Muffler Options? Options

[fatherof4]

Well, It's time for me to start looking for exhaust options. (7afe) I have a ebay header and plans to go 2.5 pipe and High flow cat. I am looking for a deep sound as possible. No high pitched ricer racer sound. Any suggestions?

[Galcobar]

The restriction created by a clean catalytic converter is, in terms of effect on performance, far less than that of carrying a spare tire or incorrectly adjusting tire inflation. Particularly on a 7AFE.

If you want to avoid the buzzy cheap sound of a poorly-done exhaust, make sure to include a resonator. Note, a round body muffler is NOT a resonator. Very few of the items sold by aftermarket manufacturers as resonators are actually resonators.

A resonator is a hollow echo chamber in which sound waves are bounced into each other, transforming the sound energy into heat. There's almost no effect on exhaust efficiency, but it smoothes out the tone of the exhaust. A less irritating tone is perceived to be of lower volume -- a smooth exhaust will seem quieter than a buzzy one, even at the same decibel measurement.

Magnapacks are straight-through mufflers, where insulation absorbs sound waves. They're good for reducing the volume, but not so much for smoothing the tone.

Two easy ways to tell the difference between a resonator and a muffler. One is to tap on the item in question; a resonator will ring like a bell, while a muffler will produced a muffled, dull response. The other is to check the price; resonators aren't sexy, so they're readily available at your local exhaust shop and cost $50-70.

A final aside: MagnaFlow makes a universal cat with a resonated core, combining the two functions into one piece. You get a smooth exhaust note, and leave the air a little cleaner for everyone.

[Box]

The restriction created by a clean catalytic converter is, in terms of effect on performance, far less than that of carrying a spare tire or incorrectly adjusting tire inflation. Particularly on a 7AFE.

True, but invariably we're talking about a catalytic converter with hundreds of thousands of miles on it. It's going to be fairly clogged. If he lives in a state he can get away with it he'd be better off removing it, save some money. I'm all for saving the environment, but a de-catted car is no worse than the slew of lawn and off-road equipment being sold today. If he wants to spend the money for a new high flow cat, then more power to him and that's what I advise. It could be worse, he could decide he wants to drive a 60's V8 powered behemoth that runs on leaded fuel.