Loud Too Exhaust [Archive] - Pro-Touring.com

TnBlkC230WZ

10-18-2008, 09:21 PM

I've been given orders by the wife to quiet the exhaust and I'm looking for ideas to quiet it down without sacrificing performance. I currently run Dougs 1-3/4 inch headers and a 2.5 inch exhaust and mufflers that I bought from Summit. I'm thinking a race type muffler in front of the mufflers might help. I don't want to get rid of my headers.

Flash68

10-18-2008, 09:23 PM

Which mufflers from Summit?

One way to quiet the system down is to install an X-pipe.

Vegas69

10-18-2008, 09:25 PM

Magnaflow is a good choice. Pretty mellow until you get into it. I hope it's because it's annoying for her to ride in the car?

TnBlkC230WZ

10-18-2008, 09:56 PM

Yes, it is because it is annoying to her. I have heard X-pipes will quite it some. They are the ones included in the Summit exhaust kit. They are a generic brand made in the USA. Straight through oval design. I'm open to a new header back system. Would adding a round muffler at the header flange help?

Flash68

10-18-2008, 11:10 PM

I agree with Vegas. Magnaflows are probably some of the tamest sounding quality mufflers out there. Not real loud at idle and cruising speeds.

zbugger

10-19-2008, 12:13 AM

TnBlkC230WZ

10-19-2008, 09:00 AM

Ok, here's another question. Are you running full tail pipes? Tail pipes help quiet a car down a lot. Are you setting off car alarms with it? It could also be that she's just used to what new cars sound like.

The tail pipes exit behind the wheel in the stock location for a 71 Nova. The engine is a ZZ4 350. The car will will easily set off alarms :fingersx: She liked my 92 V-6 Camaro with a Dynomax muffler and it would set off alarms too.

I'm starting to wonder if my problem is the headers. Is there a sound deadner for them? It would void the warrenty, but I'm using manifolds.

I'm thinking the following:
1. Add a race muffler bolted to the collectors
2. Insulate the engine compartment
3. Install an X-pipe.
4. What to do for mufflers. Which Magnaflows are the quietest? I would even get Borla's if they would help. If I tell her $600 will get it quiet, she will agree.

skatinjay27

10-19-2008, 01:37 PM

magnaflows are turbo style mufflers so any turbo style muffler is going to be the quietest... iirc the ones that come with the summit kit are turbos.
also the most important thing to do sound deadener for passenger comfort. plan to spend around $400 on enough good sound deadener. im positive thats part of why the v6 didnt bother her.
i wouldnt change the mufflers till after you try that. gut the int and cover the floors/doors/firewall/wheelwells(double layer) and behind the back seats.

chicane67

10-19-2008, 02:18 PM

Yeah... I'm with Jay on this one.

I would full sheet the firewall and floor pan with Dynomat/brownbag/or the like... first. Then I would make the call on the mufflers. I don't believe that I would add additional mufflers... just replace the ones you have. I will also third the use of Magnaflows... or even Dynomax 'Ultraflow welded' mufflers... these have been pretty much the quietest and least restrictive mufflers I have used... and Borlas would come in third place in that category (they flow even better, but do not attenuate as well.) I would also add an x-pipe... that in itself is a no brainer.

I don't believe that the headers are the issue... and there really isn't a way to quiet them down. Putting wrap on them will only focus the heat energy and possibly increase the amplitude of the pulse.

Vegas69

10-19-2008, 02:45 PM

I agree with AJ as well. I only had one layer of Second Skin on the floor of my car and put about 400 miles on it and the noise was very reasonable. I have since put 3/8 of jute plus carpet over that. I haven't driven it but I am sure it will be great. I don't even have tailpipes on mine.

TnBlkC230WZ

10-19-2008, 05:51 PM

Thanks for the inputs guys. The interior is already fully lined (floor, doors, quarters and cowl) with Second Skin Damplifier and Overkill with jutted carpet on top of that.

I will definitely get the X-pipe. I'm curious as to why you wouldn't put the second muffler/resolator in?

chicane67

10-19-2008, 06:37 PM

...unnecessary added cost, weight and restriction.

