R33 Gtr Exhaust Note

[tommis85]

Hi all,

I've been doing some reading on different types of exhaust system that people have been using on here and a couple have mentioned that there's is "zero drone" and so forth.

So, I thought I'd post up my query on my setup. I'm running a single GT35 with a 0.63 rear housing and from day one have noticed that the single turbo produces a horrible drony exhaust note above 2000rpm. The nice pulses that were generated my the twin turbo setup are now gone and are replaced by a drone and something that sounds more like a 4 cylinder.

I take it that the drone would be associated with the veins in the exhaust wheel?

I've always been a great fan of the nice note that skylines put out but now it's pretty much vanished to a level where it's only evident at idle rpm. No more harmonic note....just a continuous drone like a lancer (no offence to lancer drivers)

Any ideas? Or is this just what you get and are stuck with when you go for a single? Just thought I'd post it up and see if anyone else has had the same thoughts and maybe done some exhaust tweaks to get rid of the drone.

Thanks

Edited April 17, 2009 by tommis85

[ClutchBurndout-:(]

I think its hard to tell wene driving, it will always sound diff wene outside as the constant humm is because the cabin is enclosed above the exhaust, wat size exhaust, cat type, front and dump pipe do u hav?

[tommis85]

Well it's just that it sounds totally different now with the single on it compared to when it had the twin stockies. 3" stainless sump to a 3" high flow cat.....then out to a canon style muffler. I've been experimenting with different mid-way resonators. System was at legal DB with twins....now it's a bit louder and very drony with the single.

I just want a nice note....nothing loud and crazy and annoying - just a nice note that one can enjoy and also hear thru the helmet at the track. So not too quiet - I've made that mistake before lol! Not good.

[ClutchBurndout-:(]

Hmmm, ofcourse a twin will sound beter over a singlr, the same v8 over a v6

[tommis85]

Yeh well it's all in the veins of the exhaust wheel and so forth. I'm just trying to see what other people who've done the same thing make of it. The difference is definitely very noticeable that's for sure.

[ClutchBurndout-:(]

Exhaust wheels as in on the turbo? In that case i run a stock turbo and it sounds great through my 3 inch straiggt through

[tommis85]

Yep....I think that the note would be very closely related to the vein design on the exhaust wheel. I think it slightly scrambles the note and turns it into a boring drone that has given me a bit of a dull headache in the past. I'm sure there's people out there who know exactly what I mean lol!

Edited April 17, 2009 by tommis85

[eeiko321]

hmm thats odd...

i know what you mean by drony sound.... the vibrating shitty, farty, 4 cyl non-turbo sound... like civics, lancers etc.

what brand muffler do you have?, usually cannons sound good on a 6cyl.....even 6cyl non-turbos sound decent.

i dont think its the resonators...... ive heard non-turbo GTS R33 with removed resonators... it sounds a touch farty while its cold but when it warms up... its gone.

[tommis85]

Hey,

Well the funny thing is that it still sounds like that without a resonator or canon.....yes, I did go for a lap around the block like that and it was loud as hell but really awful!

....lets just say i was very quick to put all the gear back on ;-)

Well I know what you mean as I previously had a GSTS and it sounded damn nice too. The exhaust system I got on my GTR now is the same as it was before when it had the twins on it only that now off course it has a single dump etc etc.

So yeh I've definitely pinned it on the turbo just making it sound different. It'd be alright if it was just different, but the problem is that it sounds quite shit now. Infact, you wouldn't know that it's actually a straight 6 in there like you could before....you know how straight 6's in Skylines and VL's all make that unique sound......that's all gone now.

Yep, she's a civic!!! LOL spot on!

....till the GT35 kicks in....then you hear nothing but the howl of that turbo lol. Just a pitty that it no longer has a note at the other end. Sound is part of the package for me.

[GT-R32]

Careful selection of quality mufflers will get you back there, but it will take trial and error and you'll need to can convince a specialist to take it on (not just your average corner exhaust shop), but it'll cost.

