Do Exhaust Tips Improve Sound?

Do Exhaust Tips Improve Sound?

Whether exhaust tips alone can change the sound of a car depends largely on the components used. Going from a 1.5-inch diameter tip to a 4-inch tip can make the exhaust note deeper but far less so than simply buying a new muffler. There are a number of factors to take into consideration, such as intended effects, budget and additional modifications.

Buying Factors
Though the main part of the exhaust note is determined by the mufflers, resonators, catalytic converter and pipe diameter, there are a few factors that affect sound at the tip. Tip size actually has very little to do with sound, unless you go to a much larger or smaller diameter. Smaller diameter pipe will restrict the engine, slowing the exhaust stream and decreasing engine noise, and a larger diameter tip will make the engine louder only if the original tip was a restriction.

Down-turned tips, particularly those that dump underneath the car, can deepen the exhaust note by bouncing sound off the ground and using the undercarriage as a resonator. The ground will absorb much of the annoying high-frequency sound from smaller displacement engines.

The only way to significantly affect exhaust register is with a tunable tip, such as those manufactured by SuperTrapp. These tips (originally designed for ATVs and dirt bikes) use conical or disc-shaped inserts to both alter the wavelength characteristics of the escaping exhaust and suppress the flames emitted by very short exhaust systems. These tips allow the user to tune the exhaust note slightly by inserting or removing disc spacers that act as a secondary muffler. This is the most effective option for exhaust note tuning, but considering the fact that they cost 10 times what the average tip does, it may be cheaper to just purchase a new muffler.

Length
On applications where it is possible to do so, like motorcycles and ATVs, lengthening the pipe by as little as 6 inches can drastically affect exhaust note. Doing so gives high frequency waves more opportunity to cancel out, allowing the long, low frequency waves to escape.

Installation
When installing tips with any kind of kick-out, try experimenting with the position before you settle on one. Tips designed for round tubing can easily be rotated by loosening the retaining screws and turning them. As stated, many engines sound better with down-turned tips, but try rotating the tips so they face outward, upward, and even inward to see what it sounds like.

After each adjustment, walk around the car while a friend revs the engine.

Turned-out tips will be much louder from the sides, and inward turned tips will move the sound dispersion further back so that it's only really loud when one is standing next to the rear bumper. If you desire an increase or decrease in sound, try rotating the tips so that they're at a 45-degree angle to the ground.

How to Make Your Exhaust Sound Deep on a V-6

How to Make Your Exhaust Sound Deep on a V-6

The size of your V-6 engine is the greatest single influence on exhaust resonance. The volume of space the engine displaces determines the actual volume of the exhaust gas output which passes through the exhaust system. The muffler type, muffler design, exhaust pipe design and construction, and attached aftermarket tips will all contribute to the exhaust sound profile produced by any V-6 engine. In terms of modifications, replacing the muffler will allow for the greatest change in sound resonance, followed by the exhaust pipe design and size. Exhaust tips are typically used to amplify or dampen the exhaust sound output.

Things You'll Need

Muffler

Exhaust pipes

Exhaust tip

Hacksaw

Muffler Replacement

Inspect the existing muffler to determine if it is a stock or performance muffler. Stock mufflers, installed and often branded by the manufacturer, commonly compromise performance to reduce sound output and costs. Replacement of the stock mufflers may allow significantly more exhaust gas to pass through the system in the same amount of time. More volume will typically deepen the tone of the exhaust.

Select a muffler which will both increase gas throughput and have resonator chambers. To deepen the sound of the V-6 exhaust select a muffler design that allows both minimal exhaust restriction as well as resonating chambers to allow the pulses of the exhaust to collide. Collision of the sound waves and exhaust gas will deepen the tone of the exhaust. Performance exhausts also allow more volume to pass through the exhaust system which may also increase the performance output of your V-6.

