Thanks for the information. The Australian imported cars (like mine) also had European style exhaust manifolds. I currently have a front resonator (so that is a good start). Yet I have a (burnt out tri-flow) in the centre which I will replace and a (burnt out) rear sports muffler. This all makes for an unpleasant boomy noise inside the cabin. Ciao Nick T _____
From: Russell Neely [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, 27 December 2009 4:20 To: [email protected]; Tiberio Nick Subject: Re: [alfa] Centre Muffler The center (as opposed to centre) muffler does most of the work in making an Alfa quiet. I once ran a welding rod through the center muffler and it is definitely a straight through design. A proper sounding Alfa exhaust needs a resonator or catalyst at the front. It needs a center muffler. The rear can be a straight pipe and still be quiet. The worst sounding exhaust I ever built was a straight pipe back to a 2 1/2 inch "Turbo" style muffler on the rear. It was extremely raspy and not at all pleasant. That is why you need a resonator in front. Since you are in Yurope somewhere, I bet your stock cast iron headers are the split style with one runner in front of the cross member and one behind. Those are much better than the stock 4 into 1 manifold we got in the USA. Run the stock front head pipe with the resonator. Buy an Ansa center section and run a straight pipe at the rear. If that is too noisy, put on an Ansa rear section. I know Ansa systems do not last as long as stainless steel, but they are affordable. My wife's 91 spider with the stock catalyst, the stock center muffler and a straight pipe at the rear was very quiet. The rear straight pipe gave it a bit of a proper Alfa exhaust note. When the center muffler stress cracked, I replaced it with a Cherry Bomb glass pack. It is now very loud, but still has a nice tone. I have a brand new Ansa rear section with the single tip that looks best on the 91 spiders. But my wife likes her spider loud, so it remains that way. Ciao, Russ Neely Snowed in in Oklahoma City -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected]
