TR6 Does anyone have Magnaflow mufflers on their TR6?

I currently have Flowmaster mufflers. I like the sound, but they're loud and that gets old on a long trip. A friend has Magnaflows on his '71 Chevelle, and they sound great when being pushed, and have a great mellow sound the rest of the time. Does anyone have them on their TR6?

I look forward to seeing the replies to your post on magnaflow mufflers. I have tried 4 different mufflers on my TR3A including a new Moss Muffler(to quiet), a cherry bomb(to loud) and 2 flea market finds in an attempt to find the 'right sound'. I've read numerous positive reviews of the magnaflow muffler but most have been on domestic cars so it will be great to hear opinions from Triumph owners.

The trick to making the Cherry Bomb quiet is to use two of them; just like the original setup. You can also try a downturned tip, which also makes it a bit quieter. I went from a single plus downturned tip on the 3A (which was still just a bit loud for my taste, hard to hear the stereo over it) to two of them on the TR3 which is just about right (for me).

No, I do not have the Magnaflow on mine. I do have a set of Ansa mufflers and they too seem loud at times. Since I'm planning on going to a five-speed conversion, I have to believe that things should get a little quieter as the rpms drop off. Here's hopeing anyway!

Hi, i copied this from another site (copied from somewhere else):


heres an excerpt I copied off another site, with a test of several mufflers, their sound DB ratings, and HP/Torque ratings.....

"I think, lots of us want mufflers that deliver good performance and have an aurally pleasing, performance sound... without being cop-bait or causing migraine headaches on a long drive.

The best muffler comparison I've seen to shed light on available choices based on that criteria was in the December 2002 5.0 Mustang and Super Fords magazine. 15 pairs of performance mufflers were tested on a highly-tuned, naturally-aspirated, EFI 306 Mustang making about 370 RWHP. Peak power is in the mid-6000 range, peak torque mid-5000 range. Tests were run back-to-back in a single day on Rick Anderson's dyno (Anderson Ford Motorsports). Horsepower, torque, and various sound levels were recorded in the most consistent manner possible for valid comparison. Four pulls were made with each pair of mufflers, and an average used for the reported numbers. Sound was measured with a decibel meter at idle, at 2000 rpm light-load cruise, and then at wide-open throttle maximum.

None of the mufflers produced hugely-different power results, ranging from 366.3 RWHP to 374.2 RWHP, and 330.1 lb./ft to 334.0 lb./ft. torque.

There were, however, a lot of differences in sound levels produced...both in quantity and subjective quality. Sometimes the loud mufflers produced more power, and sometimes they didn't. I've listed the mufflers below and the suggested retail price EACH as given in the magazine (rounded to even dollars). In the brackets with the price, I've indicated their construction: SS for stainless steel, AS for aluminized steel, and MS for mild steel. Next is the measured sound-level results in decibels, followed by power numbers (to compare relative efficiency). Re: the decibel numbers...the first number after the muffler name is decibels at IDLE, the second number is 2000 rpm CRUISE decibels, and the third number is WOT decibels. RWHP & RW torque are listed last. (Note: OMS means "off the sound meter's scale... too loud to measure):
NO muffler ($free!): 91/103/OMS/365.2 RWHP/330.1 RWT
Bassani QT ($186 SS): 83/96/120/372.0 RWHP/333.5 RWT
Bassani Real Street ($186 SS): 84/96/OMS/373.7 RWHP/333.8 RWT
Borla XS ($130 SS): 80/90/110/373.3 RWHP/332.6 RWT
Borla XR1 ($168 SS): 83/96/118/370 RWHP/334.0 RWT
Dynomax Ultra Flo ($80 AS): 83/94/113/369.4 RWHP/333.2 RWT
Edelbrock RPM ($179 SS): 84/94/118/370.9 RWHP/331.3 RWT
Flowmaster 50 series SUV type ($135 MS): 82/93/115/369.4 RWHP/331.8 RWT
Flowtech Afterburner ($43 AS): 86/94/115/372.3 RWHP/330.1 RWT
Flowtech Terminator ($59 AS): 86/94/119/369.5 RWHP/331.3 RWT
Flowtech Warlock ($75 MS): 83/92/112/366.3 RWHP/325.3 RWT
Hooker Aerochamber ($69 AS): 87/94/114/372.1 RWHP/330.4 RWT
Hooker MAXflow ($69 AS&SS): 80/90/120/373.5 RWHP/333.0 RWT
MAC Flowpath ($80 SS): 87/98/119/372.3 RWHP/331.5 RWT
Magnaflow ($84 SS): 82/91/114/372.8 RWHP/332.5 RWT
SpinTech ($80 AS): 87/97/116/371.6 RWHP/332.2 RWT
Rick Anderson wisely points out in the article that (as always) you shouldn't look only at peak HP/torque figures but rather at AVERAGE power production figures within the engine's powerband. Best in that regard was the (very loud) Bassani Real Street, followed by a virtual four-way tie between the Magnaflow, both Borlas, and the Hooker MAXflow.