Install the muffler. To ensure exhaust gases do not escape the exhaust sytem, nearly all muffler designs require welding around the input and output connections. Local muffler shops typically install pre-purchased mufflers for a nominal charge. Local muffler shops also will provide recommendations for tone and performance and may have performance mufflers available for immediate installation.

Exhaust Pipe Size and Design

Determine if your exhaust pipes are stock. Stock exhaust pipes, as with the muffler, compromise some performance and sound to reduce the costs. Increasing the exhaust pipe diameter by one-half to one-full inch results in an increase of the exhaust throughput of the engine. The tone of the exhaust will generally deepen as the volume of exhaust increases.

Install a dual-exhaust.True dual exhaust systems have one exhaust pipe for each of the V-6 engine's manifolds. Replacing a single pipe exhaust system with a dual pipe system will reduce back-pressure to increase the total gas throughput of the exhaust.

Install a cross-over pipe or a dual-in/dual-out muffler design to allow each side of the dual exhaust to counter-balance the pulsing flow of the other. The result of a flow-balanced dual exhaust with larger pipes will be a deeper more mellow tone.

Exhaust Tips

Measure the diameter of the tailpipe. Place a tape measure over the end of the tailpipe to determine, in inches, the greatest width of the pipe. This will be used to determine what size exhaust tip to purchase.

Select an exhaust tip. Exhaust tips that are flared, dual-walled, beveled or increase in diameter from tailpipe to tip will all amplify the sound of the exhaust to varying degrees. Resonated exhaust tips contain a sound dampening material, such as fiberglass, which will reduce the sound output at the tailpipe. Resonated tips can reduce the volume of the exhaust without sacrificing the tone.

Cut off several inches of the existing tailpipe. Select the length of the cut based on the amount of tailpipe required for removal. Be sure to allow some tailpipe to remain as a means of attaching the exhaust tip. Use a hacksaw to cut through the steel.

Install the exhaust tip according to manufacturer instructions. Exhaust tips may be secured with clamps, screws, bolts or welds. Welds are the strongest connection type and may be directly welded to the cut end of the tailpipe. Clamp-on, screw-on and bolt-on exhaust tips slide over the existing tailpipe and are secured with tension to the pipe.

How to Make My Exhaust Sound Louder

How to Make My Exhaust Sound Louder


A vehicle's exhaust sound is affected by four factors. The first and greatest is the engine size. The greater volume of engine displacement -- usually measured in liters or cubic inches -- the greater the exhaust output. Assuming the engine will remain the same, muffler type and construction, exhaust system piping, and exhaust-tip style may be altered or replaced to directly affect the overall sound profile of your vehicle. The replacement of exhaust system components with those designed to increase the exhaust output without sound dampening will make your exhaust sound louder.

Things You'll Need
Exhaust tip
Muffler
Exhaust pipe


Instructions
Replace the muffler with one designed to amplify the sound of your vehicle. Glass packs, straight-through exhausts and straight-pipe designs will significantly increase the sound output over a stock muffler. When you decide to select a new muffler type, consult a muffler shop or select a design that increases the volume of gas expelled through the muffler system without passing through sound-dampening chambers. Mufflers designed with limited baffles also can increase the sound output of your vehicle.

Add a sound-amplifying exhaust tip. Exhaust tips with dual walls, flared ends or large diameters may increase the sound volume of the exhaust output.

Increase the size of your exhaust pipes by 1/2-inch to 1-inch in diameter. This should be done in conjunction with replacement of the muffler to ensure that the gases are not constricted by the old muffler's diameter. The increased volume of gases allowed through your system will not only allow the exhaust gases to be ported from the system more easily, the greater throughput and pipe diameter will create a deeper tone and resonance in the exhaust system.

Connect your exhaust system with welded hangers. If your exhaust system is hanging from the vehicle with rubber mounts, the vibrations transferred from the exhaust system are dampened. Direct connection through welds helps ensure the vibration from the exhaust is heard in the passenger compartment.

How Do I Make Exhaust Louder With a Water Hose?

How Do I Make Exhaust Louder With a Water Hose?

