Opinions on gutting stock E55 mufflers.
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E55 AMG WAGON 2004
I think another idea is to maybe keep all the stock internal bends and pipes but maybe replace the perforated pipes with solid straight pipes inside the muffler. I think the problem was the exhaust was dumping out inside the muffler and at certain rpms it rattled. Sounded really bad when it rattled.
As posted I'm now thinking that just cutting out the inlet as it comes into the small chamber and closing off the u bend will effectively result in a straight through design but with some sound deadening from the perforated straight pipes that connect to the tips. I wish someone had some pics of the small chamber as I assuming it's just empty
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From: Carmichael, CA
2011 G55 + others
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E55 AMG WAGON 2004
Looks like I'm probably going to have to wait a couple of weeks before I can get the boxes opened up.
In the meantime has anyone opened the small chamber up and any thoughts on what I'm proposing?
In the meantime has anyone opened the small chamber up and any thoughts on what I'm proposing?
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'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
I think having the perforated sections allows the pulse wave to leave the u-bend and enter the exit tube out of phase with the pulse wave traveling through the tube. This could be an important part of the noise canceling properties of the muffler. If you sleeve or use solid tubes you might end up with a lot of drone that the design eliminated.
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E55 AMG WAGON 2004
I think having the perforated sections allows the pulse wave to leave the u-bend and enter the exit tube out of phase with the pulse wave traveling through the tube. This could be an important part of the noise canceling properties of the muffler. If you sleeve or use solid tubes you might end up with a lot of drone that the design eliminated.
See schematic sketch.
Thoughts??
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E55 AMG WAGON 2004
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65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
Simon, I'll see if I can cut mine open this week. I should have some time. I'll post pix of the small chamber with before/after vids. Hopefully it doesn't end in failure. Worst case, I weld the piece back in and return it back to stock.
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07 E63
Lets face it. E55's are in the low teens now and as low as $9k at auction now. Why not try to mod the muffler for free if you can and it works. C5 corvette guys have been doing it for years. Google c5 muffler bypass. Did it on my c5 with long tubes and no cats. It sounded perfect and cost $5. I'm not going to spend thousands on a muffler for car I paid less than $13k for. So, is a resonator delete considered ghetto also? Simon, I'll see if I can cut mine open this week. I should have some time. I'll post pix of the small chamber with before/after vids. Hopefully it doesn't end in failure. Worst case, I weld the piece back in and return it back to stock.
Personally, I would suggest finding a C63/E63/CLS63 muffler.
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From: Sleepy Hollow, IL
65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
I don't think the price of the car matters. Resonator delete is not ghetto, in my opinion gutting mufflers is like heating/cutting springs. I have never heard a gutted muffler that sounded good. It seems to always sound like a coffee can.
Personally, I would suggest finding a C63/E63/CLS63 muffler.
Personally, I would suggest finding a C63/E63/CLS63 muffler.
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From: Surrey - England
E55 AMG WAGON 2004
I don't think the price of the car matters. Resonator delete is not ghetto, in my opinion gutting mufflers is like heating/cutting springs. I have never heard a gutted muffler that sounded good. It seems to always sound like a coffee can.
Personally, I would suggest finding a C63/E63/CLS63 muffler.
Personally, I would suggest finding a C63/E63/CLS63 muffler.
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E55 AMG WAGON 2004
Thanks stockC43, we obviously have similar thoughts and would be really interested on your findings. Seems strange that this route doesn't seem to have been considered, but there could be good reason for it!
I have spoken with a local exhaust shop and they couldn't do anything on the mufflers until next week, but I won't have my car as it's already booked in for other service works hence why I can't look at this for a couple of weeks now.
I have spoken with a local exhaust shop and they couldn't do anything on the mufflers until next week, but I won't have my car as it's already booked in for other service works hence why I can't look at this for a couple of weeks now.
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65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
Work in progress. Wi it work? Who knows. I can only do the left side at the moment as I don't want to drop the whole exhaust at my house w/o a lift. I'll do that at work later, if this works.
Weld ground off around the edge to minimize cuts
I'll update later as I go.
Weld ground off around the edge to minimize cuts
I'll update later as I go.
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'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
I don't think the price of the car matters. Resonator delete is not ghetto, in my opinion gutting mufflers is like heating/cutting springs. I have never heard a gutted muffler that sounded good. It seems to always sound like a coffee can.
Personally, I would suggest finding a C63/E63/CLS63 muffler.
Personally, I would suggest finding a C63/E63/CLS63 muffler.
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From: Sleepy Hollow, IL
65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
Well, the one muffler is done and I think it sounds pretty damn good. it doesn't sound hollow at all like a flowmaster. It sounds like I assume a 63 muffler sounds like on a 55. You can hear a little burble and pop like a 63 but a 55 will never sound like a 63 though unfortunately. Keep in mind that I only did the left muffler right now until I get it on the lift. I have stock manifolds, all 4 cats and a res delete. I can't drive it at the moment though, I'm doing new xenon projector lenses so the front end is apart. Lol, too many projects at once. Hopefully I can have some gopro vids driving this weekend.
