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Sir Dumpling

Would a muffler delete be too loud?

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Hi guys,

As the subject title suggests, I’m wondering whether a muffler delete axle back exhaust would be too loud?

I was thinking about getting the Berk Technologies or Remark muffler delete but I’m worried about the loudness especially during cold starts. Spent a few days doing some research on this topic, some say it’s not that loud, others say it is and videos aren’t really a reliable source. I ended up calling a mechanic that specialises in the 86 and he said a muffler delete would be ‘obnoxiously loud’. I know it’s subjective but I’d like to trust his opinion.

I wanna know if anyone here has had any experience with an axle back muffler delete system that can give me an idea?

To be honest I’m only looking for an increase in sound and I really like the deep tone of the muffler delete. This being around £350 is also why I’m very interested in it as I’d like To spend less than 500 preferably.

I have also seen some people say that if only remove the stock muffler/axle back, it would would almost the same as a muffler delete in terms of loudness. Can someone confirm this? I have yet to try this because I’d need to order a new gasket for when I take it off. But if this is a good idea, then I’ll try this first.

Im based in London and it would be ideal to hear some of these in person but I don’t think many here would be running a muffler delete system.

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If you want to test, it should be pretty easy just to whip off the backbox and see how it sounds. It's only 2 bolts and 4 rubber hangars. The only issue is the bolts in question might just be two heaps of rusted metal depending how old your car is. And I think a generic 2.5 inch gasket would do the job, so easy to obtain. 

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Thanks for the reply guys. Someone else has also suggested I remove the back box and shall be testing that tomorrow. Gaskets should also come by tomorrow so should be all good. It’s the 2013 model with a 62 plate so pretty old, I’ve taken a look down there and the bolts have become unrecognisable so I’ve sprayed some WD-40 or similar stuff and letting it sit overnight. I should probably get some spare 14mm bolts and nuts too just in case they break off. 

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I'm going to go with "a bit loud"

You'll probably want to saw your ears off* after about 15 minutes. Not to mention your neighbours will probably want you dead.

I made the mistake of buying a Malian exhaust a couple of years ago and I actually felt guilty my elderly neighbours had to listen to it.

 

 

 

 

 

*yes, I'm aware your ears are technically holes, but you know what I mean.

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9 minutes ago, 86iain said:

I'm going to go with "a bit loud"

You'll probably want to saw your ears off* after about 15 minutes. Not to mention your neighbours will probably want you dead.

I made the mistake of buying a Malian exhaust a couple of years ago and I actually felt guilty my elderly neighbours had to listen to it.

 

 

 

 

 

*yes, I'm aware your ears are technically holes, but you know what I mean.

Ah damn, this is looking more and more unlikely haha. Thanks for your opinion, I’d hate to be that guy that gets death stares from neighbours. Will still try and get the back box off tomorrow and see for myself and will update. In the meantime, are any alternate recommendations that won’t break the bank?

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With a stock manifold it's not too bad, it's loud but not obscene. I've recently taken mine off and prepping it to sell (quad setup like TRD but fully open) but only because I'm getting a UEL. Combined with the SC will be stupid loud and would be too much for me.

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I bought a BRZ with a Remark muffler delete back in the summer. I liked it at first but it came off after a few weeks, I swapped it for an HKS Legamax Premium. 

It was pretty loud but if the rest of your exhaust is stock it's not obnoxious when you're driving around normally. It did make me change up quicker when driving through town to keep the noise down though. Cold starts were incredible, the car made a great noise which really gave it a sense of occasion, but I realised I was getting reluctant to use it late at night. The neighbours I spoke to about it all said they didn't mind and liked the car but a lot of them have young kids and probably need all the the quiet they can get. Resonance/drone was a bit of an issue, I found you needed to drive around two points of resonance at around 2200rpm (50ish in 6th) and 4500rpm, I adapted pretty quickly and didn't mind too much but I suspect it would bother most people. I've since discovered that others have been able to get around this with other exhausts by changing the hangers (https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143514) so it might have been possible to reduce it that way.

For me the noise was a bit too much though. I enjoyed it on country roads and could generally live with the additional cabin noise, but it personally made me feel a bit self-conscious in residential areas and setting off at night. I suspect I'm more tolerant of NVH than others though and a lot of people would just find it unbearable. I had all sorts of reactions to it, some people loved it, others found it hilarious, and a few just rolled their eyes. Generally less people are interested in coming up for a chat about the car since the exhaust came off, not sure if that's a positive or negative.

Whilst I'm happier with the new exhaust I do miss the noise sometimes, it definitely feels less "special" now and much more normal. I'll probably get a new manifold at some point and hopefully that will add a bit of noise; just not too much.

It's still hanging around in my garage and I've been meaning to get around to selling it. So if you still want one after that review I'm not far from London and I can provide one for less than the £350 a new one costs. It's got the titanium effect tips. I've got no receipts for it but based on the condition I'd say it was around a year old and had maybe done a couple of thousand miles. Even the gasket was in good condition - although I'd advise a new one. Let me know if you're interested.

