FAQ: Mufflers?

When I replace my mufflers, it will be Borla Turbo. Similar design for less $ are Mangaflow Turbo.

I am partial to hooker maxflow. I don't know where you live, but if rust is not an issue, these are the best bang for the buck IMO.
look up the exhaust comparo I posted somewhere on here. They are the quietest at idle, among the loudest at WOT and are among the best for flow.

They are aluminized steel. If you need stainless, then dynomax ultraflo is the way to go. The max flows are basically a copy of the ultraflos, but are much cheaper.

These are straight through design so you will want (need) a resonator. A 3" magnaflow or generic T304 from ebay (the longer the better) will fit perfectly in the 5 foot long straight section after the cat.

I'm doing my exhaust too next week. I'm also installing headers. I'll be doing 3 inch SS to a Y, into 2 dynomax super-turbo (17749) with a 20" case. Each muffler will be followed by a dynomax glasspack/tailpipe. I'm using theses mufflers and tips because I already had them and don't want to spend money again on mufflers, which end up costing more than double what you guys pay in the States.

Jason wrote:

............... I'm also installing headers. I'll be doing 3 inch SS to a Y, into 2 dynomax super-turbo (!7749) with a 20" case. .....

On my GS350 I installed headers, and a full 2.5" dual mandrel exhaust this summer. The 17749's were recommended by lots of V8 guys, so I gave them a shot. Nice sound, definitely not on the louder side. My current setup is no louder than my old setup, which consisted of OEM cast iron exh manifolds, dual 2.25" exhaust, and small case Flowmasters. I'm pretty sure my exhaust is now the least restrictive part of my 68. But that's a good thing, I intend to increase flow on the intake/engine end...

with the hooker maxflow, will I still need the resonator? I don't plan on driving through winter with my car so non-ss might be ok. anyway I could have them coated?

I would use a resonator, but then I am a wuss and can't tolerate drone. It drives me berzerk. Keep in mind the maxflows are a straight through design. More of a perforated tube with sound deadner than a real muffler. A single 2.5" maxflow or ultraflo should flow enough for a mildly modded riviera. They flow nearly 1000 cfm. SInce the riviera has a really long section of straight pipe right after the dp, you can try without a resonator and if you don't like it, just add one later. 2 cuts and some clamps and you'll be all set!

I used bbq paint ($5.99) in a rattlecan to coat my super turbos. Gave them about 5 coats and sprayed the inside. Most aluminized crap rusts from the inside out, due to condensation from exhaust gasses. I'm guessing I'll have to respray them every year or two, but at least I know they won't rust from the outside in.

ewolfe0050 wrote:

with the hooker maxflow, will I still need the resonator? I don't plan on driving through winter with my car so non-ss might be ok. anyway I could have them coated?

If you don't like drone just toss the resonator on there. Sounds better.

Is the resonator basically a muffler similiar to the "cherry bomb" style mufflers?... esentially making it a 3 muffler setup? I tried all the name brand exhaust websites but they dont specify what is the resonator and the mufflers.

Will a shorter or longer resonator be better for deeper sound?

A bigger resonator should make a deeper and quieter sound, but there are other factors. It's really hard to predict this kind of stuff because you have to consider the design of the resonator, and other parts of the system such as mufflers, even the diameter of exhaust pipes.

My definition of a resonator is, it's like a muffler, but instead of muffling, its job is to tune the exhaust note to a desired frequency (note). If that note is low enough, it may not seem as loud. The muffler(s) then takes the note of the resonator and quiets it down to a lower level. If you don't use a resonator, your mufflers simply try and quiet the sound coming direct from the engine. There's no tuning in that case.

resonators are sometimes after the muffler, as on the 94-96 B-bodies. That is what I am going for on the riviera's exhaust also.

Has anyone ever put Flowmaster seriers 40s on their rivies? Any flowmasters for that matter. I have them on my olds and LOVE them, just curious how they would sound on a v6.

ya strike that thanks for moving my post to the proper spot, got my Q answered.

No problem. Despite what's written in this thread, I'm not aware of anyone who's actually installed a Flomaster muffler on a Riviera and reported the results.

i saw a vid on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dahZ5UtiwvY

I wouldn't imagine that it'd sound that good on something like a Riviera. With any special muffler or resonator, our cars sound empty, rattley, loud, and annoying. I wouldn't recommend it, but that's just me.

Right... we assume that, but no one's actually proven it. We avoid this muffler like the plague, yet the company manages to sell tons to the V8 guys, and at least some to the V6 community.

