Muffler vs. no muffler

whitemarth53 · 10-02-2009, 06:20 PM

I have no muffler on my 91 s10.(just a pipe in place of the muffler.)Originally I was going to have a Flowmaster Super 44 put on, but the guy at my local shop said it would be louder with no muffler. It's kind of loud but not that loud, and it sure sounds like a v6. Would the Super 44 make it louder or quieter? And as far as performance goes does the flowmaster offer better performance/mpg compared to having no muffler? It has a stock cat and I'm not messing with it at the moment.

SH-60B · 10-02-2009, 08:32 PM

Any muffler will reduce the sound you are getting now vs no muffler at all. A flowmaster added may not impact performance at all vs no muffler with factory exhaust manifolds and converter. In other words, with those restrictions the flowmaster probably won't make a difference.

AHH AIR · 10-03-2009, 12:54 AM

put a glass pack on it i have a 2.8 with no converter and duals with thrush glass packs and the guy that did my tuck said "holy shit it sounds like a 350 with a mild cam"

89Chubby · 10-06-2009, 12:19 AM

A muffler is a device installed upon an exhaust system to reduce the noise coming out of the tailpipe. If a muffler didn't "muffle" anything, then it wouldn't very well be a muffler, now, would it?

That being said, there are mufflers which don't reduce the volume of an exhaust system AS MUCH as other brands and designs, but they ALL reduce the sound SOMEWHAT. Nothing is louder (or more obnoxious) than a motor without a muffler of any kind in place.

If you exhaust doesn't seem that loud to you with no muffler in place, either your catalytic converter is doing an excellent job of deadening the sound (a cat does act as a kind of muffler, although that isn't its main job), or you may need to get your hearing checked. A 2.8 V6 with a Flowmaster 44 behind a stock cat will not be obnoxiously loud and certainly quieter than having no muffler at all, but me personally, I don't care for the sound of ANY Flowmaster behind anything with less than eight cylinders (and even then, I'm not crazy about Flows).

Please, please don't go with glasspacks. They're cheap for a reason, and it's NOT simply because they sell a lot of them ... nor does the fact that lots of glasspacks get sold every year mean that they're "good." (No offense to anyone with glasspacks, but there are definitely better options out there.)

Hop on YouTube and look for some exhaust sound clips - search for "2.8 exhaust" followed by "Flowmaster" or "Magnaflow" or whatever other brand(s) you want to hear - and then go with what sounds best to you.

SH-60B · 10-06-2009, 02:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by 89Chubby

A muffler is a device installed upon an exhaust system to reduce the noise coming out of the tailpipe. If a muffler didn't "muffle" anything, then it wouldn't very well be a muffler, now, would it?

That being said, there are mufflers which don't reduce the volume of an exhaust system AS MUCH as other brands and designs, but they ALL reduce the sound SOMEWHAT. Nothing is louder (or more obnoxious) than a motor without a muffler of any kind in place.

If you exhaust doesn't seem that loud to you with no muffler in place, either your catalytic converter is doing an excellent job of deadening the sound (a cat does act as a kind of muffler, although that isn't its main job), or you may need to get your hearing checked. A 2.8 V6 with a Flowmaster 44 behind a stock cat will not be obnoxiously loud and certainly quieter than having no muffler at all, but me personally, I don't care for the sound of ANY Flowmaster behind anything with less than eight cylinders (and even then, I'm not crazy about Flows).

Please, please don't go with glasspacks. They're cheap for a reason, and it's NOT simply because they sell a lot of them ... nor does the fact that lots of glasspacks get sold every year mean that they're "good." (No offense to anyone with glasspacks, but there are definitely better options out there.)

Hop on YouTube and look for some exhaust sound clips - search for "2.8 exhaust" followed by "Flowmaster" or "Magnaflow" or whatever other brand(s) you want to hear - and then go with what sounds best to you.

What is the reason glass packs are cheap? I have one on my 2.2 with the factory cat and you can barely tell even at full throttle. It's been there for 3 years with no problems.

E.Morel · 10-06-2009, 05:04 PM

Glasspacks are cheaper than other mufflers because there is not much to them. They are straight through with baffling and fiberglass insulation around the edges.They are very effective at reducing back pressure, but not very effective at muffling noise. Thus, they are louder than conventional mufflers.

They are cheaper to make, therefore cheaper to buy.

I myself dont enjoy glasspacks unless they are on big engines... but Im kind of past the whole "loud just to be loud" thing.

SH-60B · 10-06-2009, 07:09 PM

[quote=E.Morel;6552493]Glasspacks are cheaper than other mufflers because there is not much to them. They are straight through with baffling and fiberglass insulation around the edges.They are very effective at reducing back pressure, but not very effective at muffling noise. Thus, they are louder than conventional mufflers.

They are cheaper to make, therefore cheaper to buy.

I myself dont enjoy glasspacks unless they are on big engines... but Im kind of past the whole "loud just to be loud" thing.[/quoteThere's not much to a flowmaster either

89Chubby · 10-06-2009, 11:02 PM

More welding involved in a Flowmaster than a glasspack. A glasspack is just a couple of rolled-up bits of sheetmetal (one being perforated) with some fiberglass packing sandwiched inbetween, and a bit of welding done down the middle seam and at the ends.

