What Muffler? What manufacturer do you use and recommend?

[Jeb]

What a neat forum! New owner here.

Has anyone had any experience with reducing the noise level after removing the pre-cats? I had mine taken off due to blockage (the car wouldn't get out of its own way) and the noise level increased tremendously.

Is there a solution that won't require that I mortgage my home to pay for?

 

[Ken]

Welcome Jeb!

As for quieting your car, it's simply a matter of shopping around for what muffler suits you best, and believe me, you're going to get more than you fair share of responses here as to what the populace thinks is this BEST muffler for you to buy. :L

Just remember, there is no best; there's only what suits you best. In other words, "Whatever floats your boat." Works for me.

 

[ProEMTPFF]

Welcome Jeb!

As for quieting your car, it's simply a matter of shopping around for what muffler suits you best, and believe me, you're going to get more than you fair share of responses here as to what the populace thinks is this BEST muffler for you to buy. :L

Just remember, there is no best; there's only what suits you best. In other words, "Whatever floats your boat." Works for me.

I agree with Ken. Its all in what you like. I have Flowmaster 50 series and love them. I think they are queit right now with my stock exhaust but on Feb 2nd the pre-cats come off and I'd imagine that will open her up a bit. BTW, congrats on the Vette and welcome to the forums.

 

[Ken]

I like my ride's sound, and judging from the many enthusiastic responses I get (on a daily basis) so do a lot of others. I'm running long tube headers with a three-inch system all the way back to Flowmaster 40s. Most people couldn't stand it! :L

But... I deleted the radio and everything else, so it doesn't matter too me much. Except that if I do any long-term driving in it I should consider wearing ear plugs. I actually did once just to see what it's like; the interior noise was abated, but I was uncomfortable with not being able to hear other traffic.

 

[Jeb]

I suspect that it's going to be a matter of trial and error to find which ones will do what I want them to do. Hopefully, I'll find the "right" ones before I wear out my creeper.

Suggestions as to which muffler will be the quietest (I don't need noise) will be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking "stock" right now but who knows?

 

[Ken]

Jeb, I'll break this question out of this thread and start a new one for you. It will help with your search for advice on the right muffler for your car.

We do have plenty of members who have experience probably every system on the market today, and they're quick to offer advice, but if your question gets mixed in here at the end of originator's post, you may not get a timely answer.

 

[WhalePirot]

CATS do muffle the sound, rather significantly.

Will stock '84 mufflers fit an '87?

Foam earplugs do a great job on high frequencies, but very little on voice and lower freqs.

I just found my CAT had lost three of the 4 bolts connecting it to the rear y-pipe. While I also get many laudible comments, I like this quieter Flowmaster 40 sound; that of actually being connected to them!

Now that I changed to chrome, angle tips, they look decent as well. This is my second set of Flowmasters; I guess I like them. I am not aware of any other muffler with a 3" input.

 

[Ken]

CATS do muffle the sound, rather significantly.

Oh yeah, that's for sure! I ran my Pontiac Grand Prix for years with nothing but the cat and about two feet of pipe. The rest fell off. :L

 

[Edmond]

I suspect that it's going to be a matter of trial and error to find which ones will do what I want them to do. Hopefully, I'll find the "right" ones before I wear out my creeper.

Suggestions as to which muffler will be the quietest (I don't need noise) will be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking "stock" right now but who knows?

Jeb,

You don't have to do the trial and error thing. You shouldn't do that because it's too costly! I would say a majority of Corvette people have swapped out the stock exhaust for something a little throatier. Go check out the local car shows and hang outs; I'm sure there is someone there who has aftermarket setups on exhaust and you can hear it before you buy for yourself.

I have Flowmasters. They are loud and obnoxious but I like it that way.

 

[AdvancedAutoCC]

I suspect that it's going to be a matter of trial and error to find which ones will do what I want them to do. Hopefully, I'll find the "right" ones before I wear out my creeper.

Suggestions as to which muffler will be the quietest (I don't need noise) will be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking "stock" right now but who knows?

For a "bolt on" solution, you have a few choices, mostly catbacks. Anything else will require welding in place. Magnaflows are about the quietest high-flow mufflers, but with the cats gone, the noise level is greater than stock. If you're doing away with the cats (legal note: NOT recommended! ), then a good choice to quiet down the system would be either a Tru-X crossover, or a Magnaflow Tru-X muffler put inline (dual inlets/outlets with Tru-X crossover built in). Any of these solutions will require pipes be bent up, though. For the quietest mufflers, stay with the stockers.

 

[Jeb]

For a "bolt on" solution, you have a few choices, mostly catbacks. Anything else will require welding in place. Magnaflows are about the quietest high-flow mufflers, but with the cats gone, the noise level is greater than stock. If you're doing away with the cats (legal note: NOT recommended! ), then a good choice to quiet down the system would be either a Tru-X crossover, or a Magnaflow Tru-X muffler put inline (dual inlets/outlets with Tru-X crossover built in). Any of these solutions will require pipes be bent up, though. For the quietest mufflers, stay with the stockers.

Actually, I checked the legality of removing the pre-cats before I did it and due to the improved performance of the newer cats, the pre-cats are no longer required from an emmissions standpoint (disclaimer: That's what my mechanic and the muffler shop told me after they checked). It seems the efficiency of the new convertors is such that the emmisions will be legal even with the pre-cats gone.

I might even replace the pre-cats to quiet this thing down. While I'm sure that will do the trick, I've been avoiding it due to cost.

 

[Jeb]

Just as a followup.

I've installed a set of "stock" mufflers from Corvette Central (part No. 324315) and they've done the trick. I still have some resonance to take care of but the noise level has lessened considerably.

 

[Mart]

Are the precats the ones on each down tube from the manifold, if so, mine are gone, which would explain why my wife complains about the noise.

Were these on 86's?

My setup has passed emissions at least twice like this.

Does this help freeing up some ponies.

Mart

 

[Vettefan87]

Are the precats the ones on each down tube from the manifold, if so, mine are gone, which would explain why my wife complains about the noise.

Were these on 86's?

My setup has passed emissions at least twice like this.

Does this help freeing up some ponies.

Mart

The answer is Yes to all of your questions, they were on all of the 86's that I know of, and they are also on my 87. Yes it will also help free up some HP anything that reduces restriction in airflow will overall help. Hope this helps.