exhaust drone


Cobraguy

GT Owner
I am a relative newcomer to the gt forum site but have used it extensively to research the various quirks of gt ownership. I had a bumper delete and Hennessey exhaust installed after purchasing the car from Shelby a few months ago and had the opportunity to run several tanks of fuel through it in Jan in AZ.:driving: prior to bringing home to the great white north. Although there are a number of posts in the tech section regarding exhuast "droning", it appears that there is no consensus as to which exhaust does or does not drone. My system has a terrible drone from around 1800-2100 rpm..:ack wether under load or not. I realize some will advise that the soution is simply not to spent time in this rpm zone...agreed..HOWEVER , when I am enjoying a leisurely drive with my wife it is somewhat difficult to avoid and has become an issue for her (along with the lack of cupholders but that is whole 'nother issue::slap) Has anyone experienced this problem with the Hennessey system ? Are their any simple solutions ? I am otherwise infatuated with the exhaust note so I hope the remedy is not to revert back to the stock exhaust!:ack . Spring is coming and I'd like to remedy the situation sooner than later.
 

Mullet

FORD GT OWNER
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 21, 2008
2,468
Houston Texas
I get a slight drone around 2000 rpm. If it bothers you just shift to a different gear.
 

MNJason

GT Owner
May 14, 2010
2,097
San Diego
The stock exhaust is going to look odd with the bumper delete.
 

gtjoey

Keep Smiling - GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 14, 2005
3,454
They all drone at some rpm, I think DBK/BONY have an old video of all the different exhaust systems and how they sound from a long time ago.....If you go back stock you think you went deaf its so quiet after the x pipe swap....:biggrin Different shifts points do help....Guess what the engineers at Ford knew what they were doing.......Ive driven them all, but it sure is nice driving around town at 40 mph and I can hear myself think....am I thinking ? gtjoey1314:biggrin
 

PL510*Jeff

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Nov 3, 2005
4,901
Renton, Washington
They all drone at some rpm, I think DBK/BONY have an old video of all the different exhaust systems and how they sound from a long time ago.....If you go back stock you think you went deaf its so quiet after the x pipe swap....:biggrin Different shifts points do help....Guess what the engineers at Ford knew what they were doing.......Ive driven them all, but it sure is nice driving around town at 40 mph and I can hear myself think....am I thinking ? gtjoey1314:biggrin

It just the rust falling off the brain gears.


btw 40 mph is 800% faster than The Race.
 

dbackg

dbackg
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 28, 2009
691
Tempe, AZ
Who can drive at 40MPH???

Simple solution:

Try WOT .... or don't drive it, it works for EP.
 

SteveA

GT Owner/B.O.D
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 13, 2005
3,700
Sandpoint Id
I have a MMP X pipe which is VERY close in design to all the others and I notice very little drone. There is no reason I can think of why one design would drone while another does not so IMO it must be what each person finds acceptable.
As for the cup holder solution, there is a very cool product that can be found on a Mini Cooper web site (if interested I'll try and find it) that slips a "tongue" under the floor mat to secure a cup holder on top of the floor mat. They can be installed and removed in seconds and blend into the floor nicely. The only problem is the tongue won't slip under the rubber floor mats but work perfectly with after market carpet style floor mats. Like many I removed my rubber mats altogether and had the carpet designed to fit "down" into the same location. One of my favorite mods as I didn't much care for the rubber, do like the carpet and find the cup holders handy. Another side benefit is with size 12 feet the replacement of the rubber mats with carpet has resulted in a bit more foot space.
 

shelbyelite

PERMANENTLY BANNED
May 10, 2007
1
It should not be a big issue to avoid cruising in those RPM ranges. Also, I agree with SteveA, as to the fact that there are a lot of different opinions in levels of drone. The Ford GT has NO carpet or real sound insulation, so the louder exhaust is gonna be heard more in a Ford GT, then a regular vehicle, but I can not remember anyone complaining about significant drone from any of the currently available exhaust.
 

gtjoey

Keep Smiling - GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 14, 2005
3,454
I loved my mini cooper......fun ride......gtjoey1314
 

ChipBeck

GT Owner
Staff member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 13, 2006
5,783
Scottsdale, Arizona
My system has a terrible drone from around 1800-2100 rpm..:ack

Cobra Guy,

I have driven/ridden in pretty much every exhaust combination, with and without Cats, with and without turbos, and that 1800-2100 RPM range will droan in any GT without an actual muffler that forces at least one 180 degree exhaust direction change. Stock, Borla, Tubi, Flowmaster, or the like. I haven't been in any GTs without a muffler that did not droan in that range. I have used the Heffner system with cats, Heffner system without cats, Accufab with stock cats, Accufab without cats, Heffner system with turbos & cats, and I also have a Borla and my stock system. EVERYTHING droans in that RPM range except the Borla or stock muffler on my car. I know that's not what you want to hear (no pun intended).

Chip
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
:agree:
 

gtinmyblood

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 23, 2007
735
Mesa Az/Aspen Co
It's all beautiful music to me...at any RPM!
 

Cobraguy

GT Owner
You're right Chip...that's not what I wanted to hear but certainly what I expected I'd hear! Thanks to all for the confirmation of what I guess I already knew.....diminished drone-tolerance; a result of too many open-header runs back in the day I guess! SteveA...Yes I would appreciate your offer to look up the cupholders on the Mini site...it sounds like the kind of non-permanent solution I am looking for !
 

fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,704
Belleville, IL
Chip is absolutely correct. No drone with stock or with the Borla. Somebody here was selling baffles for the exhausts, maybe ShadowMan. Do a search for baffles, cause I think they were an easily installed an removed fix.
 

RPM217

2005 white/blue stripe
Jun 18, 2010
1,665
Rye Brook, New York
I've got the Borla (Ford Racing Exhaust) and not sure what RPM there is a "noise/drone", but at a 70mph cruise in 5th or 6th gear, my wife falls asleep. I told her that it's the exhaust tone that "relaxes" her. She wanted to know why it didn't do it to me, I told her to me it's great music and I like driving to good music!!!
 

SteveA

GT Owner/B.O.D
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 13, 2005
3,700
Sandpoint Id
You're right Chip...that's not what I wanted to hear but certainly what I expected I'd hear! Thanks to all for the confirmation of what I guess I already knew.....diminished drone-tolerance; a result of too many open-header runs back in the day I guess! SteveA...Yes I would appreciate your offer to look up the cupholders on the Mini site...it sounds like the kind of non-permanent solution I am looking for !

http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NMI4103/InvDetail.cfm
 
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fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,704
Belleville, IL
If you have a drone with your Borla, better look it over carefully and check all the welds. Check to make sure the baffles inside are not broken loose. I've got almost 20K on mine with no drone.
 

2112

Blue/white 06'
Mark II Lifetime
. Like many I removed my rubber mats altogether and had the carpet designed to fit "down" into the same location. One of my favorite mods as I didn't much care for the rubber, do like the carpet and find the cup holders handy. Another side benefit is with size 12 feet the replacement of the rubber mats with carpet has resulted in a bit more foot space.

Which carpet did you go with? Custom? Did you use sound deadener like Dynamat underneath?

Thanks
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,727
Avondale, Arizona
i have a MMP cat back X-pipe and it has no drone....
 

Empty Pockets

ex-GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 18, 2006
1,362
Washington State
.... or don't drive it, it works for EP.


:skep :mad :slap :tongue