Maybe the flowmasters for the Mustang V6 are worth a look. Maybe they'd work. The 'stang guys are so hung up on v8s - maybe they don't appreciate what can be done with a blown and stroked 6? See the link below.

Since Flowmster does so much in R&D maybe they'd work with one of us to hang a set of research/demo mufflers under a Riv, if only temporarily, to hear how they work. Maybe they have another muffler for the Riv.

See article - the link:

http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2007/06/FlowmasterV6/index.php

for more on the Flowmaster. Recommend the article to you if only so you can see the clear and instructive cutaway photos of mufflers. Turns out there is not much inside a Flowmaster...

Albert

Well, I'll tell you right now, it'll be very free-flowing, and you'll probably get 20 or so more horses, but it'll sound horrible. If you're all for performance, you can experiment with mufflers, but the only real sound worth making louder and noticable is the s/c whine, and there's only so much you can do for that.
They sell so many to the V8 guys because a free-flowing V8 has a great sound, a stock V8 has a great sound, and a slightly resonated/muffled V8 has a great sound. V8's are very different in terms of sound from V6's. 4's sound like lawnmowers, 8's shake the world, and 6's are just loud. Don't expect to get a V8 sound from a V6 unless it's at idle. Rivieras sound great with mufflers at idle, but when they rev up it's almost a joke partly because you can't hear the s/c, and partly because the engine sounds so much smaller. An 8 in disguise at idle.

^IMO^

yea I've noticed that, they sound fantastic at idle and when they rev I get bad images of accords downtown on a friday night..

Quote :

Well, I'll tell you right now, it'll be very free-flowing, and you'll probably get 20 or so more horses, but it'll sound horrible. If you're all for performance, you can experiment with mufflers, but the only real sound worth making louder and noticable is the s/c whine, and there's only so much you can do for that.
They sell so many to the V8 guys because a free-flowing V8 has a great sound, a stock V8 has a great sound, and a slightly resonated/muffled V8 has a great sound. V8's are very different in terms of sound from V6's. 4's sound like lawnmowers, 8's shake the world, and 6's are just loud. Don't expect to get a V8 sound from a V6 unless it's at idle. Rivieras sound great with mufflers at idle, but when they rev up it's almost a joke partly because you can't hear the s/c, and partly because the engine sounds so much smaller. An 8 in disguise at idle.

No. It's outrageous to claim you could gain 20 + horses from changing your mufflers to flowmasters. It will not be very free flowing either. There is no question that they will outflow the OEMs, but there are other mufflers out there that will outperform the flowmaster (most aftermarket mufflers). We all have different tastes when it comes to sound and that is ok. If you use 2 flowmasters on a stockish exhaust setup because you like the sound, that's great. Your biggest restriction in the stock exhaust isn't the mufflers anyway.
The fact that they sell a lot to v8 guys does not mean they are good. People buy them because they have a HUGE marketing dept. Think of crappy mainstream musicians. They sell millions of albums but they are terrible nonetheless. People like the sound flowmasters produce. If you want performance, you're better off going with a set of cheap summit turbo mufflers. They will greatly outflow the flowmasters.

All I know about mufflers and increased horsepower I learned from Need For Speed and Forza Motorsport 2

The Riv *does* have a nice burble at idle, stock.

Albertj

albertj wrote:

The Riv *does* have a nice burble at idle, stock.

Albertj

Agreed. I need to get someone to goose the throttle while I stand behind it to see what it sounds like.

Here's how mine sounds with stock mufflers: http://www.hometown.aol.com/aasearles/exhaust.wav

I was wondering if anyone had any bad experience with the ZZP Whisper muffler? I installed one in my custom exhaust on my '95 (full write-up soon) and had problems with it warping so bad my ground clearance went from almost 6 inches to nearly 3 inches at the rear of the muffler. It looks as though the end caps of the body are too thin and it allowed the inlet and outlet tubes to bend at about a 5 degree angle in the first week of driving, which caused the tailpipe to rub the chassis and the muffler to hit high spots in the road. The muffler was installed in the stock resonator's location and I used the factory hangers just behind it. I made a custom hanger for the rear of the tailpipe and set up everything on the level. Before driving the car I had 1" space between the top of the muffler and the bottom of the heat shield end-to-end. After one week I had 1 inch at the end nearest the CAT and 3+ inches at the tailpipe end.
I took it to a muffler shop and they said they've never seen anything like it. I am working with ZZP now to see if they will do anything. They have asked for pics. Its kind of hard to remove the muffler for a couple of weeks and replace it with a straight pipe in the mean time. my neighbors and the cops may not like it