Plus, they're a bit more expensive because Flowmaster sponsors a lot of stuff and they've got a more popular name than, say, Thrush or Cherry Bomb. So, basically you're paying for a lot of their advertising costs, as well.

E.Morel · 10-06-2009, 11:04 PM

Word. Theres not MUCH to a flowmaster, but there is more than a glasspack. And like 89 said; flowmaster is like a household name for mufflers.

SH-60B · 10-07-2009, 12:44 AM

You mean like the name Kohler is to toilets?

350X · 10-07-2009, 01:46 AM

I can 2nd that, no one can tell my Firbird is a V6 by sound alone with no cat and a CherryBomb straight shot.

I wouldn't say it sounds the "best" but least it doens't scream V6 at any RPM like other mufflers.

wildman ss · 10-07-2009, 01:49 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by AHH AIR

"holy shit it sounds like a 350 with a mild cam"

facepalm

layinlow88 · 10-07-2009, 01:57 AM

Magnaflow...nuff said....about one of a only a few i've had that i've actually liked for v6 trucks....def does NOT scream v6...i've have several different systems under the truck...and imo this is about as good as it gets

heres my set up....true dual in/single out

89Chubby · 10-07-2009, 09:25 PM

Just curious, why'd you go with the dual in/single out instead of a dual in/dual out (muffler with internal crossover) or two seperate mufflers with an H-pipe? Was it to keep the noise level down?

About the only mufflers I've heard worth a hoot on any V6 of any make have been straight-through mufflers such as Magnaflow, Hooker Maximum Flow, or Dynomax Ultra-Flow. Pypes Violators are straight-through (I have a set on my '89 Mustang) but they have almost ZERO sound deadening material inside of them, pretty much just a hollow case with a louvered tube running through it - damned loud on a V8, so probably they would sound obnoxious as hell behind a V6 or 4-banger.

