp crayon, then beat it around for a coupla days. This would burn the crayon at a certain location on each exhaust, determining the points at which your crossover pipe would be installed. Of course you have to consider whether it will fit in the desired location. Been a while. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[@chrismoriarty3342]

Thats what I learned too. I was wondering if he was going to mention it.

[@chuggles03]

@@chrismoriarty3342 Maybe you and I are too old-school. We're just too used to having to learn these things the hard way.

[@PreetSingh-gp3re]

Depending on the Application, my 03 Cobra sounds badass with the X especislly deceleration. Those pops and crackles. But on the other hand our 5.0L Range Rover without the X sounds Epic.

[@madeleyinc]

The pops and crackles are a sign of air getting in , system isn't fitted properly.

[@The_Cyber_Nomad]

I like the way H pipes sound.

[@livebig6414]

Jeremey Allen Yeah same here. H pipe gives more deeper muscle sound while x pipe gives more raspier exotic sound.

[@MCurtisMcCoy]

I've got a 2012 BMW 550i xDrive w/ a 4.4L Twin-Turbo V8. It makes good power but sounds like a little girls electric moped... 🤣 I'm looking to replace the resonator with either an X-Pipe or straight pipes back to the stock valved mufflers, hoping that'll make it sound "meaner". I understand the X-Pipe would give it a less raspy, higher exhaust note than straight pipe back to the stock mufflers... Would it hurt power much to just go with straight pipes, or H-Pipe replacing the resonator to get that DEEP RASPY sound, or do I need to go with an X-Pipe to keep from losing power on a small, Twin-Turbo V8?

[@ArnCital]

'85 Ford F-250 with a 460, mild build, 250 hp at rear tires with 350# tq. I installed an X-pipe where the 2 exhaust pipes come together. I installed an O2 bung and have an O2 sensor to monitor air fuel ratios for tuning. I plan on EFI like a Holley later and this is a good location for the O2 sensor as it will monitor both sides mixed together.

[@kengutwein9370]

Nice video! I own a 2014 Z51 C7 Corvette. Huge advertising budgets have been expended by the likes of Borla, Corsa, Billy Boat and Atak on their cat back pipes and mufflers for “performance power and sound.” Each one of these system cost thousands of dollars in parts and labor for what I read maybe only 2-4 hp. I would think that Corvette C7 engineers like Tadge Jeuchter have already engineered near maximum power into the power train. So my question is: can these aftermarket systems possibly be worth their cost? If not, why do many owners gravitate to them nonetheless? Your thoughts are appreciated.

[@bluesriot2]

status symbol tech perhaps ?

[@mikemoffett4827]

Plenty of comments from a 40 year vet of the performance exhaust industry! First of all; Exhaust pipe diameter, You are correct about too big can ake exhaust pulses lazy- however; the addition off torque cones into the system , especially on a turbo-equipped car can solve this problem! Just be careful- the pipes get a LOT hotter doing this, so be careful about placement! Secondly; crossover placement or tuning. Optimum placement depends mainly on flow, i.e. cam choice, head flow, etc. An old school , but very effective way to determine where to determine crossover placement is to install a pipe on each bank, spray paint a line on them, and make some passes. where that line burns off (or closest to it as possible) is the best place! Hope this info helps! Doc.

[@SummitRacing]

Thank you, Mike!

[@gregrop4857]

engine masters covered this topic on a dyno for preformance

[@20alphabet]

Link?

[@dicktaylor2600]

I have a 5.0 tvr/rover V8 Capri with 1-7/8" primaries into 4-1 collectors and dual 3inch pipes with no crosspipe,it sounds like thunder.I built a custom dual set up for our ST220 again without any crosspipe,it is slightly noisy at WOT but sounds nicely deep and rumbly from low to middle range.

[@MrJoeGarner]

I wrapped my exhaust on my S10, what I ended up with was rusted out headers after a year or so. So, I definitely would not recommend it. Your results may vary.

[@JustinAEgan]

Wrapped headers were a good .... short term solution to the problem of too much eat in the engine bay... as car became more aerodynamic, the heat became more of a problem. Once the aluminum/ceramic - coated headers became widely available at a decent price, there was no good reason to continue using thermal wrapping (especially not on a street-driven car). As many people found out -a winter-driven car, with road salt, snow, rain etc. ... all the moisture would collect inside the wrapping and hold th moister in close contact with tubing headers, exhaust pipes. Aluminum/ceramic coated headers ... are much better at resisting heat damage as well as (when coated inside and out) ... they send most of the heat to exit the car... instead of collecting and heat soaking (steaming up) all the moisture.... yes, rusted out headers and exhaust are a big issue when using thermal wrapped exhausts.

