Resonator delete or MBRP full exhaust?

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TowGMC

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I removed the rear resonator on my 09 Denali and found absolutely zero difference in power. But the resonance at 2200-2400 is now prominent, and annoying when towing my 6500 lb trailer. Coincidentally tomorrow I'm going back to my exhaust guy and having the stock resonator put back on. Lived with it for a year and finally gave up trying to live with the resonance inside. Hate it when towing 500+ miles.

Interestingly, when you look inside the Denali resonator, it's a straight piece of pipe with no louovers at all except for one small 1" diameter hole in the top leading edge of the resonator. So essentially the resonator is already a straight pipe, the 1" hole must let selected sound waves bleed out into the packing to kill the resonance. Makes sense that removing the resonator made no additional power.

I know a lot of folks with 5.3's pull the resonator and are happy. Must be that the larger 3.5" piping on the Denalis changes the resonance point compared to the smaller diameter exhausts on the 5.3's.
 

D_R_C

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Most of the claims on pretty much any minimal exhaust changes or aftermarket exhaust is over stated, except for maybe a full exhaust.
Then you might see some performance gains, pretty much no mpg gains.
The only real gains I have found over the years is removing/replacing the stock muffler with a straight thru muffler.

Removing a straight thru resonator the only gains anyone would notice is more drone/exhaust sound, no power gains.
 

soulsea

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I removed the rear resonator on my 09 Denali and found absolutely zero difference in power. But the resonance at 2200-2400 is now prominent, and annoying when towing my 6500 lb trailer. Coincidentally tomorrow I'm going back to my exhaust guy and having the stock resonator put back on. Lived with it for a year and finally gave up trying to live with the resonance inside. Hate it when towing 500+ miles.

Removes resonator ... is annoyed by change in resonance.
picture.php
 
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livingez_123

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Be careful with what you start hacking off. Drone inside the cab will kill any benefit of good sound. and if you tow, drone becomes even more of an issue. MBRP makes some killer system for the diesel guys but haven't had the chance to listen to one for use gassers. IMHO, the corsa is way too loud as are the flowmasters. I can appreciate a good sounding exhaust system but if that same system drives you crazy in the cab with drone then it's really not worth it.
 

TowGMC

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Removes resonator ... is annoyed by change in resonance.
picture.php

Yea, who would have thought. :doh2:

Seriously, several friends with 5.3's have done it and have been happy with the results. I've ridden in on '11 Tahoe 5.3L while pulling his race trailer and there was absolutely no resonance. Another friend with a 5.3L NNBS Suburban, same thing. Must be something in the larger exhaust diameter and/or the engine specs.

Only person I know who hated his aftermarket system is one friend with an '06 Suburban with the 8.1L engine but that's got a different firing order from the 5.3's. Maybe the 6.2 does too?

Anyway, resonator is back on as of this morning and I'm happy again.
 

mlgreen

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Be careful with what you start hacking off. Drone inside the cab will kill any benefit of good sound. and if you tow, drone becomes even more of an issue. MBRP makes some killer system for the diesel guys but haven't had the chance to listen to one for use gassers. IMHO, the corsa is way too loud as are the flowmasters. I can appreciate a good sounding exhaust system but if that same system drives you crazy in the cab with drone then it's really not worth it.

I was under the impression that the Corsa cat back didn't drone.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
 

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