Stainless steel headers, exhausts and JDM twin-pipe mufflers.

[Sean Dezart]

California exhaust law 95dB !

 

https://jalopnik.com/why-people-are-suddenly-freaking-out-over-californias-e-1831620651

 

 

1)      Existing law requires every motor vehicle subject to registration to be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise and prohibits a muffler or exhaust system from being equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.

2)      Existing law further prohibits the modification of an exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner that will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of the vehicle so that the vehicle exceeds existing noise limits.

How do cops decide if my exhaust is illegal?

There are two things the state of California cares about when it comes to your car’s exhaust: How loud it is and how much it pollutes. Biannual smog testing means your car has to pass an emission test to stay street legal, but noise enforcement is a little more vague.

Per California Highway Patrol Bulletin NO.98-100: “Excessive Noise is primarily a nuisance issue rather than a safety concern, and determination of excessive noise is subjective. For this reason, enforcement personnel are to exercise sound professional judgment in making a determination of violation.”

So how exactly do they measure 95 dB?

Practically speaking it’s going to come down to the cop. If they think you sound too loud, they can pull you over and slap you with a ticket. So those of you with wide pipes might be wise to coast with your clutch in when you pass a parked police car.

What does that mean in plain English?

Before 2019, California cops could pull you over for having a loud exhaust but they would issue a “fix-it ticket.” That means that if you went back to them with a stock exhaust reinstalled within a certain amount of time, you would be free and clear.

Police are not allowed to do that anymore, and now will just give you a violation on the spot !

 

 

 

Cali sets the trend – what happens there spreads out across the country and often further around the world !

 

We all love the sound of our inline sixes whether it be burbling on tickover, running up through the torque-rich low to mid-range revs or hunting the last few horses bouncing off the red line with the rev limiter flashing.

 

But we must face todays’ reality that pollution is poltically incorrect and where ‘they’ can’t get us on content as our cars are classics, they can on noise-pollution !

 

Stock, OEM exhausts are NLA and who’d want them, especially after we’ve improved our engines – no-one wants to strangle the engines’ potentiel.

 

There are many choices off the shelf for after-market exhausts and many local shops will make and fit up what you want….the knack is to get the right package !

 

Here in Europe, the laws have been getting steadily more strict to the point where one asks oneself if it’s just a machivelian method of remowing all old cars from road, classics or not !

 

Most circuits have a dB limit which one must pass before being allowed on, others have certain noise detectors around the circuit pinpointing ‘abusive’ cars and certain are allowed a specific dB level throughout the year and once reached, their credit is up until the end of the year. Obviously these latter don’t want to lose valuable hiring days and so enforce strict controls !

 

The tendancy is therefore to lower the dB limits which may penalise many owners, in towns, cities, certain periods of the day and circuits which have remained hollowed places at which to enjoy our sportscars.

 

Solutions ?

 

Even kept in the best condition, certain after-market exhaust lines (and I include headers in a ‘complete’ exhaust line) are just not conceived to be quiet !

Sold mostly to enhance performance, the free-flow exhausts with no intemediate silencer box and a glass-pack or expansion ‘muffler’ at the rear merely make more noise than power, completely ignoring certain physcial rules about velocity, scavenging and harmonics leading to exhaust drone.

 

I remember fitting a Twice-pipes line to a 6-2 header back in 1991 – I loved it and boy was it loud ; I remember being flagged down by a cop for having ‘pulled away too agressively from the sidewalk’ when I was only doing 25mp/h and having to dip the clutch to rapidly lower the engine revs whilst in the vicinity of others and late at night coming home. Great days but more complicated now……

 

It’s surprising when someone spends good money of their paint, nice wheels, interior, engine, brake and suspension upgrades and then refit the 20year old header connected to one the cheapest exhaust lines available online !

 

Your cars’ complete exhaust has as much importance as your choice of induction – twin carbs, triples, 4barrel, injection, ITBs, turbo (s) ?

 

Accordingly, it should be chosen with care, with the long-term in mind as no-one likes spending twice and, as I always advise, with your end use in mind !

 

I’m working on a guide to understanding exhaust mechanics, something simple to read albeit complete. I believe that there isn’t enough unbiased information out there to properly advise users.

