Resonator Delete

sts70004

Registered User
I'd like to free up my exhaust system a little bit, but I'm on a very very tight budget. Would getting rid of the resonator and putting a pipe in its place have much of an effect? Also, has anyone done this and taken a video of the exhaust sound?
 
I'd like to free up my exhaust system a little bit, but I'm on a very very tight budget. Would getting rid of the resonator and putting a pipe in its place have much of an effect? Also, has anyone done this and taken a video of the exhaust sound?

Yes it will have an effect, your interior will be filled with a drone that will make most stereos useless. OK I am exaggerating but you won't like it, your car will sound like a import with a fart can. It will free up the exhaust and some hp.
 
I'm running my exhaust straight from the manifolds through 2 1/4 pipes into a 3 inch to the rear of the fuel tank and splitting back to two 2 1/4 pipes to two brand X mufflers and find it to be quite pleasant. I have not experienced the drone others have complained of and the car is quite enough to be allowed to participate in the F.A.S.T. group----for what its worth........Dan
 
I replaced my Resonator with a Y pipe 2 1/2 back to a single in dual out flowmaster with duals out the back, no problems at all just a little water out the tips.

Jerry
 
x-pipe

I put an x-pipe on a 94 v-8 and it sounded great:D was also wondering how this would sound on our super coupes? but then again a y-pipe into 3" would do the same thing for less money and it would be lighter!
 
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People that are trashing a resonator delete on an otherwise stock SC exhaust must have never heard one. I did it on my car last summer at an exhaust shop for $90, they chopped it off and welded in a Y pipe. There is no drone in the car after deleting the resonator and keeping the rest of the exhaust stock. As for performance, I don't think it made too much of a difference, but I felt safer running an OD pulley with it cut out.
As for tone, it doesn't sound too great, it makes the car sound kind of raspy, but it is a very original tone, not ricey, just different. It's not too much louder than stock.
 
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I gutted the third cat and replaced the resonator with a Borla XR-1 muffler. Not sure on the sound yet as I just finished it today and have to bleed the clutch before getting it off the stands. I will let you know if it was worth it. It has to help somewhat.
 
Deleting the res with a completely stock exhaust will give you a slightly raspy sound but still close to stock. Where the horrible sound comes from is if the cats have been removed or gutted by the owner or like mine just time. That is when you get the horrible drone. Add some turbo mufflers and you have a sound mimicking a 1985 Civic with a fart can exhaust and a high school kid attempting to double clutch at every light. :)
 
Thanks for the replies, there isn't by chance a y-pipe or something available at autozone or schucks or napa that is about the right size for the inlet and outlet that I'd be able to weld in myself is there? I have wheel ramps but I can't use them at my house so I haven't had the chance to get under the car to measure it. If anyone has the measurements from the stock resonator it'd be very helpful.
 
It's really hard to cut these stainless pipes that come stock on the car. (Yes, they are stainless - don't be fooled by the surface rust.) So you might want to set yourself up with a ball flange that you can just bolt up to the back half. You can get these at Summit (~ $75 for 2 aluminized steel ball flanges from Flowmaster). You can get a stainless "Y-pipe" from Magnaflow pretty cheap (2" inlets, 2-1/2" outlet) at Summit also. However, it's not long enough to make up the space where the resonator was. So you will need to do something there.
 
Just an update, The Borla in place of the resonator and gutted third cat did not sound different at idle or cruising at 55.
 
I go the other way, I run a resonator and 2 mufflers and no cats on 2 of my '94's, one has Flowmaster pieces and the other has Magnaflow.
 
My 92 has the resonator deleted and it has the raspy exhaust and interior drone......:mad:

But it does have a cheap set of mufflers.....:rolleyes:

Outside of the car when idling sounds alright......:cool:
 
my drone i barely noticable on my 89 sc. i have hi-flow racing cats (catco), muffler delete, and a dual in/dual out flowmaster in place of the resonator. also went with 2 1/2" pipe front to back, dual chrome tip turn downs on each side. not really raspy, but more of a deep sound. i love it.
 
exhaust question here. i am new to the sc's so pardon this. i have heard that sc are prone to blowing the blower if they don't get duals. i noticed in quite a few responses that guys are using y pipes then dualing out off that into 3'' pipes or something to that effect. i am finishing up on an sc swap into an '86 stang with stock 3.8 single exhaust. can i get away with just branching off that into a "dual" set up or what? i do have the stock 3 cats on her but am thinking of cutting one or two off for better air flow. suggestions would be great as i really need some advice. thanks
-anthony
 
resonator delete

I would keep the two cats in the front(one on each side), then Y it into a 3" pipe you could use a single 3" muffler then Y it out behind the axle into 2.5". out the back. or I would keep the two front cats, Y it into a 3" pipe with out a muffler then Y it back into 2.5" behind the axle and run two 2.5" mufflers(one on each side) before the bumper. This is just my opinion! there are many different ways to go about this. The main thing is to let more air out of the motor faster:D Hope this helps!
 
thanks for the insight. i will definately take that kind of route. after looking at all the prices of freaking x-pipes h-pipes and the whole lot out there it wasn't looking too good for me to see which way to go. but what you described seems like its on budget and will do the trick. so thanks again.
 
as a benefit of the dual in dual out flowmaster on my car (see above post), it works as an h or x pipe. i will get some pics tomorrow and post.
 
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