Muffler replacement recommendation needed
- Thread starter Vincent998
- Start date
I have had a Hefner and now an Accufab. The Heffner tips do look nicer but I think the Accufab X sounds better. My Accufab is jethot coated in black and looks pretty good out the back. Now with FMS exhaust the sound is even better.
At 75 on the freeway in 6th I have no noise that I consider a drone (have had exhaust on a Mustang that droned badly) and no difficulty with conversation or listening to the fine stereo while cruising. It does get loud when using the right pedal though. I love it.
At 75 on the freeway in 6th I have no noise that I consider a drone (have had exhaust on a Mustang that droned badly) and no difficulty with conversation or listening to the fine stereo while cruising. It does get loud when using the right pedal though. I love it.
Chip - When I first installed my x-pipe, your right...it had a slight droan. Then my friends down at Kirkhams ( Tom ) along with someone who was from Ford helping them on the GT'40' copper car put on a racing heat wrap on the pipes and no more droan ( plus it looks great too) . Yes you can hear the exhaust but no droan at cruising speeds and when you opening it up it howls
DakotaGT
GT Owner
If you like the Heffner tips, but the accufab sound, definitely check out Kendall's x-pipe (Cool Tech)
Beach-GT
GT Owner
I took the stock muffler and welded 3 inch pipes across the inputs to the outputs and installed cutouts. I was expecting butt loud and quiet as my two choices. I was wrong. Wide open the exhaust goes out the tail and the sound seems to go into the muffler. The result is really nice sound and absolutely no drone at any speed. The muffler stays cool as well. I'm going to remove the cutouts and just leave the bypasses in place. The sound is really nice. Not too lound when driving but authoritive if you step on it. It sounds like no other car on the road.
HPGT
GT Owner
The stock muffler is so bulky and tight - I can't imagine taking it out and reinstalling it more than once. There is so much more room around an Xpipe
otis
GT Owner
I agree with Chip on this one. I have the GT guys X pipe with the stock cats on and it does drone. It's not terrible, but it is there. If I drive under 70 MPH it's tolerable, but any speed over that it gets loud. After about an hour I'm tired of listening to it so I keep the car speed down with the revs under 1500 RPMs and I'm good again. I just can't live with the stock quiet sound and love the effect of the pipes singing out the back at full tilt. I was going to ask Rich and Dennis if they would consider adding resonators to an X-pipe to see what the effect on the sound would be. I just added a fabspeed x pipe to my R8 and the sound is amazing. No drone just a bit louder. What do you guys think about this? (Sorry don't mean to hijack your thread and will start another if you think I am)
Rob
Rob
topshot
GT Owner
Headers + Accufab no cats........... nice & loud, can't hear the drone as its to loud..... great pops and stuff.....
debtdrives
GT Owner
t32b
Verde
I had our famous hand model (Shadowman) install an Accufab x-pipe some time back on my 2005. We agreed that for heat reduction (and classic looks) that wrapping them would be wise as well. I wasn't wild about the sedate sound of the OEM muffler but the real goal of the transplant was heat reduction and better airflow in the engine compartment. I never did a before/after temp measurement at spots in the engine area but it just seems like a much better place for the mechanicals to live without that bulk and airflow block out of there.
Anyway, from the moment I hit the highway returning to the Bay Area from Shadowman's shop, there was some modest droning evident in 5th gear at highway speeds - 70-75 mph. Sixth gear is drone free, seemingly at the same RPM (higher speed of course) versus 5th, though that would seem to defy the laws of physics. I too don't like dragging the car at low RPM going up mild inclines on the freeway - though that motor hardly knows that it might be bogging down a bit.
Net net is that though there is a slight drone in 5th gear (only), the combination of stock manifold, cat's and wrapped Accufab x-pipes is a winner. Hardly any drone. Only evident in 5th. A BIT louder than I would have liked but much better - both sonically and (likely) thermally - in the engine compartment. I highly recommend it.
B
Anyway, from the moment I hit the highway returning to the Bay Area from Shadowman's shop, there was some modest droning evident in 5th gear at highway speeds - 70-75 mph. Sixth gear is drone free, seemingly at the same RPM (higher speed of course) versus 5th, though that would seem to defy the laws of physics. I too don't like dragging the car at low RPM going up mild inclines on the freeway - though that motor hardly knows that it might be bogging down a bit.
Net net is that though there is a slight drone in 5th gear (only), the combination of stock manifold, cat's and wrapped Accufab x-pipes is a winner. Hardly any drone. Only evident in 5th. A BIT louder than I would have liked but much better - both sonically and (likely) thermally - in the engine compartment. I highly recommend it.
B
PeteK
GT Owner
Yesterday I replaced my stock muffler with the Ford Racing (FRPP) muffler. My observations on the job and the sound:
The job: Not difficult, but fairly time-consuming. I know Rich (GT Guy) can do it in a couple hours, but it took me all day doing it the first time. Just about when I thought I could get it out, something else was in the way and preventing me from getting it out, so I had to disassemble more of the back end. Part of the trick is to take out the rear tranny mount bolt and drop the tranny on a jack 1-2 inches (that's in the shop manual). The hardest part was getting the old muffler out, because it is bulky and it has the studs that bolt through the cat pipe flanges. Putting the FRPP/Borla in was much easier with the additional room around a smaller can, and it uses nuts and bolts, rather than fixed studs that are on the stock muff.
