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Got some stainless X-Force headers.

VERY impressed with the performance.

VERY unimpressed with the sound.

Soooooooo raspy. So raspy I can't hear my sexy Jackson Racing CAI sucking noises. So noisy I had my head under my car while someone revved so I could try and find the "leak" that I obviously had in one of the joins. God. That noise. I hate it. Picked up a nice 2.25" catback from a forum member going turbo which has a resonator in it - ZERO difference.

I hate the noise so much that I'm seriously considering going back to stock headers and eating the performance loss just so it doesn't sound like a can full of ADHD bees (or worse, a Honda) every time I open it up.

What's the verdict people? SS headers gonna hate? Get something mild steel with a JDM twist?

It's making me sad right now.

All headers will do this.

Mild steel will be not as bad.

This is what tuned cars sound like

Dann

NitroDann wrote:All headers will do this.

Mild steel will be not as bad.

This is what tuned cars sound like

Dann

I don't want to live in a world where stock headers sounds cooler than sexy looking SS ones (that actually perform really well). Especially when they drown out my sweet intake noise.

I was loving the intake noise and foolishly assumed more flow would just make it sound sweeter.

Is anyone actually happy with the sound of their headers? because even though the power output is better, my overall enjoyment of the car has decreased.

I'm not interested in a super deep tuba style note, nor am I looking for heaps of noise. Just want it to sound like something, anything, that's better than this.

Everyone I know is.

Dann

My Genie extractors sound raspy too, i might just have to put a turbine in the exhaust to muffle the sound (I know, I know).

What raspy sound?

haha i think its an NA6 thing, my 1.6 sounded like many buzzing bees were chasing you, not really affected by different cat backs.
Except a cannon. That mostly gets rid of the rasp but then you gain drone.

My 1.8 is not nearly as bad. I've had jdm ss headers both times.

Get a longer resonator put in, and a smaller muffler.

funny how eveyone wants there mx5 not to sounds like a moded car. all these low capacity even timing engine (just like hondas etc) will sound like this when modding the exhaust.

personally very surprized that just the headers have produced this sound. normally a free flowing muffler or multi diameter exhasut pipes creating chambers cause this. and high flow cats just add alot of volume to what is already there.

Not sure how much difference a longer resonator or different muffler will make.

Stock cat back sounded raspy and the current resonator didn't make much (any?) difference.

A lot of the noise seems to be coming through the walls of the header pipes. When you have the bonnet up and rev the engine it sounds like dropping the cutlery drawer on the floor. In-car all the noise seems to come through the floor/firewall.

I used to love the stock exhaust/JR CAI intake noise. Sounded tough. Now, not so much.

I feel like a nice thick walled set of headers will quieten it down a bit. Are mild steel headers generally made from thicker steel than stainless?

Is the Jackson Racing CAI that you have the same as the one below?



If so then I strongly suggest that you get yourself a Loch Stewart, Matty, Mania type intake. These get the air via the penulim chamber under and infront of the windscreen.



I promise you with one of these installed you will hear nothing but the sexy sound of air being sucked into the intake, especially at WOT.

J.

That's the one.

No way I'm swapping it for one of those ugly arse ghetto setups. The JR CAI is clean, keeps the engine bay looking tidy and sounds good.

Driving it again today I might have been a bit harsh. I think the noise is annoying me less now. It's still very high pitched and "whooshy" when I open it up but if that's how it has to be I guess I'll just have to get used to it. There's no doubt there's a lot more gas flowing as I can bloody well hear it.

Might keep any eye out for some mild steel headers because I feel it could sounds a lot better if it was muffled a bit more. Maybe Mild steel headers with a nice thick heat wrap?

i have expensive garry stewart ces headers and they use to rasp a little.

i have managed to get rid of most of it by changing my pre muffler and rear muffler.

I know what you mean mate. Had anybody tried if wrapped them with the insulating wrap was effective at reducing the rasp? Or could that be risky as they might get too hot and crack?

Pretty sure you don't wrap SS because it cracks up.

I was under the impression wrapping mild is ok.

16bit wrote:i have expensive garry stewart ces headers and they use to rasp a little.

i have managed to get rid of most of it by changing my pre muffler and rear muffler.

Do you run a B6 or a BP?