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Mufflers

blzrgb

blzrgb

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Well, I'm bout to ditch the loud flowmasters for something much quieter.
I don't wanta choke the motor down with a stock sounding muffler.
What is a good choice for a "little" rumble, but quiet enuff to have a normal
conversation while driving ?
It's 10.5 to 1 compression E-Tec engine through headers.
 
I'm a fan of Magnaflow; I wanted one on my Suburban when the exhaust was done recently, but they ended up throwing a Super 40 on.

I did have a Magnaflow installed on my old Wagoneer. Basically new exhaust from the cat back; the idle really sounded pretty much the same as it did with the stock muffler, but it had a mild rumble when you got on it (using all 130 hp out of that AMC 360, LOL).
 
I too am a fan of Magnaflow.
I have one on my '87 V20. I don't even notice it in the cab, but outside the truck it sounds deep and healthy.
 
Which magnaflow is it ? or are they all alike ?
 
Just for info sake, a lot of the factory mufflers out flow Flowmaster mufflers. I'll have to search for the study, but they used a GM A-body (Skylark or GSX maybe?) With different mufflers and Flowmaster was about the worst.

Anyways, I have a Dynomax Ultra-Flo on my Camaro and don't care for it. It pops and crackles right around where the torque converter stalls and sounds silly around town. Wound up, I really like the sound. I've considered putting a resonator in the pipe to help with the lower rpm sound. The flow is like 3x that of a similar Flowmaster though.

I want to liven up my CC's exhaust after the bed swap and have been looking at Borla mufflers. We have a parts Camaro with a Borla cat-back system on it that sounds really good.
 
I know you said,
blzrgb said:
I don't wanta choke the motor down with a stock sounding muffler.
Click to expand...
but I recently installed some Walker (Dynomax), stock replacement, "round" (not oval) mufflers, and they sound pretty good. Its still got that "rumble" you mention, but its not at all "loud". I went from Thrush Glasspacks though. :rolleyes: -I was glad to get rid of those.

In the cab, there's a little bit of drone at certain rpms, but my muffler inlets are right at the rear edge of my truck's cab, and I have no tailpipes or turn-downs installed yet. So I think the sound bounces around under the truck. I also don't have any carpet or headliner; no cab insulation at all. I've got a carb'd 350, full-length headers, and 2.5" pipes. No cats. All that being said, it sounds nice for a "stock replacement".
 
I had one on a V8 S10. Too quiet for a hot rod, but it's now on my K5 and doesn't sound too bad.
 
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I've gotten comments on the stock 6.2L diesel mufflers (duals) that were on my truck, as they were really tame when cruising, and just the right tone when stomping on it. Walker http://www.walkerexhaust.com/products/mufflers-muffler-assemblies/quiet-flow-ss apparently makes OEM stuff, and replicates it. Going with a later 3" in/out stock muffler would probably replicate that.

Outside of "stock" (Walker OEM replacements), Borla from all the testing I've seen, makes the quietest muffler out there. Edit: and by outside of Walker, I mean it's still louder than stock, but not as loud as the rest of the aftermarket. Also pricey.

I will be going with Walker's SS stuff whenever I get around to doing my full exhaust system, which will be the last time anyone ever has to replace exhaust on that truck. FWIW, according to email from Walkers tech staff, many if not all of the "stock replacement" mufflers are stainless, whether the part number reflects it or not.

It is apparently impossible to establish hard and fast results on mufflers. It seems it has a lot to do with the individual vehicle (exhaust construction: diameter, bends, length, converter, plus engine displacement, headers, manifolds, etc) as to how it ends up sounding.

I would rather err on the side of quiet (even though thats my intent lol) than end up with an exhaust system that drones. Exhaust is one of those "do it once do it right" things in my book, really don't want to have to replace a muffler just because of sound, and that seems to be REALLY common when it comes to people doing exhaust work.

If I can fit it, the truck is going to get a converter, resonator, and large muffler. If all I hear while driving is the radio, I'll be happy.
 
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i have a set of thrush turbo welded. they have a nice low tone at idle, and quiet, but sound like my old 40's when opened up

love them!
 
