I just got the Borla exhaust installed Tuesday. I'm trying to figure out if the exhaust should sound the way it is, or if there's a leak somewhere before the muffler. It seems really loud which I have no problems with, but when I get on it after the engine has warmed up past 5k rpms it seems a little bit raspy. I just want to know what everyone elses' personal experience with the Borla setup is? A little raspy at high rpms, or maybe an exhaust leak? I'm not off from work until next Wednesday, so I won't be able to get the car on jackstands until then. I figure I'm going to unclamp all the piping, make sure everything is properly pushed together, and check the clamps. I know one of the clamps right before the muffler isn't flush like it should be.

 

I have a lil rasp.... but i think thats from the HFCs

make sure your pipes are slide perfect and then tighten the crap outta them.... i didnt have any leaks... i sprayed soapy water to check it out... but you have to do that from a cold start so it doesnt evaporate on ya...

 

Thanks for the heads-up. I've heard pro and cons with soapy water working and not working. To me, the exhaust is A LOT louder than stock that's for sure, but I like the sound of it. The clamps should sit half and half on each pipe correct? Push them together then put the clamp in between so that half the clamp sits on one pipe and the other half sits on the other pipe and tighten?

 

when i did mine on my z i don't think we did half and half but i can't remember. It seems like you wouldn't, tho?

jon

 

yea didnt do half and half...

at first thats what i thought... but it seals alot better when you place in kinda right and the edge of the pipes

 

+1 I don't think your supposed to put the clamp half and half.

 

How did the exhaust sound before you ran the hfcs? I remember you running a dyno with just the borla setup?

 

Bump! I've checked all the piping, and clamps everything seems to be in order. When the car first starts up and I start moving there's a ton of rasp, until the engine is warm. I've decided to go the resonator route. If I add 2 resonators after the h-pipe will that help with the rasp at high rpms? I know naturally it would quiet the exhaust which is fine for me since I'm going to be adding the high flow cats and it'll balance eachother out.

Should I go the resonator route?

 

if you do... please make similiar before and after vids...

 

If I do go this route (which I'm 80% sure I will) then I'll make 3 video differences. Before resonators, after resonators and after resonators with high flow cats. I'm going to give Borla a shout tomorrow and see if there's anyway I can get them to come up with a res for me, or point me in the right direction.

 

oh and my dyno before was done with hfcs .... so the borla dyno was ontop of HFCs

 

Okay, so I had it the otherway around thanks for the info. Have we figured out the culprit that makes the hissing noise? Even the stock exhaust makes the loud hissing/clinging noise after you rev the engine.

 

Staples - Just a head's up - the clamp should NOT be half on one pipe & half on the other. It should be tightened down completely on one pipe.

The clamp should be placed on the expanded pipe and the trailing edge of the clamp should be flush with the trailing edge of expanded pipe. If you have a digital camera, can you post some pics? If you have any other questions, I have PM’d you w/my office # at Borla. Thanks for your interest in our system!

 

Thanks for the heads-up, Kriggans! I actually figured it out when I was under the car examining for possible leaks. It's pretty much common sense how the clamp should be properly seated, but when I typed this thread up originally I wasn't under the car to check it out. All the clamps have been properly seated, and still seems to be raspy at high rpms and on cold starts. Would you recommend welding two resonators right after the h-pipe?

The reason I'm asking about the resonator is because I come from forced induction where any exhaust is going to pretty much sound deep at all rpms. Don't get me wrong the exhaust sounds very deep at low rpms, but once at WOT it gets a little too tinny for my liking.

- Steve

 

Steve,

Adding resonators to your system will make it quieter, not louder. Resonator is just another word for muffler. Resonators usually refer to the first set of mufflers closest to the headers/cats & the mufflers are closest to the tailpipe tips.

As far as the sound, most exhausts have a break-in period of a several hundred miles. I would recommend letting our exhaust settle in for 400-500 miles. And as you drive your car under various conditions, you will hear the differences of how something as slight as a morning fog or a hot dry day will affect the tone.

Another factor of exhaust note depends on your transmission. Is yours automatic or manual?

I hope I’ve given you some ideas to roll around; let me know if you have any other questions.