Exhaust questions?

[The_Hawk]

It time to start at least thinking of getting some exhaust pieces onto the VR6 and shutting it up a wee bit. Driving by myself (as I usually do the radio is up s I don't tend to notice so much, but with the wife and kits in the car for a few hours on the weekend I noticed it again....

anyway...

So the stock pipe is 2 1/4 inch, can some please confirm that the stock setup goes from the cat to a mid muffler, to the "suitcase" to the back box? Or is there no mid?

2nd. Whats recommended? mid, rear + back box? Just a mid and back?

Considering the age of the cat, is it worth replacing, or do I just assume it's more free flowing if anything?

Lastly, whats the go with stainless steel vs not? Does it simply last longer? (and technically look better, but lets face it no one will ever see it)...

...oh and really lastly, whats a decent setup worth?

And how much less if I do keep the stock cat and my current rear box?

[DubSteve]

I wouldn't replace the cat, VW did good so its not worth replacing it!

I'm in the same boat as you Aaron I'm looking at a new exhaust so at the moment I'm thinkin full magnaflow which is a 2 1/4" system, sounds awesome aswell.

[Mrk_Mickey]

To answer some of your questions Aaron, yes the stock piping is 2.25". Yes, it goes from the Cat to a resonator (hotdog style), then to the briefcase style muffler, and lastly over the main rear axle into the backbox.

Stainless steel vs non....well....the only difference is it won't last as long, as you said. If you weld stainless and mild steels together in an exhaust, over a period of....>8 years (this is what I'm told) they will react against each other. This said, I personally chose mild steel because I didn't think 8 years was too bad for an exhaust to last. I probably won't have my car that long anyway.

I've replaced my exhaust with a cat-back system. To keep backpressure, Midas has installed 2" piping on mine from the cat, replacing the first resonator with a hotdog, deleting the briefcase, and replacing the backbox with a magnaflow one. It's got a great sound to it, however it does tend to drone right around the 2000rpm mark.

I paid Midas $200 to install mine, which included new piping from the cat all the way back and of course labour. I supplied the two mufflers.

If you're looking to refine it a bit, I suggest that you go 2-2.25" in piping, and replace the briefcase muffler with another, maybe smaller hotdog, for a more refined, but better than stock noise.

[Golf Houso]

To answer some of your questions Aaron, yes the stock piping is 2.25". Yes, it goes from the Cat to a resonator (hotdog style), then to the briefcase style muffler, and lastly over the main rear axle into the backbox.

Stainless steel vs non....well....the only difference is it won't last as long, as you said. If you weld stainless and mild steels together in an exhaust, over a period of....>8 years (this is what I'm told) they will react against each other. This said, I personally chose mild steel because I didn't think 8 years was too bad for an exhaust to last. I probably won't have my car that long anyway.

I've replaced my exhaust with a cat-back system. To keep backpressure, Midas has installed 2" piping on mine from the cat, replacing the first resonator with a hotdog, deleting the briefcase, and replacing the backbox with a magnaflow one. It's got a great sound to it, however it does tend to drone right around the 2000rpm mark.

I paid Midas $200 to install mine, which included new piping from the cat all the way back and of course labour. I supplied the two mufflers.

If you're looking to refine it a bit, I suggest that you go 2-2.25" in piping, and replace the briefcase muffler with another, maybe smaller hotdog, for a more refined, but better than stock noise.

I'd be doing the same, but I'd personally change the first resonator, find another muffler to replace the suitcase and put a magnaflow on the rear. I like a noisy car and the VR6 is quite loud stock but add a proper CAI its even louder remove a few mufflers and its louder again. Particularly when you compare it to a GL as I've discovered...

[Jarred]

If you dont want any drone go for a big resonator, is what I've learnt.

A generic "straight through" rear box should give a nice sound with a res and no suit case. If you go 2 1/4" it shouldn't bee too loud (being the stock size) but a 2.5" will be a bit louder.

If you actually want to "upgrade" the exhaust system, I suggest looking at a 2.5", big hot dog (resonator, for no drone) and a quality muffler magnaflow or whatever. Ring a few exhaust shops to get thier professional opinion. If it's too noisy, maybe a middle muffler/suitcase.

Di Filippo make straight-through stainless-wrapped, fibre-packed, peforated-tube mufflers for thier exhausts, cause this is what they says flows best. I'd take their word for it.

Hope this helps.

Also re: stainless vs mild steel: Unless you were to do some serious HP upgrades, I'd just stick to mild steel. Stainless steel 409 (or 419) is the best SS, esp for headers, cause it's more resistant to cracking under temp than 316 SS. But since this is more of a "sports" upgrade (than a "race" upgrade), IMO, Mild Steel would ssuffice.

[Golf Houso]

Di Filippo make straight-through stainless-wrapped, fibre-packed, peforated-tube mufflers for thier exhausts, cause this is what they says flows best. I'd take their word for it.

Glass packs basically, Mickey has one on his VR6...

[Tim]

the stock VR6 piping is actually 2.125" If im not mistaken.

I noticed a nice performance gain going up to a 2.5"
Also if you have ever looked at the stock cat. Its like a torpedo and inside it is a pretty restrictive looking weave

[Pullstarter]

I've decided to replace the suitcase with a more free flowing muffler, replace the rear muffler with a magnaflow and maintain the rest of the stock system as I don't want it too loud. Should be done by the end of next week I hope so I'll let you know what it's like Aaron.

[The_Hawk]

Right now I have cat -> rear box with 2" pipe throughout

Yeah it's droney as all hell at 2-3,000rpm. For me it's alright since I just wind the window down and turn the radio up, but like I said longer drives with others in the car it's loud as all hell.

Although to be honest, if I don't get it down this week before the drive to DOVW I most likely wont for a long while

[Jarred]

2" isn't much IMO. I have 2" on my 1.6 (!) mk 1. Slightly oversized, but the most common suuggestion from exhaust places.

2.5" Should flow much better. Generally the resonator will quiten down teh noise at the tip a little bit, but should cut out most (if not all) of the drone.

Then it's up to choosing a muffler. Hi-Flow cat might get you a few neddies too. Not sure of the cost/performance gain factor though.

Should be able to get a standard 2" hotdog chucked in for 30-50 bucks, at about an hours work. That would be a worthy investment for the roadtrip IMO!