Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications General Mods Removing the resonator on an SVT?

I read on this site some time ago that some owners are removing the resonator. I stopped by a local muffler shop to inquire about the cost of removing the resonator and the guy there told me it was a waste of time. What are the pros and cons of this mod?

Thanks

Dan
98 T-Red SVT

Well 1st off, welcome
Second of all it will give you about 2-3 hp, but make you exhaust deeper/louder. This is a personal choice that you would need make if its worth it or not.
oh ya it cost about $20.oo to have it removed

Anybody in S.E. Michigan have this done? If so, where and how much $? I was quoted $50-$55 at a shop in Union Lake.

Dan
98 T-Red SVT

This has been my only mod so far on my 2000 SVT. People on these boards talk about adding a few horsepower here, a few here. Your not going to notice any difference in performance. It just going to make your car louder and yes, in my humble opinion, slightly better. I paid $40 for mine and the price will vary, but not by any amount that matters. By the way, if a muffler shop is going to question you on what you want to do, do you want this kind of guy working on your ride? No, go somewhere else, tell them what you want and have it done.

You're right, I left that shop thinking what an ass. I'm planning on going to another shop that some friends recommended.

I must disagree with you on this point. I would prefer a shop to give an honest opinion from their experience. It would suck if you asked a shop to do a mod, the mechanic knows it won't work, but does it anyway, then charges you for the labor. I would prefer a shop's advice first. Then if I still want them to try it, it's no one's fault but my own.

About the resonator removal: You may get a better performance gain by leaving the resonator in place, and replacing the rear dual mufflers with straight pipe. I believe this may be quieter than removing the resonator. I'm looking into this myself.

So you're talking about no mufflers, just the resonator and straight pipes out the back? OK, what about a side exhaust with just the resonator? Has anybody heard their car running with just the resonator in place? I was worried that with just the resonator the car would be a little too loud. Any opinions?

Dude, just cutting out the resonator on an SVT is going to cause crazy drone - At first, you'll like it (like I did), but after awhile, it's going to drive you crazy and you'll end up replacing the straight pipe with something to quiet it down.. Search the archives and you'll find countless cases of this.. I've warned enough people, but no one seems to listen, but all eventually will put a resonator back in, because it makes long drives pretty annoying.

I myself haven't heard the car w/o mufflers, but I'm guessing it can't be too bad, as they're pretty straight-through mufflers to begin with, so I doubt they do much of a muffling job.. If you're looking for extra power though, you're looking in the wrong place, even an aftermarket cat-back is only going to give you 7-8hp tops..

How loud would it be if you swapped the stock
resonator with something like a Flowmaster 40
or 50? Or perhaps a Borla universal muffler?

I'd like to get rid of that 2" bottleneck in
the factory piece, but I'm positive I don't
want to run with a straight pipe and I am not
enamoured with the glasspack idea either.

T.

I believe this is ONLY a problem in the SVT (excessive drone), because of the cat-back and the diameter being 2.25". I just had mine removed in my SE and it sounds great! (diameter 2" stock exhaust) NO DRONE AT ALL. Just a noticable deeper tone at idle, low rpms. Once i hit 60+ I dont even notice it! But I feel more power at speeds 60+.

The explanation above of why it's more excessive then in my car is simply a guess on my part as I've never heard an SVT with the res removed. But ALL the complains about it seem to come from SVT owners. And i'm just putting 2 and 2 together that the exhaust configuration (diameter, cat-back design etc) is the reson why there is "more" drone.