997 Exhaust Sound and Setup
 

I figured enough people were asking in many different threads for sound examples and different configurations that I'd start a new one just posting (non-sponsored) exhaust sound and the configuration that goes along with it, it would be good to get all this in one place.

Dundon 997.2 (2.5 inch) V2 Long Tube Street Headers
991.2 (2019) Titanium Center w/Fabspeed GT3 OEM Center Muffler Reinforcement
991.2 Titanium Rolled Tips


15 seconds Sport Mode On
2000 RPM
4000 RPM
8000 RPM
and a few blips

Compared to my SS center I think this has a little bit of a tin sound, so I actually might like it a bit less but 20 lbs is 20 lbs. I prioritize weight over sound so I do not have the Dundon loud center. Someday I want the Dundon Ti center, but it’s $11k

Tip for iphone: users>settings>camera>record stereo sound off, this will set the mic on the front camera vs all around. Also in the same location you can set your recording to 1080p since we are listening to sound and don’t care about 4K, I would suggest this because Rennlist has a 20mb upload limit.

Clearly a drive by video is better than static but this is much easier for us to do.

I’m going to have to bug you to hear this in person one of these days. Very similar to what I’d like to put on my car as well.

tried to follow your procedure. Nothing but sharkerks bypass v1

(full video was way too big)

Definitely, overland overpass is a good place for testing :)

Hah, I'm fairly partial to that tunnel between orchard and cole myself.

I would have guessed the stainless center only weighed about 18 lbs by itself. How much does the titanium part weigh? I have been struggling to meet autocross sound restrictions, so I bought a Dundon quiet muffler... I was shocked at both how not quiet it is, and how heavy it is! I almost couldn't install it by myself. It did move the needle on the sound meter, but I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze for hanging 40 ish lbs off the back of the car.

something in my head says the actual savings was 17lbs... but truthfully I cant remember, but I do remember picking it up and remembering out light it was. When the valves are closed i find the muffler to be perect for my neighborhod... sometimes I want more but not when im in the canyons. I do notice it tone down a lot at elevation.

If someone is looking for RSR sound, I still have a Sharkwerks race setup in black that is barely used. I think I have a JCR center delete as well. The design is similar to Sharkwerks, but it gives a higher pitched "tinny" sound.

On all of these, my experience is that you really have to hear them yourselves. Recordings never truly capture the sounds well. Perhaps the advice above will at least offer some consistency in the recording method.

I think I've mentioned it before, but I'm running Dundon headers into an RSS center delete. It sounds sublime. Yes, it's loud, but it really doesn't drone like you may expect. In fact, I felt like the valved side deletes with center muffler droned more.

Would love to hear it, I had the GMG center delete and should have tried it. I was thinking of going for the Dundon megaphone...missed the one on marketplace last year.

+1 on being interested to hear it. Do most people go for the 2.5" Dundon headers for more options on the rear section? Not sure whether 3" by itself has a tangible power benefit, though I think Jamie has mentioned it's best to do 3" if you do their resonance intake.

I did 2.5” for no other reason than resell since they interchange with most mufflers, never know when I might want something else

I'll make a recording, but it's going to be a few weeks before I can. I'm away from my car for the holidays.

Wish this thread existed for when I was shopping around vs scouring YouTube and the web for clips.

I have a JCR superlight Ti center bypass which has a larger diameter, lighter gauge Ti and different merge than their standard one. I’ll post a sound clip soon. Couldn’t find any sound clips of this one but went for it anyways and glad I did. Hope it helps others in the same boat.

More discussion here and sound clips, as well as many other threads if you search:
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...-worth-it.html

JB

SW center bypass, Soul non-valved side deletes.

Lol was that your wife yelling at you at the end like mine did ha!

Here's some videos of some exhaust combinations I've experimented with using the EvoMS headers. I have some clips of the OEM headers with the RSS, SW and BBI bypasses, but there's enough videos out there already.

EvoMS Catless Headers
RSS X-Pipe Center Bypass
Stock Side Mufflers


EvoMS Catless Headers
JCR Titanium Superlight Center Bypass
Stock Side Mufflers


EvoMS Catless Headers
JCR Titanium Superlight Racepipe (Valved)

That was my then 10 year old daughter. Kids have no appreciation for music. 😄

Haahahaaa

Haha that’s awesome

Do you still have the GT?

