Alright, here's the situation. I have a 99 WS-6. I recently put LT Pacesetters on it. I ran the car open engine for about 2 weeks (BTW, best sound i've ever heard). I had to get the Y-pipe put on and hook everything back up to the muff. So we took it to Advanced Muffler and they welded the Y-pipe together and clamped it on to the rest of the exhaust. I have a Flowmaster 40 series muff (sux, i know, shut up). I start the car up after all is said and done and i am COMPLETELY overwhelmed by how quiet it is. I mean, it is unbelievably quiter than even when i had my cats and stock shorties on. I was like "Well, maybe thats just the idle". So i ran it.......... It's almost like it doesn't even HAVE a tone. It has a real "airy" noise to it and it never really "makes noise" like it use to. It sounds like what a stock SS or WS-6 sounds like with the stock muffler and all. It sounds horrible. Last time i checked, bolting on LTs and taking off the headers not only created a more free flowing system, but also increases sound volume. I have NO idea what's going on with the car right now. Heck, for all i know someone could have left a freakin' rag in the Y-pipe and it's restricting flow.

I also noticed a bit of "lag", if you will. When i hit it, it doesn't accelerate like it used to. It's like it's dishing out the fuel and all but the speedometer isn't moving as fast as it did with the open header. I realize that it WON'T run as fast. Nothing is more free flowing than basically open engine, i realize that. But it's like i felt a power loss. I have no idea what's up with my car right now. Anyone have any ideas of how i can find out? Or what i need to replace if anything?

 

r u sure you didn't get used to the open header sound and feel for those two weeks?

 

Positive. I compared my car to a friend who is running stock muff on a 2000 SS. His sounds louder. His even has a "tone". Mine really doesn't have a certain "sound" to it. It's just real "airy".

 

well power wise...you probably need a tune..sound is all subjective though..why not get a cutout welded in? or go with a tsp true dual with sweet thunders?

 

Because i'm tired of spending money on exhaust. Cut outs would be nice but i've got some serious clearance issues as it is. Those wouldn't help. Not to mention i hear they make a "raspy" sound. If i could have what i want, i'd run open headers again.

Here's the thing, should it not be louder now that the cats are off and it's just a straight pipe to the muff? Also, why the hell am i experiencing power loss. I didn't have it tuned with open headers and it had NEVER run better.

 

your losing a lil power down low because of the lt header..but gaining a lot on top end....also...you need a tune..you could be running rich has hell down low and lean up top. and i don't knwo what you want to do with the exhaust since you don't want to spend more money..i guess your stuck with it....or maybe just remove the muffler and see if you like that?

 

I don't see how i'm losing power on the down low when i didn't experience this with open header. Should i invest in a new muffler? I'm about to just rip it all off and run open headers till i get busted

 

well its an *** dyno..not exactly exact....its like...the difference from when your car has a full tank of gas to almost on E...its faster when its on E, but you probably won't notice.

 

I've noticed before the butt-dyno seems to also be affected by sound. If it sounds faster, it must be faster right?

There are a few basic things that will really change the sound of the car...exhaust diameter, muffler type, Y pipe, and which cats if any you are running. I think on your setup the muffler is what would be causing your less than desirable exhaust sound.

Are you running cats? if so what type?

-Doug

 

I tried to explain this a couple of weeks ago on here. Longtubes will make a car quieter than shorties or even manifolds assuming the rest of the exhaust is the same. You know how loud stangs are with off road h pipes and flows. Well those cars are running the shorties most of the time. We put some longtubes on a GT and it got way quieter.

 

You didn't put the muffler on backwards did you?

 

Headers + Flowmaster should be pretty loud. Should have a nice sound to it as well. Was the y-pipe customly made? Seems like that would be the first spot to look at since you had an exhaust shop "weld it up".

 

Also,

mufflers...Flowmaster almost more than others, will break in and become louder.

-Doug

 

I thought flowmasters were just aluminized steal with no packing, didn't realize they could break in.

 

Well the exhaust sounded fine b4 we bolted on the headers. That's the thing. How can adding LTs and removing the cats quiet the sound??? More free flow = louder and fuller sound last time i checked. Now it just sounds like air.

 

Y-Pipe was from Texas Speed and Performance. I had an exhaust shop fabricate it.

 

 

I have LT's with a flowmaster muffler in the stock cat back and it is way louder that stock ever was.

 

get a tune, then get some cutouts for runnig open headers

 

I have QTPs with the flowmaster muffler and mine got louder...maybe driving it for a while with no exhaust is why you think it is quieter.... I know mine is louder and when I open the cutout it is LOUD....Nothing near like it was before.. I would say with the cutout capped and it is as loud as it was with the cutout open and stock manifolds and cats. Now with it open it makes everything else seem quiet