Hey all,

It seems like one of the resonators in my Stillen cat-back system has a slight rattle at certain RPM's. I figured I have two options:

1. Buy two more resonators from Stillen and have them welded in.

2. Buy new resonators from a different manufacturer - maybe OEM or some other well-known brand - as long as they match the diameter of my existing exhaust pipes.

Put in my situation, what would you guys do?

Thanks,
Brian

 

i'd buy the stillen one. it's made for it specifically so the sound shouln't change. if you buy a resonator from another company, sure the diamter of the piping will be the same but what about the resonator itself?

or if youre tired of the stillen sound and want a slight change in sound...go with a smaller/bigger resonator.

 

Yeah, that's the route I was going to take, since I like the sound of the Stillen system. Just wanted to see what the rest of you guys might do. I'm working with Stillen now to get the resonators ordered...not as straightforward as I'd hoped!

 

I don't know what exactly your prob is. However If I were you, I'll ask stillen for replacement or some sort of support. It may be problem with their design or something. Call for support!!

 

Thanks, I'm ordering some replacements from Stillen next week. I'll let you know how much they run.

-B

 

Before you waste the money, you should be aware that the VQ series has a firing order sound that sounds very much like an internal exhaust rattle usually from around 2500rpms to 3500rpms. This sound makes itself known when you change out the stock cats and usually the headers. I would bet this is the sound you're hearing.

 

I guess that's possible, but I do hear something rattling when I hit one of the resonators with my fist under the car. I figure I'll drop about $300 to see if the new resonators fix it. If not, I'll have to live with having 300 fewer dollars (and that annoying rattle)!

I'll let you guys know.

-B

 

Please don't order from Stillen. You can get the Magnaflow's from Summit for $60 ea and have a shop weld them right in.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...0&autoview=sku

I would guess that Stillen adds at least a 150% markup on stuff like that.

 

Well, after two weeks of leaving me hanging, they finally refused to sell me resonators only - and tried to charge me $679 for the whole H-pipe/mid-section instead. Because I didn't originally buy the exhaust from them, they claimed this was a special case and they were trying to "work with me". I told them they were being a pain in the a$$, and the salesman told me to shop somewhere else.

I'll be writing up a nice piece on Stillen in a separate thread to let all my fellow enthusiasts know what I've been through with them over the past year. Bottom line: they are arrogant and have the worst customer service.

On a separate note, I will have to go with a different set of resonators. So, I'm thinking of getting some from Altered Atmosphere or maybe getting some HKS's. I want to keep my exhaust note down as much as possible. Does anyone have any tips on some good aftermarket resonators that reduce the volume of the exhuast?

Thanks,
B

 

hm...
i am a noob so hear me out...
any after market exhuast you get will it make a rattling noise too?
or is it just for this guys exhuast system???
and what is a atmosphere ?
does it hlep out even a bit?

 

I'll say it again. Just order a pair of 18" long 2 1/4" Magnaflow's and have a shop weld them in. If you have testpipes like I do, then order 4 and weld them in back to back. Then you will have 36" of effective length to tone it down. Made a huge difference on mine and no loss of power. Stillen should have designed it that way from the start.

 

Do they make the 18" Magnaflows in 2.5" diameter? Those would match my exhaust perfectly.

Also, I'm considering Magnaflow vs. Flowmaster resonators...so you think the Magnaflows are the better sounding of the two?

 

Does your resonator setup quiet the car at higher RPM's only or throughout the entire rev range?

 

They make 2.5" 18" long http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...+115&y=11&x=20

They also have 22" long 2.5 dia. as MPE-10436. That will be even quieter. And the Magnaflows sound nice and mellow. I always thought flowmasters droned badly.

 

It's quieter throughout the rev range. Has that "Euro" tone to it. Not ricey at all.