• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


MBRP 3in cat back exhaust.

TyphoonFiST

9000 Post Club
Premium Account
Messages
11,682
Likes
8,193
Location
Rich-fizzield
#4
Are saying go with the thermal? I like how you can hear everything from the mbrp I haven’t really looked into the thermal though.
I own one....ask others on here about them. Great sound....virtually NO DRONE. Well Worth the money!

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
 


Messages
140
Likes
177
Location
Lisle
#5
I have the MBRP, love the sound, great exhaust for the money. Only have had one issue with the section that goes over the rear axle rattling once and a while but just needs a little adjustment and I think it will be fine. Otherwise I think its one the best sounding!

Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk
 


SrsBsns

Active member
Messages
661
Likes
702
Location
San Diego
#6
I have the MBRP and I really enjoy it. It does drone a little bit around 3200rpm, but that's not a big deal for me. It's loud and aggressive and it sounds great.
 


Messages
2,088
Likes
969
Location
Minnesota
#7
Thermal R&D. They engineer the exhaust to have no drone or boom but lets out sweet sweet music. Thank Dr Helmholtz please 👨‍🔬
 


Messages
62
Likes
56
Location
Sebastian, FL, USA
#8
I have the MBRP and overall I really enjoy it. It is loud and droney on the highway between 3000-4000 rpm. So if you do a lot of 75+ mph driving then this may be a concern for you. Around town on and off the throttle it sounds epic. Cold starts are my favorite as it fires to life it sounds like it is clearing it's raspy throat and I hear it telling me "prepare to send it my dude". I have a Dizzy tune with exhaust crackles and when I shift above 3000rpm I get those awesome Audi V8 turbo pops and bangs that have so far been my favorite part of owning this car.
The one knock I have for this exhaust (and I have seen it with other FiSTs in pics) is that the tips are crooked after being installed. the inboard driver side rear most hanger hangs to low and the exhaust exit pipes need to be twisted clockwise to hang level. I have remedied this with a shorter compact rubber hanger on that side, so if you have OCD like me you'll want to adjust that.
 


Last edited:

TDavis

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,481
Likes
1,219
Location
Columbia
#9
I have the Whoosh catless DP with the Thermal R&D exhaust and wouldn't ever change. On the other side, [SCAMMER ALERT] the Whoosh catless DP with the MBRP exhaust and IMHO it sounds like poo and its too loud for me to enjoy on highway drives.
 


Clint Beastwood

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,609
Likes
2,351
Location
Laguna beach
#10
Can I please hear feed back about this. I’m looking into exhausts and this seems to be the one I’m favored towards.
The drone with the MBRP is ear-piercing, and definitely falls within the range that it'll cause long-term hearing loss. It's not the primary noise, the sound you hear from the exhaust outside - it's the secondary drone that resonates inside the body of the car. I was able to resolve it but it adds a few hundred bucks to the exhaust. If you are looking to avoid the drone, just get a thermal. Anyone whom says the MBRP does not drone believes so because they've probably already lost hearing in the 107hz range. It's clearly visible upon spectrum analysis. The MBRP is also not very well engineered, as the bends where it comes from the downpipe then up over the mid-chassis brace, and the little "arms" that go into the exhaust hangers, are not consistent from one exhaust to the next. That's why some people have fitment issues and others don't. I know what I am doing with exhaust system fabrication and installation, and even I have been unable to get my MBRP to fit without touching the mid-chassis brace. It results in a banging sound over bumps and occasional buzzing, even with washers added to the brace for clearance.

Thermal is the most drone-free exhaust made for the Fiesta ST, since it incorporates a properly sized quarter wave resonator into it's muffler.
The CP-E is the second most drone-resistant exhaust made for the Fiesta ST, though it's helmholtz chamber is less effective in attenuating the 106-107hz range.

There are several others that have less drone, but unless they're actively cancelling that 106hz resonance, they're going to drone (if they're 3").

If you go MBRP, don't drive the car with kids in it, you'll be causing them permanent hearing damage while their ears are still developing.

As to why I own the MBRP - I cut my hand on my custom exhaust and needed something *now* - whoosh had them in-stock, so I ordered one figuring I would also prove it was possible to make an MBRP drone-free. If Ron had had the Thermal in stock, I would have ordered one. It is possible to kill the MBRP drone, but it's complicated to do and requires modifying a brand-new exhaust. https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/im-at-it-again-fixing-drone-on-a-brand-new-mbrp.20873/
 


Clint Beastwood

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,609
Likes
2,351
Location
Laguna beach
#11
The one knock I have for this exhaust (and I have seen it with other FiSTs in pics) is that the tips are crooked after being installed. the inboard driver side rear most hanger hangs to low and the exhaust exit pipes need to be twisted clockwise to hang level. I have remedied this with a shorter compact rubber hanger on that side, so if you have OCD like me you'll want to adjust that.
Yeah mine did it too - I was thinking about cutting off the stock MBRP "Y" at the end and re-fitting a 1-2 tip rotated so it's level, then re-welding.
 


