whats the resonator's function?

[Dattebayo]

Going to get a fix tomorrow or friday and possibly a new catback exhaust if cheap enough. I notice i have a resonator behind the muffler and wondering what does it exactly do for the system? Also if removed what will be the consequenses? Thanks.

[keepingthe240]

The res. is in front of the muffler by a good 3 feet. Removing the resonator will make the exhaust loader..nothing bad with happen!!

[f8sjester]

the resonator is just an acoustic chamber. . . just quiets down the exhaust note. . .

like bob said, if you take it out, it'll just get louder

[allthrottlenobottle]

thers actually 2 res. on the 240 (89-94) the first one is after the cat conv. and the second is after that. the second resonator acts as a secondary muffler like on volkswagons. i have all resonators removed with no side affects at all. remove away!!!

[Dattebayo]

there is only one resonator and it is stock. Ive never seen a 240 with two. So whatever... Im going to get rid of it now, thanks guys!:)

[HaveBlue]

I had a custom exhaust made for cheap and they didnt put a resonator on. Its louder but now when I stomp on it (around 5k rpm) it sounds like like the beehive-buzzing-honda-exhaust-crap. YMMV.

[black s13]

S13s have one resonator, just get rid of it.

[Dougster]

Yep, I had mine removed when I put on my custom cat back, remove it, save weight and increases flow...

[allthrottlenobottle]

there is one res that is a true res. and there is one inbetween the cat and primary res. at least on canadian models. its right after the cat. maybe i'm mistaking it for a resonator though. its not much bigger than the exhaust piping. maybe someone could clear this up for me?

[black s13]

it goes 4-2-1, then cat, piping, resonator, piping, muffler. thats all there is under a USDM S13.

[allthrottlenobottle]

whats between the cat and res. then? its not just piping on my car.muffler shop told me it was like a res.

[black s13]

US doesnt have that, its just piping.

[allthrottlenobottle]

makes sense. thanks!

[antonioelgrande]

i've got the canadian model too and will probably remove the res.....but i'm worried about the exauhst sound....ricey?

[Smurf6x6]

My 240 is a canadian model and i only have one resinator. I don't no whats up with yours. Never seen it on any of my friends 240's.

[Dougster]

Antonio, don't worry about the sound, its a better sound, throaty with more flow is a good thing!

[PMan_S13]

I think it makes it too loud, of course my 240 is flowing a lot more exhaust in the upper rpms, thanks to the turbo..

I'm going to get a new resonator or glasspack or something. Cut out a section before the muffler and weld it in next weekend.

We did this to my friends civic running 10psi with a greddy muffler. Really really loud before, now a very throaty, low growl even at 7000 rpms.

[HaveBlue]

turbo cars exhaust sounds different from NA cars. you can not compare the two even when talking about the same exhaust system. Turbo cars are generally quieter.

[Silviapower]

Dont expect HP increase when u take it of just noise increase

[Drifterxl]

hey allthrottlenobottle,

i have that same "extra" as well. coming off my stock headers is the cat. then into 2.5" then there is a 'bulge' in the piping about 9 inches long, then back into 2.5" then theres what i am assuming is the res. (it looks like a smaller muffler, is this the res.?) and then into 2.5" again, then into the muffler. my car is a 1990 240SX fastback from canada. can anyone help me on this?

on a second note, i have a question. now i have searched the archives, and sort of found answers, but not really, so i'm asking for your guyses opinion/help.... what would the results be if i cut my cat. out and replaced it with a glasspack? and to even further my question, on top of that, what would the results be if i put straight pipping thru where the res. and the extra 'bulge' are? and yes i am aware of laws and regulations in regards to the cat., but that aside, what would my results be. the mods i have done to my car is replaced ignition wires with 8mm taylor spiros, took out the intake box to allow for increased air into engine, installed NGK sparkplugs, and am running 91 octane fuel.

in taking the intake box off i almost sh*t myself with the difference in sound and power i got. would any of my proposed ideas compliment this? i have considered a cat-back system, however the difference in $$$ would be about $50 for my ideas, and $500-$1000 for the catback.... quite the difference, so this is why i am leaning towards my cheaper thoughts, lol.