I left a little bit of the bend in place to keep the reinforcement of the pipe to the muffler in place. It's not affecting flow at all. And yes, my tig welds look like poo. I was down to my last bit of tungsten and it was contaminated.
Just some crappy iPhone vids.
For some reason the audio went quiet before the rev so I made a second vid.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2662815c.mp4
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2fb83124.mp4
it doesn't sound hollow at all like a flowmaster. It sounds like I assume a 63 muffler sounds like on a 55. You can hear a little burble and pop like a 63 but a 55 will never sound like a 63 though unfortunately. Keep in mind that I only did the left muffler right now until I get it on the lift. I have stock manifolds, all 4 cats and a res delete. I can't drive it at the moment though, I'm doing new xenon projector lenses so the front end is apart. Lol, too many projects at once. Hopefully I can have some gopro vids driving this weekend. I left a little bit of the bend in place to keep the reinforcement of the pipe to the muffler in place. It's not affecting flow at all. And yes, my tig welds look like poo. I was down to my last bit of tungsten and it was contaminated.
Just some crappy iPhone vids.
For some reason the audio went quiet before the rev so I made a second vid.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2662815c.mp4
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2fb83124.mp4
Last edited by stockC43; Feb 3, 2014 at 11:01 PM. Reason: Vids not working.
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From: Surrey - England
E55 AMG WAGON 2004
stockC43 - well done, nice work That's pretty much exactly what I was hoping would be inside them.
Good idea grinding the welds rather than just cutting the case too. So far I think it sounds great
Thanks for taking the time with all the pics etc, very informative.
Keep me posted - Cheers.
That's pretty much exactly what I was hoping would be inside them.Good idea grinding the welds rather than just cutting the case too. So far I think it sounds great
Thanks for taking the time with all the pics etc, very informative.Keep me posted - Cheers.
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From: NZ
2004 E55 AMG, 2006 CLS63, 2004 ML55, 2014 E350 sport
This will cost me next to nothing and get the desired result im after which is not a major increase in noise. I just want mine to sound similar to a cls55/63.
For what i want cutting the front chamber and removing the single piece that joins into the U bend makes the most sense to me so thats what im going to do.
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2004 E55 AMG, 2006 CLS63, 2004 ML55, 2014 E350 sport
Someone needs to hunt down some wrecked c63/cls63 mufflers and cut them open to see what they did. That is the obvious thing to me to figure out how to get the closest sound to the expensive second hand ones.
The next step to me is to cap the ubend as StockC43 has done but i would drill holes in those caps at a smaller diameter than the twin exit pipes....... This allows it to resonate properly into the other chamber but still hopefully flow a bit better out the twin pipes..... id hope....
actually i have some stamped mesh 3mm plate like the round pipe they have used at work.... i just had an even better idea use that to cap the U bend.
The next step to me is to cap the ubend as StockC43 has done but i would drill holes in those caps at a smaller diameter than the twin exit pipes....... This allows it to resonate properly into the other chamber but still hopefully flow a bit better out the twin pipes..... id hope....
actually i have some stamped mesh 3mm plate like the round pipe they have used at work.... i just had an even better idea use that to cap the U bend.
Last edited by austingtir; Feb 4, 2014 at 03:59 AM.
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E55 AMG WAGON 2004
Someone needs to hunt down some wrecked c63/cls63 mufflers and cut them open to see what they did. That is the obvious thing to me to figure out how to get the closest sound to the expensive second hand ones.
The next step to me is to cap the ubend as StockC43 has done but i would drill holes in those caps at a smaller diameter than the twin exit pipes....... This allows it to resonate properly into the other chamber but still hopefully flow a bit better out the twin pipes..... id hope....
actually i have some stamped mesh 3mm plate like the round pipe they have used at work.... i just had an even better idea use that to cap the U bend.
The next step to me is to cap the ubend as StockC43 has done but i would drill holes in those caps at a smaller diameter than the twin exit pipes....... This allows it to resonate properly into the other chamber but still hopefully flow a bit better out the twin pipes..... id hope....
actually i have some stamped mesh 3mm plate like the round pipe they have used at work.... i just had an even better idea use that to cap the U bend.