FWIW in scientific procedure commentary: Because the open-pipe version was lowest in power, my opinion is that the car was well-tuned for mufflers and the injectors went slightly lean at max rpm when the exhaust was opened up. That would suggest that a couple of the most open, high-flowing mufflers MIGHT have made a few more ponies on top with the A/F optimized for them. They're all so close, though, that this is nit-picking.

It's worth noting that there's a significant weight difference among these mufflers, ranging from 6 lb. for the DynoMax to 16 lb. for the long, 3 chamber Flowmaster. That's up to 20 lb. weight difference for 2 mufflers!

The "quality" of the exhaust note produced is impossibly subjective to quantitatively express...yet every gear head can listen to different exhaust combos and...more often than not... agree on which ones sound "good" to the performance enthusiast's ear. 5.0 magazine picked the Magnaflow, Bassani QT, and Edelbrock RPM as having the "sweetest" performance notes. FWIW, this agrees with my own casual observations.
If you want the quietest muffler you can get without suffering a performance penalty, the Borla XS wins hands-down. The ability to make power while generating only 110 db at WOT is amazing. It's 90 db cruise is also the quietest, as is its 80 db idle. Bonus is it's one of the lightest at 7.5 lb. T'aint cheap at $130 each, but the stainless Borla offers undisputed high quality with a nearly-forever warranty. Their sound reminds me of the stock, "factory muscle car" sound of the 60's. Conservative but classy.

The Magnaflow offers great value, high quality, high performance, and sweet music without the mind-numbing drone or obnoxious bellow. Only $84 each gets you shrink-wrapped, flawless stainless steel that is polished so beautifully that it will make you sad to hide them under your car. At 10.5 lb. they're still on the lighter end of the spectrum. They're only 1 db louder than the Borla XS at cruise speed, and only 2 db thumpier at idle. They open up "just enough" at WOT (IMHO) to sing a well-controlled but exuberant horsepower sonata. Fortissimo passion without pain. Even though 4 db. louder than the Borla at WOT, they're still on the low db side compared to the others in the test. I've never heard anyone complain about the "quality" of the sound from Magnaflows, and only a couple complaints about "not loud enough," (mostly from 2-chamber Flowmaster aficionados, lol).

Either of these choices SHOULD be run with an H or X pipe crossover. This will provide both better performance and optimum sound control. Either COULD be run with cats which would subdue their mildly-sonorous personalities even further."

While I think the retail prices for several mufflers are on the high side, the rest looks pretty close...
Especially note the comparison between the Dynomax Ultra Flows and the 50 series Flowmaster...one DB sound difference, same HP, and 2 ft lbs of torque...

Rule of Thumb:
--->Do not dismiss something you have not personally run.<---

Many of the fastest cars out there run Flowmaster. Yes, I've talked to people who have experienced better luck with other brands in certain cases and applications, and I'm by no means pushing Flowmaster over any other brand. I have Flowmaster 40 series 2 chambers on my 72, with a 12:1 CR 470 stroker motor, and they are house rattling, loud mufflers, which produce alot of resonance at road speed, but they work great at the track, and have little effect on ET vs. dropping the exhaust. My 70 Vista with a 350 runs stock manifolds, full duals, and shorty glasspacks, has a rumble at idle, but is fairly quiet at road speed. My 74 442 with a 455 headed 400 has full duals with headers and shorty glasspacks, with more miles on the mufflers, and they rap out like it has a SBC in it...I know people who have excellent luck with the Ravins, Flowtechs, Magnaflows, and FloPro mufflers as well. Its more of a personal choice than anything, but to say Flowmaster doesn't flow better than a stock muffler is like saying a Cutlass is just a Monte Carlo with badges... The Ultra Flows have a fiberglass dampening, which eventually will do the same thing as a glasspack...burn out and get louder...don't get me wrong..they are a good muffler too, but if you're going to put up facts, make sure they're truthful, and not based solely on personal opinion....


Regards
Rob

One point to make about the above information is that they do not tell you the exact part number. Many different sizes and configurations can be used with different results.
Rob

trfourtune said:

One point to make about the above information is that they do not tell you the exact part number. Many different sizes and configurations can be used with different results.
Rob

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Plus, every engine sounds different with the same muffler... I'm sure the TR6 wont sound like a Mustang, even with the exact same exhaust system from the header(s) back.

I don't have a clue what on my Spitfire, it came with the car, but it sounds 100% perfect all the time. Low rumble at idle, minimal noise at highway speeds, RAWR on heavy acceleration. With that said, I'm sure there is something out there that is perfect for a TR6. I've been around very very few running TR6s to give you any sort of idea, but again, I'm sure it out there. If you want pics of my Spitfires tail, then let me know.

Check out Youtube. You can actually hear the sound of many different systems on many different vehicles. Not a whole bunch on TR's, but some interesting stuff.

