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DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: renfield90 on April 03, 2009, 11:28:57 AM

Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: renfield90 on April 03, 2009, 11:28:57 AM
...just how nasty (or good) does it sound? Some 4 bangers actually sound awesome unbolted (like the Celica GTS) and some sound so terrible (like my Celica GT) that it's simply too embarassing to drive under ANY circumstance.

I'm asking because there's quite a nice weight savings potential doing this, and then simply having a custom muffler shop whip up a turndown with a flange that I can bolt on and off for autocrosses/track days. The top car in the ST class is the '89 Civic Si, most of those guys are getting their cars under 2100 pounds. Any bit of weight I can shed within the legal limits would help...
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: 318isfolife on April 03, 2009, 12:21:50 PM
i would not recommend this at all on this car or on any 4 cylinder for that matter. unless you are turbo charged and even then i would not do it. you will lose all your bottom end and the exhaust scavenging that the BMW engineers have setup from the factory. back pressure is your friend and so is having your exhaust come all the way out.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: quinn11m20 on April 03, 2009, 12:48:35 PM
I just did that not to long ago. I cut just short of my o2 sensor and lost all of my bottom end power. I just recently had it welded back on. Yeah! its heavy but this engine needs the low end. If you change your cams you can get more power.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: xwill112x on April 03, 2009, 02:00:49 PM
it sounds good if u cut it past the cat.

other than that, its a no go.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: AcSchnitzer318is on April 03, 2009, 03:18:22 PM
I can post a video with open header... I was changing my header gasket a shot a quick video.  LOL sounds like a harley to me.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: renfield90 on April 03, 2009, 06:26:47 PM
My understanding is that backpressure is hogwash with a fuel injected engine.

Exhaust scavenging...I see your point to that. But considering some of the severe crush bends that are present from the factory, I can't see how there's all that much of that going on (or at the least, whatever is present is getting offset by flow restrictions).

I'm talking about unbolting the axleback portion, nothing too crazy. Cat must remain in place and the exhaust must exit behind the driver, according to the rules. Cut too close to the O2 sensor and you may cause it to read incorrectly.

And some four bangers DO sound mean and aggressive unbolted...like the Celica GTS I mentioned. Revs to 8400 (higher with aftermarket engine management), almost starts sounding like a sportbike. Not just a coincidence; Yamaha designed the head...
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: B318M42W on April 03, 2009, 08:22:46 PM
Quote from: AcSchnitzer318is;69391
I can post a video with open header... I was changing my header gasket a shot a quick video.  LOL sounds like a harley to me.


please do:D
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: xwill112x on April 04, 2009, 07:50:23 AM
Quote from: abcd036;69427
URLs deleted by moderator


abcd036, when does i getz teh spending moneyzz??1?!!?



spammer bump
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: 318isfolife on April 04, 2009, 11:12:43 AM
i had the axle back portion taken off and ran a pipe just out the back when i was in florida i did it for a while. i don't see any gains out of doing this it is just stupid loud and sounds like a honda b18 with a fart pipe.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: renfield90 on April 04, 2009, 07:29:43 PM
Quote from: 318isfolife;69439
i had the axle back portion taken off and ran a pipe just out the back when i was in florida i did it for a while. i don't see any gains out of doing this it is just stupid loud and sounds like a honda b18 with a fart pipe.

I don't care if it's stupid loud or even a little annoying/obnoxious. It's a fairly decent weight savings. The only thing that would stop me is if it sounded so incredibly terrible that I'd be embarassed to be seen in the driver's seat.

I guess I'll just try it out myself...
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: papercutout on April 06, 2009, 11:13:37 AM
I ran my car for a whole with no cat (UK cars didn't have one, they have 2 midboxes), and only 1 midbox. I kept the first midbox and a straight pipe from there back. It was ridiculosuly loud, a day of blatting, let alone trackdays leaves your ears RINGING! Trust me. Can be heard from about a mile away if you accelerate hard, my dad has listened to me from the garden before!