The money used for an additional muffler(s) would be better spent by replacing the exisiting muffler with one more suited to the requirement. I guess my question would be... why make it more complicated than it needs to be ??

68sixspeed

10-19-2008, 06:45 PM

For an inexpensive muffler, the hooker super comps have a good sound and are a good bit quieter than the magnaflows. (I've run both on the same motor)

rickk

10-19-2008, 07:01 PM

dont give the wife a ride. lol
rick k:nopity:

TnBlkC230WZ

10-20-2008, 03:09 PM

dont give the wife a ride. lol
rick k:nopity:

I have to let her ride in it. When I'm cruising, I got'a have my girl by my side.

The Hooker's seem to get the quiet vote at this time, but I'm still looking.

dj3

10-20-2008, 04:41 PM

I just recently yanked out my 3" maganflows because they were too loud for my taste and replaced them with dynomax turbo. It cut the noise almost in half.

When I had them both side by side you could look completely through the magnaflows, while the dynamax seem to follow an S path before exit.

TnBlkC230WZ

10-20-2008, 05:09 PM

TnBlkC230WZ

10-21-2008, 10:57 AM

Does anyone have experience with a Borla XR1 multi-chamber muffler. Their rep said they are the quietest that they have and should idle a little louder than a stock muffler.

70camaro406

10-22-2008, 07:21 AM

Another vote for the Dynomax turbos for being quiet...and sounding good.

skatinjay27

10-22-2008, 06:18 PM

Does anyone have experience with a Borla XR1 multi-chamber muffler. Their rep said they are the quietest that they have and should idle a little louder than a stock muffler.i have xr-1s but thier not chambered or quiet... thats wierd though cause the xr-1 is thier race muffler, no reason for it to be quiet. but then again i didnt even know they have a xr-1 that was chambered.

funbnme

10-22-2008, 06:36 PM

If you're wife's in the car, do you drive mainly at the lower RPMs? My car sounded like I was inside a speaker in the 2500-3200 RPM range. I installed a balance tube (H-pipe)...I couldn't fit an x-pipe in my car because of a driveshaft safety hoop.

The car is a lot quieter. I was going to do new mufflers too. I'm glad I didn't. I don't really need them now. Not sure what motor you have, but I have a 408 with a pretty good cam in it.

My kids tell me that it's a lot quieter inside, but still nice & loud from the outside when I pull away from the house. Best of both worlds.

H-pipe was about $70 at the local muffler shop. Try it first.

Chad-1stGen

10-22-2008, 06:52 PM

My dynomax are very quiet by muscle car standards

chicane67

10-24-2008, 10:04 PM

Borla does not offer a 'chambered' muffler... their product line is comprised of 'multi-core' and 'turbo' designs. The XR-1 was the first to use the straight thru, multi-core design. If used in the properly designed system... it can be very quiet. Not to mention, they are not really made to be quiet, they were made to keep the sound level under 96dB for sanctioned events with minimal restriction... hence being a "race" muffler.

As I said... they can be quiet. Back in 87-88'... I had client that had a 'unique' requirement. Well... long story short, we stuffed an R trim supercharged 410 cid SBC... into a Porsche 944 (mid engine) with a 930 transaxle. There was really no room for a muffler... or an exhaust system for that matter. We took it to Borla... they whittled up some headers and basically stufffed the mufflers right on the collectors. That was it. Collector... muffler... and a turn down... .. ...you couldnt even tell if the car was running at idle it was so quiet. Even at WOT on lost of boost... it was quiet.

It is still the only chassis I ever did that was actually quiet with a Borla product on it. Well... except for Jeeps.

70camaro406

10-25-2008, 06:12 AM

Vegas69

10-25-2008, 07:50 AM

Sounds good Wayne....probably not the right muffler though.

Second Skin Rep

10-25-2008, 01:01 PM

Glad to hear that some of you guys are using Second Skin to kill the noise in your cars.
For a better combination, check out Damplifier Pro, then Luxury Liner Pro on top of that. You can also go with a heavy layer of Spectrum as an undercoating to sandwich the sheet metal.