There are literally hundreds of muffler manufacturers out there now. Some are crazy expensive being made of titanium and such, which I think is a little silly. It's a street car dude, not an F-1.

I've been considering a set up from Stebro. They list the TR4 set up at $975 but if you call them, they will negotiate. I had them down to $500, but I'm just not sold on the set up yet.

Tab,
isn't your number 1 criteria: power, then sound, since you are building a race car primarily? 90% of all literature on RACE car exhausts states a straight through muffler type (as long as you meet the track sound levels) makes the most power hands down (perforated tube with sound deadening material like a glass pack or others).
R
ps- I think that exhaust systems (from header to muffler) are the biggest rip off out there. build you own and save your money for other things. you can do an adequate job with a small mig welder on stainless. not the prettiest, but only you look under your car. Build it with the engine installed before you put the body back on the frame. For a tr4- 2.25" diameter to the muffler(s) in the straightest configuaration possible (2.5" for a really, really hot racing tr4).
IMHO

Heck, my criteria changes daily...lol.

I'm constantly vascilating between full race and street/race combo, but what I'm starting to realize is that this is not an easy thing to do. You cannot have your cake and Edith too.

Today, I'm leaning more towards a fairly stock looking TR4 with a nice powertrain and some goodies tossed in. Insofar as resale value is concerned, a car that is neither fish nor foul does not fare too well in the market. I think a car needs to be either full race, or some type of restomod wherein you retain the essence of the original car with most of the upgrades being tastefully minimized.

This car is just going to be too nice to toss around on a track somewhere, so I've decided that when I'm ready, I'll buy a full out race car that someone else has lost money on.

So for TODAY, I'm back in the street car mode. With that being said, I can still stick some really nice performance goodies on it, just as long as the car doesn't end up looking like some bastardized hot rod or something.


Back to exhaust. Forget about the Stebro, you're right, too heavy and too expensive. I'll most likely build my own exhaust and use a single Burns 17" Stage 2 muffler on each pipe. They're not cheap, but they sound incredible and weigh only about 3 pounds.

wow,
those look like they (burns) will be LOUD! Do you have any info on how loud they are compared to others? You might have to put in one right after another.
R

exhaust hint-
you can use 2" SCH 5S pipe, which is 2.375" od. with .065" wall thickness giving 2.245 ID.-perfect. industrial supply places for source. 304 or 316 ss grade. I like 316 for exhaust pipe system-it NEVER rots out and you can get a 90 degree elbow and trim it to suit what you need (for a tr4, you can get 2 smaller degree elbows out (or even 3 )of it which could do the whole thing from header to muffler and tail pipe.
I check out the scrap yards now and again and have done my previous truck in it for $20. pulp mill scrap piping is great.Usually you can find some that has only been used for water and is perfect.
R

No, the Burns Stage 2 are not that loud, really no louder than a Magnaflow or the equivalent.

What I like about them is that they're made from light weight alumiumum and not very large. I plan on building a dual exhaust system and I don't want two big 'ol heavy stainless mufflers.

Youtube has videos of both the Burns and the
Magnaflow on Corvettes. They actually sound very similar but the Burns are just much lighter.

If you look on the Burns website, you can download a PDF questionaire. All you have to do is fill it out and fax it back to them and they'll design a custom header for your car designed specifically for whatever application you need them for.

Great tip on the pipe, but I'd feel guilty not getting the stuff from Burns after they design my headers. But who knows, I'm cheap.

Re: Does anyone have Magnaflow mufflers on their T

Tab,

Please post pictures when you get that header!!

You're best flowing "race" mufflers all have an larger id pipe within the muffler than the inlet and outlet pipes. We run a Magnaflow "race" muffler when we need to make sound and it does a great job of quieting the car down.

You can't go wrong with the Burn's stuff... they do beautiful work.

Re: Does anyone have Magnaflow mufflers on their T

Bob-

I faxed them my spec sheet this morning, but Burns doesn't actually fabricate the headers, they only supply the materials and the specs. They can recommend places in your particular area to do the fabrication though. Since my area has no decent fabricators, at least none that I can find, I'll have to find an outfit somewhere that I can trust will do a decent job.

Re: Does anyone have Magnaflow mufflers on their T

Tab, HOLY COW!
you're going to blow over $800 on a pair of mufflers? I'd rather spend $260 on magnaflows and put the rest of my money towards a set of those street magnesium rs-watatanabe wheels i want-10.66 lbs.(part number F8 15-60 [with custom offset])
Rob

Re: Does anyone have Magnaflow mufflers on their T

Tabcon said:

Bob-

I faxed them my spec sheet this morning, but Burns doesn't actually fabricate the headers, they only supply the materials and the specs. They can recommend places in your particular area to do the fabrication though. Since my area has no decent fabricators, at least none that I can find, I'll have to find an outfit somewhere that I can trust will do a decent job.

Click to expand...

Yup, forgot. They do fabricate their own collectors and mufflers though.. beautiful work. Still would love to see the finished header when you're done.