Question for Belanger (complete setup) owners

[deadman]

I installed mine (headers, hiflow cats, exhaust) on 05 vert and have some questions:

1. Hot hot hot - before I had stock headers wrapped in thermo wrap, stock cats and exhaust (no xover). I thought - based on the group wisdom on this forum - that primary cats are THE heat source in the footwell and removing them would cool everything down. With Belanger I get even more heat in the footwell. Will this go away with more miles? Anyone wrapped - shielded - headers and exhaust pipe up to the cats? (mine have only 50 miles on them, I know breaking in is like 500 and I know Lou is disapproving wrap).

2. Sound - AWESOME BUT - around 1500 RPM cruising there is a drone. At 2000RPM cruising the sound is almost whisper quiet (frequency being higher the drone disappears). It looks like 1400-1600 RPM is a sweet spot for the drone, unfortunately that's my 6th gear cruising rpm with 3.55s. @1200RPM and under no drone. Did anyone experiment with some noise -drone - canceling? (I had Corsa track before, in 2005, I think less drone but much much louder, I was too tired from it, so no I don't want to try Corsa - not starting a war here, sound judgement is always very person specific)

Other then that the whole setup is great. Fit and finish is , Lou did really good job. I had Mopar street exhaust previously and the tips didn't fit, with Belanger not a glitch. Also the instructions are simple and if you follow them without cutting corners anyone can install these in a day. Sound at WOT is just overwhelming AND the car really got some extra ponnies (no numbers yet). I'd say if your neighbors allow go for it.

 

[Magnus_]

My setup is identical to yours.

1) That's weird. Its such a huge difference in cooling. Are you talking about a footwell wall or just the general area? The only area I actually touched to tell a difference were the side sills. They were noticeably cooler as was the entire cabin.

2) I just cruise at a higher RPM to avoid the drone, regardless of how much more $$ it costs me in gas, the drone is just unbearable.

One of these days I'll call up lou and see how quiet I can get these headers with various muffler options. Its great at the track but if you want to get on it at the street you need to be a mile away from anyone that knows you and any type of law enforcement, lol.

 

[ACRBruce]

I don't have the complete setup because of the dreaded drone but I do have the headers and hi flow cats from Lou and retained the stock mufflers. I gave up only a few HP's by retaining the stock mufflers but the sound is now just right and there's no drone at all, in fact the sound is now of higher pitch and sounds more like a smaller displacement engine with none of that low pitch rumble.

 

[deadman]

Ok, thank you for your responses guys.

@Magnus: I was talking about the footwell only. My sills were cool even before, with stock muffler after I eliminated crossover back in 05. I will try to do shielding of headers and pipe, try some jacket rather then wrap first and will see how this would go.

As for the drone and sound volume overall I think it's purely muffler play. These frequencies are *****, must have something to do with the length of the canister combined with diameters... Will try to think of something then... maybe weld a short smaller diameter pipe into the tips or muffler pipe to try to break the waves... (?)... would not loose much of flow capacity...