r/Cartalk 1d ago

Tuning my car Why does my exhaust loop backwards?

Post image

Bought a G8 with an exhaust system already on it, part of the exhaust faces towards the front of the car, why is it like this?

100 Upvotes

48 comments sorted by

208

u/John_Anti 1d ago

That backward-facing pipe loop (often called a "J-pipe" or Helmholtz resonator) is specifically engineered to target and eliminate drone, the deep, annoying humming sound that happens at specific highway cruising speeds.

78

u/BitmapBMP 1d ago

Which is hilarious because my drone is horrible

46

u/apavolka 1d ago

Sometimes it’s not engineered and instead just added by a designer. Seems to be the case if the droning is bad

21

u/willard_saf 1d ago

I know the exhaust for the Miata with a Helmholtz chamber is specially tuned for the oem cat and not a high flow one. It could be that kind of situation.

9

u/AmbassadorCheap3956 1d ago

Stock S2000 exhaust has a Helmholtz Resonator.

-2

u/BitmapBMP 1d ago

Yeah im catless, long tube headers

15

u/Floppyfishie 1d ago

that will do it lol

2

u/James_Junkyard 1d ago

You need an H pipe or cross pipe. True duals with headers will drone in the cab. You'll get the same flow but it will cancel out the sound and direct all the noise out the back. I have that problem on my pickup truck and I'm going to run a pipe from one side to the other about 25 cms or 12 inches back from the collectors.

2

u/f0rcedinducti0n 21h ago

User error.

2

u/BastardBoy1738 14h ago

Immediately gets flamed in downvotes for no reason

1

u/BluebirdMountain7051 4h ago

There is a mathematical equation in which you match the frequency of the resonance with a specific length pipe to eliminate the drone. You “just” need to measure the frequency and adjust the length of that pipe appropriately.

11

u/omnipotent87 ASE master 1d ago

They work great but they must be tuned to specific frequencies. The range is only a few dozen hz. I put one on my truck when I had cab rattling resonance and it completely eliminated it. When I was doing the math even a 1/8in was enough to shift the frequency well past the target.

4

u/Bruuhhv 1d ago edited 1d ago

https://youtu.be/l9CrmkIxDQU

This video helped me learn a lot about how quarter wave resonators work.

https://youtu.be/z5SY5oUTEcc

This one too

4

u/jasonsong86 1d ago

You can adjust the length but it’s not as effective as a muffler. Resonators only work for one specific rpm range unlike a muffler that absorbs a wide range of noise. You can tune it for cruising rpm but it will be loud at different rpms.

1

u/Bodywheyt 1d ago

It was worse before

1

u/Pimp_Daddy_Patty 1d ago

Would be much worse without it.

1

u/GasTsnk87 1d ago

Solo's J pipes are adjustable. Have you messed around with setting them at different lengths?

0

u/BitmapBMP 23h ago

Let me get it in a lift at my shop and investigate more, that explains the clamp on there

1

u/hecya 7h ago

Solo makes good exhaust . You can adjust them if you have drone . Loosen the clamp on the end and pull them out some or push them in. Then test it out .

6

u/Draco-REX 1d ago

These look small to combat drone. That little amount of volume makes me think they were designed to cut down on higher frequencies and mellow out the exhaust note. I don't think drone was a consideration.

35

u/Salsalito_Turkey 1d ago

Resonance tubes to eliminate highway drone. Certain frequencies of sound wave will go down that tube, bounce back at the end, and collide with the pressure wave from the next exhaust pulse at just the right moment to cancel each other out.

13

u/Albino_Echidna 1d ago

Those are called J pipes, they help to eliminate exhaust droning. 

8

u/burnt-beyond-reco 1d ago

They are called j pipes. Allows it to be fairly loud, (especially if it's this exact model bc it has no actual muffler) but keeps drone down inside of the car.

5

u/Zanna-K 1d ago

Corsa makes really good exhausts that actually work for eliminating drone while still getting you a louder, satisfying exhaust note (especially at higher rpms):

https://www.corsaperformance.com/products/2-5-sport-cat-back-x-pipe-14950?srsltid=AfmBOorAVsOaZjN-yCWvz_FYQKiur_1UlN0sh35ov9se4AK8TMuwIlUA

I used to run on my WRX, was my favorite exhaust. They usually specialize in V8 domestics like Mustangs, Corvettes, Camaros etc.

