3.9 v8 sports exhaust options

[barnfindseries3ffr]

I've just found online a place in sunny England selling a sports exhaust system from extractors to tail pipe with all fittings for £450 (roughly $860) not including shipping.
Has anyone had anything to do with this product from them? They go by the name of famous 4?
I've been looking locally and I can get a local hot rod shop to do a full system for well over $1400 and its not in stainless.

The English ones are already made for the car which I'd have no issues with fitting up but this company is at least 200 pounds cheaper than its rivals which makes me think that something like that shouldn't be that cheap, possible build quality issues and so on?
Anyone had dealings with them?

[Meccles]

I've just found online a place in sunny England selling a sports exhaust system from extractors to tail pipe with all fittings for £450 (roughly $860) not including shipping.
Has anyone had anything to do with this product from them? They go by the name of famous 4?
I've been looking locally and I can get a local hot rod shop to do a full system for well over $1400 and its not in stainless.

The English ones are already made for the car which I'd have no issues with fitting up but this company is at least 200 pounds cheaper than its rivals which makes me think that something like that shouldn't be that cheap, possible build quality issues and so on?
Anyone had dealings with them?

I’ve dealt with Famous Four a lot never had an issue. Just check your freight price that might be $$ given weight. Or maybe ask them to split it up a bit.

[barnfindseries3ffr]

Sweet as, that is the feedback I was hoping for [emoji4]

[DoubleChevron]

This might be a dumb question.... but if the Y pipe and manifolds are in good condition..... Why not just go to the local exhaust place and have a new tailpipe and muffler/resonator fitted. I find it highly unlikey that a "sports" exhaust will do anything other than make it noisier. Its certainly not going to make more power.

seeya,
Shane L.

[350RRC]

This might be a dumb question.... but if the Y pipe and manifolds are in good condition..... Why not just go to the local exhaust place and have a new tailpipe and muffler/resonator fitted. I find it highly unlikey that a "sports" exhaust will do anything other than make it noisier. Its certainly not going to make more power.

seeya,
Shane L.

The note from a warm 4.4 through a 3" mandrel bent system makes it worth every cent. Now living a bit to the west of you.

DL

[Pedro_The_Swift]

The important bit is up the front,, anyone's apprentice can do one from the cats back.
4-2-1 with the secondaries as long as posibble......

didnt someone in SA ( ? ) get a full system made ??

[Trav Man]

While on the subject of exhaust I am curious what would the 3.5 be like with a twin 2" system with factory manifolds as I've always loved the sound of twin systems on the V8's I have had in the past (non of them Rovers) but have no idea if it'll be a good or bad system to run on the Rangie.
Any feed back would be appreciated [thumbsupbig]

Trav Man

[350RRC]

While on the subject of exhaust I am curious what would the 3.5 be like with a twin 2" system with factory manifolds as I've always loved the sound of twin systems on the V8's I have had in the past (non of them Rovers) but have no idea if it'll be a good or bad system to run on the Rangie.
Any feed back would be appreciated [thumbsupbig]

Trav Man


There is most likely no real benefit from extractors from a performance perspective, stick with the manifolds.

Extractors cause massive heat issues in an engine bay with everything (wiring, starters, etc) and its only worse in a RRC.

The original factory system for the 3.5's was really a sort of twin system that shared a muffler and that's why they sounded so good.

Have a look on Paddocks or the other UK suppliers.

cheers, DL

[Konradical]

While on the subject of exhaust I am curious what would the 3.5 be like with a twin 2" system with factory manifolds as I've always loved the sound of twin systems on the V8's I have had in the past (non of them Rovers) but have no idea if it'll be a good or bad system to run on the Rangie.
Any feed back would be appreciated [thumbsupbig]

Trav ManDon't do it. It's a waste of money..

I worked out an approximate sized system in a twin back in 2015. From memory it was about 2 1/4" to a twin in/out centre muffler then 2" to a rear resonator.

It sounded awesome. As good as my LS1 ute with twin 3" exhausts.

BUT...

It was a slug. Would take ages to build speed and used a terrible amount of fuel over the couple of weeks it was fitted.

I ended up going back to a single system, 2 1/2" to the centre high flow muffler, then 2 1/4" to a high flow resonator. Doesn't sound too bad, and it is nice and quiet when driving.

The other thing I wasted money on, which actually turned out in my favour, was I fitted extractors. Both the exhaust place I purchased my parts and a family member that plays with this stuff warned me not to do it as the standard manifolds will flow well enough for the system. It turned out they were right! Unlike with say a Holden five litre, where you would immediately notice a change in the torque curve, it just laughed at me because I wasted money. Didn't run cooler, save fuel or anything.

The upside was when I removed the original manifold on the driver's side, it came off in two pieces.

Again talking with my family member about all this, he concluded that the engine wouldn't produce enough power/exhaust flow for the exhaust to have enough of a restriction in a twin set up. Back pressure basically.

