Muffler Recommendations

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any muffler recommendations? Looks like there's an exhaust leak before the left rear muffler. It's leaking where the wishbone pipe meets the exhaust flange. Looks like the rest is decent, but it's definetly not stainless. Looks like original Subaru stuff. Now my question(s): Looks like 3 mufflers total. One where it meets the cat, then a wishbone pipe, back to 2 more mufflers, a right and a left.

 

What's a good system to go with? I really don't care for the Coke can, wake-up-the-neighbors sound, but stock or a little more growl is just fine. Also, not stupid expensive, but not super cheap either. Kinda midrange price is ideal.

 

Do I need all those mufflers? Will I fail emissions if I delete one or two? Kind of a noob here, as I've always just kept my cars stock. But the car's not stock, either. From what I understand, it's stage 2. So, at this point, I'm fine w/mods. Guess I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. Anyways thanks, any help is really appreciated.

The mid pipe has a resonator in it.

 

I also have one of my wagons muffler flanges that is about to leak.

 

The Y pipe is in good shape, but the mid pipe and Y pipe on my wagon came off the 09 Spec B.

 

The Spec has the Invidia Q300 exhaust.

 

 

About 2013 I had a custom mid pipe back made for the wagon that had Magna-flow knock off mufflers. They sounded great, not to loud, the boxer rumble, nice at WOT.

 

Here's what happened to that a about a year or two ago. I still have the Dyna-Max tips.

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Max Capacity

If you wanted to stay stock you could probably go an exhaust shop and have them install a slip joint in place of the flange that's rusting out.

 

The thing you need to be careful with a wagon is drone with aftermarket exhausts. Most systems were built for sedans so the tips don't extend past the bumper far enough on a wagon, which exaggerates the drone and also the rear cabin space in the wagon itself contributes to drone.

 

In the 8 years I've owned my car I've looked for and waited for a turn key exhaust for the wagon. It seems that everyone with a wagon either has something modified or something they're not wild about with their aftermarket exhaust. I've even had the famed Stromoung exhaust for my car and it droned like crazy in my wagon. That being said that simplest and cheapest option will be to fix your exhaust or replace the Y pipe on your car with another oem unit. Other than that there is no quick, cheap, bolt on solution that is currently available for a wagon and its not like anyone is making new exhausts for a 15+ year old platform. Even finding just a Y pipe that fits properly and isn't complete junk is a challenge.

My exhaust is in similar shape. The entire exhaust isn't rusted much but the flange on both the mufflers and the y pipe where they meet the mufflers are in pretty bad shape.

 

Personally I want to get the flanges replaced on both the y pipe and the mufflers so it's all in good shape again. But they will eventually just rust out again, could use stainless flanges but they are a bit pricey and it will just rust out where they are welded to the steel pipe. It also seems the flange size isn't too common either to buy a replacement flange.

 

Then there is the challenge of getting them installed right so the mufflers sit right.

 

I have a set of hks es premium's I want to put on but if I take the stock mufflers off, what remains of the flange won't be enough to hold or seal the mufflers to the y pipe.

 

If your stock mufflers are fine and you aren't highly interested in some more noise, the stock mufflers are pretty good and would likely be hard to replace with something as quiet.

I did find this, but its for a sedan,

 

https://www.autozone.com/emission-control-and-exhaust/muffler?newYmme=true

 

By the time you get a sedan exhaust to fit, might as well go to a local muffler shop and see what they can do for you.

 

I just need to bit the bullet, bring my Dyna Max tips that are about 10" long after being shortened and see what they can do, that's my plan for October time.

Edited July 23, 2019 by Max Capacity

https://www.subarupartsource.com/oem-parts/subaru-center-pipe-44200ag09b?origin=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzd_muf7L4wIV2cDICh0RIQdZEAQYAyABEgKV7PD_BwE

 

Found that for a OEM, see what else they have or other dealers websites

So, apparently I can just get new bolts, a gasket from the dealer, and grind down the flanges enough to put it all back together? I like the “stay stock” option.

You need to take a better look where it’s actually leaking from. If it’s truly just the flange seal, grab some high temp RTV and seal it up. The flanges have a tendency to rust out though, hence why I recommend the slip joint. In my experience, the mating surfaces on the flanges on the mufflers are never actually straight, they always have some sort of bend to them and that’s makes them difficult to seal.

You need to take a better look where it’s actually leaking from. If it’s truly just the flange seal, grab some high temp RTV and seal it up. The flanges have a tendency to rust out though, hence why I recommend the slip joint. In my experience, the mating surfaces on the flanges on the mufflers are never actually straight, they always have some sort of bend to them and that’s makes them difficult to seal.

 

 

This^^^^^

 

 

Cost you about $7.00 at a local parts store and 10 min of time

So basically, when I started to unbolt it, the bolts just cracked right off. It made it pretty easy to disassemble. When I cleaned it up, I found it bowed because of the rust that came off the flanges. I ended up ghetto mudding it w/JB Muffler Weld. Not too thrilled with this as any kind of permanent fix. I'm going to allow the full 24 hrs cure, but I have my doubts.

 

Not sure what else to do. Other than replace the whole system mid pipe back. Doesn't look like there's a lot of life left in the mid pipe to weld something on.

 

But for the mid pipe, mufflers and gaskets, etc brand new, it looks like $1000.00 and I just can't afford that. I just jammed about $1000.00 into the timing belt project. So, I'm kind of tapped out.

You have a couple of cheaper options.

 

You can go with an ebay special:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=subaru+legacy+catback

 

Or I'll sell you my stock (non-rusted) catback from an '05 LGT wagon for $100 + shipping (which is probably $75-80 depending on where you are located).

You have a couple of cheaper options.

 

You can go with an ebay special:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=subaru+legacy+catback

 

Or I'll sell you my stock (non-rusted) catback from an '05 LGT wagon for $100 + shipping (which is probably $75-80 depending on where you are located).

 

I PM’ed you.

Another band aid option would be to have an exhaust shop cut out the bad sections and weld in some fresh pipe. Not a permanent fix if the exhaust system is on its' last legs, but it should be less than $100 and buy you some time to build back the Repair and Maintain bank account.

 

Did this on my old 2003 about 2 years before I sold it, as replacing the entire system was almost what the vehicle would have been worth. The patches held for that time and the new owner still has it on the road.

 

All that said, I've been pleased with Magnaflow components on other vehicles. Haven't had to do serious replacement yet on one of my Subarus though.

I went with the Ebay OBX-R catback. I also installed a resonatora that toned it down quite a bit. Little drone but not bad at all