Bigger Mufflers or add Mids?

[csouth]

So I am currently running 3" Hooker Blackheart Exhaust system. I love the way the car sounds at idle, but I want to reduce some of the interior on throttle volume. I want to cruse the car on distance more, so I would like to bring the volume down a little. I was wondering if a mid muffler would be the answer? A local exhaust shop was saying that going to an 18" muffler might be my answer as the current ones are 14". Needs to be straight through as the car is forced induction.

Any thoughts?

[thedugan]

Have you looked into adding resonators? I haven't added them to my car, so I can't talk from experience.

Something liket these
https://vibrantperformance.com/ultra...onators-v1249/

[csouth]

Have you looked into adding resonators? I haven't added them to my car, so I can't talk from experience.

Something liket these
https://vibrantperformance.com/ultra...onators-v1249/

I called Borla today because the have theirs that say muffler\resonator and I always though a resonator was for drone. He explained saying they are all basically the same. If I have drone it will eliminate the high frequency and if volume is the concern it will reduce the volume. I need to check my floor clearance to find if i need something tube style or similar to what you posted.

[dontlifttoshift]

I have successfully quieted cars down with the Vibrant bottle resonators in front of the muffler. I have also added them to tail pipes, it just depends on what packages better but it does seem like the longer ones in the mid pipes do a better job.

[csouth]

I have successfully quieted cars down with the Vibrant bottle resonators in front of the muffler. I have also added them to tail pipes, it just depends on what packages better but it does seem like the longer ones in the mid pipes do a better job.

Thanks for the insight Donny because that's actually the ones I've decided on. I'm going to have to see what length can be used. They will be in the x pipe at some point.

[mikedc]

Bigger/longer muffler case = quieter result, all else being equal. It goes for long straight-thru designs and oval case types.


Also, you can step down the whole exhaust pipe size at the axle kick-up (after the main mufflers). It reduces noise a bit more and the power loss is negligible. That's why OEM exhaust systems are commonly done this way.

[dontlifttoshift]

Yeah all of that, too. I have found it easier to package bottle resonators with a normal muffler than to try and package a longer muffler in most cars, though.

[csouth]

Bigger/longer muffler case = quieter result, all else being equal. It goes for long straight-thru designs and oval case types.


Also, you can step down the whole exhaust pipe size at the axle kick-up (after the main mufflers). It reduces noise a bit more and the power loss is negligible. That's why OEM exhaust systems are commonly done this way.

Yeah all of that, too. I have found it easier to package bottle resonators with a normal muffler than to try and package a longer muffler in most cars, though.

Yeah, I'm just going to add bottle resonators to my existing setup. I'll get under to the car to see is 12" or 18" make more sense.

[ryeguy2006a]

Hey Chris, I went through the same thing with my Camaro. I ran the Borla ProXS mufflers because they were supposed to be the quietest and best flowing mufflers, but were still quite loud. They were quieter than the 50 series Flowmasters that I had. I added those mufflers with tailpipes and it still was very loud. With my car this time around I am running a Walker Quietflow muffler and I love it. Has a nice sound at idle/part and WOT, yet when cruising I can still hold a conversation at 75. I'm sure it kills power, but the nice thing about boost is you can just swap to a smaller upper pulley to offset any power loss!

[mikedc]

Hey Chris, I went through the same thing with my Camaro. I ran the Borla ProXS mufflers because they were supposed to be the quietest and best flowing mufflers, but were still quite loud. They were quieter than the 50 series Flowmasters that I had. I added those mufflers with tailpipes and it still was very loud. With my car this time around I am running a Walker Quietflow muffler and I love it. Has a nice sound at idle/part and WOT, yet when cruising I can still hold a conversation at 75. I'm sure it kills power, but the nice thing about boost is you can just swap to a smaller upper pulley to offset any power loss!

That sounds like a good cruising setup.

Truth is, a 'bad' modern exhaust usually doesn't cost as much power as people think. Especially not at low/mid-range RPMs.

The idea that stock-ish exhaust systems choke off huge amounts of horsepower is kind of outdated. It was true back when people were souping up 2-barrel 305 motors with log manifolds and single exhaust pipes. They would bolt on a 4-barrel/manifold, bigger cam . . . and then suddenly that stock exhaust was a big bottleneck. (But it wasn't actually a big bottleneck with the 2-barrel & small cam.) Nowadays the average stock-ish exhaust system flows better than it used to. And the aftermarket has mostly stepped up their game over time too.

[Mr Nick]

FWIW - I added a pair of Vibrant 2.5 bottle resonators (the shortest ones they have) to the tailpipes of my Cutlass and it made a noticeable difference. Took the edge off and tamed it down just enough. Rest of the system is headers, H pipe, 2.5 pipes and Hooker AeroChamber mufflers.

[csouth]

FWIW - I added a pair of Vibrant 2.5 bottle resonators (the shortest ones they have) to the tailpipes of my Cutlass and it made a noticeable difference. Took the edge off and tamed it down just enough. Rest of the system is headers, H pipe, 2.5 pipes and Hooker AeroChamber mufflers.