[@philipmoore449]

Yeah it’s pretty obvious you wrapped a metal not meant to be wrapped. I’ve had wrap on my headers for years and show absolutely no signs of being rusted out. Learn from your mistakes.

[@robertbowen6610]

That and they have heat wrap sealant just for that reason you just stay it on thick and let it dry

[@CorvusHyperion]

My understanding is that the scavenging effects are not as important on a turbocharged car. My C63s has a valved H - pipe and I think AMG put this there to vary the sound throughout the rev range. I had an issue with the H pipe valve rattling so my exhaust shop welded the valve open all the time. To my shock, the sound of the car has gone backwards quite a bit, especially on overrun. I think AMG must be using the H pipe closed a lot to get a more separated sound out of the turbo V8. With it open all the time, the sound is very noticeably smoother (and quieter) and I don’t like it, it has lost the rorty sound. Very interesting.

[@sxs4l245]

Latest talk on the street is the Meth Pipe is the way to go....just sayin....

[@davetopp105]

We used to do the spray paint method to put the H-pipe. Spray the exhaust pipe lightly from the collector back (or after the catalytic converter). Spray back a few feet or so. Run the car hard to burn the paint. Where the burn ends, put the cross pipe.

[@darrin81128112]

Factory was getting it right years ago with the y pipe 😀

[@michiganengineer8621]

Way back in the pre-Internet days, but after Fred Flintstone, I had a 1969 Cutlass with a HO 350, PowerGlide and a Holley 650 double pumper. _STRAIGHT_ 2" pipes out of the headers (insulated) back to a pair of cutouts. One leg of the cutouts went to the mufflers (Hush Thrush's) and the other pointed straight at the ground just behind the rear axle. With the CO's closed it dynoed from 325 - 385 between 2 and 4k RPM. Opening the CO's added about 30HP across that range.

[@93sundance]

Would be cool to hook both up to an engine on a dyno and see the difference.

[@OldcarsNmusic]

I was sold on the X-pipe pattern until I watched this video, and Uncle Tony said he liked the H-pipe configuration better. The H-pipe pattern looks easier to piece together as I go as well.

[@Gilbertmk2]

H pipe sounds better, that's all I need to know.

[@samuellopez619]

Gilbert my X-Pipe sounds so beautiful

[@jackrabbit7389]

Seems H pipe has a lower deeper moan while the x more raspy higher pitch.

[@Randomadventuresebike]

No x pipe sounds better lol. If your running a truck sure H sounds better on a truck. If you want your car to sound bad ass run a X

[@jo3l194]

X pipe on a car will give you a deeper tone and make it crackle with revs. H pipes are really more for trucks; gives them that low rumble. I prefer X pipes because there's a more consistent flow and they usually sound and perform better, on cars. Imo

[@deciplesteve]

Google Mac Prochamber. Best of both worlds.

[@starrsdaddy1]

Interested in your suggestion for my application. Jeep 4.7L stroker, custom headers with dual outlet. Option 1, Y-H-or X pipe after headers into single muffler? Option 2, straight off headers into dual mufflers? (No crossover at all) Option 3, H or X pipe into dual mufflers. Interested in "best" scavenging method and a nice, deep, aggressive growl! No Cat necessary as a "classic" vehicle. Thanks 😉

[@albertwesker2283]

Depends a lot on the vehicle. Some mustangs sound better with an h pipe but like the year I have the 2013 gt it sounds more like a truck with the h pipe and has more of that hollow bellowing sound with the x pipe the way a stang should sound imo. I used to have stock h pipe but I’m putting a borla x pipe on mine with my borla exhaust. The sound of the x vs h has more to do with the axelback setup and type of exhaust system you have

[@tonybailey89]

I don't wanna hear a PEEP about exhaust "back pressure" as this explanation of the correct term called "scavenging" is clear and concise

[@samueljimenez3381]

96 impala with a LT1. I have true dual exhaust. sounds vicious and has great power. no H or X pipe needed. sounds better too

[@DonCatherman]

2.5 inc x pipe on my 360 Chevy. 575 hp ,, works perfectly...car picked up 2+ tenths...in the 1/4,,pipe is wrapped...sounds awesome.....