This is awesome for noise and heat!

hope that helps!

ANT
www.damplifier.com

TnBlkC230WZ

10-25-2008, 08:27 PM

The videos in my sig show my Camaro at idle and revving.

It has the Borla XR-1 race mufflers in 3.5" size with 3.5" pipes and turndowns. It's a 10.5:1 NA 406 with a roller cam. It's not obnoxiously loud, but it does sound sor tof mellow and has some low baritone to it.

It does sound good and it is a good bit quieter than my Summit mufflers. It is always hard to tell how loud it really is on a video.

I'm going to go with the Borla turbo. I've measured and I have barely enough room for the 19 inch oval muffler. I'm running 2.5 inch pipes. I will also put a Pypes x-pipe in. Now I just have to decide if the 14 inch muffler will be enough or go with the 19 inch. I will also have the option of putting a second muffler between the quater panel and frame rail in the rear. There is room for a 12 inch long oval or a longer 4 inch round.

I have to have the car quiet outside as well as inside. It will be a sleepe when I'm done,

Jeff70

10-27-2008, 03:32 PM

The Borla Turbo mufflers give off a lot of drone, I know from personal experince. And I have since changed to the Dyno Max and its pretty much gone.

70camaro406

10-27-2008, 05:38 PM

Sounds good Wayne....probably not the right muffler though.

Thanks. When the car gets put back together, I think I'm going to use a 3" Pypes kit with x-pipe and Dynomax Ultraflows with full tail pipes out the back.

TnBlkC230WZ

10-27-2008, 05:40 PM

The Borla Turbo mufflers give off a lot of drone, I know from personal experince. And I have since changed to the Dyno Max and its pretty much gone.

Which Dyno Max are you running? I do like the Super Turbos. According to the Dynomax site though, I would have to run a 3 inch muffler if I want to get above 350 HP. My main concern is larger exhaust systems are loader. It seams counter productive.

mongoose

10-27-2008, 05:44 PM

maybe single...

2.5" duals are good for a good a mount of power... like 450+

TnBlkC230WZ

10-27-2008, 06:13 PM

maybe single...

2.5" duals are good for a good a mount of power... like 450+

According to the Dynomax catalog, dual 2.5 inch super turbos are good for 350 lose free HP. Their straight Through designs are good for 500+ HP.

TnBlkC230WZ

11-23-2008, 09:19 PM

Finally decided on the 18 inch Magnaflows and Pypes X-Pipe. Definitely quieted things down. Much lower, deeper tone. Sounds pretty good. Standing at the front off the car, the engine is pretty quiet. you can whisper to the person next to you. There is a definite rumble at the back of the car though. No sesonation inside the car.

skatinjay27

11-23-2008, 11:57 PM

glad to hear it worked out for ya.
the real question hows the wife feel?

TnBlkC230WZ

11-24-2008, 07:06 PM

glad to hear it worked out for ya.
the real question hows the wife feel?

She is happier, but I'll still convincing her it is as quiet as it gets without putting a second muffler/resonater in. I don't want to do that. It is definitely quieter though.

Gearhead Dude

11-24-2008, 07:30 PM

Your exhaust should quiet down if you use it to spool-up a turbocharger!

68Formula

12-15-2008, 01:22 PM

Not to hijack, but I had an idea along these lines that I'd like to get some input on.

I was hoping there would be a cost effective way to add a vacuum activated dump that would go between a set of dual mufflers and a single crossflow. In other words, under normal engine loads the exhaust would go through both dual mufflers and then through a third muffler. Then when the vacuum in front of the last muffler reaches 4psi, a valve opens in the exhaust which dumps it straight out a 2nd set of tailpipes mounted directly to the dual muffler setup, therefore bypassing the last muffler. That way, under normal driving, quiet as a mouse, then "normal" musclecar sound under full throttle.

This would possibly also improve low end torque since it allows more backpressure under low engine speed conditions. Similar to an drive-by-wire throttlebody, where under WOT at low engine speed, the throttle is not fully open to achieve even better torque than it would if it were fully open at those speeds. However instead of using computer control like it is on an intake, just use pressure as a direct control method.