Final Word On Centre Muffler

[QikSmurf]

I know its been done before but here is the view of a SCEPTIC :( :(

17 kwrw gain by simply removing the centre muffler seemed too good to be true. then the is the issue of sound........would it DRONE? ......would it be TOO LOUD?????.....would it sound.....ILLEGAL????????

I decided to bite the bullet and try it out first hand. The job itself seemed simple enough. All was flanged including the old muffler so if I ( or more importantly SWMBO ) didn't like it.....swap it straight back. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

We stood around as the hoist came down. The exhaust guy gets in and fumbles for the ignition... At this point I look towards my wife who has the look of " this better not be a FU#K up " all over her face. I smile my "everything will be OK grin and PRAY!!!!!!!!!!

It starts............WOW!!

All I can say is this, JUST DO IT.

[Cassius]

  QikSmurf said:

At this point I look towards my wife who has the look of " this better not be a FU#K up " all over her face. I smile my "everything will be OK grin and PRAY!!!!!!!!!!

mmm..... I have experienced this on the few odd occasions.

You didnt say whether she was happy with it as well.

Your grin is probably the most important thing anyway. Good Job.

[dr_g]

This will be the first mod I do to my car. What kind of dollars am I looking at? I live in the Hills district of NSW, any happy customers of Exhaust Shops in the area?

Thanks.

[plonky]

I hate to be a party pooper but the removal of the muffler without replacing it with another muffler is illegal. In the EPA regs there is a section which deals with (amongst others) ram pod style filters and externally venting blow off valves, and it also mandates that the exhaust system MUST have the same number of mufflers/resonators that is on the car when it is manufactured.

I'm all for modifying the car, cheap power increases etc, but don't say you weren't warned when some knucklehead in an XR6Turbo, driving around being an idiot (obviously not someone on this Forum) gets his modified car examined by the Police/RTA/EPA and the centre muffler modification is found.

The EPA guys will send out an information sheet to the HWP advising what types of cars to look at and what type of mods are illegal.

When this happens blame the idiot in an XR6Turbo who has been playing up in the car and brought himself and the modifications under notice. This means that it is going to affect the good guys who just want a bit more power and use it responsibly.

D*ckheads and Ramraiders don't only drive Jap grey imports and GTR'S WRX'S etc etc. The cult car of the new century will be their flavour of the month soon too!

[TURBO4LT]

I have removed mine I just fitted stainless pipes that I bought off one of the forum members and im happy with the sound. Definaley louder , the only time its a bit annoying is at low revs going up a hill . As for power it seems to rev a bit more freely. Havent tried timming 1/4 mile yet to see if its any better.

[Benny]

If your worried about getting a defect notice then read the zoom magazine issue. It explains that even if you remove the centre muffler the car will still pass all ADR rules and regulations. In the artical it shows the testing they did after the removal.

If your still not convinced then get an engineers certificate.

[plonky]

Benny I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the EPA do not recognise Engineers Certificates and the legislation is clear that the vehicle must have the same number of mufflers that the car came with as standard.

If you don't believe me ring the EPA Vehicle Unit at Lidcombe.

It's not just a defect notice. The owner/driver of the car gets fined, the muffler shop that did the modification gets a much bigger fine, the car will then be directed to undergo a drive by noise test which is the same as what the manufacturer has to do when submitting the car for compliance. The test is at the owners costs and I can guarantee that unless the car is completely standard it won't reach the 91dB limit.

There was another poster on this forum that has alrady been through the whole drama with a VL Turbo. Get some feedback from him.

The relevant Act is the Protection of the Environment (Motor Vehicle Accessories) Act. The relevant sections are Section 18.

I do this stuff for a living, I know what I'm talking about, but if you think you know better then all power to you!

[aniken]

Plonky is correct, as usual. The law in black and white:

  Quote

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONS (NOISE CONTROL) REGULATION 2000 - SECT 18

18 Noise control equipment to be properly maintained

(1) A person must not cause or permit a motor vehicle to be used on a road or road related area if the motor vehicle’s noise control equipment:

(a) is not securely in place, or

(B) is defective.

Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units in the case of a corporation, 50 penalty units in the case of an individual.

(2) A person must not:

(a) remove, or render less effective, a motor vehicle’s noise control equipment, otherwise than for the purpose of repairing or replacing it, or

(B) replace a motor vehicle’s noise control equipment with noise control equipment that is less effective than the original noise control equipment fitted by the vehicle manufacturer.

Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units in the case of a corporation, 50 penalty units in the case of an individual.

(3) For the purposes of subclause (1) (B), defective noise control equipment includes:

(a) equipment that allows the emission of more noise than the original noise control equipment fitted by the vehicle manufacturer, or

(B) equipment that has, in the opinion of an authorised officer, been modified in a way that makes it less effective than it would have been if not for the modification, or

© equipment that allows gas to escape from a place other than the intended exhaust outlet, or

(d) if the equipment concerned comprises a system of mufflers—the system contains fewer mufflers than the original system fitted by the vehicle manufacturer.

Reference>> click

[plonky]

In case you don't know, a Police Officer is an Authorised Officer under the Act, it it clearly states "In the opinion of the Authorised Officer" in relation to modifications being louder than original manufacturers noise control.

I can guarantee you that this Act is very well know in metro Sydney but there are only a few of us that know and use the Act in the country.

Sometimes it boils down to the 'attitude test'

[bez]

From my experience, only about 10 - 15% of cops would pass an "attitude test".