How to Remove an Exhaust Resonator

How to Remove an Exhaust Resonator

An exhaust resonator on a car acts like a preliminary muffler. It mounts after the catalytic converter, and silences the exhaust an extra step before the muffler. Some people like this, but others prefer the sound of a vehicle with a bit more exhaust rumble. For them, one option is to remove the exhaust resonator from the system, which will make the exhaust louder in the process. This should take around an hour to do.

Things You'll Need
Jack
Jack stands
Tire iron
Reciprocating saw
Metal reciprocating saw blades
Gloves
Eye protection
Hearing protection



Instructions
Lift the vehicle up with the jack and put it onto a set of jack stands. Make sure there is enough room underneath the vehicle for you to work with the reciprocating saw.

Locate the exhaust resonator, which is mounted after the catalytic converter, and is typically just before the muffler. Put on your eye and hearing protection, as well as the gloves.

Put the metal reciprocating saw blade into the reciprocating saw. Cut the exhaust pipe 2 inches forward of the resonator and 2 inches rearward of the resonator with the reciprocating saw. Take the resonator out from underneath the vehicle.

What Is an Exhaust Resonator?

What Is an Exhaust Resonator?

Internal combustion engines usually make a lot of noise while they are running, and this noise can be annoying and exhaustive to your ears, especially when it is heard for a long period of time. Thus, mufflers were created to reduce the noise generated by the exhaust system. Exhaust resonators, meanwhile, further reduce the noise by making sound waves that cancel noises out.

Structure

A typical automotive exhaust resonator is made of a hollow steel cylindrical tube and is attached to the muffler of an exhaust system. This type of resonator is designed similar to that of an acoustic resonator, which creates an “exhaust note” that gives the exhaust noise a less annoying and more pleasant tone. The sound can be enhanced by means of adjusting the exhaust note.

Function

Exhaust resonators are usually add-on features in exhaust systems. They are placed together with the mufflers along the exhaust pipe and work primarily to decrease exhaust noise. The exhaust noise passes through the resonating chamber, which in turn tunes the sound to cause destructive interference in order to be canceled out by the opposite sound waves.

Availability

Being an add-on device, exhaust resonators are provided by aftermarket manufacturers and can be installed on muffler systems of internal combustion systems, such as automobiles and motorcycles. Some vehicles already are equipped with tuned exhaust systems with resonators, thus making the exhaust pipes capable of pulling the combustion products out of the chamber faster with reduced sound. Most aftermarket producers improve the exhaust tuners, as these help the vehicle perform more efficiently.

Advantages

Exhaust resonators provide a wide array of benefits to vehicle owners. Aside from reducing the noise from the engine’s exhaust system, resonators also enhance overall engine performance and smoother driving because more horsepower is yielded without wasting as much fuel. Noise suppression also helps in passing fuel emission tests, as the resonator prevents chassis rattling, an effect that usually leads to contaminated fuel emissions.

Support

Aside from exhaust resonators, catalytic converters also are part of the overall exhaust system to help the muffler perform its function of reducing exhaust noise. However, instead of canceling out each other's sound waves, their effect is to restrict the sound coming out of the exhaust pipe. Catalytic converters work hand in hand with exhaust resonators in reducing and suppressing engine noise, thus allowing the vehicle to achieve optimum engine and driving performance as compared with using mufflers alone.

What Is the Function of a Muffler?

What Is the Function of a Muffler?

Mufflers are installed on cars and motorcycles to increase airflow out the engine by dissipating exhaust gases. They are also used to suppress exhaust noises by decreasing sound levels emitted by the engine.


Performance
Mufflers are the last part of the exhaust system. By channeling exhaust gases, they promote better airflow in the engine, which allows for better combustion and, in turn, translates to better performance and gas mileage.

Sound Suppression
A muffler channels the pressure waves created by the engine valves and bounces them around a chamber, creating opposite waves. The clash of the two sets of waves annuls each one, and the emitted noise is muffled.

Considerations
Mufflers come in varying lengths, designs and material. Performance mufflers are designed to provide more power output rather than noise reduction. A straight muffler increases maximum airflow of exhaust by allowing gases to pass through the muffler and out the tailpipe quickly. A muffler that is curved restricts exhaust airflow, but it can produce a sportier "roaring" sound.

What Is the Function of the Exhaust System?

What Is the Function of the Exhaust System?

An exhaust system carries waste gases and other combustion products away from an automobile engine. It allows the vehicle to operate with minimal noise, smoke and pollution transmitted to the environment. A properly maintained exhaust system is essential to the clean and efficient operation of the car.

Function
For the internal combustion engine that drives trucks, cars and motorcycles, the exhaust system carries waste gases away from the engine and through a system of manifolds and pipes. The exhaust system is an essential part of a vehicle engine and must be kept in good working order, otherwise engine performance and mileage will suffer.

Exhaust Manifold
The exhaust manifold is the first component of the exhaust system. It comprises a stainless steel, aluminum or cast-iron unit that adjoins the engine's combustion cylinders and collects exhaust gases from the combustion process. Car enthusiasts have the option of detailing their engine with exhaust headers or extractors, which are a series of pipes that are individually linked to the cylinders. The exhaust is funneled into a collector that directs the exhaust to the secondary components of the exhaust system. This arrangement allows the engine to run more efficiently.

Mufflers
A system of exhaust pipes carries the exhaust gases through a muffler, which contains a series of baffles that damp the noise of the engine combustion and escaping gases. Without a muffler, the noise of combustion would escape directly from the exhaust pipe, creating a tremendous distraction for drivers and pedestrians. By law in all states, automobile mufflers must be in good working condition.

