DeiselFuel2o2

Stop buying mufflers in hopes for lower sounds...what you need is a UNEQUAL LENGTH HEADER...the reason why subaru's sound so low and "rumbly" is because their headers are of unequal length...

There is a civic with unequal length headers and it sounds like a non turbo subaru...

Our engine's already have a relatively low rumble compared to other I-4's so getting unequal length headers would be great.

Just thought I would let everyone know

Big_Bird

care to elaborate?

burstaneurysm

Pretty sure there's more to it than that... besides, I'm pretty sure all of the headers available have equal length runners...

daffy12

iTrader: (4)

watching. i wanna see some pics!!

daffy12

iTrader: (4)

and some sounds too!! lol

Crimson_Sky

agreed, I'm pretty sure if you just swapped out the header for one with unequal length runners, it wouldn't change too much...I'm thinking it has more to do with the diameter of the exhaust, on top of what the full exhaust consists of, ie. resonators, cat, muffler...I think it's all about the air flow and restrictions...

Thorium06

iTrader: (5)

05-06 oem headers are unequal length and they sound deeper than the equal length 07+ headers

jct

i have a nice low grumble out of my custom cat back

getting rid of the DC 4-1 header rid of my exhaust drone inside the cab makes it more livable

DeiselFuel2o2

A cat-back will most definitely lower the frequency of your exhaust especially if your resonator is nice and big.

Most highflow cats/big resonator setups will lower the frequency alot, but with skinny pipes that obviously dosn't help.

But no one should go to big. 2.5 max for NA setup/supercharger.

Here is the EK civic video...really low rumble..if only they all sounded like this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epHaC...eature=related

he has unequal length headers...only he can clarify.

But yes, if the 05-06 headers are un-equal length, get the bored out and heat wrapped...closest/cheapest thing you can get.

Here is a subaru with EQUAL length headers...sounds like a turbo I-4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCqvN...eature=related

hope this clarifies things for ya'll

kcdirtbro54

its called exhaust scavenging.... you may now google away.

DeiselFuel2o2

Why are you telling me this? I was trying to put this into more latent terms.

And obviously...unequal length...nvm why bother

jct

i have a 2 inch cat back... except for my exhaust tip which is 2.25inch cause thats the only size i could find i have a 14in magnaflow resonator and a 12 inch cherry bomb resonator and a nice dynomax super turbo muffler

DeiselFuel2o2

word, I wasnt negating anything agaisnt your exhaust.

That's a nice setup btw. If only we could make unequal headers for our cars...or get a 05-06 header

jct

with the right set up on the cat back so theres no loud exhaust drone into the cab i'll be all for it

jct

another way to get a better exhaust sound is... better bump sticks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63IxKEkSvJM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG65mcICyuY

vintage42

Low Sound
The TRD muffler on my 2006 xB has a low sound, very quiet at idle and above 65 mph, but with a satisfying resonance between 2000 and 3000 rpm under throttle. It is the perfect muffler, quiet except when you want to make it louder. It is the same size and shape as the OEM muffler, same reverse flow, but with less baffling.

Headers
My 2008 Subaru Forester has unequal length headers, like all Subarus since the early '90s, and is totally silent with no trace of rumble.

Here is a shot of a Subaru turbo motor with the same unequal length headers that all Subarus have, showing the short right header joined by the other long header coming all the way around the front of the motor from the left side:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...r/IMG_0525.jpg

Here is a shot of an old Subaru equal length header from the early '90s:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...gthHeaders.jpg

nickistner

i thought subaru's sound different because they are a flat 4...

draxcaliber

okay...having an unequal length exhaust manifold does not equal low rumbling exhaust noise. it never has and it never would, the unequal length manifold gives subaru's a distintive rhythmic rumble since some of the noise and exhaust gases travel further, and therefore make a different time.

now, the engine itself being a flat 4 makes a difference, all engines sound different, even between inline 4's, 5's and 6's to v8's v10's and v12's, as well as flat 4's and 6's and rotary engines. they all have their distinctive tones and rhythms because of the factors like valvetrain noises, the ignition timing, a/f ratios, bore and stroke etc, they all effect the combustion, which is what you're really hearing.

now, header's do not effect the noise or tone of exhaust, they are pipes, they have no accoutical characteristics. but the length can effect the timing that the noise within them takes to travel throgh the exhaust system. which is what happens with subaru exhaust. now, what does effect exhaust are...lets start with turbos, because the exhaust has to push the hotside of the turbo to escape, the exhaust is slowed down, and alot of noise and vibration is absorbed and slowed down, then the catalytic convertor also slows down and absorbs exhaust noise, then resonators are designed to absorb and cancel out noises of a certain frequency range to sort of filter out sounds (rasp), and then mufflers are really dedicated sound supressant, and tend to have the final word on tuning exhaust.

now, you can tweak and tune exhausts all you want to make them high and whiny, or low and rumbly, but you can't really do anything to make somebody mistake an inline 4 for a v8. or a v8 for a v12.

hope this has helped.

jct

when i had my DC sports header and with my cat back system i had god awful exhaust drone... but when i put my stock exhaust manifold back on that drone went away...

draxcaliber

that would be the effect of flow, freer flowing exhaust equals more noise, more restrictive stock header...less noise. okay, so thinking about that, the diameter of the header runners and flow properties can effect the noise of the exhaust because if the exhaust gas travels slower because it is more restrictive, than the noise and vibrations of it get decreased.

but my point was that after watching many cars autocross, you can hear the differences in the engines and exhaust systems. for instance, no matter what combination of exhaust components you put on a tc, there are still characteristics it has that let me distinguish the sound of a tc from other cars just by listening. all wrx's have their won similiar sounding exhaust characteristics. evo's and srt-4s tend to sound like tractors though when they have very unrestritive exhaust.