Salahda

So, I'm slightly insane and I've currently got a 2003 E500 with muffler delete, and a resonator delete with an x-pipe in place of it to maintain the scavenging(pretty sure that's what it's called) effect so I don't lose power and to make the sound smoother.

Sounds great, but I want to do a Secondary Cat Delete to make it sound more edgy and raspy(maybe get more pops too?). There is one issue with this; my exhaust is already pretty damn loud! I really want to change the tone more than the volume with the cat delete, so I was thinking of possibly installing aftermarket mufflers when I get the cats cut out. The issue is that I don't want the muffler to change the tone. Is there really a way to do this? Or would any muffler change the tone as well as the volume? If anyone has experience with aftermarket mufflers, can you please offer some insight into how they affect tone? Thanks and sorry for the wall of text.

AMGAffalterbach

Secondary cat delete will definitely make the car sound more raspy, not sure if it will give you more pops and crackles (I have an E550 with a muffler delete too and J-pipes and I've always wondered this), but the muffler will definitely change the volume and, depending on the type, possibly change the tone. The only way to ensure this is to try it out.

Why not just cut the cats out then if it is too loud experiment with some muffler options? I don't think secondary cat delete will make the car so much louder than it already is.

Welcome to the forums by the way, you obviously have a great amount of knowledge with what you're talking about!

Salahda

Thanks for the input, that's probably what I'll do. This Wednesday I'll set up an appointment to have my cats removed and replaced with straight pipes. I'll record a before and after if you or others are interested in the effect on sound. If I do that I'll get a picture of the underbody to show you the full setup. You should post a video of your 550, I'm interested to hear it. And thanks for welcoming me, although honestly I'm far from new, I'm on these forums a lot haha, but I just now registered.

If it's too loud I'll say it when I post again Wednesday and possibly try to pry some suggestions out of people on which muffler would be a good place to start.

LemonSqueezy

A tune could possibly give you a pop and crackle every now and then. Tune = more power = more fuel being sent into engine = some unburnt fuel in the pipes = backfire = pop. Although my mechanic tells me that too much backfiring can cause the stupid plastic flap inside the intake manifold to fail.

Salahda

That's interesting, I'll have to see how much Renntech charges for dyno tunes, unless one of you could suggest some sort of box tune. The only thing is that I have different exhaust flow so idk if a box tune would really be the best option. I could be entirely wrong and exhaust flow could just not matter.

AMGAffalterbach

I was considering a tune from OETuning at one point, their prices aren't too bad and they are a flash tune that might give me more of the sound I want. The crackle/pop exhaust personality from most modern engines like the Jaguar F-Type and the M178 4.0TT V8 from Mercedes is a result of from fuel overrun, aggressive overlap, backfiring, etc. I'd be interested to hear a before and after account for someone who has a muffler delete and then tune.