Muffler noise levels - please rate
 

Im comptenplating on which muffler to install on my 75 2.0.
I will more than likely convert it over to the 73-74 style
ss exchangers/exhaust system.

Ive only hear the stock and the 4 pipe ansa/monza exhausts.

The stock is too quiet for my tastes. While the monza sounded ok at idle, it was a little too noisey upon acceleration and driving. I did a search but didnt find anything related to noise levels.

I know that bursch has a street and street performance mufflers available. what other choices are there and how would you rate the noise level on a scale of 1-5.

1 being the factory
4 being the 4 pipe ansa/monza style

I have a Bursch street muffler on mine and it sounds pretty good. Has a nice tuned sound to it. It's about a 2.5 on the loudness scale, although it looks like its about 5 years old.

Find yourself the 73-74 SS heat exchangers for a nice improvement in HP and heat.
I'll rate the mufflers I have heard:
1. Stock is quiet and nice power-1
2. Triad sounds low like a 911, supposed to give a few hp over stock-2.5-3
3. Bursch street-fairly loud, 3-3.5 and can be tiring for extended freeway driving. Good for 2-3hp at mid rpm's
4. Ansa- loud-4
5. Staight pipes with cherry bombs- hellaloud about a 7 to 8
Anyone heard the Mittlemotor SS muffler?
Geoff
Oh, I have the Bursch street setup with the 73-74 HE's.

Triad, Triad, Triad. I can't say enough good about this muffler system. I'd heard them on a number of cars at the PNWR PCA events and really liked the sound from outside of the car. Actually makes the 914 sound throaty. Noise level in the car is slightly higher than stock but not much and very mellow. Monza exhaust is much louder inside the car and kind of raspy; very annoying.

I picked up a significant amount of mid range power on my stock '74 2.0 liter. Seems backwards for a freeer flowing exhaust, but it actually lowered the power band about 400-500 rpm.

No regrets whatsoever and I would buy it again.

Mittlemotor sounds the best of all the ones I've had, and I've had stock, Ansa, and Bursch. It will last the longest too.

the monza is probably a 3 i have that and its too loud for street but i can live with it. just my .02 cents :)(edit) its a 4 on the loudness scale, woops my bad(edit)

Tod,

I'd have to agree with Bleyseng on his rating of the Bursch. Both my cars have one, and they do sound sweet. One other plus is that they're warrantied for life. I bought one to replace the rusted Monza exhaust on my Ravenna. Somehow it developed a leak at the edge of one of the welds. After getting the Mfg name from PP, I called them on a Thursday, they built it that weekend, and shipped it out Monday. Tooo Coool! I like it when someone stands behind their products.

My $.02

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I never liked the build quality, sound or performance of the Bursch. I had one on my previous car and I chucked it and put on a NOS factory 'sausage'. The car ran better, looked better and didn't sound as much like a Honda with one of those raspy fart cans. The Burschs seem to start rusting after about 45 minutes, even here in Calif.

Anyways....I need to shoot a pic of the setup on my current car, but it's basically a dynomax straight-thru welded race muffler coming straight off the SS eurorace header collector flange. On a scale of 1-5 it's about a 3 below 4K rpm's but once you go WOT and get on the cam it is easily a 6. Of course the Weber 44IDF's with velocity stacks and K&N's make quite a ruckus too so it's hard to distinguish which is which.

I don't have a pic of the installed setup but here is the muffler itself...astute viewers will know what is on the other end

Bursch exhausts are warrantied for life? Does this include rust? Mine started rusting as soon as it got hot. I dont know why they paint it in the first place.

Are the Triads stainless?

no, but for some reason the paint does'nt seem to cook off the way my bursch did esp. at the collector point. like any paint work prep is everything. i've seen them on cars and they (triad) hold up. the design is beautiful (not that appearance makes more power), when i get one, and i will, i intend to run w/o the rear valence for a while. just to be a little different.

it would be interesting to see a dyno match up with a stock, bursch, triad,and others with ss heat exch. heat is a must for me, so a race design header system would'nt apply.

Grassroots Motorsports did some dyno testing on their 914 project in regards to exhausts.
Stock as a baseline-
Bursch- 2 to 3 hp in the middle rpms
Ansa- lost hp
Chris F headers-up to 10hp
They didn't test the Triad set up and no it's not stainless steel but it is a nice set up. I have talked to Dave E about dyno testing it on the 914's. It has had testing on the 911 model so it was always assumed that it improved hp,
Geoff

I just ordered a Bursch exhaust. If I Por-15 it, would it hold up better? Also, what about these Chris F headers? Are they for carbed racing set ups or stock FI?

Chris, check out his website:http://tangerineracing.com/ or for more info post on the 914 BBS at shoptalkforums.com as he hangs out there.
Geoff

Chris,

I used a Bursch for several years and thought it was okay, especially considering cost. As they all seem to do, mine did rust in short order, but only from the primaries to the collector. The muffler still has most of its paint. If I were to use another, I would first strip the original paint before running it, clean and degrease it, and paint it with a good high temp paint (If there is such a thing). Por 15 sounds like a good idea.

Mike

I cleaned mine up and used Rustoleum BBQ grill rattle can paint. Looks very muted and doesn't draw attention to the underside. Kind of a grayish-black color that blends well.

Yea, I have used the Rustoleum BBQ paint on a few things, and it does work pretty good. I just recently sanded down the muffler support bracket and re-painted it with that stuff, and it looks good. Like cshogen said, it gives it sort of a matte black finish, but what I really like aboiut it is that it sprays on evenly. Looks good. I am tempted to look into those header systems later on.

POR-15 makes a High Temp paint, we did some testing with it where I work. Not as good as some of other coatings we sell but then again they're baking enamels, etc.. I've haven't driven the car since I redid the muffler so I can't give a testimonial on it. I sand blasted the metal first and I think it will work well for this application.

On the Bursch paint quality, like a prior post mentioned I'm guessing the surface prep is minimal (oily surface and no chemical etching, etc..) and the paint quality (Dumpster Paint) is about the same. Mfg's can get decent quality, you'd just have to pay more.

Happy Trails,
Tom