The roar of an engine is one of those sounds motoring enthusiasts love, and many a home hobbyist has spent ages trying to tune and retune his car to get the peak performance that comes with a highly charged engine. Others just want to take a shortcut and make their vehicle louder without the tune up. Adapting exhaust systems is the easiest way to accomplish this. If you have a glasspack muffler, one shortcut you can use is to use water to harden the sound-dampening fiberglass inside the muffler.

Instructions
Drive your vehicle enough to significantly heat up the exhaust system. About 30 minutes of uninterrupted highway driving should be enough to heat up your muffler enough.

Leave your vehicle running so it’s sill producing exhaust, and insert a water hose in the tailpipe until it reaches the start of your glasspack.

Turn the water on, and let it run for about three seconds, then remove the hose from the tailpipe. This causes a reaction in the fiberglass inside the muffler, making it rigid and less able to absorb sound. Try not to let water creep up into the exhaust system, as it will react with exhaust fumes and corrode the system.

Drive your vehicle for another 20 to 30 minutes to continue producing exhaust that will flush any water vapor out of your exhaust system. Water vapor will corrode your exhaust system and may also seep into your engine, corroding parts there.

How Can I Make My Muffler Louder?

How Can I Make My Muffler Louder?

Making your vehicle sound louder doesn't always require a custom exhaust system, which can be very expensive. You will have to buy new exhaust pipes and connect custom Flowmaster or Glasspack exhausts to the back. An easy way to make your muffler louder is to increase the main exhaust exit hole noise by enhancing the sound with a cone-shaped header and by increasing the amount of exhaust exit holes in the muffler itself.

Things You'll Need
Drill
1/4-inch drill bit
Tape measure
Allen wrench
Exhaust tip header



Instructions
Tighten a 1/4-inch drill bit into a drill. Plug in the drill.

Position yourself under the rear of your vehicle directly under the muffler.

Drill 20 to 30 holes in the base of the muffler that are evenly spaced.

Measure the rear exhaust hole diameter on your current muffler. Purchase an exhaust tip header that is the proper diameter; you will want to buy a tip that is cone-shaped so the exhaust sound is amplified.

Remove the set screw on the exhaust tip header neck with an Allen wrench. Push the exhaust tip header onto the end of the muffler exhaust pipe and tighten it into place with the Allen wrench.

How to Make a Car Exhaust Louder Without Buying Anything

How to Make a Car Exhaust Louder Without Buying Anything

The catalytic converter and muffler operate to dampen sounds and control vehicle emissions. Some states require that all vehicles manufactured after a certain date have both. Increasing the noise level of your exhaust on newer vehicles requires purchasing aftermarket exhaust systems. Older vehicles, such as a 1960's era truck, are grandfathered in, allowing for the use of straight piping. You can modify the exhaust on an older vehicle easily without having to buy any expensive parts.

Things You'll Need

Angle grinder

Drill

Instructions

Cut the exhaust pipe with an angle grinder where the exhaust pipe meets the muffler coming out of the engine.

Cut the hangers on the disconnected pipe with the angle grinder and remove the excess pipe. You will see two to three hangers connecting the pipe and the frame extending towards the rear of the vehicle. Cut all of them.

Drill three holes near the tip of the remaining pipe along the bottom edge. The holes will cause some reverberation, increasing the noise level.

How Can I Make My Stock Exhaust Sound Deeper?

How Can I Make My Stock Exhaust Sound Deeper?

There was a time back in the 1980s when auto enthusiasts were all but certain that doom was on the horizon. The rise of emissions equipment, computer controls and whispers of "sealed engine bays" were believed to herald the end of hot-rodding and customization forever. But a funny thing happened on the way to the 21st century -- namely, exactly the opposite. Since the turn of the century, horsepower and hot rods have seen a rise in popularity not known since the muscle-car era. Today, engines are more powerful, cars are faster and more sophisticated, and getting just the right sound is more important than ever before.


