Olds W31 Posted October 16, 2008 Report Posted October 16, 2008 Has anyone ever did any "low dollar" modifications to the existing mufflers? I have a 94 Olds Cutlass, 3100 auto, that I installed a factory "dual" exhaust set up from a 3400 Z34 when I first bought it. I have the dual tips on each muffler, only one of which is an actual exit. I was thinking of drilling thru the muffler wall to make both tips functional. I am aware that this would bypass some (all?) of the baffling, but with the converter still in place, the resonator still on, and these GIGANTIC case mufflers to lower the tone, I am just looking for a little more sound without it being obnoxious. I imagined just drilling a series of 3/8" holes in the muffler wall, starting with 1 and adding if I wanted more sound or change in resonance. Thoughts? Quote
oldscsc Posted October 16, 2008 Report Posted October 16, 2008 It will sound like crap if you do that. The muffler is chambered and drilling through it will ruin the sound...at least that's what I was told. Quote
mra32 Posted October 17, 2008 Report Posted October 17, 2008 You can let it rust through. Mine got ever louder till the day it fell off Quote
Olds W31 Posted October 17, 2008 Author Report Posted October 17, 2008 he's right. dont do it. So I got one "I heard" and 1 "don't do it"....anybody actually tried it? I am not trying to be a hard/smart a$$, I just prefer empirical testing rather than "my buddies 2nd cousins' brothers' friend, he had a buddy who....." I don't mind testing this, as I have done it on my Protege (factory muffler + welder + 3in pipe + 1/2" drill = lower tone with little "rice" for $8, rather than $50-100 Magnaflow). Worst case is I do it, hate it, and have to plug it...won't be the first time to try and fail....but at least I would have tried..... We don't have rust in Texas....jk. You can let it rust through. Mine got ever louder till the day it fell off Quote
Crazy K Posted October 17, 2008 Report Posted October 17, 2008 if you can weld.... why not put in a "cross pipe" that bridges the two outlets together outside the muffler? Quote
Euro Posted October 17, 2008 Report Posted October 17, 2008 You can let it rust through. Mine got ever louder till the day it fell off True that, when I had my $40 dynomax setup on my Lumina. It sounded tons better when it had a 4" diameter rust hole in it Quote
Night Fury Posted October 17, 2008 Report Posted October 17, 2008 My 6000 sounded kick ass when the muffler was rusting through! My Ciera was 'just' reaching perfection when I got rid of it, but it had a rock or something in it that would rattle. My Cutty hasn't ever ran correctly for me to know... Quote
Olds W31 Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Posted October 20, 2008 Well, I got bored and tried it...one half inch hole allowing each non-functioning tail pipe to work. At idle, just a little noticeable. At part/full throttle, the holes are too small and there is no noticeable change. At cruise, you can hear the pipes just a little. Lower, deeper, little if any resonance in my 4 door. All I can say is I will continue the experiment with the biggest hole saw I can send up the pipe and drive with a drill.... Quote
digitaloutsider Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 I'm not trying to sound like a douchebag, but why don't you stop being cheap and just get a different set of mufflers? Drilling holes? Seriously... Quote
Olds W31 Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Posted October 21, 2008 I'm not trying to sound like a douchebag, (too late.... ) but why don't you stop being cheap and just get a different set of mufflers? Drilling holes? Seriously... Every look inside a muffler? Most are full of ....you guessed it....HOLES! I guess when the factory perforates a piece of pipe or stamps out a "flow director" out of sheet metal that is okay...especially when they charge a HUGE markup if you every ordered a replacement...but when someone, who titles the thread "Factory Muffler Modification" and, in his very first post inquires: Has anyone ever done any "low dollar" modifications to the existing mufflers? (with grammatical correction (done for did) So, lets review. In some peoples minds we should only consider modding our vehicles if we spend money and hope that the expenditure will work (whose mufflers do I use, what case length, what method of sound entrapment/tone control (baffles, packing, direction, etc)). That, to me, is not hotrodding. I have a minimal cost in this vehicle. I don't mind being labeled as "frugal"....I established in the first post that my car was originally single exhaust and I converted it to dual with factory parts....I guess I should not have done that, but instead "invested" (on a car that has so radically depreciated and will NEVER regain value, its not an "investment", but a "sunk cost") in a pair of really nice mufflers with mandrel bends, larger diameter tubing, etc. Not to my way of thinking...on the 3100 cars, the bottle neck MIGHT be in the exhaust manifolds, if there existed one at all, but the tubing diameter and use of 2 mufflers eliminates most flow restrictions. It is obvious (to me, at least) that GM was interested in SOUND CONTROL on these cars. Remember, the goal is to do it as cheaply as possible. This is the mantra that drives the auto industry. GM would NEVER use mufflers with as big a case as these unless they HAD to. Now, from the viewpoint of the enthusiast, who is not offended by a little "tone", if we can take what GM engineered, and for $7.00 worth of step drill bit, make it sound like $100-200 worth of Magnaflows....I would think some of the people in this forum would appreciate the "research". If you have money you want to spend on your W, great. I have kids and other priorities, and I have built enough cars and other projects to know that every dime you ever spend on a car is wasted, unless its for maintainence, and even that can be questionable. Rant finished....not trying to "flame" anybody, but the point of a forum is to exchange information and ideas. If I had signed onto Flowmaster.com or Dynomax, etc, and posted this same thread, I would understand. I am just trying to bring 20+ years of automotive engineering, trial and error, and expertise to bear on, to some, what could be a cheap and simple "improvement" so that they could save or spend their hard-earned money on something more useful.... Quote
slick Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 When my 94 Grand Prix's muffler's rusted through, that car sounded pretty nice. Quote
Crazy K Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 I like the rant! I want to try extrs holes in my mufflersn now. really! especially when it is cold those fake tips SHOW! I say good job! Quote
oldscsc Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 Video! I've actually thought of doing this but decided against it... Quote
jake91 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 and make sure you get a before and after video Quote
GOT2B GM Posted October 21, 2008 Report Posted October 21, 2008 hmmm thats not a bad idea......the fake tips on my cutty piss me off Quote
rockfangd Posted January 1, 2009 Report Posted January 1, 2009 not to sound stupid but what are fake tips considered? I switched my cutlass to dual exhaust and i just put the cheapie mufflers on there and they are both functional and they sound good Quote
ManicMechanic Posted January 1, 2009 Report Posted January 1, 2009 3.4 cars have 4 tips...only the outside 2 are functional Quote
rockfangd Posted January 1, 2009 Report Posted January 1, 2009 I had a 92 GP 3.4 and that had the dual exhaust but it had the cast tips, and they were both functional Quote
GOT2B GM Posted January 1, 2009 Report Posted January 1, 2009 If I get bored enough I might try it. Quote
rockfangd Posted January 3, 2009 Report Posted January 3, 2009 ok that soundsretardd but iget it. So basically it is just a standard muffler with a faketailpipe welded onto the outside of the center chamber. all i have to say is lol to that Quote
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