Side exit with 2 mixboxes or cat/midbox in will be loud but more acceptable.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: AcSchnitzer318is on April 06, 2009, 11:14:09 AM
Here you go... I wouldn't ever run like this, but hey that's just me.

Open header Youtube Vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFxKqVWSnfU)
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: renfield90 on April 06, 2009, 11:06:00 PM
Quote from: AcSchnitzer318is;69563
Here you go... I wouldn't ever run like this, but hey that's just me.

Open header Youtube Vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFxKqVWSnfU)

I like how the car alarm goes off the instant you turn it on. :p

If it's really loud I can just wear ear plugs. If it sounds similar to that with an unbolted axleback, I'd totally rock that. It'd be worth it for the weight savings.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: papercutout on April 07, 2009, 04:52:33 PM
It'll sound nothing like that from axleback. The 6+ foot of pipe will make it a total rasp, no burble. Even with the open header, as soon as it revs past 2000rpm (trust me, anywhere past 2000rpm on my 1 mid box exhaust was ridiculous), it'll rasp and blow your ears out. Funny that 2000rpm is the point it starts though! But with a point that low, its hard to drive remotely quietly anywhere (which isn't your aim I know).

As said - you'll lose power and its ridiculously noisy. Painfully so! Take it from those of us who've tried mate.
My recommendation is a front box and a glasspack/cherry bomb on the rear. Or cherry bomb out the side or whatever.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: AcSchnitzer318is on April 07, 2009, 05:43:55 PM
Oh I forgot to mention... I run delta cams, which is why it has that lopeyness to it, yours might sound slightly different.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: renfield90 on April 08, 2009, 08:32:20 PM
Quote from: AcSchnitzer318is;69666
Oh I forgot to mention... I run delta cams, which is why it has that lopeyness to it, yours might sound slightly different.

Oh yeah...cams can make a difference in sound...

Thanks for the glasspack/cherrybomb suggestion, I'll look into that. Not a high priority though. I never got around to it on the Celica. When you're on a budget, any "free" upgrades are gold.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: e30Andym42 on May 16, 2009, 03:23:46 PM
I just removed my exhaust at my uncle's house, to gain access to the transmission, and I had to drive back home with no exhaust.  Holy (place every swear word here) my car was loud!  It gave me such a headache.  It scared the crap out of me and I was out of it when I got in my house.  My car sounded terrible as well, like a 90s honda with a ricer exhaust.

I was running an open header like ACSchnitzer was in his video, but my car has stock cams, and didn't sound like a harley (the idle was stable).  Everything vibrated during the drive home.  It felt like someone had installed a massager in my seat, dashboard, and chassis.  Very scary.  I couldn't tell you about the power, because adding one more bit of gas made it like 10 times louder, and I only revved it to like 3K.  DO NOT RUN OPEN HEADERS!  You will not be pleased.
Title: Unbolting exhaust
Post by: Hodge on May 17, 2009, 07:04:11 PM
If you run an exhaust like this, you are a moron.

My exhaust had "issues" today when I got o Auto-Cross. (about 2 hour drive from my home).

Long story short, I end up with a cat-back in my front seat and backseat, and nothing but a high-flow Magnaflow cat and headers.

Insanely loud. My head still hurts, from just getting home like 2 hours ago (highway driving and a tiny bit of stop and go, not to mention teh entire day of auto-cross). Don't get me wrong, it doesn't sound all that bad, but in terms of loudness and decibels, it it the worst thing on the planet.

DO NOT run open cat or open header. Using the "weight savings" excuse is stupid and you gain nothing. My DASC'd M42 felt worse with no rear section. They are there for a reason.

I'm going to replace my crap with an OEM downpipe and cat, and get a Remus cat-back. I am tired of loud and droning exhausts. Subtle and a tiny bit of deepness is far superior to insanely loud. Trust me I have been there.