First off I'd like to thank everyone for all there help. The old truck is getting there. I'm almost there on the carb and timing issues. Now it's time for an exhaust system. This motor is stock and probably will be until it needs a rebuild. Which muffler will give me a better flow than the stock without really loud exhaust note. I've been told that there'll a trush that has almost the same db level as stock with better flow. I know they've been in business for a really long time so they surely are doing something right. I just don't trust the parts guys around here. I'll try to get more info on the muffler today. I'll be using the stock manifold and getting rid of the cattiletic converter. Any suggestions on pipe size etc? Again, thanks for all the help.

I posted this in the wrong forum. I have no idea how to move it to the correct forum. Can someone explain how

Eventually a moderator will move the thread where it belongs.

Any of the "performance" type mufflers is going to make objectionable noise, sooner or later, and Murphy's law says it'll be an obnoxious noise that's worst when you're cruising at your most common speed.

You do not have to choose either good flow or quiet exhaust. You've got lots of room under your truck for a big, free-flowing muffler that will keep things nice and quiet. The one to get is the Walker № 50051, original equipment on recent-model Hemi Ram trucks. Run a 2-1/4" headpipe into this muffler, and a 2" tailpipe out of this muffler. Result will be a good-flowing, quiet system and a muffler that lasts for many years.

An '82 truck would have originally come with at least one catalytic converter. It's Federally illegal to remove a catalytic converter from a vehicle except to replace it with a new one. Some states enforce this and others don't; where is your truck registered? If you will be running a cat (meow!), that has to be picked carefully, too. Most aftermarket cats (meow!), including virtually all of the so-called "performance" cats (meow!), are a waste of money—they are cheaply-made weaklings, warranted only for 25,000 miles and barely able to clean up the exhaust of even a clean-running fuel-injected vehicle...let alone the dirty exhaust of a carbureted Slant-6 engine. If you will be running a cat (meow!), then the trick is to get a California-approved one. They're type-approved to a much stricter durability and performance standard, so while they cost somewhat more up front, you won't have to spend more money later because they won't fail or melt in response to the dirty exhaust being put through them. If you will be running a cat (meow!), post back and say so and I'll point at recommendable ones.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks Dan. No there won't be a cat(except maybe my stay I adopted named lucky). In AR it's pretty easy going, at least for now. I'll try to find the recommended muffler. I ran into another distributor problem. The hold down isn't holding anything. I'm pretty sure it's the wrong one so I ordered a mr gasket one for my year. I hope someone hasn't changed the distributor. It had points when I got it and now has the pertronix ignition and coil. Thanks for all the help.

that may not work if it's a 2 prong "claw" style for a small block (the prongs are a bit too wide to make positive contact on the distributor body ring bracket)... there are only 2 common styles of distributor hold down the long flat Pre-1977 version and the post-1977 version with the ring and claw...

The problem you are most likely having, if it's the ring and claw, is the bolt through the claw to the block can be undersized or if grade 5, and overtightened...can
strip out... if it's the long flat one with slots on each end, sometimes people adjust things and forget to tighten the bolt on the underside of the distributor and things go wonky
after a while.

You can buy it from the link I posted... (on this board, red text in posts is clickable)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I wonder if there were exceptions to the cats in 82. My w150 is an 82 and I'm 99% positive the exhaust on it is the original - no cat. It was custom built for a gentleman in Alaska. Maybe there was some weird law that allowed that?

Not in the United States, no. Your '82 almost certainly came with at least one cat (meow!). Other details about the truck would tell a more complete story. Is there an "UNLEADED GASOLINE ONLY" callout on the dashboard, and/or near the fuel filler? Does the filler neck have a gate sized to allow only the smaller-diameter unleaded nozzle, or is it wide open? What does the underhood emission control information label say?



Probably not. It might've been ordered by a gentleman in Alaska, but it was not custom-built. It went down the same assembly line as the rest of 'em.



No such law, weird or otherwise. The emissions standards vehicles must meet in order to be offered for first sale are Federal; states have no authority to issue exemptions.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Not exceptions, but some were considered "heavy half tons" and did not come with a catalytic converter. Nor did the D-250 on up. I don't know what it took to be a heavy half ton, but they still retained the smog pump, EGR, etc. My 84 was a light half ton, so it had dual converters.

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If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

For what it is worth, my 1982 Ramcharger IS bone stock and while it has a 318, it was built with a catalytic converter and the air apsirator injection system. I, too, am in the process of replacing the rusted out original (!) muffler and most likely replacing the original catalytic converter. he truck sat for 11 years outside in Seattle so moisture and rust have dmaaged many things.

About ten years ago was rehabilitating my brother's 1983 Dodge B150 van that is powered by a slant. We took it to a shop to get some exhaust work done and the shop woldn't touch it because the Russian contractor we bought the van from had cut out the converter in an effort to get more power out of the engine (he also removed about half of the lean burn system, causing the poor running). I installed a new Catco HIGH PERFORMANCE! catalytic converter that got the van passed emmissions but only lasted about two months before melting down and causing a blockage in the exhaust. I still have the muffler that has melted chunks of the converter matrix rattling around in it.

So, you have been given much good advice in this thread. I strongly suggest you follow it.

I will be installing a Walker quiet-flow muffler because loud exhaust gets old, fast.

I don't think that's right, and the factory parts catalog lists a no-catalyst headpipe as "EXPORT ONLY". The only options for US/Canada trucks are California or non-California, both with cat/s (meow!).

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks guys! The old truck is coming together fast. I drove it around all day yesterday. Idle is smooth and there's definitely more power since I retarded the timing. Still have to get a light. I have ordered the mr gasket hold down. The one on it is the forked prong type. I never did see or feel a ring on the distributor and really don't understand how the new one will work any better but the pictures weren't very good. Got to get some clamps to stop a power steering leak at the pump where the squeeze type are not working. Then it's a valve cover gasket and then the exhaust.

It does have the "Unleaded Only" sticker. I'm betting it was removed, but whoever did it must have done it early!

Dan, I think you're right, it was export vehicles I was thinking about. I lived in Europe then and none of the American cars had catalytic converters or unleaded gasoline nozzles or decals until about 1989 or so, and IIRC it was an option only. My 1990 Chrysler Caravan had a catalytic converter and the aforementioned unleadedness, but my 1985 Horizon had none such.

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If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

Maybe a '90 Chrysler Voyager? That's how they sold 'em in Europe. I think you're probably right in remembering the export models. Unleaded fuel was much slower to arrive in Europe (and leaded much slower to disappear) in Europe than in North America. When it started happening, it was a promotional/sales point that people actively sought out (cars that pollute less) so there were factory-applied badges that read "Catalyseur" (French for "catalyzer") and dealer parts counter banners custom-cut to fit the backglass of various BMW models, that read "Dieser BMW fahrt mit Katalysator-technik" ("This BMW travels with catalyser techology"). Same thing happened when airbags came in; there were "AIRBAG" and "DUAL AIRBAGS" badges. Funny stuff to an American! I've always liked groovin' on the detail differences in export vs. home-market models. Not just bigger obvious stuff (different lights with amber rear turn signals, etc) but small stuff like station wagons and trucks and minivans with rear-exit exhausts because side-dump tailpipes aren't legal in some countries, etc.

Like that scene at the start of "Pulp Fiction": "They got the same ѕhіt over there we got over here, it's just there it's a little different."

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.