exhaust advice
Discussion
hey guys need a bit of advice....want to upgrade my exhaust on the z06 but having gone through some american websites am bewildered by the choice and dont know much about x pipes headers etc!
not interested in performance increase but want a good aggressive sound with minimal drone, max price around £1k
what do people recommend? and which supplier?
thanks in advance
simon
not interested in performance increase but want a good aggressive sound with minimal drone, max price around £1k
what do people recommend? and which supplier?
thanks in advance
simon
I'd disagree, adding LT's (long tubes) is a power thing and will normally need new cats and X pipe or a catless X pipe and a new cat back exhaust.
If it's just noise, get a cat back. This runs from the cats to the back of the car.
Magnaflow offer some nice setups, Borla but expensive. Personally I like the Stainless Works stuff, but it's expensive.
Best bet is have a look and listen and see what you like.
Try over at www.ls1tech.com sure they'll be more than glad to help. Also most of the sponsers over there are happt to ship to the UK.
If you're not sure on exhaut setups.
Headers are what in the UK we'd call manifolds.
Factory manifolds are fine as a stock item but not performance orientated usually.
Running a tubular header will increase exhaust gas flow and often make it sound different. But they can be expensive and a pita to fit and usually rwquire other exhaust components.
Shorty headers have short primary pipes on them. They are cheaper, however in an n/a setup offer next to no performance increase over stock. They are good for forced induction setups.
Long tube headers are the performance choice. The longer primaries induce exhaust scavenging which promoted more power. However LT's are pricey and will require a new mid pipe and if you are going for power replacing the factory catback just makes sense.
Mid pipe, this is the X pipe. Basically it's the exhausts from each side of the engine, they meet in an X shape collector. This is again for scavenging purposes. Performance or aftermarket mid pipes do a few things. Often they are larger diameter for flow, the X collector will be of better design. But more importantly they have shorter pipe work. LT's are by their nature longer so the mid pipe needs to be shorter.
The cats are also part of the mid pipe. Many in the US run without cats, but here in the UK I personally feel its more hassle than its worth. So many aftermarket mid pipes will also contain high performance cats, often metal matrix ones.
Catback, regardless of whether you retain the cats or not, the catback is the rest of the exhaust from the mid pipe to the back of the car. It will contain the mufflers (or silencers in UK talk) and the tail pipes.
These come in many forms, most will be louder and will flow better than the stock item.
All will be better in a performance sense than the stocker, however it depends how loud, how toned and how in your face you want.
What appears loud to one person may be quite sedate to another.
Hope this helps.
If it's just noise, get a cat back. This runs from the cats to the back of the car.
Magnaflow offer some nice setups, Borla but expensive. Personally I like the Stainless Works stuff, but it's expensive.
Best bet is have a look and listen and see what you like.
Try over at www.ls1tech.com sure they'll be more than glad to help. Also most of the sponsers over there are happt to ship to the UK.
If you're not sure on exhaut setups.
Headers are what in the UK we'd call manifolds.
Factory manifolds are fine as a stock item but not performance orientated usually.
Running a tubular header will increase exhaust gas flow and often make it sound different. But they can be expensive and a pita to fit and usually rwquire other exhaust components.
Shorty headers have short primary pipes on them. They are cheaper, however in an n/a setup offer next to no performance increase over stock. They are good for forced induction setups.
Long tube headers are the performance choice. The longer primaries induce exhaust scavenging which promoted more power. However LT's are pricey and will require a new mid pipe and if you are going for power replacing the factory catback just makes sense.
Mid pipe, this is the X pipe. Basically it's the exhausts from each side of the engine, they meet in an X shape collector. This is again for scavenging purposes. Performance or aftermarket mid pipes do a few things. Often they are larger diameter for flow, the X collector will be of better design. But more importantly they have shorter pipe work. LT's are by their nature longer so the mid pipe needs to be shorter.
The cats are also part of the mid pipe. Many in the US run without cats, but here in the UK I personally feel its more hassle than its worth. So many aftermarket mid pipes will also contain high performance cats, often metal matrix ones.
Catback, regardless of whether you retain the cats or not, the catback is the rest of the exhaust from the mid pipe to the back of the car. It will contain the mufflers (or silencers in UK talk) and the tail pipes.
These come in many forms, most will be louder and will flow better than the stock item.
All will be better in a performance sense than the stocker, however it depends how loud, how toned and how in your face you want.
What appears loud to one person may be quite sedate to another.
Hope this helps.
The standard LS7 exhaust manifolds are quite well designed, and there is little point in changing them for long tubes unless you maximise the gains by changing the cam and remapping the ECU as well.
If you want a bit of extra noise from time to time then a simple 'mild to wild' switch might be all you need - it comprises a receiver unit which fits into the no 10 exhaust fuse slot in the fuse box beneath the passengers floor, and a hand operated transmitter - the system overrides the ECU's control of the exhaust flaps.
