!! FSWERKS Stealth Exhaust After 10 months !!

[MetalMuffins]

Originally Posted by Picoletray

I got the custom FSWerks Stealth "stage 2" (twin resonators) installed. It was initially loud, and that was my fault as a car exhaust noob. When I first installed it, I fiddled around too long after I applied the exhaust paste, it begins to harden within 5 minutes and I didn't tighten the clamps enough. So last night I took it apart, brushed off all the hardened paste, for a clean surface, re applied the paste, and this time I quickly tightened the clamps to max. And I used the ford factory gasket on the Point of connection, since the FSWerks gasket crumbled during the process. Also, I had to add a locknut washer for an extra 1/16" to the 3 washers FSWerks supplies for the brace spacing. It probably needed it because the twin resonators add a little more weight than a single one.

All that done and without a dyno I can say it is much quieter, it just gives a low rumbling hummmm when applying the gas, definitely noticeable and desireable sound compared to the factory, but no cabin drone or anything like that, and no noise in the cabin whatsoever at idle/low rpm cruise.

I can get 36 mpg on my way to work and 33 combined, so about +1.5 MPG altogether, and I definitely feel the low end torque improvement. I'll try to re-post in 6 months to report on any noticeable noise increase.

Pics? I would like to see/hear.

[ripto]

I'll just throw these out there. I purchased and had the Magnaflow 15138 kit installed on my Focus a few weeks ago. I went based off these videos. In real life, I was a tad disappointed -- I wanted it to be louder, but I'm hopeful of this "burn in" you speak of (and that a Magnaflow rep told me will happen).

For those of you looking for the deep, non-raspy tone on your Focus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIb7rEyDmHo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD7HZiwTz5Q

[asting]

Originally Posted by Picoletray

They have had customer comments both ways, some say too quiet, some say too loud, but They said they can quote to modify in another resonator into the system and since their resonators have zero resistance there will be the same HP gain. Said they've done it once before and the customer was very satisfied.

That hushpower 2, was it the 2.25 dia. 24-18x4x5.5 or the shorter 17-12x4x5.5? I saw those two models on summit.

I emailed them over a week ago asking about this and got no response. I guess they don't want my business.

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by asting

I emailed them over a week ago asking about this and got no response. I guess they don't want my business.

I had gotten a response, but I'm not convinced its worth the cost of a second stealth section. FSWerks wants $149.95 for a second resonator welded into the kit. $69.95 for the resonator and $80 to weld it in.

Having ridden in a car with the standard FSWERKS stealth kit I don't believe that adding in another identical resonator would actually do anything to quiet the exhaust or do enough to fix the drone that was exhibited. At least not until hearing it for myself.

[asting]

Originally Posted by suss6052

I had gotten a response, but I'm not convinced its worth the cost of a second stealth section. FSWerks wants $149.95 for a second resonator welded into the kit. $69.95 for the resonator and $80 to weld it in.

Having ridden in a car with the standard FSWERKS stealth kit I don't believe that adding in another identical resonator would actually do anything to quiet the exhaust or do enough to fix the drone that was exhibited. At least not until hearing it for myself.

Huh good to know, thanks. I want to free up some power without making the car sound louder, or bad.
Loud exhausts are for big engines IMO.

Does anyone know of a decent quiet exhaust? All the reviews I've seen seem to indicate a drastic change in noise level. I plan on using sound deadening, but I'd rather the car not sound obnoxious to others too.

[RedComet]

Man, if the Stealth has burn-in at the 10k mile marker, I wonder what I'm in for... LOL.

[sam fisher]

This makes me wonder if my fswerks street setup will EVER get louder lol.

Sent from my LG-LG730

[Picoletray]

Originally Posted by suss6052

I had gotten a response, but I'm not convinced its worth the cost of a second stealth section. FSWerks wants $149.95 for a second resonator welded into the kit. $69.95 for the resonator and $80 to weld it in.

Having ridden in a car with the standard FSWERKS stealth kit I don't believe that adding in another identical resonator would actually do anything to quiet the exhaust or do enough to fix the drone that was exhibited. At least not until hearing it for myself.

Each resonator is about 18 inches long. A resonator is simply a double wall perforated tube with insulation. These are used in many hvac systems such as auditoriums and library's, and the more surface area you bounce the noise through, the more sound you reduce. They work better with wind/turbulence noise then with pistons exploding in an engine noise, but I have a fairly educated guess that it is quieter to have 2 resonators then to have one.

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by Picoletray

Each resonator is about 18 inches long. A resonator is simply a double wall perforated tube with insulation. These are used in many hvac systems such as auditoriums and library's, and the more surface area you bounce the noise through, the more sound you reduce. They work better with wind/turbulence noise then with pistons exploding in an engine noise, but I have a fairly educated guess that it is quieter to have 2 resonators then to have one.

What I'm saying is that based on this experience it is unlikely that adding the second vibrant style small bore/ thin wall resonator would take any of the drone away. Adding in an additional muffler or resonator on my old car when it was droning might have changed the exhaust tone a bit until it burned in, but it did not fix the drone, and it was still very very loud.

The resonator would have less effect than a muffler in terms of sound absorbance.

I'm open to being surprised to find that it does work, but for $150 I'd rather have an additional muffler in the stock lunch box location and a right side rear exit as this would do more to fix the drone than just adding another resonator in line with the first one.

If you have some in car videos for reference it might help, but just based on what I've seen happen before it seemed unlikely to me to actually solve it like you say it has done.

[Picoletray]

As requested click on the link to hear it from in cabin. I'll try to get pic's eventually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTdfB4xNRSo