Burbling Sound
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 862
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From: Gaithersburg MD
Burbling Sound
I have been familiar with the "burbling" sound you hear with headers when you left of the throttle and coast down to a lower speed. Never thought about what causes the sound. Anybody know the science behind the sound?
Pro
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 644
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From: Edmond Oklahoma
That's a really good guess based on what I've read elsewhere. A lot of people on this Board don't like the burble and gurgle on decel - I like it and get quite a bit of it since I switched to Z06 cans and leaving the flaps open with the M2W.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,269
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From: Dallas Texas
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09-'10
Funny thing is that Guys will search for an exhaust to give them that old style muscle car sound and then complain about the deceleration noise. That's what we used to call "sucking back" and would down shift just to hear it and still do. 
Pro
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 644
Likes: 1
From: Edmond Oklahoma
First of all - love the pic in your avatar and the info re your progression with vettes. You're a little older than me - I started driving during the late 60's muscle car era and there's a lot of memories there. Like you said - that's the sound we craved. When I got my vette last year, I listened to a lot of exhausts and couldn't understand why I wasn't hearing that ole muscle car sound. I now know you can't get that without the headers and cam with the exhaust. Everyone has different tastes, but give me the lope at idle and the burble on decel. Too bad I'm too cautious these days to add those to my car because I don't want to be without a warranty!
Pro
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 637
Likes: 3
From: Tacoma WA
When I got my vette last year, I listened to a lot of exhausts and couldn't understand why I wasn't hearing that ole muscle car sound. I now know you can't get that without the headers and cam with the exhaust. Everyone has different tastes, but give me the lope at idle and the burble on decel. Too bad I'm too cautious these days to add those to my car because I don't want to be without a warranty!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,027
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From: The Lost Borough, NYC
Same here... I love the popping and gurgling of my stingers... Its one of the reasons I bring the RPMs up to 3500 and let off the throttle.
You dont need headers either, alot of aftermarket axle back exhausts do it, i.e. Corsa, B & B, Stingers etc.
I am not sure of the science behind it, some say its unburned fuel igniting somewhere in the exhaust pipes. Gives the car a nice muscle tone whatever it is. I often see people in the next lane purposely stay slightly diagonally behind me I am guessing to hear the gurgling on decel.
You dont need headers either, alot of aftermarket axle back exhausts do it, i.e. Corsa, B & B, Stingers etc.
I am not sure of the science behind it, some say its unburned fuel igniting somewhere in the exhaust pipes. Gives the car a nice muscle tone whatever it is. I often see people in the next lane purposely stay slightly diagonally behind me I am guessing to hear the gurgling on decel.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,003
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth TX
I too love the burble sound.
I did the muffler mod on my Z06, and also have Mild2Wild (open all the time). I get the most burbling and popping when im at moderate speed say 45, and engine brake in 2nd gear down to 20 or so.
Love the sound.
I did the muffler mod on my Z06, and also have Mild2Wild (open all the time). I get the most burbling and popping when im at moderate speed say 45, and engine brake in 2nd gear down to 20 or so.
Love the sound.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 644
Likes: 1
From: Edmond Oklahoma
I'm not saying you need headers and a cam to get the burble on decel - I get plenty of it with my Z06 cans with the flaps open. I'm saying that to get the muscle car sound that I remember can't be done with just an axle-back exhaust. Yes, I know that the B&Bs, etc, are louder, lower, whatever - but to get the lope at idle and the quality of sound that I remember from 60s and 70s, you have to have a cam and headers on a C6. There was a pretty long thread on here several months back where the "quality" of sound was discussed and a member was on a quest to get that out of his C6. I don't know if he ever suceeded, but he tried several variations with the exhaust.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,151
Likes: 69
From: Odenton MD
I'm not saying you need headers and a cam to get the burble on decel - I get plenty of it with my Z06 cans with the flaps open. I'm saying that to get the muscle car sound that I remember can't be done with just an axle-back exhaust. Yes, I know that the B&Bs, etc, are louder, lower, whatever - but to get the lope at idle and the quality of sound that I remember from 60s and 70s, you have to have a cam and headers on a C6. There was a pretty long thread on here several months back where the "quality" of sound was discussed and a member was on a quest to get that out of his C6. I don't know if he ever suceeded, but he tried several variations with the exhaust.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,269
Likes: 50
From: Dallas Texas
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09-'10
I'm not saying you need headers and a cam to get the burble on decel - I get plenty of it with my Z06 cans with the flaps open. I'm saying that to get the muscle car sound that I remember can't be done with just an axle-back exhaust. Yes, I know that the B&Bs, etc, are louder, lower, whatever - but to get the lope at idle and the quality of sound that I remember from 60s and 70s, you have to have a cam and headers on a C6. There was a pretty long thread on here several months back where the "quality" of sound was discussed and a member was on a quest to get that out of his C6. I don't know if he ever suceeded, but he tried several variations with the exhaust.
One of the problems in making the C6 have that "Old Muscle Car Sound" is that the LS engine firing order has been changed from the 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2 that we were so familiar with, but headers and a hot cam do help.
I hate to say this, but the Ford V8 has a great exhaust sound.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 277
Likes: 2
From: Florida
I'm not saying you need headers and a cam to get the burble on decel - I get plenty of it with my Z06 cans with the flaps open. I'm saying that to get the muscle car sound that I remember can't be done with just an axle-back exhaust. Yes, I know that the B&Bs, etc, are louder, lower, whatever - but to get the lope at idle and the quality of sound that I remember from 60s and 70s, you have to have a cam and headers on a C6. There was a pretty long thread on here several months back where the "quality" of sound was discussed and a member was on a quest to get that out of his C6. I don't know if he ever suceeded, but he tried several variations with the exhaust.
I am by no means an expert but IMO I think the way these new engines are engineered and built cause them not to lope. I do miss the days of cars that lope so bad it sounds like they could stall any minute. The high tech engines today have less cubes they are way more effeicient in making horsepower and dont have to rely on the old school "3/4" cams to make the power and the sound we are love.
BTW sxeC6 you should refrain from using the "F" word on this forum!
I have to agree that the Mustang exhaust note sounds great even if it is a .... I just cant bring myself to say it!
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,331
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From: Missouri City Texas
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 26
From: Miami
I would get so much off that with the Bullets + headers that from the bottom of my car all the way to the back sounded like someone was BEATING my mufflers and floor boards with a bat!
Gota love it! Can it be tuned down
Gota love it! Can it be tuned down
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,269
Likes: 50
From: Dallas Texas
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09-'10
Burbling might be OK, but I sure wouldn't want the snap, crackle, and pop when I pass gas.
Basically, when you decel, the throttle valve is fully closed and the fuel flow is reduced to idle levels which in some cases makes the mixture be too lean to burn. Enough of this unburnt mixture collects in the exhaust to ignite causing that beloved sound.