Any danger in driving without the muffler on?

R22tech · R22tech's Garage

Removed my muffler just out of curiousity (sound). One of the bolts broke in the process, so i figure i'll order new bolts and a new gasket, clean up what I can under the car while it's off, and maybe try and polish the muffler. Is it possible to get a stock Carrera 3.2 muffler looking new and shiny? Is there a danger in driving it around without the muffler in the meantime? I drove it around the block and it(the cat. conv.) was glowing orange inside

! Is the heat going to hurt anything above/around the area where the muffler attaches? Man, this thing sounds like a racing car without the muffler!!!! Too loud for everyday, but perfect for $hits and giggles

!!

masraum · 06:52 PM

Hey, I don't know about the glowing. I can tell you that my whole exhaust gets really hot, all of the way down to the exhaust tips. I don't think it should hurt anything without the muffler. The main thing to hurt in running a car with too little exhaust is burned valves and I think you've got to really be pushing things with basically no exhaust for that to happen.

You can get stainless nuts and bolts (allen head) at Home Depot. I did, I hope they hold up better than the others. I would think they should.

emcon5 · emcon5's Garage

Around here, Home Depot doesn't have crap for nuts & bolts, but any decent hardware store should have plenty. The bolt is metric, size M8X40, get new nuts and washers too, should cost under $5.

Tom

Doug Zielke · 10-03-2002, 07:15 PM

Of course the cat "glows" inside. That's how it works.
Now just don't be drivin' around in any dry forests.

BlueSkyJaunte · 10-03-2002, 08:45 PM

IIRC the cat doesn't even start working until it hits some ridiculous temp like 600 degrees F.

I could be off by a few hundred, though.

APKhaos · 10-03-2002, 09:00 PM

Hmmm....might be time to 'fess up about something dumb I did.

Was experimenting with adding a second outlet to a stock muffler, but did not want to cut the valence for the test, so directed the pipe forward. Lots of really hot exhaust gas is baaaad booooogy for paint, and the plastic joint gaskets. Toased both on the pass side fender.

Just be sure that gas gets out - keep an eye on the body temps.

masraum · 07:34 PM

R22, I don't know if you ever made yourself a "track pipe", but since I had an extra flange after making my flowmaster exhaust I decided to just put a tip on it and bolt it to the cat to get the exhaust out from inside the bumper.

Driving normally it's only slightly louder than the stock muffler from inside the car (windows up or down). Totally different than with no muffler and no outlet. Outside of the car under normal conditions it's louder, but not that loud. When you get on it especially when the revs get up there it's pretty loud on the outside. My favorite situatien now is when some sort of reflecting device (center divider, overpass, etc) is on the driver's side. It sounds so good I may not put the muffler back on. I know this sounds silly, but it feels stronger too. I know that the butt dyno can be affected by the ear dyno, but I am judging by things the car does that it didn't before. Nothing measurable though. I wouldn't think the 30lbs or whatever the muffler weighed would make a difference that I could feel, and I wouldn't think a removing the muffler on an otherwise stock system would make anymore power.

Anyway, regardless of any power difference it sounds Fantastic now.

I'll probably get more sound caps in the next few days.

APKhaos · 10-24-2002, 11:50 PM

I've got a track pipe available if somebody wants one. Never used it - still in its wrapping.

For those who weren't around, the track pipe is a simple flange and tip that fits onto the cat/testpipe flange. Allows you to run without the muffler, and gets the hot gases out past the bumper.
Steve's description above is a good one.

Oh, single in style exhausts only.