[@maxgu8688]

thanks so interesting, but what about true dual exhaust system?

[@electric7487]

H pipes and X pipes ARE true dual setups. If you're talking straight duals (no crossover), it's not as efficient because you don't have that scavenging effect that a crossover gives.

[@buddycochransr.1842]

What is best for stock 2011 5.3 vortex Chevrolet Silverado x or y existing single exhaust?

[@SummitRacing]

Thanks for watching Buddy ! In an all stock application the Y pipe will treat you just fine !

[@depstar456]

this man knows his stuff

[@nathanpinnix4149]

Thank you for inviting my comment. Yours is not the first exhaust video I have viewed. I like the low end torque of the H-pipe and the high end h/p of the X-pipe. But I HATE the raspy sound "brick-in-a-garbage-can" sound of the X-pipe. I am starting mods on my 4-valve Mustang Cobra. My prime interest is Autocross and road race, not the drag strip. I will stay N/A up to 500 hp, then debate adding a power-adder. How am I to know which pipe (H or X) is best? Thank you.

[@onemantwohands5224]

Lol there's 15 people who have no idea what your talking about in the dislike section!! Another excellent video I'd say! :-) :-)

[@7071t6]

Your Wrong it's now 200 people and really unless you have a race car your not going to notice the sound or performance HP anyway inside the car ?

[@BillyG869]

What’s left out here is the information on Pressure Waves and Back Pressure. Some engines are factory tuned with the back pressure needed to perform as tuned, no screwing around with the exhaust pipes. I.E., Porsche, BMW, etc. Same goes for highly tuned systems relying on pressure waves in the line. This is for guys wanting to make their car sound cool and maybe run better? Good info for legends in their own mind...

[@jamesluther3473]

I have a question. How can I get more flow and scavenging from a single pipe exhaust system? I have a V6 mustang? And I want to keep that sleeper appearance when I install a centifugal supercharger on my 3.8.

[@aroundlinemen]

What size pipes for a rebuilt 292 y block with ram head manifold s And dual exhaust 1956 F100 Thanks

[@UCanDoIt2Mike]

Very informative! Thanks for sharing...

[@SummitRacing]

Thank you for watching!

[@Albert87nl]

now i get why the 96 VR6 Syncro has both a H and aY pipe in the system. (stock) .. neat video man old but gold (y)

[@MrCubankong]

I went 3" H pipe to 3" X pipe and will never run an H pipe again. Huge difference

[@raulvilla2825]

Hell-bent Ed What do you drive?

[@thephantomzoneboxing]

why?

[@steveelliott241]

i have a 2 1/4 " true dual system , no crossover , and i love it . dumped before the diff , it has that short pipe , " hot rod " sound , but for power , im told i need a 2 1/2 " with an X pipe . im worried if i spend all that money , it may not sound how i like it

[@SummitRacing]

Hi Steve, How much HP is your engine outing out?

[@steveelliott241]

@@SummitRacing probably about 420

[@waiting4aliens]

Thank you for a most informative video. Solid presentation. I learned a lot.

[@SummitRacing]

Thank you for watching!

[@timothymorgan958]

Hey Guy’s, Tim I have 84 GMC Sierra classic p/u with a TRE 383 stroker making about 550 hp and H pipe with 3 inch exhaust and 1 3/4” ceramic long tube headers by headman headers is the H pipe for this combination.

[@android-ud2nf]

what about a w and z pipe?

[@DIYeverything513]

Lol

[@roymcdre9180]

U, v, or j?

[@SlikLizrd]

I go down to the A&W to smoke ze pipe, eh !??

[@stm6989]

derp, derp,derp,duh🤪

[@ANaero2002]

What about Crossover pipes like the Borla resonator delete pipe for the 2015-2021 Mustang, what does this do for performance and sound since it is a double crossover

[@phattcat69]

With my stock motors i like to run two 2.25 inch pipes into a flowmaster y pipe then dump that into a 3 inch single pipe to a 3 inch in and out muffler. My fuel mileage goes up as well as my top end. just my .02c..