[eeiko321]

Hey,

Well the funny thing is that it still sounds like that without a resonator or canon.....yes, I did go for a lap around the block like that and it was loud as hell but really awful!

....lets just say i was very quick to put all the gear back on ;-)

Well I know what you mean as I previously had a GSTS and it sounded damn nice too. The exhaust system I got on my GTR now is the same as it was before when it had the twins on it only that now off course it has a single dump etc etc.

So yeh I've definitely pinned it on the turbo just making it sound different. It'd be alright if it was just different, but the problem is that it sounds quite shit now. Infact, you wouldn't know that it's actually a straight 6 in there like you could before....you know how straight 6's in Skylines and VL's all make that unique sound......that's all gone now.

Yep, she's a civic!!! LOL spot on!

....till the GT35 kicks in....then you hear nothing but the howl of that turbo lol. Just a pitty that it no longer has a note at the other end. Sound is part of the package for me.

hang on, leme get this straight...

so the OLD exhaust you have....is what brand?... that is when you had the previous turbo...

but with this new one you pulled off...what brand was that?

so when you had old turbos...this old exhaust was good... but as soon as you converted the turbos you decided to put a new set of pipes and exhaust. and you suspect the turbo because it made BOTH exhaust sound shit?

(try and name the brands, it makes it easier in the conversation here)

well somethings not right dude..

ive never experienced an awful sound after a turbo upgrade. it ususally gives it a low note purr.

can you take a picture of the exhaust set up?

my suggestion is to see if anyone has a second hand muffler etc and play around with it.

because if your just gonna rock up an exhaust mob and ask them....at the end of the day, they are there to make money out of you...

they cant guarrantee you the sound they want.

I previously had the TT supra with stock turbos, and i had a custom exhaust made up by various exhaust shops.. from liverpool exhaust, to HI-tech mufflers all the way to small backyard mobs.... just to get the sound i wanted.

usually Blitz or HKS exhaust sound good on Skylines, but thats an expensive path & you want to single out that it isnt the turbos fault.

[tommis85]

Sorry but I think there may be a bit of confusion here. Let me clear it up...

Bought GTR totally stock and had 3" system made up for it. The system is a no brand one...just 3in mild steel. Sounded and worked excellent!!!

Now I have done a turbo conversion on it. Twins to single GT35r with .63 rear. Did not get new exhaust - just new dump pipe to suit the single

Now the car has a totally different note. Drone. Sounds like a 4 cyl lancer/civic. No straight 6 sound.

So, that's my problem...

...now, for what I have tried to do to fix it:

1. Try out some different mufflers - all sound the same only louder or quieter drone.

2. Try out no muffler at all - insanely loud and illegal. Put my muffler straight back in again.

3. Tried 4in resonator halfway along system + canon, still drony just quieter.

So yeh....that's pretty much it, sorry for any confusion.

eeiko321, what turbo setup do you run....is it still twins? Upgraded twins? ...or a single.

I'd just like to find if anyone with a big single has managed to tweak their exhaust system as so to get rid of the drone. This is why I'm posting etc.

....hope this clears up some confusion ;-)

[tommis85]

Careful selection of quality mufflers will get you back there, but it will take trial and error and you'll need to can convince a specialist to take it on (not just your average corner exhaust shop), but it'll cost.

GT-R32, did you have the same problem that I'm having now? My problem is that even when I don't run a muffler at all it still drones. That's the wierd thing...I don't think I'll be able to control it with a muffler...it's more likely something along the pipe that I may have to do

[GT-R32]

Not in a GT-R but in many other types of cars. I still run twins on my GT-R.

Quality brands like SMB and Difillipo (for V8s) I have found solved the problems. My mate runs a single T04Z on his FD RX7 and a SMB system which ended up with no drone thanks to a big box rear muffler, just sounded sweet all the time. Whereas a twin set up wouldn't have required that. Acoustic resonance is what it's all about. Some systems are so balanced that even opening the boot can cause drone! (mates V8) Your average muffler shop often doesn't understand, well to be fair it's not that but they often haven't had the time/experience playing with different systems and instead do what they are told by the customer. I suspect you'll need a mid muffler and possible a rear box type to stop cabin drone - but I can't be certain. Quality brands won't be a restriction at all and will still sound awesome at full noise. Good luck.