Mufflers and Cat-Backs
This is the default solution for many seeking a bit more bass from their ride, and for good reason. Cat-backs are complete replacement exhaust systems that bolt onto the back of the catalytic converter, preserving emissions compliance while enhancing sound. They're often relatively easy to install, and there are a plethora of options available from many manufacturers for most remotely popular applications. Muffler replacements are even simpler, and generally good for a bit of extra rumble. Cat-back systems can add some power too, depending on how restrictive the stock exhaust system was, and how restrictive the upstream exhaust and intake are. But they're almost always guaranteed to deliver some extra volume and a deeper tone. Before making any other major changes, shop around for a cat-back system or new muffler to see if there's one to suit your needs. "Chambered" mufflers typically offer a deeper note than non-chambered mufflers.

Cutting the Pipe
If you want a bit of extra sound without spending any money at all, you can do it with a grinder and a 1/4-inch thick grinding wheel. Start by crawling under the vehicle, and find the exhaust tube where it goes into the muffler. It's usually quite accessible, but use caution if you're working near the fuel tank. Mark out a spot on the tube about two inches from the muffler, and use the grinder to cut a slit in the bottom of the tube. You'll want to cut across the bottom of the tube, about a quarter of the way around its circumference. Start the engine, and walk around the vehicle while someone revs it up, so you can hear how it sounds. If you want it a bit deeper, you can widen the cut to about a third of the pipe's circumference. Additional cuts, spaced about four inches apart, will add depth and volume to the sound. This approach does have its limitations, but it's definitely cheap.

Straighter, Smoother, Larger-Diameter Tubing
The pipe-cutting trick is a good backyard hack for fine-tuning, but you can only take it so far before annoying, high-frequency noise starts escaping the tube, overwhelming the pleasant low-frequency soundwaves you're after. One way to decrease the emission of high-frequency waves is to decrease backpressure with larger diameter tubing. High-frequency waves travel well through dense, pressurized air; low-pressure soundwaves continue to fare well when system pressure drops. That's why high-performance, high-flow exhaust systems naturally sound lower than their lower-flowing, higher-pressure counterparts. Low-frequency waves are also physically longer, so long, straight sections of tubing will typically give a lower sound than tubing with a lot of hard bends. Always use smooth, mandrel-bent tubing; it flows better, and low-frequency soundwaves have an easier time navigating the smooth turns.

Tuning for Sound
Exhaust resonators are a well-known tool for tuning sound without muffling it too much. "Helmholtz resonators" use a length of tubing inside that captures certain unpleasant wavelengths, causing them to cancel out on each other. These can work well to fine-tune pitch, but they're tuned to specific engines and exhaust notes. The same resonator may not affect sound the same way on two different engines. However, you can emulate the effect by installing one or a two six-inch-long "cherry bomb" mufflers in the exhaust system about six inches past your catalytic converter. These shorty mufflers will catch the rapidly bouncing high-frequency waves, while leaving the longer, deeper waves relatively unaffected. This early cancellation also helps to reduce exhaust drone, or pipe vibration due to high-frequency tubing vibration. Thicker tubing, or wrapping the tubing in header wrap can have the same effect, if you don't mind the weight or aggravation.

Further Up
Obviously, eliminating the catalytic converter will open up a whole new realm of possibilities as far as sound is concerned, but it's also completely illegal if your vehicle originally came with a converter. Switching to an aftermarket, high-flow, metal-core converter will make a big difference in sound if you've already done work to the cat-back portion of the system -- especially if you started out with an ancient lead-pellet-style converter. Check for legality regarding the retrofit, though. Assuming you've already worked on the rest of the system, a set of full-length headers using long merge collectors will get your engine sounding about as deep as it ever will, for the same reasons mentioned in Section 3. For a given header primary tube length, the larger diameter and straighter the tubes, the deeper the sound should be. Equal-length headers are always best for performance; but, if you're going for sound, straighter header tubes should offer better low-frequency sound transmission.