[allthrottlenobottle]

drifterxl; ya that "smaller muffler" is the res. the "bulge" is a res,sort of. it is filled with some kind of batting like nomex or something i believe. it is for emissions and to help with back pressure. i have done some research on this thing and it seems only some years have it. but everybody has a different opinion on what it actually is. i wish i kept mine when i had it cut off but live and learn.

putting straight piping thru that area is fine. B.C. does not have strict emmissions laws except aircare on the mainland meaning you need a cat. I had a catback exhaust made about 2 months ago at a local muffler shop for 230.00 cdn. and change. that was for 3 inch.

my hp gain is unknown at this time (dyno is far away from where i live) but if you can feel a gain there is one! good luck. where in bc you at?

[Drifterxl]

thanx for the info allthrottlenobottle. hey i'm from the island as well, i live in shawnigan lake, ya know where that is? between duncan and vic. where abouts u at? and also, with my straight pipping idea, how would that effect HP? do u know? and also my glasspack in place of my cat. do u know if that would effect HP in a + or - way? and why is it u wished u would have kept the smaller res? was there a loss in power?

[allthrottlenobottle]

i'm in campbell river,bout 2 hours from you. straight piping allows better exhaust flow for less back pressure. less back pressure=more ponies. we have no emmissions on the island so unless you get pulled over and are required to go for a saftey inspection the cat dont need to be there. i have a "test pipe"(what they call it) that bolts where my cat sits. when i need to put the cat back in it can be done in no time. i think a glass pack is just more stuff in the way but it might work for your application,i dont know cause i never have had one in. the only thing from the header to tailpipe on mine right now is a 5zigen muffler. i wish i'd kept that piece so i could take a pic and post it for the guys who have never seen one! no loss in power,just gains. i go thru duncan all the time i have family in vic so i'm down about once a month or so. any good spots to run down there?

[antonioelgrande]

lol...i'm in Victoria!:) going through this as well since my canister just fell off:(i think the car might make a nasty(not good) sound without that resonator. with my muffler gone,( somewhere on the side of the Malahat...keep a lookout!) the sound is louder but not too loud. decent pitch, not whiney.

without that reasonator and with glasspaks it'd prolly sound real crackley. unless thats what your looking for.

know any1 on the island selling seats? down to the metal on the driverside(ouch)

[allthrottlenobottle]

throaty sound not too loud. sounds fine. go aftermarket seats cause they are lighter.

[Drifterxl]

thanx again allthrottle. i think i just might test out this idea of mine. worst case scenereo, i'll just find another cat. or even just a straight pipe to put in. i'll let ya know how it goes. i'll be doin this next wednesday, so keep posted now as for places to run, hmmmm. best place i know around here would be down koksahila Rd. (sp?), just after the whippletree junction when your heading down this way. take a left off the Hwy. i hit the 180km/hr restrictor there all the time. cops never cruise that road. happy runnin!

[allthrottlenobottle]

thanks drifterxl. if ya ever get up this way try hwy. 28 towards gold river.... good touge style run. we drift up there alot.

[Drifterxl]

hey allthrottlenobottle, sup man?

well i purchased my goodies today. and i got everything lined up (i hope, lol). i got a lil carried away at the store though, haha. i got my glasspack, then i ordered a niehoff cap and rotor, bosh platinum 2 plugs, then i figured an oil change was nesseccary, and just my luck, a K&N oil filter was on sale, so i got me one of them as well. i'm gonna flush my engine out clean, and then i'm putting in some castrol gtx 100% synthetic oil.... i can never just do the one thing i had planned, i get ideas, then i wanna test em out, lol. i wanted to test out the cap and rotor cause i got some 8mm ignition wires a while back (which gave me a noticable increase i must say) and i thought that this idea was only nesseccary.... so we'll see. i'll let ya know how it all goes when i get all this stuff in my car.

and i'll keep that hwy 28 in mind. i don't get up that way too often, but if i do i'll be sure to check it out.

[allthrottlenobottle]

hey drifterxl. keep me posted on how the exhaust goes! where are you getting your stuff from? canadian tire or aftermarket shop? i've found good deals at canadian tire before,for good aftermarket stuff. Joe at SHC in vic is pretty good for deals on hard to find 240 parts. if you got a day off from work or what have you theres an import only car show in campbell this weekend. Friday the 20th. my car might be there but unfortunatly i have to go to ccamp for work for 10 days so i'll miss the festivities, good luck with your stuff! i'll check back with ya after my shift.

[Bigrolla]

say u wanted to keep ur cat ,i was wondering if there was a stock cat u could use that has better flow such as one from another model car. Not sure if a 300zx one would work.