Exhaust question....

[96Holly]

What is better for a cheap perfomance mod....

1) Plunging out the cats?

2) Removing the mufflers?

Will I gain much from either or both?

How hard is it to do the cats? (Wringing out the screens, in'erds and other stuff with a small pipe or ????)

I posted the cats question in the mods section but thought that I would get some better responses here.

 

[BlackNBlue95]

cheapest exhaust mod

The Cheapest exhaust mod is getting rid of the resonator.

 

[Fugitive]

Yo for real! Remove your resonator! Get some Flows they sound tight and aren't too noisey just deep and powerful! Don't buy a complete system. Just cut the resonator and put on some performance muffflers! Don't gut the cats. They are not restricitive. the kind on late model C-4's ZR1 style they are, are not restrictive! Oh and be sure to have the pipes split all the way back. No Y pipes! True dual exhaust gives you that great sound and performance. Take it from me I know. I bought the complete FlowMaster system, after a while I removed the resonator and wow what a difference! So don't get fooled into a system. Keep the 2.75 factory pipes and just cut the resonator and replace the mufflers with your favorite! Later Scott!

 

[BlackNBlue95]

My resonator was removed by the previous owner. and I think the stock mufflers are too quite. I was considering the flowmaster kit.. but I don't want the resonator I want it to be loud and abnoxious.. LoL but how can you put mufflers on the stock setup with the bends that go into and out of the mufflers? I wish flowmaster sold a kit with the the mufflers and tips.... anway I owe I owe it's off to work I go..
-Rick

 

[96Holly]

Thanks for the replies...

I am still not sure what I'm gong to do this winter....

 

[vetsvette]

I've got the Flowmaster cat-back system installed with Hooker headers and straight pipes in place of the cats. I saved the cats for emission inspections. Love the sound and performance.

 

[Fugitive]

They do. Look in a Jegs magazine, or call FlowMaster. They make OE style mufflers that bold right into a 2.75 inch system. Don't buy a kit. Just get the mufflers, it aint no thang for a good muffler guy. Later Scott

 

[Fugitive]

Yo Vettes hows the car run without the cats? Did you plug in O2 sensors? Reprogram the computer? Oh I'm assuming you still got the resonator or FlowMasters resonator. I hated their resonator, but Love their mufflers! Just curious about the cats, I'm gonna keep mine. Gotta do my part for the bark eating tree huggers. Scott

 

[Hib Halverson]

I see, here, several of you have Flowmaster cat-back and have removed the resonators.

What happens with interior noise-level once you cut the resonator out of the system.

Also, are you guys replacing the resonators with x-overs or just sections of pipe?

 

[Fugitive]

Yo Hib I can only speak for myself. I simply had my muffler guy cut the Flowmaster resonator off and wield two pipes in it's place. As far as resonance, it is louder, yet the sound is so SWEET! It really sounds like how a Corvette is supposed to sound! I can tell you there is also a noticable difference in performance from 1500 to 2600 rpms. The car runs much better! Everyone talks about the advantage of an X pipe but no one has convinced me of it's advantage. Plus they don't give it that nice split sound that dual exhaust offers. Anyway every major racing car I have seen runs straight pipes or open headers. They don't put Xpipes on formula cars. Just my thoughts. Scott

 

[BlackNBlue95]

wait a minute.. One of you guys I think it was fugitive said that you can buy flowmaster OEM style mufflers only I see they offer them for the older C4's but not the LT1 the tips on the LT1 cat back look better in my opinion then the OEM mufflers they offer for the L98 setup.. also are those mufflers the same diameter tubing? Kinda lost here.. I had considered buying the cat back system and taking off the resonator myself... anway thanks..
-Rick

 

[Trance_LT4]

I replaced my flowmaster resonator with a dr. gas X pipe

 

[BlackNBlue95]

was the Dr Gas a basically direct bolt in or what?

 

[BlackNBlue95]

I almost forgot who makes test pipes for our cars?

 

[Trance_LT4]

Pretty much, because I ordered it to be that way, I measured what I had, gave em the specs, and the next week I had my pipe. It needed some fabrication (cause its shorter than the resonator) and welding, but its not a big deal. Cost me about 170 bucks

 

[BlackNBlue95]

excellent.. but how much was the X-Pipe? I'm not big on the welding because I can't do it myself I would probably just use exhaust clamps. See I'm thinking about the exhaust now because I have the vette torn apart for my trans rebuild and it's all off and leaning on the wall in my garage.. so I figure I better plan what I want to do with the exhaust now because I don;t feel like doing extra labor later.. thanks
-Rick

 

[No Go]

I recommend the Corsa exhaust. Very high quality and on a back to back chassis dyno test, I gained 26 RWHP. Pretty significant in my opinion.

Quiet on cruise, but opens up on the throttle.

Even sold by GM dealers now...



Sorry guys, I see I typed the wrong HP number gained-I only gained 17 RWHP with the exhaust (which is still pretty good!). The 26 number came from adding a HOT cam to the combination...sorry-didn't mean to mislead anyone!

 

[Fugitive]

If you want Flowmaster OEM style for 92-96 call them direct. I know they make one for 2.75 pipes. The tips are different but I had my muffler man wield some stainless steel exhaust extensions LT1 style. Looks nice.

 

[BlackNBlue95]

Ok I will look into it... I'm thinking of just buying the kit in a few months from them because they are the cheapest and sound pretty good.. then if it's too quite for me I think I'll remove the resonator. My vette with stock exhaust already has the resonator taken off and it's just not loud enough for me.

 

[jplay]

i cut the resonator and mufflers off this summer, and welded the black tips from the mufflers on to the new pipe, it seems stronger, but i have no numbers to back that, the sound is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud like a mid year but in 6th its quiet but 4 to 5 hours in the car with leave your ears ringing