Catalytic Converter
A catalytic converter completes the ignition of gases that have been incompletely burned within the engine's combustion chamber. The catalytic converter prevents pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides from escaping into the atmosphere. By law, the catalytic converter must be in good working condition, and many states require annual testing of this component to assure that the vehicle is emitting minimal pollutants into the atmosphere.

Tailpipe
The engine exhaust finally reaches the tailpipe, which is made of stainless steel or steel tubing. The exhaust pipe vents the gases behind or above the vehicle. Modern exhaust systems have reduced automobile pollutants by a considerable amount in the past few decades and have helped to reduce smog and other pollution in most large cities.

What Are the Functions of the Brake System?

What Are the Functions of the Brake System?

A brake system is one of the most important parts of a vehicle. No matter what kind of vehicle people use, an efficient braking system will always be of utmost concern to ensure safety.

Deceleration
The main function of the brake system is to decelerate or decrease the speed of a vehicle. By stepping on the brake pedal, the brake pads compress against the rotor attached to the wheel, which then forces the vehicle to slow down due to friction.

Absorption
A brake system absorbs the kinetic energy of the vehicle mechanically or electrically in order to decrease its speed. In mechanical brakes, friction converts the kinetic energy into heat. In electric brakes, an electric current forces a magnet to apply the brakes.

Brake Booster
Vehicles have power brake boosters in order to boost or enhance the pressure applied in the brake pedal. They minimize the pressure needed from the driver to decelerate or stop the vehicle.

Antilock Brake System (ABS)
The anti-lock brake system modulates the brake pressure along the wheels, allowing the driver to control and maintain speed, as well as to stop the vehicle in the shortest possible distance.

Hand Brake
Also known as the parking brake, the hand brake is a mechanical lever that allows the driver to put the vehicle into an emergency stop in case of a brake failure. It is totally separate from the vehicle's hydraulic brake system.

What Is a Split Braking System?

What Is a Split Braking System?

The simplest way to describe a split braking system is to visualize that the pressure to the brakes are applied to the wheels on separate lines carrying a special hydraulic fluid. This is done for several reasons, safety among them. There are two basic types of split braking systems. One is a front and rear split system. The second is called a diagonal split braking system. There are different reasons for both, though they share the common goal of straight-line braking.


A Primer
Since braking systems work based on hydraulic fluid that runs through lines that apply pressure to braking cylinders in the wheels, a brake line failure may prove catastrophic. If the line leaks or breaks for any reason, pressure is lost. Without pressure when the brake pedal is applied, the braking cylinders in the wheels couldn't apply the force needed to stop the wheels from spinning and, in turn, not stop the vehicle. This applies to both systems.

Double Back-Up
Sometimes, split braking systems use two master cylinders to control each conduit (brake line). This is akin to a double safety back-up. Since master cylinders exponentially increase the force of the hydraulic fluid to the brakes, should one fail, the vehicle still has stopping capability, albeit the stopping distance is greater and less even (more difficult to control). On the other hand, with two master cylinders, the system has one more additional part that could fail, but engineers consider that the safety features outweigh the potential for failure if properly maintained.

Diagonal Split
The diagonal split concept comes from the fact that the left rear and right front brakes are on one hydraulic line while the right front and left rear brakes are on another. The diagonal split system, because it maintains braking ability for both a front and rear tire, is easier for the driver to control the vehicle in emergency brake failure. In a nondiagonal system, all the braking power would transfer to either just the front or back tires, increasing the likelihood of skidding and possibly losing control.

Loads
Front brakes on vehicles typically sustain about 70 percent of the braking load, which makes sense since vehicles are generally traveling forward at high rates of speed. This varies, at times substantially, if the vehicle is hauling heavy loads. A front and rear split braking system is less desirable when the vehicle is expected to be hauling loads because if the front system fails, the remaining rear system may be inadequate to safely stop the vehicle. It's one of several reasons why diagonal braking systems are generally preferred in most modern automobiles and light trucks, particularly those expected to be hauling horse trailers and the like.

Science is Good
Whichever split system is installed on your vehicle, you can find some comfort with the advent of anti-lock braking systems (ABS), which were a significant development to preventing unsafe stopping conditions by keeping the tires in relative synchronization. By keeping the revolutions of all the tires electronically within a 5 to 10 percent rolling velocity, it helps the driver keep the vehicle under control while it is brought to a stop, minimizing skidding and the loss of control that could easily lead to accidents. Even without brake failure, it helps safer stopping by more equally distributing the braking power of the vehicle.

Safety Precautions When Handling Brake Fluid

Safety Precautions When Handling Brake Fluid

Like commercial aircraft landing gear, backhoe buckets and racing jacks, your vehicle’s brakes are driven by a powerful liquid-based system. This pressurized, sealed system uses the muscle pressure of a hydraulic medium to slow your vehicle when you press the brake pedal. Brake fluid, regulated by the Department of Transportation, is hazardous and must be handled with care.

Glycol-based Brake Fluid
DOT-3, DOT-4 and DOT-5.1 glycol-based brake fluid has several hazardous properties. Ingestion is a major concern and may cause liver or kidney failure, and affect lung and central nervous system function. Although it has low volatility, inhalation of large quantities of glycol-based brake fluid mist, fumes or vapor may cause cough, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, or even death. It is an eye irritant and can be absorbed through the skin. Spilled glycol-based brake fluid is slippery and may cause falls.

Silicone-based Brake Fluid
Silicone-based DOT-5 brake fluid is an eye and skin irritant and may be absorbed through the skin. It has a lower ingestion toxicity and inhalation is not a large concern due to its viscous nature. However, use extreme care to avoid ingestion or inhalation, wear proper personal protective equipment, and apply first aid if swallowed or ingested.