Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!

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Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!

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Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/7/2008 8:16:59 PM

Alpha Offroad

Posts: 12
Joined: 1/26/2008
Status: offline

I bought a s.s. magnaflow muffler for an 02 trans am and some square tips also from magnaflow. I had a fab. shop bend me some duals for my alpha and it looks tits... but dispite the straight-thru design YOU COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING! So we took off the resinator... a little better, nice quiet rumble but nothing close to what I expected. After further exploring on the lift whats this? 4 friggin cats on the alpha. Sorry guys. the only way to get a decent sound outta our 5.3's is removal of those damn "pre-cats" and then maybe we'll have some o2 problems. Maybe we can use o2 simulaters?

Post #: 1

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 4:49:21 AM

alphadogg

Posts: 358
Joined: 12/30/2007
Status: offline

Alpha Offroad,
How ironic you tried this. Just last week when I had my H3 Alpha in the shop to adjust the torsion bars and replace the front shocks we lifted the truck to "look" underneth and discussed doing the same thing. I was shocked to see the 4 cats and then the muffler sideways for even more restriction.
Is that a cat in the very middle of the truck or the resinator? I wanted to remove that and put a high-flow muffler in it's place and then have dual pipes come out of that and exit out the rear. Is that what you did? I don't want to start down that road with o2 problems, otherwise I'll just leave it as it is. In NY the vehicle won't pass inspection without the cats in place as they do a o2 test. They plug the vehicle into a computer and can tell immediatly if someone has been tampering with the cats or o2 sensor.

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Post #: 2

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 5:17:47 AM

importkiller

Posts: 7254
Status: offline

check after each "cat" to see if there is a sensor...if not then that cat (more likely just a resonator) can be removed or gutted without fear of throwing an CEL (check engine light) If there is a sensor you can still replace that cat with a higher flow one that will flow more and improve sound. Cats operate on heat, there will not be a cat towards teh back of the truck..just not enough exhaust temp that far back, anything back there is a resinator...take em off!!!

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Post #: 3

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 6:38:16 AM

Steve #1

Posts: 412
Joined: 7/29/2007
From: TEXAS
Status: offline

IK,
I had talked to an muffler shop about removing the resignator, they said that the biggest difference it would make would be increased drone on the highway and would sound about the same at idle. Do you have experiance with removing the resignator on the I5?

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Post #: 4

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 7:31:15 AM

importkiller

Posts: 7254
Status: offline

not on the I5 but all a rsinator is is basically a single chamber straight through muffler...removing it will increase sound. I know on my wifes old Beretta I couldn't get good sound no matter what I did....I removed the resinator and the sound was great. The less meffled any exhaust is the more sound...so removing a resonator can only make things louder...then the mufflers job is to make the note deeper.

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RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 2:51:06 PM

Alpha Offroad

Posts: 12
Joined: 1/26/2008
Status: offline

There both cats. Pre-cats just off the manifolds then cats then the resinator then the muffler. Pretty restrictive.

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Post #: 6

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 3:06:18 PM

mfish

Posts: 382
Joined: 4/9/2007
Status: offline

Why dont you Alpha guys just get the Flowmaster made for the Alpha, sounds like it would save a lot of hassle?

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06 H3; adventure & lux package; Gibson catback; readylift leveling kit; and some other stuff...

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Post #: 7

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 4:20:30 PM

importkiller

Posts: 7254
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alpha Offroad

There both cats. Pre-cats just off the manifolds then cats then the resinator then the muffler. Pretty restrictive.

yea, so like I said...remove the resinator and sound will increase, or go with high flow cats.

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Post #: 8

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/8/2008 6:20:10 PM

Doc Olds

Posts: 3805
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Boat Town USA (Michigan 48045)
Status: offline

I agree with IK, and you would be suprised what a set of hi flow SS cats (the back set) can do. The front ones require more work because of sensor issues.

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Post #: 9

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/9/2008 4:38:43 PM

ALPHA XY

Posts: 123
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: Rockville, MD
Status: offline

I have yet to see one offered for the Alpha???

quote:

ORIGINAL: mfish

Why dont you Alpha guys just get the Flowmaster made for the Alpha, sounds like it would save a lot of hassle?

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Post #: 10

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/9/2008 5:08:35 PM

alphadogg

Posts: 358
Joined: 12/30/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: ALPHA XY

I have yet to see one offered for the Alpha???

quote:

ORIGINAL: mfish

Why dont you Alpha guys just get the Flowmaster made for the Alpha, sounds like it would save a lot of hassle?

because neither Magnaflow or Borla have made an exhaust available to the public YET! But they say it's coming soon.

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Post #: 11

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/9/2008 6:45:59 PM

importkiller

Posts: 7254
Status: offline

I think Mfish meant to just get a flowmaster muffler and have it made to fit the alpha? Any muffler shop can take a universal muffler and weld it into the alpha.

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Post #: 12

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/9/2008 6:58:26 PM

alphadogg

Posts: 358
Joined: 12/30/2007
Status: offline

I think there are too many restrictions in the stock exhaust system. Replacing just the muffler or actually even installing one of the so called hi-flow systems does not replace the 90 degree bends at the muffler. I would prefer to move the muffler midships and run dual tailpipes straight out the back.

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Post #: 13

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/9/2008 8:28:02 PM

importkiller

Posts: 7254
Status: offline

I agree...I hate the stock muffler position on all the h3's. I assume the alpha is similiar. I would just go to a muffler shop (if your not a good welder) and have them remove everything from the cat back, weld on a flowmaster 40 series muffler with single in dual out and run dual 1/2" pipes out to the rear bumper. You'll have enough backpressure from the cats that going dual 2 1/2" pipes won't kill your low end torque. It should cost you around $400 to have all this done. And you'll get nice sound from it. Or if you want to go extreme, you can always go header back with a crossover pipe to equalize the exhaust pulses and smooth the tone out, then you'll have a real nice powerful sound. BUt that'll run you a grand or so at a good shop.

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Post #: 14

RE: Alpha Exhaust... BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! - 2/9/2008 9:02:56 PM

rhill20

Posts: 4549
Joined: 10/27/2007
From: Delaware, Ohio GO BUCKS!
Status: offline

I had a guy that muffler shop here told me that he could do the dual Flowmaster 40 for about $430. I'm assuming that is what you're talking about. I wish I had about 2 grand laying around. Exhaust, hilljobs roof rack, PCMforless, Granetelli MAF.

Oh yea, the atlas transfer case too. Guess I should wish for about 4 grand

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