You operate the transmitter and open and close the exhaust flaps as required.
Costs only a few quid and is installed and removed in 10 mins
http://www.southerncarparts.com/corvette-mild-wild...
There are basically two types of American aftermarket exhausts for the Z06 - those which retain the factory 'exhaust flap' system for instance:-
http://www.bbexhaust.com/
and those which do without
http://www.borla.com/applications/lookup.aspx/2007...
http://www.corsaperf.com/
These firms also supply cat back systems and manifold back systems all depends what you want, but beware if you choose to change the standard cats for 100cell high flow items, because you may get MIL codes thrown up from the secondary lambdas
You could of course get a setup made by your local friendly Stainless exhaust manufacturer - I had a chat with the Milltek lads at GTI International in June and they appeared interested but they would need some promise of sales to justify tooling up for the job.
I have for my car[still to be fitted !] - Kooks longtube stepped headers/Corsa 3" intermediate X pipes with 100cell cats and Corsa backboxes.
These are very well made, and I chose them after long consultations with a number of US tuners - the general consesus was that this setup was about as loud as you want to go for road use
I have a noise meter, and when I've fitted them I'll do some noise comparisons with the standard setup and post the results
It is the setup Katech uses for its 'Street Attack' cars, though I believe they will not 'officially' fit the cats and longtubes because of the very strict US emissions regs.
Another point worth considering when tinkering with the exhaust, particularly if you want to take your car to trackdays, is the UK track noise regs.
I recall that David Yu perhaps had noise problems at one track with his standard back boxes when the flaps were open.
It's worth remembering that the C6 Z06, even as standard, is engineered close to the limit in many ways, and though improvements can be made they are hard won - you have to know what you are doing, and even with the best intentions, there is always a trade off of some sort.
If you want a bit of extra noise from time to time then a simple 'mild to wild' switch might be all you need - it comprises a receiver unit which fits into the no 10 exhaust fuse slot in the fuse box beneath the passengers floor, and a hand operated transmitter - the system overrides the ECU's control of the exhaust flaps.
You operate the transmitter and open and close the exhaust flaps as required.
Costs only a few quid and is installed and removed in 10 mins
http://www.southerncarparts.com/corvette-mild-wild...
There are basically two types of American aftermarket exhausts for the Z06 - those which retain the factory 'exhaust flap' system for instance:-
http://www.bbexhaust.com/
and those which do without
http://www.borla.com/applications/lookup.aspx/2007...
http://www.corsaperf.com/
These firms also supply cat back systems and manifold back systems all depends what you want, but beware if you choose to change the standard cats for 100cell high flow items, because you may get MIL codes thrown up from the secondary lambdas
You could of course get a setup made by your local friendly Stainless exhaust manufacturer - I had a chat with the Milltek lads at GTI International in June and they appeared interested but they would need some promise of sales to justify tooling up for the job.
I have for my car[still to be fitted !] - Kooks longtube stepped headers/Corsa 3" intermediate X pipes with 100cell cats and Corsa backboxes.
These are very well made, and I chose them after long consultations with a number of US tuners - the general consesus was that this setup was about as loud as you want to go for road use
I have a noise meter, and when I've fitted them I'll do some noise comparisons with the standard setup and post the results
It is the setup Katech uses for its 'Street Attack' cars, though I believe they will not 'officially' fit the cats and longtubes because of the very strict US emissions regs.
Another point worth considering when tinkering with the exhaust, particularly if you want to take your car to trackdays, is the UK track noise regs.
I recall that David Yu perhaps had noise problems at one track with his standard back boxes when the flaps were open.
It's worth remembering that the C6 Z06, even as standard, is engineered close to the limit in many ways, and though improvements can be made they are hard won - you have to know what you are doing, and even with the best intentions, there is always a trade off of some sort.
Edited by songman3 on Thursday 31st July 16:11
Edited by songman3 on Thursday 31st July 16:13
G4HKS said:
Ahhh. I am going to whoop you all. Just chek out my profile pic!
Ah ha! - the 'Caped Crusader' rides again
Check my reserve for November delivery
http://www.new-vmax.com/landing.jsp?lang=UK_EN
Edited by songman3 on Thursday 31st July 20:38
Bugger! Who told you I was the caped crusader? I'll kill him! Just wait 'till you see that yellow bumble bee disappear into the distance... You wait. (You may have a long wait granted, but nevertheless.....)
That V-Max looks good though. Whilst you are wrestling with that keeping the wheel down on the ground, I'll be around the next corner. Last Yamaha I owned was a RD-500LC. I guess they have changed a bit since then. And David, I havent got any organs.
That V-Max looks good though. Whilst you are wrestling with that keeping the wheel down on the ground, I'll be around the next corner. Last Yamaha I owned was a RD-500LC. I guess they have changed a bit since then. And David, I havent got any organs.
Edited by G4HKS on Thursday 31st July 21:38
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