[eeiko321]

mines stock turbos with aftermarket exhaust.

i wish i had your turbo though....cause if i did.....i wouldnt be complaining about the civic sound

lol

so is there any power loss with this shitty sound?

here is a supra with the single ..

does it sound anything like that?

did the installer or you install a anti-surge housing?

[tommis85]

Ah ok cool.

Ha yeh, the new turbo is quite impressive and it comes on with a nice thump too. I'm happy with the conversion but am a little bit well, a little bit shitty about the exhaust note as it has lost that roar that the twin setup had. Yep, it sounds a bit like that Supra there...you can even here the drone in the video but it'd probably be a whole lot worse inside!

I guess I'm being a bit picky. Sound is part of the package and before I had a nice note and also a half decide induction sound....now however I have an insane induction sound but my exhaust note has completely disappeared. Only under about 1500rpm does it still have it's original note - after that, the drone kicks in.

900rpm to 1500rpm - NICE

1500rpm to 5000rpm - OMG turn it off!

5000rpm to 8000rpm - no drone, pretty nice note and very loud induction. But how often do you drive in this range?

I never suspected that it would become this dronie after the conversion hey.

Nope it's just a normal housing. I nearly ended up getting a T04z and it would've had it, but the GT35 doesn't.

[eeiko321]

are you for real?!

that supra sounds good man...

could you post any videos up on it and give us a listen?

if i were you, id get a friend drive the car past you whilst you stand on the street.

you'd be suprised how much different and MOST times...better the car sounds from outside....

(i wonder what the carolla & civic owners feel inside?...when the car sounds shit outside already)

here is a GT-R R33 with GT35R have a listen..... in the camera the sound sounds slightly off as well.

in this video...there is a slight low rumble ....but like i said, it could be the camera

[tommis85]

Yeh well stuff like this is hard to describe in words hey? Yep we've done the whole drive by thing and it doesn't sound like a liner anymore. Um I've only got videos from what it used to sound like but I haven't put these on youtube.

The problem is that the drone sound is higher in pitch/frequency than that nice Skyline rumble and, as soon as you apply any form of muffling the rumble disappears leaving just the drone. I've done a lot of experimenting with this but unfortunately the "least-drony" combinations are also the loudest and would attract unwanted attention.

So yeh, for now I'm stuck with it. Having it turn all drony after the conversion was just unexpected - that's all

[eeiko321]

Yeh well stuff like this is hard to describe in words hey? Yep we've done the whole drive by thing and it doesn't sound like a liner anymore. Um I've only got videos from what it used to sound like but I haven't put these on youtube.

The problem is that the drone sound is higher in pitch/frequency than that nice Skyline rumble and, as soon as you apply any form of muffling the rumble disappears leaving just the drone. I've done a lot of experimenting with this but unfortunately the "least-drony" combinations are also the loudest and would attract unwanted attention.

So yeh, for now I'm stuck with it. Having it turn all drony after the conversion was just unexpected - that's all

sound like a liner

well the RB25DET doesnt actually EXACTLY sound like an RB26DET..

The GT-R has a higher pitch of a raspy inline 6 howl...

well seems like your probably stuck with it

what area you in?

if it were me, id sleep better if i just take it to someone reputable that knows thier turbos and GT-Rs..

and just ask for his opinion.

[tommis85]

Yeh you're right the GTST's and GTR's don't sound exactly the same. My first Skyline was a GTST of the same year and I must admit it did have quite a note before I got busted for it haha! Lets just say it took a lot of work to bring it under 90db again lol!

Yeh I might even post up a vid of it hey? I got the old sound....just need to take some "footage" of the drone.

There's no reputable tuners in my area ;-)