[@LBibeauB24]

Which would you recommend for a 2010 4.7L V8 with cold air, a straight-through muffler, and Superchips tuner? I won't lie, I want performance out of it (nothing crazy obviously) but I have a camper and a boat that I want to tow and that's my main reason for upgrades.

[@scotthoward6214]

6.6 liter F250 with true dual exhaust. 2.5 to the twin Flowmasters with 3 inch out the side. Plenty of power and sound.

[@seanmiller8701]

I had just installed an x-pipe on my E46 M3 right after the catless headers, the next section was a Supersprint piece that utilized an h-pipe, just as the factory piece did, about 8-10” after the x merge. Got an odd power curve from it, good top end but fell on its face below 3k rpm. I swapped the factory straight pipes with a resonator back in replacing the x-pipe and everything was way better. My theory is the engine was tuned for the h-pipe, and also that having the h so close to the x messed with the flow causing back pressure issues or gasses wanting to “backfill” the other side through the h.

[@chrisgregory3847]

Thanks for the video! Great Information!!... What are your thoughts on putting an H or an X pipe on a 1973 392 International engine in a Loadstar 1700 Semi Cab? Or should I go with a Y pipe or just full blown Dual exhaust? What I'm wanting to do is make the engine most efficient at pulling a 30 thousand pound trailer.

[@alexyoungberg5232]

*Straight off the header* 👍

[@paulpasternak2026]

Smokies power secrets says think of your pipes from header to muffle as your rpm range. To boost bottom end, put the h or x close to the heaser, to boost top end, high rpm, put the union closer to the muffs.

[@paulpasternak2026]

Excuse my spelling

[@retcwby]

what about no pipes?

[@Scootermagoo]

State and local noise laws.. At least on the street. At the race track a uncapped xpipe or header extentions(depending if you have headers) is probably closer. I had a 302 ford years ago and tried an h and x pipe and the x pipe was faster on the drag strip and was a lot quieter around town(2.5 type 40 flowmasters and a 2 .25 dual tailpipe) also removing the 100ish lbs of exhaust and running made 0 difference vrs leaving the full set of x pipes on.

[@killfase01]

basically like putting oversized pipes. More of a drag strip thing. your engine might just kill it's valves on a daily driver

[@travisroot5474]

Scootermagoo, do you know why exhaust pipes exist? Since you figure it is just noise ordanence laws, maybe put a hose from your exhaust into your cab and drive around.

[@solairethesunbro2979]

Travis Root I think we can be friends 😂😂😂

[@bennyboyy7]

retcwby - for that raw sound

[@jamest4363]

My question is for my stock 350 chevy truck with a Y pipe. I want to get more towing torque so what muffler should I use? The catalytic converter is not on the truck anymore. I don't want a loud drone exhaust sound in the cab ..just the better torque numbers.

[@GTOHawg]

I have an H-pipe on my 418 stroker. With my thumping cam the H-pipes rocks.!!!

[@matthewmarston7972]

I think it's important to note that not all x pipes are built the same, the ones that come together like the ones shown in the video are typically the best they are called Siamese x pipes because they don't have aggressive Angles of intersection. X pipes that intersect at near 90 degrees have been proven to show flat spots in the power curve when exhaust pulses literally crash into each other and cancel out almost any scavenging and disrupt the gas flow all together. The Siamese style allow for a pass by pull of scavenging vacuum with out having your pulse collide into each other. That's why most weld in x pipes with those angles cause power loses down low where the gas is moving slower and more likely to die off in a collision of pulses. They have less power loss in the Siamese style. I like to think of those as more like a window between both sides where they can pull on each other with vacuum, where as the other is like hallways that intersect and they have to try and pass through each other.

[@kaylaeliason2533]

What would you consider high or low compression? 9.5 and lower= low, 9.6 and up= high?? curious as I am getting ready to build an engine for my Nova and would like to build the best exhaust to match. Thanks

[@samuellopez619]

Kayla Eliason did u ever build one???

[@tgodfrey5608]

Best if you don't try to go absolutely extreme...9.6 to 10.0 sounds like a good compromise. Assuming you will be running it on the street using pump gas.

[@worknman78]

Never heard any luck running higher than 9.5:1 on pump gas. YMMV.