Agreed - This is what we really need to see, some c63, cls55 or cls63 mufflers opened up to see what they are like inside. Stock C43 and I have had pretty similar thoughts on what to do here and he has done it, so hats off to him for making it happen. I like the idea of what you have said about maybe some small holes or mesh in the capped pipes to help resonation, or maybe this would dilute the sound too much
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E55 AMG WAGON 2004
Well, the one muffler is done and I think it sounds pretty damn good. it doesn't sound hollow at all like a flowmaster. It sounds like I assume a 63 muffler sounds like on a 55. You can hear a little burble and pop like a 63 but a 55 will never sound like a 63 though unfortunately. Keep in mind that I only did the left muffler right now until I get it on the lift. I have stock manifolds, all 4 cats and a res delete. I can't drive it at the moment though, I'm doing new xenon projector lenses so the front end is apart. Lol, too many projects at once. Hopefully I can have some gopro vids driving this weekend.
I left a little bit of the bend in place to keep the reinforcement of the pipe to the muffler in place. It's not affecting flow at all. And yes, my tig welds look like poo. I was down to my last bit of tungsten and it was contaminated.
Just some crappy iPhone vids.
For some reason the audio went quiet before the rev so I made a second vid.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2662815c.mp4
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2fb83124.mp4
it doesn't sound hollow at all like a flowmaster. It sounds like I assume a 63 muffler sounds like on a 55. You can hear a little burble and pop like a 63 but a 55 will never sound like a 63 though unfortunately. Keep in mind that I only did the left muffler right now until I get it on the lift. I have stock manifolds, all 4 cats and a res delete. I can't drive it at the moment though, I'm doing new xenon projector lenses so the front end is apart. Lol, too many projects at once. Hopefully I can have some gopro vids driving this weekend. I left a little bit of the bend in place to keep the reinforcement of the pipe to the muffler in place. It's not affecting flow at all. And yes, my tig welds look like poo. I was down to my last bit of tungsten and it was contaminated.
Just some crappy iPhone vids.
For some reason the audio went quiet before the rev so I made a second vid.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2662815c.mp4
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79...ps2fb83124.mp4
Unfortunately I have no facilities or skills to do this myself so will have to take it into the exhaust shop to do it for me. How long did this take to do?
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65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
Oh great, please don't look too close at my welds. Probably some of the worst tig welding I have ever done. I wouldn't of posted the pix but people needed to see them. 
I thought about that too and may be another route to go. Your way might help with drone, if it does. Not sure yet. I think even if you cut open the bend and leave them uncapped it should increase noise considerably at wot due to exhaust taking the path of least reactance.
Someone needs to hunt down some wrecked c63/cls63 mufflers and cut them open to see what they did. That is the obvious thing to me to figure out how to get the closest sound to the expensive second hand ones.
The next step to me is to cap the ubend as StockC43 has done but i would drill holes in those caps at a smaller diameter than the twin exit pipes....... This allows it to resonate properly into the other chamber but still hopefully flow a bit better out the twin pipes..... id hope....
actually i have some stamped mesh 3mm plate like the round pipe they have used at work.... i just had an even better idea use that to cap the U bend.
The next step to me is to cap the ubend as StockC43 has done but i would drill holes in those caps at a smaller diameter than the twin exit pipes....... This allows it to resonate properly into the other chamber but still hopefully flow a bit better out the twin pipes..... id hope....
actually i have some stamped mesh 3mm plate like the round pipe they have used at work.... i just had an even better idea use that to cap the U bend.
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From: Surrey - England
E55 AMG WAGON 2004
Any updates on these mods guys?
austingtir - did you manage to do the version you were suggesting by leaving the u-bend open or capping it with perforated plate?
austingtir - did you manage to do the version you were suggesting by leaving the u-bend open or capping it with perforated plate?
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From: Sleepy Hollow, IL
65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
I finished the other side over the weekend and it sounds good. I would say its about as loud as a G55 kompressor but more balenced. Less side pipie sounding. Maybe slk55 like? Noticeable but not loud engine noise on the highway but not what I would consider drone. About as loud as tires on a concrete highway. It has a low tone, not hollow or tinny sounding. Overall I'm very happy with this mod. I didnt want something too loud as it is my daily driver. Only downside is that my fuel econmy is down due to me revving it out to 3k from the stop lights because it sounds so good.
I'll try to get some gopro vids up soon.
I'll try to get some gopro vids up soon.
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From: Surrey - England
E55 AMG WAGON 2004
I finished the other side over the weekend and it sounds good. I would say its about as loud as a G55 kompressor but more balenced. Less side pipie sounding. Maybe slk55 like? Noticeable but not loud engine noise on the highway but not what I would consider drone. About as loud as tires on a concrete highway. It has a low tone, not hollow or tinny sounding. Overall I'm very happy with this mod. I didnt want something too loud as it is my daily driver. Only downside is that my fuel econmy is down due to me revving it out to 3k from the stop lights because it sounds so good.
I'll try to get some gopro vids up soon.
I'll try to get some gopro vids up soon.
Great, thanks for posting, I'm hoping to get this or something very similar done to mine next week. Looking forward to the vids, looks like we may have found a new and better way forward with modding these rear boxes
