Replace resonator with straight pipe difference?

[901Memphis]

I am going to the muffler shop tommorow to get my resonator replaced it's rotted out and they quoted me $150 for the job but I'm wondering if the cost would be cheaper if I requested a straight pipe? I already have a walker quiet flow muffler on my Buick Century and it's pretty quiet . I can't imagine a resonator delete would make any measurable difference in resonance or sound in this application?

To reiterate I am wanting to save money, not make a sound difference but if it changes the tone or interior resonance mildy I won't mind.

 

[expat]

Cut the old resonator off, and see how it sounds.

Resonators should be cheap. What is a short Cherry Bomb worth these days?

 

[spasm3]

With the cats in place i don't think a resonator makes much difference. Its basically a glasspack. Now put a long glasspack on that century in place of the muffler and it will sound great! I have it on my ciera. Its not that loud at idle.

 

[147_Grain]

Straight pipe should cut the cost in half, but the sound or drone might be 25% louder.

 

[eljefino]

If you're DIYing it, maybe, but could you imagine paying ~$30 less and regretting it and not being able to undo it without paying more labor?

 

[901Memphis]

It already leaking pretty good at the front of the resonator since it's all rusted, I can't imagine a non leaking straight pipe being louder. It was too quiet before the leak I couldn't even hear it running.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
If you're DIYing it, maybe, but could you imagine paying ~$30 less and regretting it and not being able to undo it without paying more labor?


Yes that's a good point and precisely why I was asking four opinions before I went ahead and made a decision.

 

[wemay]

You may like the initial rumble but when you're tired from long days work and just want a relaxing drive home, that drone will get on your last nerve. Very few of these DIY exhaust modifications give any quality sound as does a nice stock or aftermarket system.

 

[19jacobob93]

Just put a cat back (made by Redback Aus) system on the Falcon for the same reason. Being live axel RWD, the exhaust has a huge 'bridge' bend over the top of the axel and this causes the exhaust system to catch water in the mufflers either side of the bend and rot from the inside out.
When I bought the car 3 years ago it had a brand new exhaust fitted (was a cheap one though) and that lasted 18 months before rusting apart and literally dropping off.
The old system had 2 mufflers and a resonator after the cat (was very quiet!)
The new system has just one muffler or resonator which doesn't catch water and basically allows it to blow straight out without obstruction. Many people with the same system on for 10 years+ with no signs of rotting so a straight pipe can be a wise investment in some cases.
A lower resistance exhaust can also be better for performance and fuel economy.
It was cheap too at $190 (less than a days wage!) compared to $250 for an original one.
Only dowside is, when under load it has a big drone at around 2,000-2,500 rpm.
At idle and between 600-1,800 rpm it has a great v8 like rumble and past 3,000 rpm it has that awesome inline 6 scream!
At highway speeds it is completely silent in the cabin. For me this should be a great long term investment and I would recommend it to anyone

 

[splinter]

Nothing to it...virtually indistinguishable to the ears.

$50.

 

[Kool1]

You may want to replace the resonator with a straight through muffler such as Magnaflow, or try a glasspack. They have low restriction to flow and will help eliminate drone.

 

[901Memphis]

One of the things that I'm concerned about is that they will use some random aftermarket resonator that fits and isn't tuned for the engine noise anyways so it might not cancel noise any better than a straight pipe or cost more.

If the cost is close I will probably just get the resonator but if it saves me $50+ I'll get a straight pipe.

 

[bvance554]

Cars used to have a muffler, and that was all. Then cats and a muffler. Now resonators. What is this drone you speak of? What is the point of the resonator, and do todays mufflers not do a sufficient job of muffling? I say get rid of the resonator.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
It was too quiet before the leak I couldn't even hear it running.


There's no such thing as an engine that's too quiet. Those GM V6's aren't the best sounding engines either.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
It was too quiet before the leak I couldn't even hear it running.


There's no such thing as an engine that's too quiet. Those GM V6's aren't the best sounding engines either.
Lol yeah it'd drive you nuts hearing the piston slap in these engines.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: bvance554
What is the point of the resonator, and do todays mufflers not do a sufficient job of muffling? I say get rid of the resonator.


A lot of it has to do with muffler location and size. Back i the day most mufflers were in front of the rear axle.
Many of today's cars have them right in the rear behind the bumper. With long runs of pipe the exhaust can generate a acoustic "droning" noise at certain RPM's.
Even on some old long wheel base cars the tail pipe run was so long it needed a resonator in the rear to keep it nice and quiet. These were common on luxury cars where they wanted no complaints about exhaust noise.

This is general info there are always exceptions and different variation to accomplish the same thing, today some manufacturers play around with white noise to do this job or to create noise (enhanced or generated sound) that doesn't exist in some cases eg electric cars.

Generally if the muffler is in a balanced location with pipes no very long before or after it eliminating the resonator wont be that noticeable. If it in the rear it may have some undesirable noise at certain RPM in the cabin.
If quiet is important keep the resonator.

 

[901Memphis]

I don't have any piston noise in the warmer months with high mileage oils. My next fill will be defy.

 

[3800Series]

It will be louder but I would go with the cheapest option. You mentioned rust leak so I can't say for certain if it would be louder then it is now. I would guess not but no really way to tell over a image board.

About 15 years ago I had a catalytic converter go bad. I went cheap and took a screw driver and a hammer to it to bust it all out and it worked perfectly fine afterwords. Louder but fine, it's not going to make a dramatic diffrence in noise either way. Yes replacing the resonator will defiantly quiet it down but it's not worth the extra expense IMHO.

It all comes down to pros and cons

 

[howie2092]

+1 for straight pipe.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: bvance554
What is the point of the resonator, and do todays mufflers not do a sufficient job of muffling? I say get rid of the resonator.


A lot of it has to do with muffler location and size. Back i the day most mufflers were in front of the rear axle.
Many of today's cars have them right in the rear behind the bumper. With long runs of pipe the exhaust can generate a acoustic "droning" noise at certain RPM's.
Even on some old long wheel base cars the tail pipe run was so long it needed a resonator in the rear to keep it nice and quiet. These were common on luxury cars where they wanted no complaints about exhaust noise.

This is general info there are always exceptions and different variation to accomplish the same thing, today some manufacturers play around with white noise to do this job or to create noise (enhanced or generated sound) that doesn't exist in some cases eg electric cars.

Generally if the muffler is in a balanced location with pipes no very long before or after it eliminating the resonator wont be that noticeable. If it in the rear it may have some undesirable noise at certain RPM in the cabin.
If quiet is important keep the resonator.
Some of us can remember when the average school bus had a mile long tailpipe and what it sounded like. The device should be called an "anti-resonator" because that's what it is intended to do, break up resonate lengths. In many single exhaust designs the "resonator" can lower back pressure by preventing the formation of standing waves. I wouldn't just yank the thing. On European cars it's interesting to see what layout companies like ANSA, Abarth and Monza, among others, use for their upgrade systems. The science of this stuff (transmission line theory) can cause non-engineers eyes to glaze over. It is worth a Google of "exhaust system design" though.
Those baffed out Civics with the hanging F can mufflers are so slow off the line because those mufflers have totally bleeped up low RPM scavenging which degrades torque.