So I bought longtube headers with an H-pipe because I wanted the deep rumble / burble, of course in addition to the power increases. I also previously bought Flowmasters because I liked the nice rumble they had. I figured the longtubes with the flows would really bring out the rumble gurgle, etc.

At idle, they sound pretty nice. There is something going on though when I either really jump on the gas and also when I'm up in the RPMs and get off the gas.

I have the American Racing LTs. When they were installed, the shop who put them on, said there is a rattle on at least one side that comes from the individual pipes being too close together right at the junction of the collector. Basically if you hit the group of pipes with the side of your fist right in front of the collector, the individual pipes vibrate off of each other. Could this be what is causing the rattling type of sound I'm hearing as described above? Or is this something else, like trumpeting, or is this the mufflers?

The LTs have a catted H-pipe, for what its worth.

Here are a couple of vids.

 

The 1st video sounds like trumpeting. I could be wrong. I would have thought that the catted mid-pipe would eliminate the trumpeting.

 

I more call that cackling. That's what my exhaust sounded like when I added longtubes. I was running Ford GTA's at the time. It took a muffler change to Magnaflows to smooth the raspy, cackle sound on my car.

 

maybe where the two pipes are close to hitting or hitting could be tack welded together. That would fix that problem.

 

Hey bud, I have the same longtubes as you except (AR L/Ts with their H-pipe but its catted)my mufflers are Stingers. I've had them on for over 3 years and don't have that sound at all. And what the installer said about the pipes being so close? I call on that. American Racing headers are VERY VERY GOOD, and they fit perfectly. Those guys did a marvelous job on R&D. Like I've said, I've had them for almost 3 years with no rattles up front at all!!

 

I got the LTs with a catted h-pipe specifically to not have the raspy sound of an x-pipe but now I do. The guy at the shop actually showed me what he was talking about with the pipes vibrating off of each other so that's not bs, and he suggested that a tach weld would
likely fix that, but I'm not sure that's the source of the sound. Also very frustrating that I have to "fix" $1500 headers! Which is why I'm
posting. To find out if it could be trumpeting, the mufflers or something else altogether. I just dint know that much about this.

05fordgt, do you have a good sound clip of your headers with stingers??

 

Cackling, that's it. LTs, o/r h-pipe and Mac mufflers were loud and cackled. Magnaflows are nice and quiet and no cackle. I got tired of the loud anyhow...

 

I had a very bad rattle when I first had mine installed. There was nothing wrong with the product it was the install. See sig for video. I will upload another with pypes mid muffler shortly.

 

Listening to the video again I agree it's more of a crackling noise.

 

I like the loud and the rumble, that one of the main reasons I bought long tubes and the h pipe. So If it's a cackle/crackle how do I fix it?

 

Added video to my Sig. Mid Muffler or resonators is prob. the solution.

 

Here are 2 vids with the OBX headers and the Ford GTA muffler and the Magnaflow mufflers. Both are chambered muffler but listen how raspy the GTA's are compared to the Maggies. You can definitly hear the cackle or raspy rattle the GTA's produce. Change your muffler.

http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q...d.flv&newest=1

http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q...d.flv&newest=1

 

Pebkac- I don't have mid mufflers or resonators.

Thanks Scott - I'll check out the vids tomorrow - can't view on my phone.

 

I can't stand the tiny crackle metallic sound of the flows!

 

Well, the crackling sound is what I'm not real pleased about - as stated above - and is what led to this thread. I've had the flows on for about 2 years and never heard the crackle / cackle / metallic sound in the above vids until I put the LTs on. Prior to LTs, the flows gave a nice rumble at a fairly good volume - with no tinny or metallic sounds - and I actually liked them very much.

Now with longtubes installed - I've got these new noises that I can't diagnose and am looking for help deciphering from others who may have had the same types of issues when going to LTs. My LTs are also 1.75" if that matters.

So far I've heard maybe trumpteing, maybe install (I assume implying something is loose or ill-fitting when the LTs were installed) and several folks have blamed the flowmasters.

If I get it up on a lift (or I guess I could jack it up and crawl under it) and can't find any fitment or install issues, I guess I then need good recomendations on a new muffler set-up.

As I've said - I'm going for the rumbly / gurgly old school sound (thus the h-pipe and the flows even pre-LTs). So with the 1.75 headers w/a catted h-pipe, which mufflers will get me to that same rumbly /grumbly place?

The Magnaflows in the vids posted above sound nice but the wind noise makes it hard to really get a feel for the sound other that at WOT on drive bys and they seem to be kind of quiet at idle and at mid pedal range.

I like loud - not SLP loudmouth kind of loud just to be as loud as possible - but I like the volume I had with the flowmasters and still like the volume now - just not the rattle or whatever the hell the sound is - and don't really want to mute the exhaust I paid so much for if I have to change the mufflers

help me out guys
- Thanks!

 

I understand. What I am trying to show you are options. I went with a mid muffler system which got rid of the unbelievably loud sound that just the SLP's left me with. The mid muffler really toned it down but it still loud and fairly close to what you are looking for. BTW you probably will not get exactly what you are looking for.

Just search Youtube or the exhaust thread to see all you can with ARH and whatever combo there is out there.

Good luck.

 

Just out of curiosity, did you try your stock mufflers again? I've heard a few people that love the sound of the stock mufflers with long tubes.

 

You are correct that the Magnaflows are quieter. But they are not as quiet as you think from that one video. That was the day they were installed and after they were broke in they sound much louder. I had 4 complete systems before settling on this one. Your going to have a tough time finding the best of all worlds. These vids are after the Maggies were broke in some.


http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q...3.flv&newest=1

http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q...2.flv&newest=1

http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q...1.flv&newest=1

 

I have had flows and pretty much went through the same the you are. IMO they only sound good with stock cats and headers. Ditch the flows and try a different muffler! They just can't deliver THE SOUND..

 

The second video fairly accurately diagnoses your issue. If a rattle of two tubes where actually the cause of your noise you'd hear it better the closer you get to where those pipes are (in the engine bay). However the noise you're getting is most certainly coming from the tail-pipes.

In this instance your chambered flowmaster mufflers are the cause of your raspy cackling noise.

Chambered mufflers sound cool when they can adequately dampen noise. They do so by bouncing sound waves in specific patterns to double some frequencies while eliminating others through the use of diffusion.

However your mufflers can no longer adequately deal with the exhaust flow of your setup. Likely what is causing that cackle is the baffles within the mufflers themself.

To cure this noise (some actually like it) you're going to need to do a muffler change. If you like the old school rumbly sound I would go with a hybrid chambered/packed muffler like a Bassani. The straight through designed mufflers that use sound absorping materials will certainly sound different. They won't sound anything like your flowmasters but they'll likely reduce or eliminate the cackle you have now.