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!! FSWERKS Stealth Exhaust After 10 months !!

31K views 46 replies 17 participants last post by  asting 
#1 ·
I purchased the fSwerks exhaust (stealth) when it first came out. In fact I was one of the first 5 to get it. First it is a very well build exhaust and after putting it on the car immediately ran better. The car picked up more punch which is what we all wanted. The sound was great also, not to loud not to quite. After 10 months the exhaust has gotten louder over time. It seemed to take about 7 months before I and others noticed my exhaust was louder. Friends would ask me if I changed exhaust again. Allot of people have sent me PM about the exhaust so I figured I would make a video of it using the exact same camera that I used before and mount in the same or close to the same location. Sorry camera is an old Contour so the sound is not like a high end video camera but you will get the point. The best way to hear is listen to my first 2 video's I made 10 months ago and then listen to it now. Not a huge difference but it is louder. Around town keeping the rev's down it is fine...stand on it and people will turn there heads...on the interstate at 70-75...it is in your face loud..and since I do allot of that type of driving I find it a little much but that is just my opinion. I am removing the main muffler which is 18inch long and putting on a MagnaFlow Muffler next week that is longer to quite it down some but still have some sound. Will post up once that one is on.

The you tube link is below and you can go to youtube and search on vmaxbaby and find my other focus.

http://youtu.be/syvnJtcaNBA
 
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#2 ·
Do you have a decibel level estimate as far as the magnitude of the change inside the car? I had been considering the FSWerks stealth, but if it suddenly starts to drone on at 2600-3000 (70-80 ish) or basically freeway speeds after 10 months then that might just knock it off the list.

Is the car excessively loud now inside at those speeds. I know you have a 5MT and I have the DCT, but that shouldn't affect the engine note at a given engine speed.
 
#3 ·
The car is not excessively loud but you will need to turn up the radio. The video I made only got the car up to 60mph so was not able to get on a freeway so you could hear it at 70 which is the speed limit here in VA. And the go-pro style camera isn't known for their sound quality but it gives you and idea if you listen to the before and after video's. The wife has been behind me and claims she can hear it in here car. Not sure why the exhaust got louder and I call them thinking I had a bad muffler but they claim nobody else has had the issue so maybe it is just mine. With an automatic your Rpms should be less then mine so you would be okay. Around town or under 40mph it is great, and when it was new it was great at any speed but now with me doing more highway driving it is to much for me and the wife hates it. Quality wise it is top notch the exhaust shop that put it on and the 2nd shop that I am using to replace the muffler both agreed it was a great built exhaust.
 
#6 ·
I wonder how well that would work to quiet it down. I keep flipflopping between the Stealth and the Magniflow 2.25".

I want just a bit of growl like the Magniflow seems to give, but I would like to have a 2.5" for the power headroom, just not the noise / drone.

I hate being on the fence[mad]
 
#10 ·
Perchance you have an exhaust leak? Give some wear and tear, bouncing around it could be possible.The baffling of the mufflers will have had to deteriorate somehow. If you're taking it off and not use it again, cut into it and see!
 
#11 ·
I thought the FSWerks was all straight through? No baffling, I may be mistaken though.
 
#15 ·
FSWerks muffler is off and new muffler on. The magna-flow muffler still has some sound to it but not as much as the FSwerks did. The Wife is much happier now to ride in it..LOL The old muffler is in the for sale section with picture if anyone is interested. We left the flange on it for an easy install for any exhaust shop. In fact here is a link to it.

http://www.flairphoto2.com/fswerks.jpg
 
#17 ·
Go to fswerks website. They have good videos of both systems posted there. Personally, I do think the fswerks race does sound like a fart can. I'm interested in knowing the dyno numbers with the fswerks stealth as they list the fswerks race exhaust dyno numbers for both systems.
 
#19 ·
To me it sounds perfect. A nice low tone at idle and then wakes up nicely in the upper rpm range but not "fart cannish" like the race. Some people like the tone of the Race though so to each their own.
 
#21 ·
According to the o.p. the FSWerks Stealth got significantly louder after 10 months or so, but Nick was asking exactly what was the nature of the sound. It sounded the same as before only louder at least per the videos, but the videos can be deceptive.
 
#22 ·
I was glad to have read that because I think the stealth is a touch on the quiet side during idle.
 
#26 ·
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.
 
#33 ·
I emailed them over a week ago asking about this and got no response. I guess they don't want my business.[dunno]
 
#27 ·
Very good to know. Especially about the zero power loss quote.
 
#28 ·
They installed a second resonator for $150 part/labor. It shipped today along with an ITG drop in air filter. I'd love to do a before/after dyno to compare.

Does anyone know where in south king county I could get a good low cost dyno? (I'd pay to have it installed if the price was decent)
 
#30 ·
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.
 
#32 ·
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
 
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