How to quiet my exhaust?
 

I live in a small condo complex and my neighbors have started to complain about the noise. The exhaust is pretty much stock right now except that the previous owner had removed the pre-cat and replaced the main cat. Its still the original muffler and all gaskets are new. Are there any tricks for quieting it down? One trick I heard was to stuff some steel wool in the tail pipe and use some wire to hold it in. I'm just looking for cheap and temporary fixes. I also ordered a bonez race pipe, so hopefully the resonator will help some. Any help is appreciated. I'm tired of my neighbors complaining.

Get a turbo :nod:

or RB muffler with 2 rb presilencers.

^ lol

actually what worked for me is go get a cheap ass stock replacement. when i did that not only was it way lighter, but about 25% quieter....estimated....

Bonez pipe with stock muffler is fairly quiet. I've had/have both 83 and 84 cars with this exhaust set up. Not like "normal" cars, but quieter than most motorcycles. Any leak will raise the noise level significantly. New gaskets and bolts are a good idea. Tighten all the bolts by hand first, then torque them down.

Thanks guys. Any advice helps. I know I have some exhaust leaks from the cat since the air pipe isn't hooked up. I just found a bolt that fit and threaded it into the pipe on the cat. My weld on the o2 sensor bung probably isn't air tight either. I'll be taking the Bonez pipe to a professional welder to have the bung put in. I'll look around for a cheap replacement muffler. I'm sure mine is probably on it's last leg. Could even be the problem.

Make sure the muffler will handle the hot exhaust from the rotary. Fiberglass packed muffler might last a week. Should be one with Stainless Steel packing. Rarely cheap. I would get the pipe installed and fix any leaks first. If the noise is still too much you will know you need a new muffler.

Start spending your evenings sitting on your balcony, cleaning your shotgun.

Why work towards a quieter car, when what you really want is quieter neighbors?

I have no problems with the way the car sounds right now. I'm just looking for ways to shut up the whinny neighbors until I move either later this year or early next. They cant even complain to me directly. They go to the "Block Captain". If I do replace the muffler it will be a cheap stock replacement. I want the Bonez one but its a little too pricey for something that will be replaced after I move. If I had a shot gun and a balcony I would definitely do that. lol. I can't even get my .35 here because It has to go through Canada to get here and that's just too much of a hassle. lol. I think a lot of the problem with the sound is actually in the way the complex is designed. Sound basically bounces between the condos and the garages. I'm no expert though. :)

Tell them, since they want to act collectively, they can all chip in to buy you a new muffler.
Or they can cite the city ordnance that you have violated.
Or they can go piss up a rope.

If your car is essentially stock and in good repair they've likely no leg to stand on. If they are citing a lease clause that has any word like "reasonable" in it, they'll never be able to enforce what is a reasonable level of noise anyway.

Thats my thinking on the matter. I'm willing to spend a couple bucks to try to keep the peace not not any more than that. They are all a bunch of rich snobs or retired. Most of the condos were empty until last week. Most people use the condos as summer homes, so if someone does something they don't like then they complain. They are going to have to get over it real quick though because once the car is drivable then I will be using it as my DD every morning. They can't tell me when I can and can't drive my car. I didn't complain one bit to them when the "Block Captain" had a party a few weeks ago and had 19 people over until after 2am drinking and singing. I try to be reasonable and not run the car during dinner or if the neighbors are outside and downwind. But they are getting ridiculous. I'm going to dig out the lease agreement and see what it says about noise levels. If they keep complaining after I finish with the car and if I'm not violating anything they I will give them the site, Part#, and price for a new muffler and tell them to buy it or shove it. And I will start to complain about every single thing anyone does that I don't like.

:rlaugh:

I too love that post.
Great advice DivinDriver.

best advice ever :)

ok who has it qouted to their sig now?

lol

I second this. Tell them they can buy you a Racing Beat muffler or they can shove it. Remind them that since it's over 25 years old you're already doing them a favor by having a main muffler at all.

I read my lease agreement and it basically says to maintain a peaceful environment. Violation of which can result in loss of the security deposit. If it was my money I honestly wouldnt care but its my friends. This is so frustrating. I cant wait to be out of this place. This place looked great before we moved in. Once we got here we found that there is rot in the walls and ceiling (which was poorly patched before), the stair railing was pulling out of the wall, bathroom tile grout was cracked, fireplace has to be professionally cleaned before we can use it, and we had an earwig infestation. And whenever we mention something we just get excuses. I have to share a 2 car garage with my neighbor as well. Not much room to work and I have to make sure nothing gets on their side.

I've got a single presilencer you can have. It needs a new stud welded in but works fine, and should quiet it down, if you want it let me know.

I had a header straight to a stock muffler and it was loud and annoying as hell. I've also got an RB single muffler..

I do a lot of work at condo complexes and I know what you mean about the whiny little b*tches that live there. When people share walls, it's like having too many rats in a cage. Soon they will start eating each other. People who choose to live there are in denial that they couldn't afford a house, or would be better off with an apartment.

Trying to think of ways to help your situation without a whole lot of money...

Is there parking outside of the complex that you can use?
Keep the revs super low?
Would wrapping the exhaust pipe help? Someone said that a lot of sound gets out thru the walls of the exhaust pipe.
Could you attach a SuperTrapp style muffler (disc only) to you tail pipe? Remove it once you are clear of the yahoos?
Find a used muffler that's in better shape for a cheap source? My original was nearly perfect when I tossed it out. I gave it away to the garbage man.

push the car???

oh wow, i just Googled "Bonez pipe" and this came up. It doesn't sound all that quiet to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5dlZw4Rswc

(not serious at all now)
pull the coil wires and use the starter motor, and now call you car an electric car?

Sorry, it's Sat morning and I don't know why I'm thinking about this so much.
but for a serious cheap and dirty method of maybe quieting your 7 for the condo...

Hillbilly Muffler:
Take a large coffee can,
-cut a hole or holes in it
-pack it with some sound deadening material, fiberglass insulation maybe?
-attach it to your tail pipe with some clamps
-proceed carefully. go slow and it shouldn't get too hot.
--------------------don't forget to remove it once you are out on the street!

I know that this isn't optimal, nor safe. But this is what I would call a desperate and cheap alternative.

I know someone that was playing around with hillbilly gun silencers, and he had some success with this method. don't ask why.

I was actually thinking of making some silencers like they sell for the huge honda mufflers. They are simple and would only cost a couple dollars in materials.