Yessir. Bought it 11 years ago and would be the last car to go if I ever had to liquidate.
Where in PHX are you? I lived in Peoria from 08-11. Friend of mine had a GT and was the first time I'd ever got a ride in one. I was determined to buy one someday but with a $hit job and the peak of the recession, I couldn't afford it at the time (they were high $100k's back then :banghead:).
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...5c6d566c03.jpg

Sharkwerks center vs RSS center delete



side muffler delete with valves to stock center



same down the straight

Wow, love your collection. Basically what I’d want. And I agree, GT would be one of the last cars to get rid of.

Merry Christmas all!!

Ive had the following exhausts on my 997.1 GT3.
OEM stainless
-too quiet
OEM titanium center
-too quiet with slight tinniness
OEM titanium center with TPC valved side bypass pipes
-slightly louder but still too quiet with slight tinniness
Fabspeed center race exhaust with Fabspeed side bypass pipes
-awesome everywhere while driving hard.
-horrendous drone. neighbors complained. Too loud to talk on BT phone.

JCR titanium valved center with TPC side bypass pipes.
-my favorite! Light! Great sound! Valved for neighbors. I can talk on the phone. Drone very mild.


Youtube short on my old Fabspeed catback exhaust.
ill add another later with my current JCR setup.

I still argue that you cannot accurately capture the sound and you really need to experience in person.
Dundon v2 Street Headers ran directly into RSS Center Delete Pipe.
Car was already warm. Sequence of events: Startup, idle, switch to sport, 2500RPM, 4500RPM, 6500RPM, oops

Sounds fantastic, thanks for posting. Can't recall if you answered this already somewhere else but how's the drone with this setup?

did you blow over the camera? 😂

Seems to be a running theme lately 😆

It’s really hard to distinguish between these setups with a cell phone…they all sound similar to me. I tried to record the underpass this summer with my phone and the sound just isn’t translated easily.

agreed they all sound similar on video

I remember when got my RS with the GMG bypass and stock headers and drove it around, it didn't take me 3 seconds to make the decision on buying a new Dundon set again... must be a seat of the pants feel :)

One other thing to consider is that idle and revving doesn't really give you the true sound. You need to hear the car under load both hard on gas and light on gas to hear the real music and I just do not know how to accurately capture the symphony.

Cross posts for my current 7.1RS and my setup on the prior 7.2:

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...l#post19203315

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...l#post18743595

thanks for this post! was looking at different systems and was scared the akra would be too tame

With the side mufflers, I think it is. There’s probably some low - mid torque benefit retained by running the sides, but I didn’t notice any dip at all from stock with it configured this way. Conversely, on my .2, there was a noticeable drop in low to mid torque with the Supersprint long tube headers. I think it’s down to back pressure. Long headers = more power / tq at higher RPM. Shorter headers + more back pressure = low end while sacrificing high end.

I think this is where valved side deletes will help as they create back pressure below 4K or so and open up above that thus giving you the benefit throughout the full RPM range. Retaining the valves on the side deletes is beneficial in my opinion.

Good points. The Akra kit has valves and I retained them, but really don’t like the abrupt binary on/off at ~4k. Just feels unnatural. Prefer it with PSE unplugged, but appreciate that others might like it.

I run the Soul valved side deletes with the stock center and the ON/OFF transition is very soft, I would say more gradual than with the OEM sided mufflers. I would imagine all the valved side deletes would be comparable.

​​​​@yoojeankim says your PM inbox is full and I can’t reply to your PM. Feel free to shoot me your email address or let me know when it’s cleared out.

Woke the gt3 up from a 4 month slumber this weekend. I forgot how much I like the way all the Dundon stuff sounds on this car. It has the long tube headers with cats, and their quiet muffler. It’s a tiny bit loud, but I have to imagine it’s quieter than all the setups that don’t include cats.

