I've got this 85 GSL with 2000 miles on a mildly ported 12A. It has a pacesetter header, magnaflow Cat. Conv. (CA smog ARGH!!) and a flowmaster delta flow (2-chamber) muffler. It sounds really good, but it is REALLY LOUD!!! I don't want to spend $200+ on a RB muffler w/the tailpipe but I need to quiet it down some. Does anyone have any other suggestions for a good muffler??? I can weld and have done exhausts before so I just need to be pointed in the right direction.

 

i have heard that pacesetter is probably the worst header you can put on your car, not from personal experience, just heard it, that could be a reason, but one thing not any cheap muffler will hold the heat, so i think it would be better to get a good quality one and that will solve your issue, magnaflow mufflers are good, but rb is a guarantee that it will work.

 

The reason its so loud is because your components are not made with thick enough
steel. The pace setter is paper thin compared to a RB header and your getting a lot
of noise because of that. Also that pacesetter won't live long anyway with the
rotaries heat going thru it.

RB makes all the components with thicker steel for 2 reasons; durability and sound
suppression. In general you can't beat their exhaust setup.

 

ditch the flow master and use anything else, the flowmaster makes it louder

 

Hey I'm from California too and I just recently purchased a SA, was wondering...you can port the 12a and still pass smog? What else can you do and still pass smog? RB is a smog-able setup?

 

Turbo it!

 

The complete RB set up is not CA smog complient, maybe if you only replaced the rear muffler would you be able to pass legally with the RB unit. Also there is the visual inspection and there are no c.a.r.b. approved header for the rx7 in CA.

You would need to have a extra cool smog guy or know some one that could hook you up in order to pass with the complete RB system.

 

You need better mufflers.

I've got a RB header, 3" cat, 3" vibrant resonator, 3" borla muffler. Still loud. I actually put the cat BACK on because it was so damn loud. I'm planning on ditching the cat and resonator in favor of a full second borla muffler

 

since you have an SA, you might want to see if its LEGAL to put a cat in it. this is the secret recipe. if you do an engine swap, you're supposed to put ALL of the smog equipment from a newer car into your old one.

for example if you wanted to put an Ls-1 in your SA, to be legal in CA, you also have to put all the OBDII nonsense into the car.

HOWEVER it is, or was also illegal to put a catalytic converter into a car that didn't have one, so in the case of say a T2 engine swap, they can't smog you, because you cannot put the cat into it, and it won't pass without one.

its worth a look anyways

 

Thanks for all the input. I knew that the header was kinda cheap since it gives off that thin metal tingy sound. I bought the car with it on so I can't complain too loudly. But, thats probably where a lot of the resonance is coming from. The flowmaster doesn't help either. I was looking into getting one of those generic RB mufflers and just weld it in for now. That should help out considerably. I will have to save up for a new header later. There is always room for improvement on these little beasties. Thanks again.

 

Ditch the Flowmaster muffler and slap on a Magnaflow or Borla muffler. Both are made of stainless and proven to hold up to the punishing rotary heat. They even muffle better than a flowmaster. A 5x8x18 Magnaflow will do a decent job of cutting the exhaust note down and if you don't get the pretty, polished one, they are very reasonably priced. It will also fit in behind the rear axle nicely. Last time I bought one in that size it was about $120 compared to nearly double for the Powerpulse muffler.

 

The racing beat universal mufflers are pretty damn affordable and pretty damn solid. I recommend them.