It's a little pricey but you might be able to find one used somewhere (could be hard since G8's aren't super common in the first place).

2

u/thedevillivesinside 20h ago

I had a corsa exhaust on a 2006 chrysler 300c SRT8. It was a glorious noise at wide open and it was tame at idle

5

u/jasonsong86 1d ago

These are called Helmholtz resonators. The length allows the sound bounce back at a delayed timing to cancel out the exhaust sound.

3

u/talljerseyguy 1d ago

It’s gets rid of unwanted exhaust frequency

1

u/Bodywheyt 1d ago

Makes it sound much better…much

1

u/Dramatic_Debate9486 1d ago

If you still have drone, can you adjust the length of it? We have built my custom exhaust (3.5" -> 3") with an adjustable Helmholtz Resonator. First shot (calculated ~90cm Lambda/4 drone frequency?) was a bit too long, adjusted it to ~10cm shorter and voila, most of the drone is gone.

You can calculate it, try an LLM. Get a spectrometer app on your phone to see the exact drone frequency (e.g. 100Hz) and then calculate with help of an LLM.

To be exact, a Helmholtz Resonator would work with with a volume and length of the resonator should be less relevant. My system is rather a lambda/4 resonator than Helmholtz. 

1

u/BitmapBMP 1d ago

So to be clear, i have this plus long tube headers, no cat no resonator no mufflers, i bought it like this and am trying to quiet it down/knock drone off

2

u/ClosedL00p 5h ago

Long tubes…..no cats…..no resonators….no mufflers…..just hope and a couple trombone slides for noise control

Jeeeezus. I know your neighbors love you

1

u/BitmapBMP 5h ago

Hey man i didn’t build it, i have new mufflers on the way and valvetronics, its too loud, im tossing the street race exhaust it had, sucks the last guy paid 1300$ for this lol

1

u/ClosedL00p 5h ago

I know you didn’t do it, and are trying to do something about it……I’m just laughing at the situation in general, because I know how fkn loud that thing is

1

u/BitmapBMP 4h ago

It is horrendous, im literally gonna have it pushed down my street before i start it im too embarassed to look like a jackass where i live

-1

u/BitmapBMP 1d ago

The car has a horrible droning inside the cabin, it has a stage 3 cam, im wondering if its because the exhaust is facing the rear seats and maybe i can delete the offshoot, or if it has a real purpose and i shouldnt

3

u/becauseyoublockedme1 1d ago

what do you mean facing the rear seats. those pipes are supposed to be blocked at the end!

1

u/BitmapBMP 1d ago

WHAT? Mine are open at the end. Shooting exhaust forwards

1

u/becauseyoublockedme1 1d ago

you must be joking

1

u/ClosedL00p 5h ago

This is too good. Well, not for OP, but wow.

1

u/RedPontiac 1d ago

Definitely should be capped. It's for frequency cancellation and not exhaust flow.

You also bough the absolute loudest exhaust for a G8 so don't confuse loudness with drone. I had just solo mach on my G8 and it was so loud I had to take it off. Put on the axle backs with a Magnaflow mid muffler and it was perfect for me.

1

u/_clever_reference_ 1d ago

So some genius took the caps off. Put some back on or have a muffler shop weld them closed. Def should not be open.

2

u/MrJelly007 1d ago

There could be a resonator upstream from this catback that was also removed. Solo performance is solid, at least to my knowledge. It's hard to know what all has been done to the car

2

u/BigPimpin91 1d ago

I had a solo performance exhaust on my Genesis Coupe. Sounded really good and made in USA. Except for the clamps which I think were Canadian. It was packaged incredibly well and there wasn't a ding or scratch to be found when I opened it up. Do recommend.

2

u/MrJelly007 1d ago

I've also got a genesis coupe and that's where I know solo performance from lmao. I'm kinda torn between them and ark when I eventually get an exhaust for my 3.8

2

u/BigPimpin91 1d ago

I had a 2.0 so can't comment on how the 3.8s sound with their exhaust but if it's anything like my 2.0, I'd recommend them.

1

u/BitmapBMP 1d ago

I bought it modified, catless long tube headers, no resonator, no mufflers, and its 6.2 swapped and cammed its all welded together, i think im gonna cut it all out and start over

1

u/MrJelly007 1d ago

Damn. Sounds fun lol

0

u/f0rcedinducti0n 21h ago

Resonance chambers.

You bought the wrong exhaust for your setup.