 

Db limits of my mufflers using a resonator and measured on a Rebello L32 with triple 44 Mikunis !

 

Engine revs	resonator	Muffler	at 50cm	at 1m
4000	Yes	Classic	98	95
4000	Yes	JDM	100	98
4000	Yes	Trackday	96	96
4000	Yes	Street	94	91

 

Later on this year, I’ll be adding a fifth muffler type to my range ; the ‘Hako’, a horizontal twin-exit muffler which can expected to sound similar to my JDM.

 

My Street and Trackday share the same exterior form, the Street being baffled whereas the Trackday is an expansion box as per the Classic, JDM and Hako.

 

Choose wisely.

[Sean Dezart]

So, this is the definitive part in prototype form - it'll look a whole lot better after production :-) !

Hako muffler.

USD$200

CAN$270

(+ shipping)

I shall be doing a limited run of 20x initially, orders for all catalogue parts currently being taken, available in October, maybe September.

My L28ET header will also be available then.

[240260280]

Land of the free?  Seems like California is becoming Europe! 

 

 

[grannyknot]

Sean,  so will this Hako muffler use the same kind of baffling as the JDM muffler in post #145 above, similar sound?

[Sean Dezart]

7 hours ago, 240260280 said:

Land of the free?  Seems like California is becoming Europe! 

 

 

Check out your ancestors, if they're not American indians or Chinese....they're European :-) !

[Sean Dezart]

5 hours ago, grannyknot said:

Sean,  so will this Hako muffler use the same kind of baffling as the JDM muffler in post #145 above, similar sound?

Hi - yes. Although I don't call it 'baffling'.

Baffles for me are 'obstructions to flow eg baffled oil pan. This is a simple expansion box where the sound waves expand where allowed through the mesh holes and are abosorbed by the steel cotton surrounding those holes.

[240260280]

7 hours ago, Sean Dezart said:

Check out your ancestors, if they're not American indians or Chinese....they're European ? !

Nope, we are all African according to scientific research and evidence.  Most North Americans   arrived from Africa via Europe after waiting in Europe for transoceanic ships to be invented.  Others arrived by walking the long route from Africa to Middle East, to Asia, to Alaska. They arrived earlier but  all paths are from Africa.

The crazy aboriginal "rights" in Canada would not agree with the above.  They would claim that they were here first and own all the land.... so if we apply this to the Moon, the USA owns it as Armstrong was there first.... but his ancestors came from Africa.

 

 

FYI:

I was riding on the Mayflower
When I thought I spied some land
I yelled for Captain Arab
I have yuh understand
Who came running to the deck
Said, “Boys, forget the whale
Look on over yonder
Cut the engines
Change the sail
Haul on the bowline”
We sang that melody
Like all tough sailors do
When they are far away at sea

“I think I’ll call it America”
I said as we hit land
I took a deep breath
I fell down, I could not stand
Captain Arab he started
Writing up some deeds
He said, “Let’s set up a fort
And start buying the place with beads”
Just then this cop comes down the street
Crazy as a loon
He throw us all in jail
For carryin’ harpoons

Ah me I busted out
Don’t even ask me how
I went to get some help
I walked by a Guernsey cow
Who directed me down
To the Bowery slums
Where people carried signs around
Saying, “Ban the bums”
I jumped right into line
Sayin’, “I hope that I’m not late”
When I realized I hadn’t eaten
For five days straight

I went into a restaurant
Lookin’ for the cook
I told them I was the editor
Of a famous etiquette book
The waitress he was handsome
He wore a powder blue cape
I ordered some suzette, I said
“Could you please make that crepe”
Just then the whole kitchen exploded
From boilin’ fat
Food was flying everywhere
And I left without my hat

Now, I didn’t mean to be nosy
But I went into a bank
To get some bail for Arab
And all the boys back in the tank
They asked me for some collateral
And I pulled down my pants
They threw me in the alley
When up comes this girl from France
Who invited me to her house
I went, but she had a friend
Who knocked me out
And robbed my boots
And I was on the street again