70 series floawmaster.

Nice and quiet, with a hint of aftermarket at WOT
 
I have been using the Walker/Dynomax Super Hemi Turbo for some years now and find it is a great blend between quiet with still enough sound to be pleasing. These are very highly rated in flow over most other performance mufflers. :waytogo:
 
I really like the magnaflow muffler on my Tahoe. I'll be ditching the flows for Magnaflows on the K10 pretty soon.
 
On my old Tahoe I ran dual Flowmasters 60 series. The idle sounded a bit deeper than a stock set up and had a nice mellow tone while driving around. When you stomped on it the tone was nice and agressive sounding but not that way over the top annoying sound. It was my wifes DD so it had to be somewhat quiet. I believe I have 70? series on my K5 (which was on it already) but is a bit too mellow for me but still better than stock.
 
I like my Cherry Bomb Vortex. It is a bit loud though, but no crackles or pops like a glasspack.
 
i'm actually hoping for the same sound for my suburban when it's up and running. barely louder than stock at idle, deep and aggressive at high RPM. ive been looking at a lot of youtube videos and i'm still really on the fence. you can pick out the sound of a 50 series flow master too easily so i don't want that.
 
A guy at a muffler shop I called today said that bigger exaust pipe will be louder,and smaller exaust pipe will be quieter. I've never really thought about that, but i guess it seems right.
But then again, a bigger pipe would lower exaust gas speed(velocity) and make a quieter note by slowing exaust gases down. A smaller pipe, seems like,gases would speed up,and make a louder note.
Huh ? Wtf ??
Somebody explain................
 
Pretty sure Mine Is the walker turbo muffler stock replacement. 3inch in and out single exhaust. My shop got them at napa if That helps any. It is quiet except under full throttle above I'd Say 2500 rpm it makes a good rumble. I think they said it Was under a hundred Bucks As Well.
 
There are so many variables in exhaust its rediculous. I worked for an exhaust show for a few years, you'd dual up two identical cars and they sound different. When worked there at one point on my 79 dodge power wagon I had real duals, coming off manifolds, with backwards glasspacks, 360 with a two barrel. The motor had a dead cylinder, and one or two very weak ones. The truck was very loud and snappy and sounded good. I put in a new used motor in with an intake, a four barrel, supposedly an RV cam, compression on all eight. And it was dead quiet. Sounded stock. Driving it you wouldn't know it had anything other than factory exhaust.


Aaaannnndddddd ttthhhheeeennnn........... I put headers on it and it got stupid loud again.


So, the moral of the story is exhaust is like a box of chocolates...
 
blzrgb said:
http://www.dynomax.com/sounds-of-dynomax/

I found this on their site. It says the turbo is the quietest.
Anyone heard a set in person ?

http://www.magnaflow.com/04sound/04trucks.asp
Click to expand...


I had a set of their super turbos on my 85 Grand Prix: goodwrench 350 crate engine, full length headers, dual 2.5" out to the back bumper. The sound was pleasantly quiet at cruise, a little hint of rumble at idle, and had a very pleasing roar when I got into it


blzrgb said:
A guy at a muffler shop I called today said that bigger exaust pipe will be louder,and smaller exaust pipe will be quieter. I've never really thought about that, but i guess it seems right.
But then again, a bigger pipe would lower exaust gas speed(velocity) and make a quieter note by slowing exaust gases down. A smaller pipe, seems like,gases would speed up,and make a louder note.
Huh ? Wtf ??
Somebody explain................
Click to expand...


It has to do with sound harmonics rather than gas velocity. In the exhaust, you don't hear the gasses going through the pipe, you hear the sounds of the engine through the gas stream. It has to do with the frequency range vs. the resonating volume, baffles & turns that reflect the sound waves, wave form interference, and loads of other things I've forgotten from college. There comes a point where if you go to a larger pipe, then it gets quieter, but on most small blocks, that is a really big pipe, that probably couldn't fit under the truck. Of course the other factors of length, bends, etc. still come into play.
 
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