The sound difference inside the cabin: Let me start by saying that I like quiet at highway cruising speeds, so I was a little concerned that the FRPP muff might be more than I wanted. As we all know, the stock OEM muff is pretty quiet. It does not "drone" at all. That's good if you spend considerable time cruising at highway speed, as I do. About the only sounds you hear inside the cabin are wind and tire noise. The FRPP muff definitely has more engine note when you accelerate, but nothing near as loud as the X or H pipes. From inside, I consider it pleasant, and driving under overpasses (with windows open) sounds really good. At highway speed (windows closed), it does have slight engine note in the 1700-2200 or so RPM range, but not noticeable while cruising flat and level. When I go up a hill, I do notice it, but I do not consider it too much.
I will report back on my impressions as I accumulate more driving, especially if I do a fairly long highway trip.
The job: Not difficult, but fairly time-consuming. I know Rich (GT Guy) can do it in a couple hours, but it took me all day doing it the first time. Just about when I thought I could get it out, something else was in the way and preventing me from getting it out, so I had to disassemble more of the back end. Part of the trick is to take out the rear tranny mount bolt and drop the tranny on a jack 1-2 inches (that's in the shop manual). The hardest part was getting the old muffler out, because it is bulky and it has the studs that bolt through the cat pipe flanges. Putting the FRPP/Borla in was much easier with the additional room around a smaller can, and it uses nuts and bolts, rather than fixed studs that are on the stock muff.
The sound difference inside the cabin: Let me start by saying that I like quiet at highway cruising speeds, so I was a little concerned that the FRPP muff might be more than I wanted. As we all know, the stock OEM muff is pretty quiet. It does not "drone" at all. That's good if you spend considerable time cruising at highway speed, as I do. About the only sounds you hear inside the cabin are wind and tire noise. The FRPP muff definitely has more engine note when you accelerate, but nothing near as loud as the X or H pipes. From inside, I consider it pleasant, and driving under overpasses (with windows open) sounds really good. At highway speed (windows closed), it does have slight engine note in the 1700-2200 or so RPM range, but not noticeable while cruising flat and level. When I go up a hill, I do notice it, but I do not consider it too much.
I will report back on my impressions as I accumulate more driving, especially if I do a fairly long highway trip.
Last edited:
fjpikul
GT Owner
B. West
GT Owner
Great choice. I have had my FRPP muffler almost two years and it really is a pleasant note especially a WOT. As far as removal and installation, I had Hennessy Performance install mine. They did a good job. The only recommendation I have as far as doing anything differently or advising others is to remove the air box first. It really will make it much easier to remove the factory muffler.
Last edited:
PeteK
GT Owner
I drove the car again today a fair amount, including about 20 miles of freeway driving. in the 70-80 MPH range, on flat roads, there's almost no increase in engine noise compared to stock. Going up hills, there's some primary-frequency engine note, but not at all intrusive or annoying. I like the louder bark when I put my foot into it, especially under overpasses. All-in, I'm pretty satisfied with the swap and wish I had done it sooner.
One note on the weights of components: On my bathroom scale, the stock muff weighed 55.6 lbs, and the FRPP can weighed 34 lbs. That's pretty close to what others have reported. So, it's a 20+lb weight savings.
B.West: You MUST to remove the air box to get out the stock muffler--no way to get the muff out with it still in place.
One note on the weights of components: On my bathroom scale, the stock muff weighed 55.6 lbs, and the FRPP can weighed 34 lbs. That's pretty close to what others have reported. So, it's a 20+lb weight savings.
B.West: You MUST to remove the air box to get out the stock muffler--no way to get the muff out with it still in place.
NorthwoodGT
GT Owner
Pete- perfect choice muffler. I've had mine on the red car for a little over 2 years and like you said, not annoying at all but when you step into it, you know you've changed the pitch and note of the muffler. now all you need to do is change the supercharger to the Whipple. the combo of the muffler and the S/C really wakes these babies up plus a dual blade Accufab and ultimate tune from Rich. he also installed cooler spark plugs. great combo and very streetable without changing out the fuel system. jmo
Nafod
GT Owner
I've had an early Ford Racing Muffler on the shelve for many years(9+) and never installed it because I had the Cat delete headers and wanted to install the whole setup and they wouldn't pass the NYS annual inspection.
Relocating to AZ, I installed the muffler only just before the Rally. Two day of driving through the mountain's and a day at the track, the exhaust developed a buzz around the 2K mark.
My dealer in Albany was doing the pre Rally service and the exhaust was installed then. He did mention that I would have to check/tighten the exhaust after about 500 mile. So, this buzz I related to something needing tightening in the exhaust. Turns out everything was snug, but the buzz only increased.
So, maybe 6-700 miles , and the muffler seems to develop the dreaded loose internals/buzz.
Like the exhaust and the sound. Hopefully the buzz can be eliminated.
Next step, contacting Borla . Hopefully Pete, yours is the newer version than the one I had.
Bruce
Relocating to AZ, I installed the muffler only just before the Rally. Two day of driving through the mountain's and a day at the track, the exhaust developed a buzz around the 2K mark.
My dealer in Albany was doing the pre Rally service and the exhaust was installed then. He did mention that I would have to check/tighten the exhaust after about 500 mile. So, this buzz I related to something needing tightening in the exhaust. Turns out everything was snug, but the buzz only increased.
So, maybe 6-700 miles , and the muffler seems to develop the dreaded loose internals/buzz.
Like the exhaust and the sound. Hopefully the buzz can be eliminated.
Next step, contacting Borla . Hopefully Pete, yours is the newer version than the one I had.
Bruce
Cracked weld. Gen 1 is more prone to it but I have seen it on both Gen 1 and 2. Borla will replace