Muffler sound

I want to improve the sound of my 1991 Nissan pickup, 4 cyl. I have heard that drilling holes before the muffler will improve sound, anyone know anything about this?
As for mufflers I don't know which one to get... around the $30-70 range I've looked at Cherry Bomb glasspacks, Flowtech Raptor or Afterburner, Flowmaster ones, Dynomax ones... I don't want to pay a lot of money though...

I don't think drilling a hole in you rexhaust is a good idea. You are just asking for it to rust off. The Cherrybombs are pretty loud and sound good. i had one ghetto-rigged on my '89 Saab 900 and it sounded good (except when it fell off). Just don't drill the holes.

There are two main types of mufflers--glasspacks and chambered. A glasspack is a perforated tube with fiberglass around it to absorb sound. A chambered muffler comes on most vehicles stock, and it uses different length chambers to create interference, which will shape the sound into basically anything the designers want. Glasspacks are usually louder, they are usually cheaper, and they do burn out over time. Chambered never fail, unless they rust, and are usually quieter and more expensive. Less chambers=louder.

Jon

That makes things a little clearer for me... I think I'm going to get a Cherry Bomb glasspack. I believe my piping is all 2"... so should I keep it like that and just throw a nice chrome tip on the end, or should I change my piping size to bigger?

Keep the same size.

Okay... I thought I had heard that bigger pipes = bigger sound

Sort of--it all depends on your engine and how long the pipes are and muffler type. You usually get a deeper sound out of bigger piping, not necessarily louder.

Jon

I want deeper sound... because it's only a 4 cyl and I don't want the "ricey" sound. I might just get 2.5" piping all the way back from the muffler... or 3 if that's possible... to deepen the sound.

It is hard to get around the ricey sound on 4 cylinders. It has much more to do with the engine design than size of exhaust. If you want less ricey sound, go with chambered. 90% of imports have glasspacks on them.

Jon

Okay so Cherry Bomb turbo is a regular chambered muffler... but will it still boost sound quite a bit?

Probably not, keeping everything else stock. You catalytic converters soak up alot of sound, as does the relatively small piping. You would have to replace more than a muffler to make your car loud; to simply make it the loudest for the cheapest, get the cherry bomb glasspack.


Jon

Yeah I don't want to do anything more costly than just a muffler... and I can't mess with catalytic converter or anything I don't think because I still have to take this truck through Aircare! Now I'm thinking about getting the Flowtech Red hot glasspack, available in 2", 2.25" and 2.5"... for only $19.50 at Lordco plus my 30% discount. The cherry bomb glasspack is $33.00 at Canadian Tire.

Why don't you just cut off the muffler?

Good point 454. The sound would probably be what he is looking for.

I've heard that... you mean just run straight pipe out?

basically, and it works great. that is, until inspection time comes around. then you'll be putting it back on so you can pass.

basically, and it works great. that is, until inspection time comes around. then you'll be putting it back on so you can pass.
They test for exhaust noise too? In that case, you can just clamp the muffler back on (they have ones for exhaust piping).

I can't get my muffler off myself, I already tried. It's welded or rusted on pretty tight... so when I get it done at a shop or by a friend that'll be it... because I don't want to have to go back and get it on then off every inspection! Plus my inspection is in a few months anyways.

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they don't actually test for decible level or anything, they just make sure you have a muffler. if it's cracked/rusted through/completely missing, they'll fail you. i know, i was an inspector for a long while. johannes, you can have them cut the exhaust 6 inches behind the muffler, and have them put on a clamp, and flare the tip. then have the same thing done to the exhaust tube they install in place of the muffler. then all you need to swap the straight pipe with the muffler is a wrench. and possibly some penetrating oil.

I don't, however, suggest you remove the muffler. Does hearing loud noises make your penis bigger or something?

I don't, however, suggest you remove the muffler. Does hearing loud noises make your penis bigger or something?


