Stiggs

So I'm getting bored and the mod bug is bitting! Did a search on the forum and looks like the first step is to remove the resonator. I couldn't find any pics of underneath the ML. Does anyone have any good pics of the whole underside? I guess a splitter would be the next step after resonator delete.
Pete, looks like you have a guy near Boston that did your exhaust work. Is he still the go to guy or is there a better place?
Thanks man.

Stiggs

I remembered there were some pics of an Ml that rolled during service:








I take it the thing under the driver's side is the resonator and the thing under the passenger's side is a Cat. Then the big square silver thing is the muffler? Looks huge!

ruey220

you have a muffler in the middle underneath the car and the resonator is right after the rear axel. i put a borla in the middle muffler and removed the rear resonator, it got loud, so i put a magnaflow muffler in the rear with the borla muffler it sounds just right like a sl55.

Tommy_s4

On mine I have 3 cats on bank 2 and 2 cats on bank 1. I plan on cutting out two on bank 2 and 1 on bank 1 while leaving my stock muffler. The 2000 ML320 has a muffler/resonator combo in 1 bigass box. As for your mod bug I'm going to be making a thread later in the week of all the mods I've done so far. So stay tuned!

STi_JL

If i was to delete my resonator to get he right sound without putting any after market exaust being too loud or anyhting.

which part would i delete??? is it the one towards the front end (driver side) before the muffler or the one after the muffler? towards the back of the car

Stiggs

So are the pics I posted what most of the ML's look like underneath? Is that big silver box a muffler or a muffler/resonator combo? That definitely looks like a resonator under the driver's side. Looks like a big job under there. I guess my plan for now would be to remove that resonator under the driver's side, then remove that huge muffler thing towards the rear and replace it with some sirt of sport muffler or something. Then I guess I could split a pipe off the muffler and have dual exhaust. Not sure about that yet.


Here's how I broke it down:



I don't have photoshop, but I have MS Paint. LOL

STi_JL

I recently met a guy that did a Exaust mod. it came right out of the middle of the bumper,
it actually looked really really nice, though he had an oval tip, it would have looked better with a dual tip.
Apparently he stright pipe the thing, 2.5 -2.75 pipe all the way. sounded like a escalade or mustang.. He took the tow hite part of the bumper out and cutted it so it fitted well..
i must say, its not that bad.

Stiggs

I don't think I'm gonna do any bumper cut outs. I think I may keep the pipe hidden like it currently is.

bwco

Our canadian version of the V8 engine doesn't come with that extra resonator, there's only 2 cars on each side of the exhaust manifold, then it's routed to the muffler. After the muffler, there is a smaller muffler/resonator box after....
I wonder if I delete the muffler, would I get the same noise as a CLK430 with muffler delete. It sounds killer IMO

STi_JL

what would have to do to the 55 amg sounds or maybe even the X5 4,8

bwco

go V8 rumble by muffler-delete, or nothing !! My ML doesn't come with that pre-muffler resonator.

55fanatic

engine swap a 55 engine in there, lol... it doesnt matter how much you dress up the output of a 6 cyl, it wont sound the same... Personally I liked when I heard an ML350 straight piped but it might need some resonators installed so its not totally obnoxious

STi_JL

ya, i know i need a amg enigne,,,Im not asking for no HP or Speed.
I dont want to spend the total amount on modding this car, when its worth mroe than the car.

I simply want a light X5 rumble

55fanatic

I dont know what an X5 rumble is... 2 of the X5s come with V8s... 3.0 X5s are almost silent... If you are looking for a little more noise, try removing resonators... if you want more noise add a magnaflow or flowmaster muffler and it should give you what you're looking for

Stiggs

I'm hoping to go to the local muffler shop Wednesday and get a price quote. I will get rid of the resonator and muffler and buy a flowmaster. Not sure which flowmaster to get. I assume they make more than one of them. LOL

STi_JL

Thanks, ya im looking for a 4.8 rumble, not 3.0.
Ill try the resonator first, that should work well hopefully,
then ill try the magna flow if it doesnt work out...
but i had magnaflow for c coupe, it just sound tooo loud....

Ill hit up the muffler shop next week also stiggs lol

Record some pics and Videos...

take some pics while there working on it, i want to see how and what exactly i should change Thanks

55fanatic

again... you wont get a V8 sound out of a 6cyl...

ML55, 500, 430... X5 4.8, 4.6, 4.4 are ALL V8s... 6 cyl will not sound like any of them... They sound throatier and basier because they have more cylinders, and more volume...

ML350 or 320 can sound a little louder and a little more raw, but NOTHING like a V8

STi_JL

ya, i know haha. I jsut want a little rumble i guess,
i knew a guy that did a straight pipe for his ml 320 and the exasut come out from the middle like the mini coopers. his car does not sound taht loud, but just not that aggressive sound. ...
ya i think im gonna just do resonator, thanks.

Stiggs, what are you doing on your ML, are you just doing Resonator delete?

Stiggs

Cut out the resonator and that big @ss muffler in the back (see pics posted above in post #2). Then replace that big muffler with a flowmaster or magnaflow....whichever they have.

55fanatic

You'll be happy with it... I think... I had a flow master in my ML... at WOT... it was a MONSTER... but it did have some drone from 2500-3000RPM

STi_JL

does anyone know the model number for the magnaflow or flow master, ??

Stiggs

Good question. I called a local muffler shop today (Midas). They said I should buy a Flowmaster from an auto parts store like Autozone and then just bring it in to them and they will do the work for me. I know Pete says not to buy the muffler seperate but the shop wants me to. Now the problem is I don't know what flowmaster to get. I need a two inlet and one outlet flowmaster. The guy at Autozone was having a real hard time finding one. He also wanted to know what size pipe the ML uses. I have no clue. Is it 3" or bigger? Do I need to know the exact size or will an estimate do? How much do Flowmasters run $$$$$? I'd like to use this local Midas because its so damn close. Is that wrong? LOL
No I just have to get Autozone's head out of their ***** and I'll be set.

STi_JL

In canada, our local parts store distrubuter is LORCO or NAPA,
Trust me on this, dont just go by the size of the inlet/outlet, because the outlet and inlet could be right, but the size of the acutally muffler could be small. in that cause you would get a civic fart can sound. I made that mistake for my c coupe, becuase i thought it was the same as the one my friend got.

Always, go by the model number. I Know its hard to find.
You can always use the remus to show them how it looks like, and they would give you a estimate on the style..

Email flowmaster/magnaflow with the picture of the after market remus so they can get an a idea of how it looks like..

Now when you say 2 inlet and 1 out... is that for DUAL exaust? or for mine also ?

STi_JL

and i believe its 3inch if not 2.75inch

Stiggs

If you look at the first pic in post#2 you see there are two pipes going into the muffler and one pipe coming out the back. I guess thats the hard part.