stainless steel exhaust system. to loud

[96witton]

Hi, I have a 1969 280sl and it came with a new ss exhaust system and it is very loud. As I was going down the interstate today my wife said there must be motorcycle right behind us. No just my exhaust. I am wondering if I could just change my muffler to a steel one or will I have to change the resonator also? or will I need a complete new system to reduce the noise?
thanks for any help you can give.
Jim

[Cees Klumper]

It depends a bit on how the system was installed, but likely with clamps. I would take it to a competent muffler shop and see what they can do, likely replace the muffler?

[rjmarco]

I had a similar problem with my 230 SL.  The exhaust was excessively noisy in the interior and would drown out the radio. 

Turned out that I had an aftermarket exhaust that was sort of a force fit under the car.  My exhaust header was cut to fit this aftermarket system and it turned out that the exhaust piping was in direct contact with the floorboard.  So, noise was transferring directly from the header/exhaust pipes right into the car. 

I had the after market system replaced along with a salvage header to correct what had been modified.  It is far quieter and I imagine this was how the car was supposed to have sounded brand new. 

[Jonny B]

I have a stainless steel system on my 280 SL, and I have not found the noise to be a problem at all. It is different but not bothersome.

[Shvegel]

my Timevalve system was loud at first but it quieted down over time.  Before it quieted down I would stuff an old gym sock in one tailpipe when I went on the highway.

[Dudlow]

I recently changed my stainless system for a factory steel original from the downpipes back.
Transformed the noise, it just purrs now.

[MikeSimon]

Is the factory steel still available? I had one installed back in 1984 and it had to be welded together. Expensive job.

[Dudlow]

Still made, still welded, still expensive......

[Benz Dr.]

I recently changed my stainless system for a factory steel original from the downpipes back.
Transformed the noise, it just purrs now.

Sock in your tail pipe? Not nearly as good as the time I found something really interesting inside a guy's engine.

[Iconic]

Sock in your tail pipe? Not nearly as good as the time I found something really interesting inside a guy's engine.

Dan,
Don't leave us hanging. What was it? 

[MikeL43]

I have the timevalve (strange name) complete SS system on my 67 250 SL and haven't found that it is overly loud though it does sound a little different than the original rusty system I previously had.  While on this subject I  will note that the SS system was about 3 inches too long for my car and had to be shortened a bit to fit perfectly.  Also I have had to get the later model steel reinforced rubber thingies that hold the system up as the old 100 percent rubber ones kept breaking.

[mnahon]

Iconic, here's the answer to your question; reply #7 in this thread:
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=22854.msg163434#msg163434

[Benz Dr.]

Dan,
Don't leave us hanging. What was it? 

OK, I guess we're all adults here.......

Guy came into my shop complaining about a strange noise coming from his late 280 engine. He had a real hottie driving his other car  -  she was much younger that he was.

 After we investigated we found a pair sexy black panties wound around his cam shaft. We removed the panties and put them in a plastic bag for him. I called and told him his car was ready.
When he arrived to pick up his car he had an older woman with him. Not pretty, rather heavy, not at all friendly, and for sure not blonde. I assumed it was his wife. ( it was )

When he asked me what we found I showed him the plastic bag. The story he told me was pretty good:

" So I'm out with the blonde ( no name, just '' the blonde '' ) and we stop at a gas station. I need some oil for the 280 so I add a liter but I forgot to put the oil cap back on. We were driving along and all of a sudden there's clouds of smoke coming out from under the hood. So I stop and have a look and see that the oil fill cap is gone. I was hoping that I had a rag or something to stick in the hole until I got home but I couldn't find anything. So the blonde says, " here, use these" and hands me her panties. I stuffed them in the hole and took her home. The next day I went to put my spare cap on and found that the hole was empty so I figured they flew out and didn't think much of it. Right after the the noise started.......

I handed the plastic bag to him, he just about had a heart attack, looked out the door in mortal terror, and then he promptly threw the plastic bag in my wood stove where it made a nice hot fire for a little while. Then he handed me a 50 dollar tip and I've never seen him again.

How's that for strange noises?

Actually, I was kind of pissed about the whole thing because I really did want to keep them for a show and tell item. Oh well............

[mrfatboy]

Lol. Funny story. My first guess was you were going to say it was a condom

[Iconic]

Thanks mnahon and Dan !!

[Garry]

Dan,


So instead of piston slap, he had knicker slap, in several different directions.

[zak]

Hilarious!

[Benz Dr.]

Yeah, the best part was the holy **** look on his face when I pulled them out of a drawer. I figured the noise coming from his engine wouldn't have been nearly as loud as his screaming when his very pleasant wife saw them and started grabbing him by the balls. 

 I'll tell you, that woman was a real termagant.

[96witton]

thanks to everyone that replied
Jim

[teahead]

Cheaper to get a louder radio.

[Tom in seattle]

This is really good humor.  Benz Dr you write well.  Also reminds me of a time I drove across a US/CAN border in a recently purchased used 911.  The border cops opened my front hood and pulled back the rubber mat to expose a compartment I did not know existed .  Fortunately they found a nearly used bottle of alcohol, obviously old.  They made their point.

[JamesL]

Known as the Smuggler's Box...

[stickandrudderman]

Good story Dan!
As someone who prides himself on his vocabulary, I take particular pleasure in learning a new word: "termagant". I like it and will use it in my upcoming divorce negotiations!
Is it pronounced with a soft or hard "G"?
(As in Vagina or vagabond)