[bikeman]

I was told, by a reputable RR mechanic, that extractors on a RRC will only be of any benefit over 3k revs. Possibly help a manual but not so much an auto. The original headers work quit efficiently.

[Meccles]

I fitted Perry extractors to the manual 3.5 in 1986. There was a noticeable difference in performance we had a steep hill to go up leaving house which prior to extractors we had to be in second. After they went on it would go up in 3rd. Same on other hills. No other change made. Currently running ceramic coated headers they’re cooler than cast manifold back into y piece then single 21/4” to muffler and resonator.

[DoubleChevron]

I fitted Perry extractors to the manual 3.5 in 1986. There was a noticeable difference in performance we had a steep hill to go up leaving house which prior to extractors we had to be in second. After they went on it would go up in 3rd. Same on other hills. No other change made. Currently running ceramic coated headers they’re cooler than cast manifold back into y piece then single 21/4” to muffler and resonator.

That is interesting, I would have though extractors would help only at high revs. Your feedback says they increase torque at lowest engine speeds. You didn't fit a torque cam at the same time ?

seeya,
Shane L.

[Meccles]

When I fitted extractors nothing else was changed. Not cam, Carbys or Ignition. We picked up a gear going up hills. The big hill from bottom of Hasting St past Noosa pub used to be a second gear hill, it became a 3rd gear hill. Same as hill on way from Tewantin to Cooroy.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

extractors with long secondaries increase torque( I've seen a dyno comparo using 35" secondaries), short or no secondary (4 to one) increase HP at top end

[Pickles2]

Some very interesting comments on here which suggests that what is being suggested by the O.P. may not see any gains in performance, indeed may result in a loss, unlike in some other vehicles, V8 Holdens, Fords etc where there are tried & tested "over the counter" systems which will show a gain.
Many years ago we owned a 351 Bronco, & I was going to fit extractors but was advised against because of heat issues, so I left the original manifolds on, just fitted a straight through muffler with bigger tail pipes,..probably no performance gain, but it sounded ok, looked ok too with chrome exhaust tips!
There's all sorts of funny things that can occur with exhausts, some of the V8 Holden/Ford systems I've seen that use extractors etc, still have the pipes joined at one point, usually just behind the gearbox, in a sort of cross piece, then resume with two pipes....something to do with back pressure?
So, in this case, unless a tried & tested system is available, I'd just fit a straight through muffler & a big bore tail pipe?
Pickles.

[LRJim]

So, in this case, unless a tried & tested system is available, I'd just fit a straight through muffler & a big bore tail pipe?
Pickles.

Its pretty crap honesty, only gain is noise volume. Everything else is a loss, less power, less torque worse fuel economy.
I wanna go back to stock pipes maybe with 4-2-1 extractors, otherwise stock without a resi for a bit of burble.
Cheers Jim

[barnfindseries3ffr]

I just pulled the trigger on the system, the main reason is that the PO had done a bodgie hack job exhaust and on idle it banged against the body. It looked like he had used plumbing pipes. There is a massive amount of rust chunks coming off the cast manifolds and some leak out of the passenger side manifold.
I love the sound of the v8 and I believe that the only part not needing replacement is the driver side manifold. So I went for a complete replacement.
This is not a daily driver and will be used on club rego.
I'll try and get some photos on here when I get it delivered but my computer illiteracy is dismal.

[barnfindseries3ffr]

Oh and my wife's D1 has a nice sounding system on it so I can't just follow her around in my quiet RRC, that would be a shame job.

[Baffle]

extractors with long secondaries increase torque( I've seen a dyno comparo using 35" secondaries), short or no secondary (4 to one) increase HP at top end


Pedro do you remember the figures?
I was wanting to fit this system, photo attached. Not if its a waist of time though.

This was going to get bolted to a 3.9 which is getting dropped into an 89 Rangie

[Konradical]

They are what I have with little to no improvement on the 3.5.

You might feel something more on the 3.9. I believe they would show significance if they were coupled with a good cam.

[Baffle]

Well while the motor is out, I may as well drop a cam in.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

The 4L is limited by the standard valve lift,, I have no idea if the 3.9 has the same concern,, but------[wink11]

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Pedro do you remember the figures?


Only that money was no object and they (just the secondaries) ended up being 35inches long,, and that it was enough of a difference to make several sets!!

space is not so much of a concern with long seconds if the right size pipe is used,, you only need 1 and 7/8ths :rulez: even after collection of the other bank,, so port size is more than enough till then..

[barnfindseries3ffr]

Just a quick update, "The Normal Transport" courier service (just look at the capital letters) have lost the delivery in Bendigo of all places! They could have dropped it off on the way past!
So it's deemed lost in transit and I will have to shi# fight for it I suppose.
Makes me wonder how many people work there in Bendigo and have a RRC or disco 3.9 v8?

[barnfindseries3ffr]

Well after some pushing from both sides of of the world it finally arrived!!!!!

And the app is not letting me upload a photo.....