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Well it doesn't look like there isn't any specific exhaust section on the forum so I hope posting here works out.
Now that I got my Bug out on the streets and driving, I have found out it is way too loud. Idling and very low load cruising it is fine but as soon as you lean into it, it goes from loud to extra loud. To the point where you can't talk to the person next to you when going up a slight hill @ 60-70 mph.
My current setup is a single 3" exhaust. I have 2 Magnaflow mufflers inline with each other. They are 14" long 6" in diameter. Just the normal straight through style. I am limited on length but can put something a bit taller or wider.
Any ideas of what muffler or mufflers I can swap this thing out for? I will not put a Flowmaster on so check that off the list. I am guessing it is going to need to be a chambered muffler. Any input would be great.
I could probably fit an oval if i did it offset to the same sides. But do you really thing just switching to an oval would quiet it down? I cant see it making a night and day difference like i need.
A flow master will make things only worse in my opinion. You want the muffler as far back as possible...looks like in a Bug, you are already there. I need to check out your build...I thing Bugs with any engine swaps are cool!
I have no personal experience with this particular muffler, but I've read some great reviews on the Hooker MaxFlow muffler while searching for the same thing that you are looking to do. I haven't bit the bullet yet since I have some other priorities on the car that need to come first.
The Dynomax VT is super, super quiet and 100% drone free. It has a vacuum activated valve (much like the newer cars with adjustable exhaust) that keeps it nice and tame at idle and part throttle.
Have these on my cammed car with LTs and I can honestly say that the car is quieter at normal driving than it was stock. However it gets loud when you open it up.
Thanks for all the opinions! I will have to do some more searching to see if any of those mufflers will fit in my little space. I am hoping I can replace only my first muffler as it will be a lot easier. The whole reason I put 2 mufflers on this thing was to make it quiet but things don't always work out as planned. I have used Magnaflow many times in the past and they have done wonders (all V8 stuff). Not this time around...
I haven't tried every brand/type of muffler but I agree with Speed and Pop N, check out the Dynomax Super Turbo. I've had two sets of them, one set on a 1991 Mustang GT which had mid length headers and CAI but was otherwise stock and another set on an '84 Monte with a 327 w/ 268 Comp cam and long tubes. Neither car was obnoxious, both sounded good under full throttle.
I honestly think my engine is just a loud engine. Louder then most V8s. Here is a quick comparison of past mufflers and combos I have done. Seems to be engine dependent.
70 Camaro - SBC 383 Spintech mufflers - Loud
Swapped in LS1 used same mufflers - Half as loud
74 K5 - stock SBC 350 with dual 3" Magnaflow mufflers - Quiet
Swapped in another 383 with same exhaust - Loud
70 Nova - Another SBC 383 - 3" single with 2 inline Magnaflows - Just about perfect
Put in SBC 350 with small cam - Quieter
05 GTO - Stock LS2 with cats - dual 3" with Magnaflow - Quiet
07 350Z - Single 3" dual inline Magnaflows - Loud
Sold the exhaust to a guy with an older 350Z (different engine) - Quiet
There might be something to your line of thought. From the firing order of the engine, compression ratio, cam, and whether or not you have headers, H, X, or Y pipe different setups will obviously sound better/worse to your ear or be louder/quieter.
Unfortunately, you have an engine that many of us don't have experience with so few of us know what mufflers would sound like on your car.
Have you looked at stock Subie STI mufflers? My friend had a daily driver '05 STI with a CAI and Cobb Accessport and it was pretty mellow with the factory catback. He ran NASA events at the VIR road course and wouldn't have a loud exhaust on his daily ride.
EDIT: I forgot that you have a 3" exhaust. STI exhaust is smaller in diameter at 2.5". The diameter of your exhaust may be part of the reason for the loudness.
There might be something to your line of thought. From the firing order of the engine, compression ratio, cam, and whether or not you have headers, H, X, or Y pipe different setups will obviously sound better/worse to your ear or be louder/quieter.
Unfortunately, you have an engine that many of us don't have experience with so few of us know what mufflers would sound like on your car.
Have you looked at stock Subie STI mufflers? My friend had a daily driver '05 STI with a CAI and Cobb Accessport and it was pretty mellow with the factory catback. He ran NASA events at the VIR road course and wouldn't have a loud exhaust on his daily ride.
EDIT: I forgot that you have a 3" exhaust. STI exhaust is smaller in diameter at 2.5". The diameter of your exhaust may be part of the reason for the loudness.
You are right. There are a lot of variables to the sound. It is also an engine that is not well known on this site. I am trying to compare it to any other car that has no cats and a blower. I looked at some stock mufflers but all the 3" ones wont fit.
Originally Posted by kingtal0n
Turbochargers are awesome mufflers.
Just keep adding turbos until the noise level is appreciable.
Some high power cars come with reasonable mufflers you can retrofit to your chassis, think like Z06 type of muffler, OEM stuff that might work.
If you arn't forced induction, there is no need for a dual 3" exhaust anyways. A single 3" downpipe will support what, 500? 700?
You are 100% correct. Turbos make great mufflers. Twin charged it is!
I know a lot of you have no idea what is behind all the noise. It is a supercharged 2.2 chevy ecotec. Somewhere around 425-450hp.
Think of my engine as a 900hp blown 4.8L. Then think of just one side of the exhaust. That is what i am trying to quiet down.
If I understand correctly, you have a 3" exhaust from the collector and through both mufflers. As such my experience has been that a large diameter exhaust on a small displacement motor will be loud. Unless you want to tolerate the noise to maintain absolute peak power, I'd suggest you try a smaller diameter muffler(s) like 2" or 2 1/4". If you have an smaller muffler laying around, then you might try kludging something together as an experiment before you spend more money on it.
Hooker maxflow was the best flowing quietest performance muffler in the last big magazine test I saw.
Why not set it up with an electric (or boost activated) cutout and factory type muffler? I use a 4" downpipe and 4" cutout, Then have a dinky 2" pipe "T"'d into it. That alone quiets my 6.0 liter down a TON. can easily talk in the car and thats with no muffler.
This is my whole exhaust system. Flows enough to run 8 sec 1/4 miles and is quiet enough to talk on the phone with the dump closed.
...and thus your problem. A 425HP mid engine gocart with a roof and roll cage. What a terrible problem to have.
It is a terrible problem to have. While the car is more then a blast to drive, my ears are ringing by the time I park it! Could be the blower whine making my ears ring though....
Originally Posted by Andy1
If I understand correctly, you have a 3" exhaust from the collector and through both mufflers. As such my experience has been that a large diameter exhaust on a small displacement motor will be loud. Unless you want to tolerate the noise to maintain absolute peak power, I'd suggest you try a smaller diameter muffler(s) like 2" or 2 1/4". If you have an smaller muffler laying around, then you might try kludging something together as an experiment before you spend more money on it.
Andy1
You are correct. It is a 3" from the header collector all the way back out. 1.75" primaries if that matters. I am pretty sure I have a reducer laying around that goes from 3" to 2.5" I will slip that over the tip and see what happens. I honestly think that even a 2.5" exhaust would kill power greatly. This thing is already like a leaf blower on full blast at idle. It pushes more air out then I thought it would. A smaller exhaust would only make the air speed greater and create more back PSI. Even on my Juke with its massive 1.6L engine, a 3" is what most people go to. And this is only on a 230WHP engine. Maybe I will pop the muffler off it and test it on the Bug
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Need a quieter muffler 