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Thanks for the lengthy reply Bofu, appreciate it! The Remark Burnt Titanium tips were my first choice and Torqen were selling them for around 350 but when I tried to price match it from another site, they replied with a mark up to 499 due to import costs and profit 😐

I have yet to try unbolting the stock back box yet today and will have to be tomorrow now due to a delay but if I end up finding the sound and volume acceptable then I might just give you a message about the one you’re selling!

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Good luck with getting the backbox off, WD40 does work wonders so hopefully not a difficult job. If you get the chance to take a short vid with the back box off do upload it pls 👍

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UPDATE:

Tried to get the axle back off this weekend but no luck as the bolts looked deformed. Took it to our trusted mechanic today and he told me what I had already suspected. The two 14mm bolts that are holding the axle back and mid pipe together has been welded into place. Meaning the previous owner probably didn't have any 14mm bolts on hand when putting it back to stock and decided to use something like a 10mm bolt and welded it to the flanges on the pipe. No nut on the other side too but looks like it has been welded too. Mechanic said most likely those welded on bolts will need to be cut and maybe drilled through or maybe even have to cut a piece off the flanges to get them out.

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As soon as you said yours was a 2013 plate, I figured you'd have trouble with those bolts. Mine is also a 2013 car, and last year, I experimented with a new catback system...the bolts holding back box to centre section were just lumps of rust, so I had to remove both sections together. However I was later able to split them by taking a Dremel to what was left of the bolts. Replaced them with stainless steel nuts and bolts when I later put it back on.

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Well that's not great news. Sounds as if you might be in the market for a catback then, which might stretch your budget a bit. Used stock catbacks are pretty cheap, and the 2017 and onwards version is meant to be a bit more corrosion resistant, but that just gets you back to square one.

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UPDATE:

Took it to a local mechanic down in Silvertown and go the old bolts cut off and replaced. Sanded out the rust and old gasket. Took an hour and a half and charged 100. Was happy to pay, very nice people and told me exactly what they would be doing and let me look up close too.

Started up engine when stock muffler was off and it sounds very very good imo. With everything else stock, it's really not that loud specially since it was lifted in an enclosed space that allowed for echoing. Sounds much nicer than stock, a deep and satisfying tone. Not obnoxiously loud.

Will probably take it off again myself in my driveway tomorrow to get an actual real world sound test and if all good then I'll get a muffler delete instead of a catback.

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1 hour ago, Sir Dumpling said:

 

Will probably take it off again myself in my driveway tomorrow to get an actual real world sound test and if all good then I'll get a muffler delete instead of a catback.

That would be best...it might sound OK sitting at idle on a lift in a garage, but you want to know what it will sound like on the inside when actually driving it. If you can, take it for a cruise along the motorway at 70MPH and see if it drones...if it does, it could get very annoying very quickly. Although I guess you might end up with some funny looks driving around with no exhaust :D

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I would factor in sound deadening the boot and under the rear seats if you do decide to go with a rear box delete. Im currently running an Invidia N1 and the drone between 2500 and 5000 revs was bearable but very noticable, so adding the soundproofing softens the resonance. I did try the rear delete before getting the N1 but the drone and added resonance above 3000 revs was too much even for me. It sounded awesome from outside the car but way too much for a daily drive.

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3 hours ago, JohnM said:

I would factor in sound deadening the boot and under the rear seats if you do decide to go with a rear box delete. Im currently running an Invidia N1 and the drone between 2500 and 5000 revs was bearable but very noticable, so adding the soundproofing softens the resonance. I did try the rear delete before getting the N1 but the drone and added resonance above 3000 revs was too much even for me. It sounded awesome from outside the car but way too much for a daily drive.

Ah I had been looking at sound deadening a while back to reduce noise from outside and hopefully actually get to listen to music at a decent volume.

Are there any sound deadening products you would recommend? And this may sound a bit daft but how would I apply it to the boot and under rear seats? As for the book for boot, would i just need to unclip the internal fabric lining and stick the sound deadening material on the chassis? No idea on how to do it under rear seats.

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Everything in the boot is held in by push clips, so very easy to remove. If u havnt got a spare wheel then the foam sections are also held in with pop clips. remove them and they all just lift out. The rear seats are held in with 1x10mm bolt at the front. Undo the bolt , lift the front of the seat base up whilst pushing down on the back section. You should hear a click when the rear brackets unclip from there mounting points. When you do the rear seats just be careful of the fuel pump wiring underneath the passenger side. 

Yes stick it directly to bare metal. It took around 1 hr to do the boot, 1/4 panels and under the rear seats when I did my sub install so its not a big job. Its not something you wanna do when the weather is naff though. Defiantly add some to the inside of the doors if you like listening to music, as it does make a difference (also helps if you get rid of the oem speakers, but that's a whole different kettle of fish)

You can use anything really, just don't pay over the odds for a name (dynamat springs to mind). I used a brand called silent coat off ebay. Easy to mold and cut to any shape. Do a search for sound deadening on ebay and you are spoilt for choice.

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