6G Celicas Forums

i have the 7a-fe with a magnaflow muffler and i wanna know if i should cut off the stock resonator and straight pipe it for a louder sound and better tone or not. im pretty sure the muffler i have acts as a resonator itself, so is the stock one just counter acting it or is it still needed?

Sorry to add to this thread, but I've also got the same question for a 7AFE, but for a GReddy SP2 catback.

This post has been edited by HectortheRican: May 20, 2010 - 9:06 AM

Mufflers are not resonators.

Mufflers are either absorptive or baffled, a resonator is neither of these.

A resonator is an echo chamber which bounces soundwaves into each other, cancelling them out. This somewhat reduces the volume, but more importantly it smoothes the tone. That Civic with the buzzy aftermarket exhaust does not have a resonator on it.

The trouble is that most exhaust pieces sold as resonators are not resonators. They are round-bodied mufflers, which have the same general exterior shape as a resonator. It's kind of like selling a GameBoy as a smartphone, because they're both handheld electronics. A resonator does not include any fibreglass, insulation, absorptive material, ceramic mat, steel wool or the like. Anything which does is an absorptive muffler, which if properly designed is very good at reducing an exhaust's volume without significantly impairing exhaust flow.

Here's how to tell the difference in person -- tap on the item. If it rings like a bell, it's a resonator. If it responds with a dull clank, it's an absorptive muffler.

If you cut the resonator (or absorptive muffler) off, your exhaust will be much louder. So, "should" you cut it off? That's entirely up to you, and depends on how loud you want your car to be.

When I had my exhaust done (2.25" cat-back w/TRD style canister muffler) I didn't have the resonator put back on. I drove it around like that for a few months, but then it just started to bother me, it was just too loud for my taste. I liked the deep exhaust note, I just didn't want it to be heard a mile away. So I wound up going back and having a resonator put on, and now I'm very happy with the sound of my exhaust.

So in short, it's just a matter of personal preference (and whatever laws that may affect you)

In my personal opinion, while it's not legal most places you go and only sounds good on certain cars, is to run just a resonator with no muffler. Paint the resonator and you can pass it off as an in-line muffler.

Couple videos of different resonator setups to compare sound
350z resonator vid
No resonator

Hope I can Help as I have a 7A with magnaflow
I have vids from stock -to- Magnaflow Muff, with a Magnaflow Res -to- now with Headers and 2" piping

Now I never had the new muff without the res, but my friend has a saturn CL2 with just a straight pipe (engines are about the same really) with the same muffler, and it doesn't sound as deep as my second video.
I would suggest it if you are looking for a deeper tone, especially if you get headers down the road because my headers gave me more power, but took away from the LOW growly noise. Can only imagine if I didnt have the res, it would sound not as low.

Anyways Links to all the vids

Stock (can hear the CAI)

With Magnaflow Muffler and Resonator

With headers

Hope it helps a little, any questions feel free to ask

This post has been edited by mgnt232: May 20, 2010 - 8:33 PM

sounds better with only the resonator.

i like the sound of yours with the headers..... so if im interpreting this right, with the stock headers and magnaflow exhaust, it should sound close to that w/o a resonator..... i think its too quite right now, it sounds like the muffler isnt pushing the tone it could be... and i think i may have the same muffler as you, if its not, its really close to it.


im not cutting off my muffler to leave just the resonator.... ive got too much money (although its not a tremendous amount, its enough not to just throw it away) to just cut off a magnaflow muffler and leave a stock resonator on it

ah the resonator expert

exhaust don't sound that well without a resonator. sometimes just not having a catalytic on certain catbacks sound ugly already esp. if the muffler is generic.

This really, I took my stock header off (stock has a built in cat) and it sounded louder and I liked the sound at first.
Then I hit above 3000RPM and it was unbelievably raspy. I had a magnaflow muffler on with the stock exhaust manifold and it sounded nice and deep. Once I replaced that manifold though it was so raspy and obnoxious.
A couple weeks later I decided to throw a resonator on there and it's back to sounding as it was before I replaced the header.(the way I liked it)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UY7zh-sIYQ
Video of current setup for reference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtDfh_dJriY
7A-FE with ebay header and otherwise stock exhaust and no muffler.

This post has been edited by Bitter: May 21, 2010 - 7:28 AM

yupp headers push out a lot more air esp. since it removes the first cat on the GTs dunno about the STs. rasppyyy

keep in mind different intake setups like filters and 3" will improve the sound overall too.

yeah the ST has a pre-cat in the manifold as well. Once mine was replaced with the headers and new downpipe, it did loose some of the LOW LOW noise, but still much preferred over my friends who doesn't have a res. it just sounds like said before, kinda raspy.
When I was thinking of doing my cat-back and starting the exhaust, I got alot of people who told me it was the only way to do, especially since I was thinking about the headers.
again any questions, about anything I can answer them as I have done the exact same thing (with person experience in messing up )

strange, i had no rasp except for at part throttle and that was flex section noise (cheap ebay stuff).

So wait, I love the bassy tone of my SP2, if I get headers, will my Celi lose that bassy tone? Because I don't wanna sound ricey

This post has been edited by HectortheRican: May 22, 2010 - 1:44 AM

I have headers with all my cats deleted ( straight pipe ) with a 2.25 from the header straight back with no resonator just a maganaflow muffler and a nice tip and it isnt like CRAZY lound like the riced civics here but its loud and has a nice tone to it. its only raspy if you get it into the higher RPM's like 5500+ but i rarely go over that.

I've got a cat back, so that's gonna stay there, will it sounds a little deeper because of that? Because I'm so proud of my car's exhaust note, I don't want it to drastixally change because of a few hp haha

Don't butcher your SP2! Please don't do that! You have a nice exhaust system on there (mostly for bragging right) that most of us cant get (as its been dis-continued). If you go and cut it up and slap on a new anything you just devalue it. But If your planning on keeping the Celica forever, then do whatever you want. But I wouldn't touch it.

I agree if you have a nice Cat Back Exhaist system ( which i cant find anywhere without paying a arm and a leg ) keep it just like it is. I couldnt find one and i went to a shop here that does custom exhaust and there quote was 1500$ for a full complete custom exhaust. So just keep your axle back.