The dreaded raspiness!!!

[matt86sx]

I recently had a rasping problem (mostly at lower rpm under load) and it actually turned out to be a baffle plate rattling inside the muffler. That was actually one of my first thoughts since the sound was so sharp and metallic, but tapping/shaking the muffler a bit revealed no noises so I fugured that wasn't it. When I took it to the exhaust shop the guy recognised the problem right away and I had it replaced under warranty.

If that's not the cause of yours though, I think a hot dog will make a pretty big difference since you don't have one.

[myne]

Resonators make a HUGE difference to the sound, and they dont add much in the way of restriction.
Mine's currently cat > 2foot resonator > non-straight-through muffler. The exhaust ifself is pretty quiet, quite deep without droning and no hint of raspiness from within the car.

[Stomp86]

The quality of the muffler you choose is definitly the source of your problem....if its one of those cheap and nasty autotechnica ones change it for a superCat or similar and you should have no more issues....also larger external diameter mufflers are quieter then the smaller motorcycle style ones. And also its hard to diagnose a problem without hearing it....take it to an exhaust place and they will tell you how to fix it better then we can.

Adam

[benjamin]

Guys

We all laugh when we see a kitted up lancer or something plant it next to you and basically it goes no where and makes a terrible RRAAASSSSPPPPP noise

I recently upgraded my exhaust and NOW ITS HAPPENING TO ME

MY CAR IS TOO COOL it does not deserve a raspy exhaust. Its happening in 1st and 2nd only between 3000rpm and 6000rpm.

I am running a 4AGZE motor. some custom 4-1 extractors, 2.5 cat, 2.5 piping, a long muffler and 2.5 tip. Also i have a 175mm crank pulley. The car rumbles at low rpm and get louder as the rpm increases to a scream at high rpm.

Does anyone know what causes it?I thought it might be my cat converter. I got it for 20 bucks off ebay "2.5 inch Skyline cat"

Thanks in advance I have to get rid of it!!!!!

My exhaust is the same specs as yours bar the single long muffler. I have two shorter mufflers where your one muffler sits.

However, I think it might be your cat.

Go to a wreckers with a hack saw and check out some of the cats off the VN commodores. Some (or most) are 2.5 inch diameter and are usually still in good condition. Make sure you get the flanges aswell.

I am using one of those on my MR2 and I love how my exhaust sounds (except for it being a bit loud)

[Dom-AE71]

i dont know if anyone went into detail as the why the cheapo mufflers are shit, basically they are packed with fibre glass and they heat up and the fibre glass melts over time, u know when its really far gone when you can hear rattles, which is balls of fibreglass that have melted into beads.

like a few people have said, buy a good quality muffler and see how you go.

[BigWillieStyles]

^ yeah cheap mufflers are shite! I have a magnaflow muffler on my prelude and it sounds farken awsome throughout the rev range. While some of my friends have cheap ebay ones that sound really raspy and drone on the highway.

Although those 4agze engine do sound alittle raspy anyway.

[Stefan]

Another thought on this:

My 22RE used to have a dogleg type muffler (inlet on on side, exit in centre), and sounded fine until the muffler wore out. Now it has a centre-in centre-out baffled type (off parts car) and apart from being nowhere near as free revving as before, has more of the type of rasp you describe in the upper revs as it is being restrictive.

Having said that, if your muffler isn't a cheapo one one and sounds raspy, I think you need a resonator. Does the stock AW11 system have one? Either way, a good exhaust shop should be able to help you out, as I imagine they would know a fair bit about exhaust tone Find somewhere helpful and ask them for some advice & a quote.