[@Ballenxj]

I had a 78 Trans Am with Hedman Headers and an H pipe with flanges on both ends. I could then undo both sets of flanges and remove the H pipe entirely leaving me with open headers. The H pipe fit nicely in the trunk. ;-)

[@808G8GT]

Since the power gains are only 1-2hp difference between xpipe and hpipe....i would go more for the sound you want to gain....Hipipe for the win for me. Much deeper and more of a muscle car sound on a v8. I had a hpipe...swapped to a xpipe to see the difference. Didnt feel any power difference, just a higher pitched slightly raspy exhaust note which i hated. Went back to a hpipe within a week. Lol. Will never use a xpipe again. Lol.

[@TimBExhaust]

My thinking exactly. I have an appointment to have an H put in my V6 Challenger. I've already done a reso delete and mid muffler swap with 18" straight through ovals, and love the sound. After doing some reading and vid watching, I decided separating the pulses more would make it more rumbly, and possibly restore the very small perceived loss of low end power after freeing up my exhaust flow. Looking forward to the results.

[@saby8765]

@@TimBExhaust How did it go?

[@andrewjohnpink7262]

Wot is the best product to wrap my extractors in Thanks Andrew

[@boondocker1219]

How much hp will I gain with chrome exhaust tips

[@mrrodgerspoliticalplaytime5663]

LOTS.......ZOOOOOOMMMMMMM

[@stew-03]

1000 horses per tip

[@DeeJTillDeath]

I have a V4 2.0 Camaro. I can’t decide which would be a better choice… any help would be much appreciated.

[@xKingKB7x]

X pipe is louder and raspy. H pipe is deeper like an old school car. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHKri4OOmb6Lgc0 Obviously your car not gonna sound like these but it gives you an idea

[@DeeJTillDeath]

@@xKingKB7x is x pipe as loud as straight pipe? thanks for the help

[@xKingKB7x]

@@DeeJTillDeath Straight pipe is always going to be the loudest because there is no restrictions. But if you remove your Catalytic converters and mufflers so you can straight pipe your car. You probably won’t pass inspection unless you know the guy lol.

[@LITTLE1994]

Well, then, I'm going for the H-pipe in my '89 Crown Vic.

[@donaldhollingsworth3875]

I have found that on most late model cars & trucks with 2-3 catalytic convertors, the engines need a certain amount of back pressure to run properly due to the restriction of the catalytic convertors. I had a dual X pipe exhaust system installed on my 2017 Chevy Silverado 6.2L LTZ & found out the engine put out less horsepower then the stock exhaust system. That cost me about $4000.00 with TIG welding all connections & moving the 3 catalytic convertors.

[@theinvestorsmind2547]

What about True Duals?

[@CoryRwtfyt]

Kyle T Simple, uses less space, cheaper. Makes sense to me.

[@sportsmansparadice42]

You would get less torque and horsepower.

[@vinniecatullo6037]

you wont pass smog but on my 2013 gt 500 i am going for the cut offs my best beat i think

[@RyanMcIntyre]

Quite a bit of outdated info in this video. MotorTrend (Engine Masters) actually proved many times that in nearly every application, larger diameter pipes will increase horsepower at everywhere in the RPM range. In another episode they showed that H-Pipes will make more peak HP and Torque than an X-Pipe, however the X-Pipe is probably friendlier to tuning and drivability.

[@donnatalielucasheimbigner7598]

As long as you don't go too large for the amount of air the engine is moving. The key word in the video was STOCK, & he was sort of inferring a small cid engine. For example, if you were to put 1 7/8" primary, 4" collector headers with a set of 3" pipes on a stock 5.3L LS, you would most likely loose power because the amount of exhaust air flowing in the system could (most likely would)slow down & then even flip over on itself when the next pulse hit it, creating even slower evacuation & eventually acting as restriction.

[@dama2803]

Steve Wozniak works at Summit now?

[@thatdirtyninja5829]

pffffft lolol spat out my drink

[@DodgyBrothersEngineering]

Really well presented... Simple and to the point. While on the subject of scavenging and reversion, what happened to anti reversion headers? They seem like the best idea since sliced bread. They also seem to have died a silent death in the 70's.

[@TomRad1]

Awesome video, love the depth of the information.

[@patrickpavlovich1084]

I have always been a 1970 Roadrunner fan, but damn that glass pack sound never gets old to hear & sexy to hear.

[@puzzledobserver7644]

This guy’s arms sizes are dramatically different.

[@RoGuExPaNcAkE]

Must be married then

[@Broadshore]

And X Pipes give it that NICE Throaty sound.