10-02-2009, 06:20 PM	#1
whitemarth53 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1 Location: South Dakota User is: OffLine	Muffler vs. no muffler I have no muffler on my 91 s10.(just a pipe in place of the muffler.)Originally I was going to have a Flowmaster Super 44 put on, but the guy at my local shop said it would be louder with no muffler. It's kind of loud but not that loud, and it sure sounds like a v6. Would the Super 44 make it louder or quieter? And as far as performance goes does the flowmaster offer better performance/mpg compared to having no muffler? It has a stock cat and I'm not messing with it at the moment.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-02-2009, 08:32 PM	#2
SH-60B Registered Neanderthal Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,335 Location: Meriden/CT/USA User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler Any muffler will reduce the sound you are getting now vs no muffler at all. A flowmaster added may not impact performance at all vs no muffler with factory exhaust manifolds and converter. In other words, with those restrictions the flowmaster probably won't make a difference.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-03-2009, 12:54 AM	#3
AHH AIR Subsonic Kustomz Age: 26 Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 319 Location: watervliet, mi User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler put a glass pack on it i have a 2.8 with no converter and duals with thrush glass packs and the guy that did my tuck said "holy shit it sounds like a 350 with a mild cam"
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-06-2009, 12:19 AM	#4
89Chubby King Turd Polisher Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 416 Location: Apache Junction, AZ User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler A muffler is a device installed upon an exhaust system to reduce the noise coming out of the tailpipe. If a muffler didn't "muffle" anything, then it wouldn't very well be a muffler, now, would it? That being said, there are mufflers which don't reduce the volume of an exhaust system AS MUCH as other brands and designs, but they ALL reduce the sound SOMEWHAT. Nothing is louder (or more obnoxious) than a motor without a muffler of any kind in place. If you exhaust doesn't seem that loud to you with no muffler in place, either your catalytic converter is doing an excellent job of deadening the sound (a cat does act as a kind of muffler, although that isn't its main job), or you may need to get your hearing checked. A 2.8 V6 with a Flowmaster 44 behind a stock cat will not be obnoxiously loud and certainly quieter than having no muffler at all, but me personally, I don't care for the sound of ANY Flowmaster behind anything with less than eight cylinders (and even then, I'm not crazy about Flows). Please, please don't go with glasspacks. They're cheap for a reason, and it's NOT simply because they sell a lot of them ... nor does the fact that lots of glasspacks get sold every year mean that they're "good." (No offense to anyone with glasspacks, but there are definitely better options out there.) Hop on YouTube and look for some exhaust sound clips - search for "2.8 exhaust" followed by "Flowmaster" or "Magnaflow" or whatever other brand(s) you want to hear - and then go with what sounds best to you.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-06-2009, 02:11 PM	#5
SH-60B Registered Neanderthal Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,335 Location: Meriden/CT/USA User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler Quote: Originally Posted by 89Chubby A muffler is a device installed upon an exhaust system to reduce the noise coming out of the tailpipe. If a muffler didn't "muffle" anything, then it wouldn't very well be a muffler, now, would it? That being said, there are mufflers which don't reduce the volume of an exhaust system AS MUCH as other brands and designs, but they ALL reduce the sound SOMEWHAT. Nothing is louder (or more obnoxious) than a motor without a muffler of any kind in place. If you exhaust doesn't seem that loud to you with no muffler in place, either your catalytic converter is doing an excellent job of deadening the sound (a cat does act as a kind of muffler, although that isn't its main job), or you may need to get your hearing checked. A 2.8 V6 with a Flowmaster 44 behind a stock cat will not be obnoxiously loud and certainly quieter than having no muffler at all, but me personally, I don't care for the sound of ANY Flowmaster behind anything with less than eight cylinders (and even then, I'm not crazy about Flows). Please, please don't go with glasspacks. They're cheap for a reason, and it's NOT simply because they sell a lot of them ... nor does the fact that lots of glasspacks get sold every year mean that they're "good." (No offense to anyone with glasspacks, but there are definitely better options out there.) Hop on YouTube and look for some exhaust sound clips - search for "2.8 exhaust" followed by "Flowmaster" or "Magnaflow" or whatever other brand(s) you want to hear - and then go with what sounds best to you. What is the reason glass packs are cheap? I have one on my 2.2 with the factory cat and you can barely tell even at full throttle. It's been there for 3 years with no problems.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-06-2009, 05:04 PM	#6
E.Morel Doin' Work Age: 22 Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 39 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler Glasspacks are cheaper than other mufflers because there is not much to them. They are straight through with baffling and fiberglass insulation around the edges.They are very effective at reducing back pressure, but not very effective at muffling noise. Thus, they are louder than conventional mufflers. They are cheaper to make, therefore cheaper to buy. I myself dont enjoy glasspacks unless they are on big engines... but Im kind of past the whole "loud just to be loud" thing.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-06-2009, 07:09 PM	#7
SH-60B Registered Neanderthal Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,335 Location: Meriden/CT/USA User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler [quote=E.Morel;6552493]Glasspacks are cheaper than other mufflers because there is not much to them. They are straight through with baffling and fiberglass insulation around the edges.They are very effective at reducing back pressure, but not very effective at muffling noise. Thus, they are louder than conventional mufflers. They are cheaper to make, therefore cheaper to buy. I myself dont enjoy glasspacks unless they are on big engines... but Im kind of past the whole "loud just to be loud" thing.[/quoteThere's not much to a flowmaster either
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-06-2009, 11:02 PM	#8
89Chubby King Turd Polisher Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 416 Location: Apache Junction, AZ User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler More welding involved in a Flowmaster than a glasspack. A glasspack is just a couple of rolled-up bits of sheetmetal (one being perforated) with some fiberglass packing sandwiched inbetween, and a bit of welding done down the middle seam and at the ends. Plus, they're a bit more expensive because Flowmaster sponsors a lot of stuff and they've got a more popular name than, say, Thrush or Cherry Bomb. So, basically you're paying for a lot of their advertising costs, as well.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-06-2009, 11:04 PM	#9
E.Morel Doin' Work Age: 22 Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 39 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler Word. Theres not MUCH to a flowmaster, but there is more than a glasspack. And like 89 said; flowmaster is like a household name for mufflers.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-07-2009, 12:44 AM	#10
SH-60B Registered Neanderthal Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,335 Location: Meriden/CT/USA User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler You mean like the name Kohler is to toilets?
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10-07-2009, 01:46 AM	#11
350X Matt Smith Age: 37 Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 326 Location: NW Ohio User is: Online	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler I can 2nd that, no one can tell my Firbird is a V6 by sound alone with no cat and a CherryBomb straight shot. I wouldn't say it sounds the "best" but least it doens't scream V6 at any RPM like other mufflers.
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-07-2009, 01:49 AM	#12
wildman ss This is doo doo baby! Age: 19 Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,993 Location: Marrietta/Lawrenceville, GA User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler Quote: Originally Posted by AHH AIR "holy shit it sounds like a 350 with a mild cam" facepalm
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-07-2009, 01:57 AM	#13
layinlow88 Certified Auto HVAC Tech Age: 20 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 7,473 Location: Camden, AR User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler Magnaflow...nuff said....about one of a only a few i've had that i've actually liked for v6 trucks....def does NOT scream v6...i've have several different systems under the truck...and imo this is about as good as it gets heres my set up....true dual in/single out
	[Reply w/Quote]

10-07-2009, 09:25 PM	#14
89Chubby King Turd Polisher Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 416 Location: Apache Junction, AZ User is: OffLine	Re: Muffler vs. no muffler Just curious, why'd you go with the dual in/single out instead of a dual in/dual out (muffler with internal crossover) or two seperate mufflers with an H-pipe? Was it to keep the noise level down? About the only mufflers I've heard worth a hoot on any V6 of any make have been straight-through mufflers such as Magnaflow, Hooker Maximum Flow, or Dynomax Ultra-Flow. Pypes Violators are straight-through (I have a set on my '89 Mustang) but they have almost ZERO sound deadening material inside of them, pretty much just a hollow case with a louvered tube running through it - damned loud on a V8, so probably they would sound obnoxious as hell behind a V6 or 4-banger.
	[Reply w/Quote]