Well, I rapped upon a house
With the U.S. flag upon display
I said, “Could you help me out
I got some friends down the way”
The man says, “Get out of here
I’ll tear you limb from limb”
I said, “You know they refused Jesus, too”
He said, “You’re not Him
Get out of here before I break your bones
I ain’t your pop”
I decided to have him arrested
And I went looking for a cop

I ran right outside
And I hopped inside a cab
I went out the other door
This Englishman said, “Fab”
As he saw me leap a hot dog stand
And a chariot that stood
Parked across from a building
Advertising brotherhood
I ran right through the front door
Like a hobo sailor does
But it was just a funeral parlor
And the man asked me who I was

I repeated that my friends
Were all in jail, with a sigh
He gave me his card
He said, “Call me if they die”
I shook his hand and said goodbye
Ran out to the street
When a bowling ball came down the road
And knocked me off my feet
A pay phone was ringing
It just about blew my mind
When I picked it up and said hello
This foot came through the line

Well, by this time I was fed up
At tryin’ to make a stab
At bringin’ back any help
For my friends and Captain Arab
I decided to flip a coin
Like either heads or tails
Would let me know if I should go
Back to ship or back to jail
So I hocked my sailor suit
And I got a coin to flip
It came up tails
It rhymed with sails
So I made it back to the ship


Well, I got back and took
The parkin’ ticket off the mast
I was ripping it to shreds
When this coastguard boat went past
They asked me my name
And I said, “Captain Kidd”
They believed me but
They wanted to know
What exactly that I did
I said for the Pope of Eruke
I was employed
They let me go right away
They were very paranoid

Well, the last I heard of Arab
He was stuck on a whale
That was married to the deputy
Sheriff of the jail
But the funniest thing was
When I was leavin’ the bay
I saw three ships a-sailin’
They were all heading my way
I asked the captain what his name was
And how come he didn’t drive a truck
He said his name was Columbus
I just said, “Good luck”

 

 

[Mark Maras]

 "The present world system is based on a conceptual framework where owning represents an investment of our life, our time, our name, our character, or any other aspect of our being, for the sake of control over the thing owned.

 It's difficult to realize the depth of devastation this has brought to humanity, but every historical record that presently exists attests to the visible devastation wrought in wars of conquest and subjugation of peoples for the sake of ownership!"

[Sean Dezart]

6 hours ago, Mark Maras said:

 "The present world system is based on a conceptual framework where owning represents an investment of our life, our time, our name, our character, or any other aspect of our being, for the sake of control over the thing owned.

 It's difficult to realize the depth of devastation this has brought to humanity, but every historical record that presently exists attests to the visible devastation wrought in wars of conquest and subjugation of peoples for the sake of ownership!"

We should all follow the 'hive' system then of collective ownership and responsability ? This has surely been sold to us a despotism, dictatorship....?

[Sean Dezart]

18 hours ago, 240260280 said:

Nope, we are all African according to scientific research and evidence.  Most North Americans   arrived from Africa via Europe after waiting in Europe for transoceanic ships to be invented.  Others arrived by walking the long route from Africa to Middle East, to Asia, to Alaska. They arrived earlier but  all paths are from Africa.

The crazy aboriginal "rights" in Canada would not agree with the above.  They would claim that they were here first and own all the land.... so if we apply this to the Moon, the USA owns it as Armstrong was there first.... but his ancestors came from Africa.

He said his name was Columbus
I just said, “Good luck”

I believe that Vespucci was a more serious explorer.

18 hours ago, 240260280 said:

You're right - I forgot the Afro-Amercians - my depest apologies and yes, of course - we all hail from there as if Star Treks' Genesis project landed there !

Anyway, back to stainless steel exhausts.....plenty of space under your Zs as my line tucks up above the floor chassis rails and finally.....life is all about choice : choose yours wisely.

 

And have a great weekend all ! :-)

18 hours ago, 240260280 said:

 

 

[240260280]

5 hours ago, Sean Dezart said:

You're right - I forgot the Afro-Amercians - my depest apologies

Nope, the point  I am making is ALL HUMANS on the planet can trace their ancestors to Africa!!! Very profound unification.

 

[Sean Dezart]

Dunno about you guys but I was taught that at school 40yrs ago along with Lucy from Ethiopia along I prefer the Scarlett Johansson version.