LS1 exhaust sound
LS1 exhaust sound As mentioned in an earlier post, I put my SLP 2OTL on over the weekend. It is enough louder than the stock Z muffer that I can hear it clearly. What really surprised me was that it sounds like I have 180* headers on the car. I think this is because of the Y pipe bringing all 8 cylinders through one muffler. There is none of the good old V8 burble - it sounds like an 6 cylinder 
I read that the X and to a lesser extent, the H pipes change the nature of the exhaust note. I suspect they do the same thing, mixing the exhaust pulses and making the V8 sound more like a 6.
This is a shame. When I grew up, a 6 was a granny car. Real men drove V8s, and I learned to love the sound. If I put duals on my Z, I'm think it would sound like I remember a V8 sounding, but I'd be leaving HP on the table. What to do ...
Mabye I'll just put quiet muffers on so it doesn't sound like a 6.
I read that the X and to a lesser extent, the H pipes change the nature of the exhaust note. I suspect they do the same thing, mixing the exhaust pulses and making the V8 sound more like a 6.
This is a shame. When I grew up, a 6 was a granny car. Real men drove V8s, and I learned to love the sound. If I put duals on my Z, I'm think it would sound like I remember a V8 sounding, but I'd be leaving HP on the table. What to do ...
Mabye I'll just put quiet muffers on so it doesn't sound like a 6.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 315
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From: Lafayette. Indiana
Re: LS1 exhaust sound What do you mean "leave hp on the table"? You would gain hp. You might sacrafice a little low end tq but you would more than make it up on the big end. Duals are the way to go an a LS1.
Re: LS1 exhaust sound
What do you mean "leave hp on the table"?
You would gain hp. You might sacrafice a little low end tq but you would more than make it up on the big end.
Duals are the way to go an a LS1.
Re: LS1 exhaust sound
I've heard a lot of dual setups (with X) and NONE of them sounded like a 6-banger. 
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,098
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From: I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S
Re: LS1 exhaust sound This is the one big fault in the LS1 with me. Whether it is the wimpy sounding idle or high-pitchness of the upper half of the rpm range, I've never really been happy with the sound of this motor. Tried four different cat-backs on my last LS1 before finally accepting that this is just the way they sound. For a "single" exhaust set-up, the GMMG or Mufflex have the best "V8" tone on this motor IMO. True duals are a little better with the X/H, but neither still sound as good to me as an LT1 with a simple cat-back change(like SLP 2OTL, Flowmaster, or GMMG).
The Y hurts the sound of our cars, but it has more to do with each motor being different(firing pattern, cylinder head design, CR, etc.) IMO. That is the same reason LS1's don't sound nearly as good as other SBC's or even Mustangs...
Mike
The Y hurts the sound of our cars, but it has more to do with each motor being different(firing pattern, cylinder head design, CR, etc.) IMO. That is the same reason LS1's don't sound nearly as good as other SBC's or even Mustangs...
Mike
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Re: LS1 exhaust sound If you check back in a couple of days I will post a good sounding audio clip of
Stock
SLP Loudmouth
Hooker Lt's thru Lanes Wheels True Duals With x-pipe and Dynomax Bullets.
Out of town right now...gotta get back home to do the clips...
I should be returning back on Monday afternoon.
Stock
SLP Loudmouth
Hooker Lt's thru Lanes Wheels True Duals With x-pipe and Dynomax Bullets.
Out of town right now...gotta get back home to do the clips...
I should be returning back on Monday afternoon.
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Verdad Gallardo Re: LS1 exhaust sound
Mine doesn't sound wimpy at idle or at high revs, and you don't have to put true duals on it to make it sound good.
Re: LS1 exhaust sound The Y hurts the sound of our cars, but it has more to do with each motor being different(firing pattern, cylinder head design, CR, etc.) IMO. That is the same reason LS1's don't sound nearly as good as other SBC's or even Mustangs...
TECH Apprentice
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 320
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From: Phoenix, AZ
Re: LS1 exhaust sound critter hit it on the head...the firing order is different on the LS1 than on the LT1 or the SBC/BBC motors. No matter what you put on the exhaust side of the LS1 you will never get the classic V8 rumble.
I run true duals with longtubes and a cam...it still doesn't sound like an old V8. It does lope at idle and absolutely screams at WOT though.
I run true duals with longtubes and a cam...it still doesn't sound like an old V8. It does lope at idle and absolutely screams at WOT though.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Brentwood,Tn
Re: LS1 exhaust sound Ive got a mac orp with slp 2 on the left its the best exhaust ive heard on my car yet Ive had alot of setups, almost no rasp and sounds really clean,It flows good too it really woke my car up in the lower rpm range,but i did loose a little top end,and sometimes i wish it was as loud as my car straight piped with no cats lol(its kinda quite now).I think i should invest in a cutout after the long tubes go on.
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 238
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From: Castaic Lake, So. Cal.
Re: LS1 exhaust sound Er, I didn't say it sounded wimpy - I said it sounds like a 6 or straight 8.
You have obviously have not heard the exhaust's on the powerhouse LS1's running out there to say that. A straight 8??? WTF?
You have obviously have not heard the exhaust's on the powerhouse LS1's running out there to say that. A straight 8??? WTF?
Re: LS1 exhaust sound Er, I didn't say it sounded wimpy - I said it sounds like a 6 or straight 8.
You have obviously have not heard the exhaust's on the powerhouse LS1's running out there to say that. A straight 8??? WTF?
You have obviously have not heard the exhaust's on the powerhouse LS1's running out there to say that. A straight 8??? WTF?
Re: LS1 exhaust sound
almost no rasp and sounds really clean,
Re: LS1 exhaust sound
critter hit it on the head...the firing order is different on the LS1 than on the LT1 or the SBC/BBC motors. No matter what you put on the exhaust side of the LS1 you will never get the classic V8 rumble.
270 - 180 - 90 - 180 - 270 - 180 - 90 - 180 - 270 - etc
This produces a distinct sound that we (or we old folks) associate with V8s. For lack of a better term, it is sort of a syncopated sound. However. the LS1 is:
270 - 90 - 180 - 180 - 270 - 90 - 180 - 180 - 270 - etc
This is a totally different sounding pattern. I think it is obvious why it sounds to me like a straight 8 rather than a bent 8. And, the Y pipe may blur the small uneveness that does exist.
I run true duals with longtubes and a cam...it still doesn't sound like an old V8. It does lope at idle and absolutely screams at WOT though.
Re: LS1 exhaust sound
Mine doesn't sound wimpy at idle or at high revs, and you don't have to put true duals on it to make it sound good.
Revving and Idle (7.4 mb)
Taking a left and downshifting to 1st foot on the floor (4.9 mb)
From a stop, let off a bit too much at hook point (1.9 mb)
Second False Start (2.0 mb)
First False Start (2.2 mb)
TECH Addict
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,907
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From: Bergen County, NJ
Re: LS1 exhaust sound Tuning the exhaust note on these cars is getting to an expensive and time consuming "art". Too bad we don't have tool or some science to work with so you could input your mods and get back a design for the results you want.
