Remove a Muffler....Yikes?!

[Skywagon]

At the risk of being spanked by the purists, and yes I looked a lot through this website before posting this, has anyone considered simply removing the forward muffler on their 328i? I have a 2009 E90 which is way too quiet. The exhaust options are numerous and some very costly. Why not take it to a muffler shop and simply install a custom made piece of pipe in the forward muffler's place. Perhaps it would confuse the emissions computer?
Thanks much

[marti5]

Hmmm...Try it out and take it for an emmissions test, would be interesting to see what happens, I suppose you could design it so the muffler is easy to replace again.

The thing is you dont really want to lose any back pressure.

[bimmerguy82]

Originally Posted by Skywagon

At the risk of being spanked by the purists, and yes I looked a lot through this website before posting this, has anyone considered simply removing the forward muffler on their 328i? I have a 2009 E90 which is way too quiet. The exhaust options are numerous and some very costly. Why not take it to a muffler shop and simply install a custom made piece of pipe in the forward muffler's place. Perhaps it would confuse the emissions computer?
Thanks much

It's not a muffler, but a resonator. I think you have two of them. You can remove them safely without messing up emissions or back pressure. Just have a shop weld in some straight pipe.

You probably won't get a big sound difference without changing the muffler itself. That's what a muffler does, it muffles the sound.

[Skywagon]

Bimmerguy,
I just spent a little time laying on my back looking under the car. I was starting to think the "resonator" was perhaps a catalytic converter. I'd wager a little difference would be realized by removing it. Do you know where the catalytic converter is? It's got to be upstream of the resonator. Just took delivery last night, got a lot to learn. And, sir, I know what a muffler does. Thanks

[AlpineSixAndSeven]

^ just replace your muffler(the last chunky looking thing) with a magniflow muffler any exhaust shop could do this...

[Steve323i99]

Originally Posted by Skywagon

Bimmerguy,
I just spent a little time laying on my back looking under the car. I was starting to think the "resonator" was perhaps a catalytic converter. I'd wager a little difference would be realized by removing it. Do you know where the catalytic converter is? It's got to be upstream of the resonator. Just took delivery last night, got a lot to learn. And, sir, I know what a muffler does. Thanks

There are two I beleive attached to the down pipes from the headers, right before the bolted section that goes to the first resonator, very front most part of the exhaust syestem, you can't see them unless you are sitting right underneith the car and looking up under the enigne.

You can pretty much remove everything from that bloted secion back and throw on a Magnaflow or such muffler. It all depends on what sound you want to produce. There are a bunch of thread of a couple of guys doing this over at BimmerFest. "Smolck" did just the second resonator with a magnaflow muffler I believe, and SlimKim did both resonators, I don't know what exhaust he used. There are vids with sound clips from both of them.
Any exhaust shop can cut the resonators off and replace with straight pipe and install what ever muffler your looking to put on. Unless you gotz mad welding skilz.

[Skywagon]

Alpine,
Easier said than done. I've spent hours on the internet looking for a muffler or system that fits a plane vanilla 2009 328i E90. There are only two. One is from BMW $1449. The other goes into production tomorrow at Magnaflow. Just got off the phone with Gary in R&D at Magnaflow and he says call him back in about a week. No idea of cost yet, it is a catback system. Please, someone, make me into a liar.

[Skywagon]

Steve,
Thanks. Going to Bimmerfest looking for "Smolck"

[Steve323i99]

Actually I just realized that you have an E90, His is an E46.. sorry maybe his work will still give you ideas though.

[AlpineSixAndSeven]

just weld on one of manginflows universalto replace the last muffler and exhaust shop can do it ther like 100-150 a piece depending on the size and tip(s)

[Skywagon]

Alpine,
I looked at Magnaflow's web site and saw nothing that I thought would work without a ton of welding and modifications. So, I went to my BMW dealer and popped for their system. $1449. plus another hundred in small parts and still don't know how much the install will run. The 2009's are, according to their parts folks, are somewhat different than the 08's. Again, I've spent a ton of time on the net looking around. Magnaflow's will be cheaper I bet but it just went into production today.

[will3hawks]

Why do you want a noiser car? You may well find out (like the motorcycle crowd) that often times more noise equals less horsepower. If you MUST make more noise, save your money and invest in a Remus system which will not result in less performance.

[witeshark]

Noise does waste energy, very true!

[AlpineSixAndSeven]

Originally Posted by Skywagon

Alpine,
I looked at Magnaflow's web site and saw nothing that I thought would work without a ton of welding and modifications. So, I went to my BMW dealer and popped for their system. $1449. plus another hundred in small parts and still don't know how much the install will run. The 2009's are, according to their parts folks, are somewhat different than the 08's. Again, I've spent a ton of time on the net looking around. Magnaflow's will be cheaper I bet but it just went into production today.

Actually it is just cut and bend a pipe(to get the tip at the proper angle). simple ANY exhaust shop could do this in like an hour or 2.... all well whatever

[Skywagon]

Will3hawks,
I don't want a noisy car, I just want to be able to hear the engine. When I was shopping I drove a M3, had a quality subdued tone to it. Also, I seriously doubt the BMW engineers would design a system that would reduce power. If less back pressure robbed an engine of HP why would all racing cars have essentially straight, non restricted, exhausts?