Whoa! I think most of us here can agree that hearing a vehicles exhaust somehow makes the vehicle more attractive. Would you drive a Ferrari nobody could hear?

Jon

cutting off the muffler and going for straight pipes is a bad idea. I tried that and I had some serious issues. In the end my exhuast registered at 120 decibles (I tested it with Radio Shack's digital decibal meter). unless you want to ward off girls and deafen people, nake sure to put some kind of muffling system on your truck.

And a quick chamge setup may sound nice, there is a reason it is quick cjang and good systems aren't; it will leak and eventually fall apart.

I recommend having a professional weld on a glasspack for you. That way you are legal and sounding good.

Of course a louder nicer sounding vehicle makes our penis bigger... and I think I'll just stick to a glasspack... hopefully it'll give it a better sound than no muffler... and be more legal

Whoa! I think most of us here can agree that hearing a vehicles exhaust somehow makes the vehicle more attractive. Would you drive a Ferrari nobody could hear?

Jon
I would DEFINITELY drive a quiet Ferrari.

Of course a louder nicer sounding vehicle makes our penis bigger... and I think I'll just stick to a glasspack... hopefully it'll give it a better sound than no muffler... and be more legal
Louder = nicer?

Why don't you invest in an exhaust cutout? Best of both worlds!

Yeah I personally think louder = nicer... as long as it's not way too loud, or too ricey. I went to a few muffler shops today and I have to figure out if the glasspack will fit on my truck with no mods to the pipes... have to look at the offset of my existing muffler.

I have always felt stock exhaust is too quiet, at least on performance vehicles. Whether or not this young man considers his truck a performance vehicle is moot. I'm not a fan of obnoxiously loud, just louder than stock.

Jon

No I don't consider it a performance vehicle at all. I just like making simple, cheap modifications to make it more fun to drive. I don't care about performance because I don't race anyways.

Okay I've been around talking and getting quotes from 4 muffler shops... all of them said glasspacks will be super loud, and some suggested chambered. Most of them also said that a cheap old glasspack won't last that long. I don't want to buy some $100 muffler because my existing muffler isn't even busted yet. I'm still leaning towards a cheap glasspack... how long will something like that actually last on my truck? I plan to keep my truck for several years.

That looks pretty cool... what's the price on it?
The smallest inlet is 2.5", I think my pipes are 2"

http://moroso.com/catalog/categorydisplay.asp?CatCode=35001

Wow, nice web, threw me back into Y1995, with a left-side menu with mouse-overs.

I have a question, do any of yall know how glasspacks would sound on a 2001 V6 Dodge Ram?

I don't know... pretty cool probably
Why don't you go around to a few shops and see what they have to offer...
Try www.exhaustsoundclips.com maybe they'll have your truck on there!

Thanks,

I checked out some muffler shops, and they said that the glasspacks would sound good, but they told me that they had a better muffler for my truck, that would sound better.

Yeah most shops will push their own mufflers... I guess because they can make money off selling those... and they probably are better quality than glasspacks... at least the cheaper glasspacks, mine was $20. Where do you live? Go talk to the guys at your local auto parts store. I went to Lordco.

Hi, I'm new to this forum.

Anyway, I wanted to know what is the absolute loudest muffler one can buy (regardless of legality issues, since you can always use a muffler silencer)? I have a 2003 Mitubishi Lancer, and have already added a whole lot of exterior modifications, and wanted to start the engine modifications from the exhaust/ muffler up. Please note that when I mean the "loudest muffler", I mean what is the "loudest" tested muffler (not personal opinion), I could use. Also, in order to get an extremely loud sound, do I have to change the whole exhaust system or just change the muffler? Thanks!

I dunno what the loudest tested muffler is, but just go to your nearest muffler shop, and ask them. I have a 2001 Dodge Ram V6, and it sounds bad as hell with the flows I just go on at our muffler shop (Mayco Mufflers). And it only cost me $185 to get all new pipes after the cc, the muffler, and tips.

the loudest pipes there are are new headers abd stright pipes back from that