I went ahead and ordered the Vibrant 12" bottle resonators. I'll get an appointment with the exhaust shop to have them installed in the next 2-3wks

[Hotwire]

Looks like I'm late on this.. I would've suggested magnaflow high flow catalytic converters. They quiet the exhaust down a hair, don't really restrict the exhaust, and keep you from smelling like you've been riding a mower after your drive.



Low compression LQ4 6.0, hedman headers, all 3" exhaust, magnaflow cats, hooker vr304 mufflers (magnaflow knockoff), dumped before axle.

https://youtube.com/shorts/NwyPq4JB3...NaoFYFYAE83Saq

This is the return, I don't have any cruising internal vids unfortunately. Car is down right now, I'm in the middle of vintage air install otherwise I'd get a vid. It's quiet while cruising, don't have to raise your voice to have a conversation, I was really surprised.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VJw...w?usp=drivesdk

[Zachalanche]

Looks like I'm late on this.. I would've suggested magnaflow high flow catalytic converters. They quiet the exhaust down a hair, don't really restrict the exhaust, and keep you from smelling like you've been riding a mower after your drive.

Low compression LQ4 6.0, hedman headers, all 3" exhaust, magnaflow cats, hooker vr304 mufflers (magnaflow knockoff), dumped before axle.

https://youtube.com/shorts/NwyPq4JB3...NaoFYFYAE83Saq

This is the return, I don't have any cruising internal vids unfortunately. Car is down right now, I'm in the middle of vintage air install otherwise I'd get a vid. It's quiet while cruising, don't have to raise your voice to have a conversation, I was really surprised.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VJw...w?usp=drivesdk

X2 on this. Cats are awesome if you have room for them. I put some on my 67 fairlane. and it is so much nicer to cruise, and I swear it picked up some low-end torque.

[mikedc]

I kinda like the non-cat exhaust smell. It's retro/racy cool. And big lopey cams always have it.

I could go without the smell of gasoline that old cars always have. But that seems like an inevitable problem with modern gas that evaporates in the carb float bowls. Probably no way to stop it without an EFI conversion.


Catalytic converters helping torque? I've never heard that before. Maybe it's the way the gases are divided up inside the cat.

[csouth]

[QUOTE=ryeguy2006a;1405211]Hey Chris, I went through the same thing with my Camaro. I ran the Borla ProXS mufflers because they were supposed to be the quietest and best flowing mufflers, but were still quite loud. They were quieter than the 50 series Flowmasters that I had. I added those mufflers with tailpipes and it still was very loud. With my car this time around I am running a Walker Quietflow muffler and I love it. Has a nice sound at idle/part and WOT, yet when cruising I can still hold a conversation at 75. I'm sure it kills power, but the nice thing about boost is you can just swap to a smaller upper pulley to offset any power loss! [/QUOTE

I was debating muffler swap at some point, but with the LSA in needs to be straight through. I have an appointment for next week so he can get an idea of where the resonators will fit pre muffler.

[ULTM8Z]

I'll second CATS and resonators. I have both, along with Walker Quiet Flow mufflers on a dual 2.5" system behind my 383.

Cruising around normally, it's very nice and mild... can drive with wife in the car and have a normal conversation.

But when you get on it, you definitely get the muscle car growl.

Best of both worlds...

[CarlC]

Larger mufflers, especially absorbtion type and not the reflective type, will help with reducing noise.

As for cats, I don't think I'll ever build another car without at least a set. For the current build, it has all four from a 2021 ZL1 + Gen5 Z28 manifolds + 18" case mufflers + full tailpipes. It is very pleasant to drive.

[Hotwire]

I kinda like the non-cat exhaust smell. It's retro/racy cool. And big lopey cams always have it.

I could go without the smell of gasoline that old cars always have. But that seems like an inevitable problem with modern gas that evaporates in the carb float bowls. Probably no way to stop it without an EFI conversion.


Catalytic converters helping torque? I've never heard that before. Maybe it's the way the gases are divided up inside the cat.

Big lopey cams, or large LSA cams really have the "non catted smell". My cam has the intake and exhaust valves open at the same time so raw fuel passes straight through the combustion chamber into the exhaust during the overlap. No amount of timing, afr, or injector pulse timing tuning could reduce the smell, reason I went to cats.

My exhaust is oversized (3" mandrel bent, NA 364cuin that revs to 6400. The cats gave me some low end back as well, it was a welcome surprise.

https://youtu.be/0CaWnZVabJ4?si=yBiczOmgoiYlbqYq

[Hotwire]

Larger mufflers, especially absorbtion type and not the reflective type, will help with reducing noise.

As for cats, I don't think I'll ever build another car without at least a set. For the current build, it has all four from a 2021 ZL1 + Gen5 Z28 manifolds + 18" case mufflers + full tailpipes. It is very pleasant to drive.

The work on that exhaust is gorgeous! Kudos to whomever tucked that in there!