Boom tubes

[smokeyco75]

Thinking of using speedway boom tube zoomies on my T and was wondering if anyone has tried them before? I plan on modifying them but hopefully they clear the drag link?

 

[smokeyco75]

(Crickets) lol

 

[Screaming Metal]

Well, over the years, being around cars with exposed motors, I've dealt with just about all of it. I Like the concept, if the tone appeals tou you and you can quiet it down enough not to get tickets, I say go for it. Look on Utube for a person running them, and let your ears be the judge....
Only you can be happy with the exhaust tone and the performance.
Let me say this though....if you have a healthy motor putting out some power, it will be harder to tame the tone down, because to make power, your pumping some mixture thru the motor, that equates to exhaust gas velocity.
Its a hotrod, let it sound like a hotrod till the pigs force us to quieten things down....in a few years, they will probably want all our cars to sound like a ford taurus....

If you do the zoomies, put some baffles in them. They WILL have a helluva bark to them, at idle, you can hear the valves and they sound tinty, to me back when I could hear good. What sounds good at idle and whats bareable at throttle are 2 diff. things....
All it takes is some experimenting....

 

[smokeyco75]

Thanks for the thoughts Screaming Metal! I was thinking exactly what you just said. I was thinking of cutting them and welding a pipe and glasspacks on the end of them. Just to have it look different. In the end I think I would be better off making them instead of cutting up a set and modifying them. I do like the sound of them but like you said they are hard to quiet down.

 

[Tjbucket]

I have seen several with them, but only sitting......The look is kind of neat but, running I think they would be rather deafening, but, to each his own.

 

[bamabucket]

I have heard at least one bucket at an NTBA event that was running zoomies. I don't know who it is or what engine he has, but they must not have had any baffles because they were extremely loud. I am considering replacing my headers with something different and considered zoomies because Sanderson makes a set for my caddy 500, and there aren't many off the shelf roadster headers for that that engine. As screaming Metal said, there are videos on youtube with the sound from several types of baffled and open headers. I decided to use lakester headers because they are easier to baffle and are available for my engine. There are other considerations regarding exhaust header design in many discussions on the web but I have no personal experience or knowledge in that area. That said, I really think zoomies look very cool and they can be quieted some with baffles.

 

[Zandoz]

I'm planing on using baffled zoomies for mine, for a few reasons. As far as I know, noone makes suitable headers for my little V6. Since I'll have to have someone weld them up, I want to keep them simple. I was thinking making them down turned and a bit angled to the rear. Then an 8" motorcycle baffle in the end of each. If the neighbors complain, I'm not sure where I'd go from there...no room underneath, and I don't want anything extending past the leading edge of the doors.

 

[fletcherson]

It is amazing how much difference it makes just pointing the exhaust down as far as noise. I love hearing the cam thump,,etc, but I have developed a dislike of loud cars and bikes on the road. My current headers have baffles in each tube. Not sure if I will keep them as is, or redesign, or locate collectors that will adapt 4to1 and just run a turn down...

 

[Zandoz]

It is amazing how much difference it makes just pointing the exhaust down as far as noise. I love hearing the cam thump,,etc, but I have developed a dislike of loud cars and bikes on the road. My current headers have baffles in each tube. Not sure if I will keep them as is, or redesign, or locate collectors that will adapt 4to1 and just run a turn down...

I hear ya...I'm not a fan of loud either, but in my case I've not seen or come up with an alternative. I plan on making the tubes end even with the bottom of the frame...which will be less than 6" off the ground

 

[Screaming Metal]

For anybody that wants to run Zoomies, and mellow them out some, get yourself a set of motorcycle baffles made for drag pipes, wrap them with packing, and fasten them in. The heavier the tubing is, the better. Also, the larger the dia., the better. (As far as quietening it down) The longer style Funny Car style Zooms are better.
All it takes is just to quieten each pipe just a little, to make a big difference. Get a good quality baffle, and wrap it, motorcycle baffles are the best....I just usually make my own.....

 

[RPM]

How do you go about making those baffles?

 

[Screaming Metal]

Here ya go, choose your poison, from the most expensive to the least expensive....
Zoomie Baffles
Sanderson Zoomie Replacement Baffle - Century Performance Center
But this is pretty much what I do....with a few extra mods....
TECH: Zoomie baffles, a monkey can do it

 

[Screaming Metal]

The site stripped the links out, oh well, heres a article howto.....

TECH: ZOOMIE BAFFLES, A MONKEY CAN DO IT
Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Chris Casny, Mar 12, 2007.

1. 
   Chris Casny
   Member
   from Los Angeles/Austin
   Here is my humble tech on how to make Zoomie baffles.
   An unfortunate thing, if you don't want to get in trouble with the law.
   
   I've built some Zoomie a few month back.
   They are made from 1 1/2" od, 16ga tubing. Why 1 1/2" you ask, because bigger pipes would not have fit on my exhaust flange.
   
   For the baffles, I'm using 1 1/4" od tubing, they slip into the 1 1/2" nicely with some play.
   
   Step one: Cut 6" sections, in my case 8 of them.
   
   Step two: Make some lay out marks, I did it on 3 sides of the pipe.
   then I layed out were the holes were going to be, in this case 1" apart, staggered per each quarter turn (I'm confusing myself here).
   
   Step three: At your layout marks cut the pipe appox. 1/4" deep on the bandsaw, a hacksaw will work too.
   
   Step four: Use the pneumatic hammer with a "pointy" chisel and start making indentation into the pipe, were you cut slices earlier.
   
   Step five: Mounting the baffles. I basically drilled holes into the Zoomies one per Zoomie at the bottom about 1" from the end, so you can't see the bolts later.
   Drilled holes into the baffles about 1/2" from the edge, welded a 5/16" not to the inside. Voila.
   
   All thats left to do is to bolt the baffles on the inside of the zoomies. The baffles fit tight now since the pipe has been distorted a bit.
   I don't have shots of that process but you get the picture.
   
   These simple baffles have made huge difference, but not to the were the car sound like an import.
   Try it.
   The reason I made the baffles myself is, that I could not find motorcycle ones that would fit, my Zoomies.
   Besides it's much more fun doing it yourself.
   
   CHRIS CASNY, MAR 12, 2007
   

 

[Screaming Metal]

The Article above, I do exactle what he does, EXCEPT, I slide a piece of tubing inside the zoomies about 8" long. Then I make the baffle to fit that diameter. I tack the both together, slide them in, then drill my hole, putting in a ss sheetmetal screw.
IF, the bend in the zoomie won't allow a 8" long baffle, which some on them won't, I get a piece of flexpipe, cut that to 8", tack the baffle in even with the end of the zoomie....
The flexpipe, with its spiral, will try to spin the exhaust, slowing it down some, then when it hits the obstructions inside, will slow down even more....
This takes a lot of the bite out of the sound....

 

[Screaming Metal]

Oh, I forgot, when drilling thru the round tubing, use a split point drill, it walks less, using a really light pressure. Since the baffles I make are out of SS, even the flex tubing, with the split point drill, it'll keep on going thru the SS, but you have to go slow. That SS will chew up the end of that drill if you go too fast, or hang and snap off....