I need a new muffler so I was browsing several places. My car is originally a CA car and the muffler that fell off was definately a federal muffler. Does anyone know the real difference (besides shape) between the two?

When I crawled under the car I noticed a few pinholes in front of the resonator. Has anyone just taken this thing off their car? What will it sound like with just the muffler? Will it run any better?

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

Yes, several people here have removed the resonators completely, and haven't reported any ill effects. Do a quick search and you'll find the threads...

An Answer in Thread Form

I like my flowmaster and no resonators...it is not as loud as the videos portray...just a crappy cam...

So I can trash the resonator and just hookup a Flowmaster? Mufflers aren't diesel specific? All I need to do is match up the size?

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

Thats correct..
even off brands work too..
Diesel mufflers stand up longer than gassers...less nasty emissions...ever seen an old BMW exhaust? Holy crap.

Subtracting the resonators, if done properly, cleans things up too and can alleviate a place where rust likes to form...
But just be forwarned...you do get some light low end engine 'growl'
Not bad in my opinion but just wanted to throw it out there..

So the center section are the resonators? Interesting. I've been thinking about dropping that center section out and putting a straight pipe there with a 24" long and 6" diameter Magnaflow diesel muffler and keeping the stock rear muffler. Should increase power and keep sound low...

I've been wondering how much (if any) the stock exhaust hampers power at higher RPM.



Any of you guys with a bad stock muffler have a smoke wrench handy? If so, can ya hack one open to see how well it flows?

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

My stock one was swiss cheese by the time I got the car so no idea on flow...I would guess they do alright.
If you are going with that huge of a muffler you might not even need a rear muffler! Just remember those resonators are quite flat as there isn't much space under there, vertically.
There is a nice hole in the back for a muffler where the stock one is that might offer good oppertunities.
If anyone wants pictures, I can provide..

If mine wasn't in very good shape I would do a 3" mandrel bent system with a low restriction muffler to keep the noise down.....but if mine ever do go bad then ....here we come.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I was perhaps hoping to gain a bit of high end power and to reduce a tad of turbo lag. The local Pick-N-Steal has an '81 or '82 SD and an '85 like mine (I'm gonna yank the intake and exhaust manifolds from the older car) and the center section should be pretty easy to drop out.

Perhaps if 6" is too large, maybe a couple of 14-16" diesel mufflers that are 4" in diameter would fit the bill better. I'm not trying to add anymore noise at all (read drone) at my cruise speeds.

If ya get around to it, I'd be curious to see the pictures.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

THe larger pipe would give you a faster spoolup......but I doubt you would gain much if anything on the top end.

But if you need an exhaust anyway.......and have a buddy with the means to bend pipe....go for it.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

My '85 300sd has no resonator, just a straight pipe to the rear muffler. In fact I also have a sizable hole in the pipe just forward of the muffler. Noise level to my ears is still entirely acceptable. Since the turbo is pulling energy from the exhaust whenever it's spinning, it must do a pretty good job of muffling the exhaust noise by itself.

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1985 300SD, 203,000 miles, dark blue

Lil Sarah says: "Poor old Grandma Blue Car...She's sad."