What an amazing color combo, and AX layout. Our courses are so tight and short by comparison. Sounds a lot like mine with full Akra exhaust.

thanks! We’re picky about where we will autocross. Mostly we like to go where a good chunk of people drive the solo national championship event. This particular region used the phrase “we only train for the Olympics” to describe their courses. Big autocross courses are way more fun than tight pinchy stuff

Lucky. Ours are :30-:50 second super tight courses. I did my first in a P Car last season after about 15 years away focused on tracking. Forgot how fun and challenging it is. Decidedly NOT fun in an RS America though. No power, no first gear speed, no second gear low end. Wrong car for the course setup.

My Kline Inconel system(200 cell headers). Valves open with a Cargraphic controller and a 5K RPM shift point.

Starting to think about exhaust options and was looking at the side muffler deletes as a starting point

They seem to reduce a lot of weight and heat and are relatively good value compared to the headers.

I was thinking of going non-valved as and I’m not usually the type to close the values. Any other reason to go valved other than having the option to tone it down? Does it mess with the back pressure if you don’t have valves? Not noticeably I'm assuming

I was leaning toward the Soul side deletes. Anyone recommend anything else? I know Dundon seems to be the pinnacle as regards a full on headers/system etc but I’m not quite ready to drop myself right in at the deep end…maybe once I’ve heard it in person I’ll change my mind.

Any good bang for buck options to consider would be appreciated

Valves do nothing for back pressure. At least nothing that you’ll notice. Purely sound.

If you’re fully stock now, suggest you start with a center bypass. Stock headers and sides give these cars that distinctive howl. If you don’t like center delete, then you can start playing with side bypass, headers, etc. Yes, the sides are heavy and hot, but unless you’re chasing 10ths of seconds on track, that’s also something you won’t notice.

Fair point, not chasing tenths or even seconds lol! but just from my cursory research, the side mufflers seems to be a more impactful mod at a similar price point.

Center delete would be an easier place to start, not having to remove the damn centerlocks would be a bonus also.

Maybe do the Center delete, plus side delete ‘while I’m in there’?? It’s a slippery slope!

You shouldn't need to remove the wheels either way. You can pull off the bumpers, center muffler and side mufflers all with the wheels on. There is a bolt right where the rear bumper hits the wheelwell that's kind of a pain but simply jacking up the rear makes it easier, and even that isn't necessary.

I'd also suggest starting with a center delete. Pick up a nice preowned RSS or Sharkwerks on Rennlist, use it for a bit and if you want more you can basically sell it for what you paid for it down the road.

Center delete sounds better than side delete only. Center delete and side delete sounds great. Headers and no mufflers sounds best. At least that's what I'm telling myself while my wife's face appears like she'll yelling at me, but I can't hear her for the glorious engine sound.

hahaha, thats awesome Ranger ... my wife loves the sound, so the only faces I get are smiles....

.... but seriously G80, I was in a similar choice situation (6 yrs ago) when I first bought & wanted to do exhaust for more sound. I took the advice from our RL guys here and started with a center bypass (I bought SW),.. & its true, the pure tone wail is very intoxicating (I was also a musician in my youth too, so tonal quality is important to me). In the very beginning, I had always planned to do (after center bypass) the next step of eliminating the side mufflers for the same reasons you are considering,... but after hearing just the center bypass, the sound is just magnificently pure,.. and with me driving primarily back twisty roads, I haven't noticed the {stock amount of} heat back there (other than the fans running off/on for a while after I shut it down). Sure I might have noticed the reduction in weight back there,... but since I never did it, I don't really know what I'm missing (lower weight).

Your call how far you want to do with your first step mod. But the center is the quickest & easiest. try that for a while and then see where you are afterwards.

RSS center delete and you'll never need to change the sound. It's the best sounding of the bunch. If you want power then headers down the line. For the short term the RSS is going to be hard to beat.

Wheels off def makes it easier, but not necessary as @Vocan suggests. Rear bumper off is key, and it’s dead simple, despite seeming complex.

I’ve pretty much done every iteration on .2 and .1 now, and my best advice is to try incrementally. Don’t change more than one element at a time. Center delete, then if you want more, go side delete. Then if you want even more Cup car insanity, go headers / high flow cats. If you want to go deaf, just straight pipe with long tube headers. Glorious. Painful.

