'Performance' mufflers

dawgfan · March 19, 2004

I thought the muffler made a difference in the rumble when installing a catback dual exhaust, but it's the large tips that made a difference on my truck. When I cut off the 24" long, 3" diameter chrome tips in favor of a smaller diameter, side discharge pair the rumble disappeared. I had to install another set of wider diameter tips to get the sound back. Why buy a 'performance muffler' when you can just add tips?

03GMCinBC · March 19, 2004

Good Question, I was thinking about replacing my 4" tip but now I will wait to see what the concensus is here. I was going to go with stainless steel instead of chrome. I have a flowmaster on and really like the sound right now so I dont want that to change.

Also, there are tips that appear to have a double wall. How do those affect the sound of the exhaust?

LikeaRock14 · March 19, 2004

"wortec's" are a Flowmaster knockoff, don't sound exactly the same, but same characteristics of sound.

I'm not too great with tips, but yes, tips make a difference. A larger diameter tip that's also quite long makes more of an echo sound. A smaller tip hooked to a smaller pipe size will make a quieter sound, less rumble, a little more refined. The muffler IS what ad's that true performance sound, the tips just sorta kinda ad to it.

Doiuble wall tips are basicaly what they say I gues, double walled. They do make resonaed tips that help cut sound down some, seem to help I guess

Oh yeah, go stainless BC! It lasts longer and if you keep them shiny they look d**n good. I painted the inside of my tip black (Carefully masked off around the very outer edge and all around the truck so I wouldn't overspray the truck lol. I did it a little over a yr ago, and it still looks black as it did the day I painted it! No rust!0 That's the only other way to keep Chrome tips lasting longer.

dawgfan · March 19, 2004

My Vortex muffler sounded no different than the OEM without the tips. My tips were installed last week and have already rusted inside. I liked the idea bout black paint - is it too late to paint and if not, what prep do you suggest?

LikeaRock14 · March 19, 2004

Nah, it's not too late to paint. I've had exhaust for about 2 years now, and I did it about 8-9 mths after mine was installed. All i did was take a scotch-brite pad, cleaned the surface inside somewhat, and then just masked the tip off and then covered areas where it was possible to get overspray. I let the truck idle for about 20 min. just since I wasn't sure if it would hold, but it's help fine so far. The rust on your is prolly just surface rust from condensation build up. When I have my exhaust redone eventually I'm having stainless tips installed instead of Chrome

I thought Vortec was just a Flowmaster knock-off, I gues I'm thinking of another brand. Just go with a new muffler to get that performance sound back.