Messages
62
Likes
56
Location
Sebastian, FL, USA
#12
Yeah mine did it too - I was thinking about cutting off the stock MBRP "Y" at the end and re-fitting a 1-2 tip rotated so it's level, then re-welding.
Since you have extensive experience regarding this exhaust and drone, I have a question for you; For those that want the MBRP quieter in that drone RPM range do you think a small race bullet style muffler would help? This is a Dynomax 3" that I believe is only 9" in total length and would fit easily in front of the Y section in the rear and the last bend around the shock tower area. And they are less than $30.
dynomax 3 muffler.jpg
 


Messages
354
Likes
365
Location
Maine
#14
I have the Cobb and its pretty plain compared to the others. Not much different than stock to be honest.
I looked into MBRP and decided against it because of the numerous accounts of drone. I've had a WRX before with a full 3" turbo back and its amazing I still have hearing, was almost 140db when tested. I did not want that again.
Thermal is daily the most recommended, and I mean daily....it is literally recommended daily when people ask.
 


Messages
12
Likes
3
Location
Minot, ND, USA
#15
We tested my MBRP and it topped out around 89db. The only drone I get is anything above 80mph. Hope that helps a bit. I also have 0 knowledge of Thermal.
 


Messages
62
Likes
56
Location
Sebastian, FL, USA
#16
We tested my MBRP and it topped out around 89db. The only drone I get is anything above 80mph. Hope that helps a bit. I also have 0 knowledge of Thermal.
I agree. I don't get drone until I am on throttle after 75mph. If I am on cruise control on flat ground @ 80mph it is only slightly elevated in drone.
My recommendation is if you don't do a lot of highway cruising then this exhaust is great for the money.
 


Clint Beastwood

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,609
Likes
2,351
Location
Laguna beach
#17
Since you have extensive experience regarding this exhaust and drone, I have a question for you; For those that want the MBRP quieter in that drone RPM range do you think a small race bullet style muffler would help? This is a Dynomax 3" that I believe is only 9" in total length and would fit easily in front of the Y section in the rear and the last bend around the shock tower area. And they are less than $30.
View attachment 23078

No - the problem is that the "Drone" is a wave roughly 10 feet long, a short-bodied bullet silencer will only filter higher frequencies (~200-240hz with those tiny ones) which will just make it deeper. You need to attenuate a really long wave, and the only ways to do that without a 10+ foot long muffler are either a helmholtz chamber (like CP-E) or a quarter wave chamber (thermal, my custom one). Unfortunately it's not a matter of just packing in more mufflers. I had read that Thermal sells standalone mufflers, but I do not know if that means they'll sell the one with the built-in quarter wave resonator.

I think there are a few muffler manufacturers out there that build quarter wave resonators into their mufflers, like Corsa and maybe Billy Boat, but I haven't been able to get email replies from either about attenuating a specific range.
 


Clint Beastwood

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,609
Likes
2,351
Location
Laguna beach
#18
We tested my MBRP and it topped out around 89db. The only drone I get is anything above 80mph. Hope that helps a bit. I also have 0 knowledge of Thermal.
The issue isn't the initial noise, its the secondary resonance. Because of the low frequency (106.67hz) it doesn't have to be that loud to make your ears fuzz. That ear tickling is the process of losing hearing.
 


Clint Beastwood

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,609
Likes
2,351
Location
Laguna beach
#19
Thermal R&D. They engineer the exhaust to have no drone or boom but lets out sweet sweet music. Thank Dr Helmholtz please 👨‍🔬
I was surprised to find out they don't actually use a helmholtz - CP-E does, but the thermal is a quarter-wave. It's a much narrower range of attenuation but many more dB of attenuation. Neat stuff!
 


Clint Beastwood

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,609
Likes
2,351
Location
Laguna beach
#20
I agree. I don't get drone until I am on throttle after 75mph. If I am on cruise control on flat ground @ 80mph it is only slightly elevated in drone.
My recommendation is if you don't do a lot of highway cruising then this exhaust is great for the money.
As long as you can avoid ~3200rpm under load it's generally fine, there's just a ~700rpm range where it attenuates absurdly loudly. The 3" diameter and shape of the MBRP bends allows the system to get an undisturbed wave all the way down it's length - if it was 2.5" it wouldn't do it, or if the bends were sharper, but as-is it's almost like the body of a trombone :p
 


Similar threads



Top