Also know that any exhaust combo is basically for sound. Power / TQ gains negligible. And to the extent achieved, you won’t really feel it beyond a psychosomatic aspect. And I’ll probably take sh*t for this, but that’s the reason why spending 12-20k for exhaust from certain companies is just nonsense. As gorgeous and well engineered as it may be, it’s still just metal tubing. And I’m speaking as someone with a full titanium Akra kit on his RS.

+1, I'm really glad you talked me into going RSS. Absolutely love mine--no drone with great tone and just the right amount of loud for me.

I've been in an GMG equipped, Sharkwerks equipped and an RSS equipped. I thought the RSS is the best of the bunch.

I have the valved Soul side bypass and M&M Center delete, with Carnewal remote setup. The closed valves do make a difference, especially on cold starts. The remote allows you to close them at will, instead of opening and closing when it wants to. It's also great when you answer the phone.
Make sure you pick a center bypass which uses the straps/clamps to hold it in place, many don't. My M&M center is similar to the Sharkwerks center bypass. Also, I had at first bought the TPC valved side deletes, but it would not mate to my center. It would work fine on the OEM center, but 1mm difference and it would not match the center. They may have rectified this, I don't know, but mine were used and the seller took them back.

Weight and heat reduction is no doubt a bonus, and for me, the sound is perfect. I have two motorcycles with straight pipes, a Z1900 four and my H2 triple two stroke 750 with stingers 👹. Neighbors are used to it and have no choice 😂
None have complained, I drive away in a civilized manner.
Look through the market place for used ones-the Soul has lifetime warranty, there's also Fabspeed, the German made Cargraphic and a few others
Here's the center one I have:
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1333073

JB

My fabspeed valved side deletes are for sale.
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1407933

car was too loud for future wifey.

Recently acquired my 2007 GT3 RS and it was equipped with the Sharkwerks track exhaust - which is straight piped from the factory headers back, no mufflers. Lightweight, simple and way way too loud for me to enjoy street driving. I've removed it, sold it, and reinstalled the stock side mufflers + new Sharkwerks center bypass. Much less 'race car', much more 'sports car' and I am happy with the change but could use just a 'little bit more' but not willing to remove the side mufflers again.

On my Cayman R, I upgraded the stock headers to 200 cell high flow cats while retaining the factory PSE system and the upgrade in volume was perfect. I don't see any 997 GT3's with 200 cell cats, stock side mufflers and a center muffler delete like SW, RSS, etc... I am not concerned with heat soak or weight of the side mufflers, I am willing to trade those for the drone reduction they offer as it's not a track car. Looking for feedback if anyone has done just 200 cell headers + center bypass.

Thanks for the advice guys,

I found an RSS fairly local to me so hoping to grab that this weekend, cant wait!

I did just Cargraphic headers and stock sides with SW center delete when I first had my .2. That was pretty damn good.

You may be able to pull a little more sound out of your system by swapping out that Sharkwerks for an RSS. The RSS is a bit louder and doesn’t taper off in sound at the top of the rev range.

if you’re going to do 200 cell cats, may as well just pick up a set of headers with them already installed. HJS 200 cells are getting pricy.

Got the Cargraphic headers sides & stock muffler on my .1...sound is glorious
but I am going to go install the loud X pipe version on it, just to see how much the neighbours can hate me
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...06494d473a.png

Gert Carnewal out of Belgium offers a service of opening the stock manifolds along the factory welds, removing the stock cats & replacing with HJS HD 200 cell, and then tig welding it all back together along factory seams. Modification cannot be visually detected (if that matters for anyone's smog inspection requirements such as California) and is much less $ than buying aftermarket headers with 200 cell cats. I had Carnewal do the stock manifolds on my Cayman R and the work was perfection, at less than half the price of a set of aftermarket headers. That was 2021, I am sure the cats have increased in price but based on what I see 997 GT3 aftermarket sport headers selling for, I can't imagine the Carnewal change-out cost being anywhere close to a set of soul / fabspeed / cargraphic headers.

Thanks for the feedback, glad to hear @jreifler has done it and it's enthusiast approved.

I'll second Gert but does he really open up the side mufflers and weld them back together because I looked long and hard at my mufflers and couldn't see any modifications. I was beginning to think he just went in there with a coat hanger and pulled out sound deadening material.