Resonator delete sound clips

[Clint Beastwood]

You may or may not know that I have spent an absurd amount of time and money playing with the exhaust on my FiST and other cars, chasing the dragon of quarter-wave or helmholtz resonators and building them out myself. That being said, I got tired of the car being loud, and since my whole stock system is v-banded for easy install/removal, I also removed the resonator and vbanded that, too. I see threads asking about it, here and on Reddit, so I figured why not shoot some video/audio so we can have some audio samples that aren't just another driveway rev and maybe a flyby.

I recorded from the rear bumper with an external lav mic just below the license plate. I also recorded interior audio with the windows down, and the windows up. I have added chapter breaks in the video so you can skip to what you want to see.

Full disclosure - I did not have any intention of recording video, but I realized posting just sounds is boring. That being said, the video is awful, my windshield was wet and dirty and my horizon leveling was still on from when I was using the camera on one of my motorcycles so the video is swooping all over the place - sorry about that.

Here's the clip - feel free to reply back, ask questions, etc.

Car details

• 2017, 36k miles
• Stock exhaust, resonator removed
• Adapt-x tune (love it, powerful but feels stock, but with much larger genitals. Adapts to mods, fuel, air temp, etc.) on 91 octane + 1 gallon of e85
• Whoosh intake
• Turbosmart em2 plumb back diverter valve (stock one was leaking, this one makes cool darth vader turkey sounds)

Here's the link

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_DjqiDXnEo


Again, please don't judge the camera placement or video quality, if I am out to shoot video I honestly put much more effort into it.

 

[Dpro]

ya me no likey . From the exterior it sounds crappy, sounds better from the interior lol but very muffled in a weird way. I think with Windows up you’re picking up more intake and turbo. Personally I am in love with sound of my Thermal but it also has a S280 and Mountune downpipe in front of it which both affect the tonality of it.

I am glad I never went the resonator delete route😂 Somehow it just reeks of ghetto fabulous. 😂 It’s like hey look I could not afford an exhaust so I just deleted my resonator. So Cool!! errr not.😂

ya ya I know thats not your case which makes me scratch my head and wonder just why? 😂

 

[Clint Beastwood]

I was already cutting up the exhaust and having it put together with vband clamps, and I wanted later to try out different resonators on the stock exhaust - I swapped the resonator-less pipe on to check it out and it sounded decent for stock(ish). I really just wanted stock quiet sound levels, but with a little bit of burbling on upshifts and the stock resonator does a really good job of soaking those up. Just for comparison's sake, since it's always hard to judge how loud something is - the cicada type sound when stopping/decelerating is my slotted rotors cavitating against the pads.

The resonator delete does create a pretty significant level of.... resonance (who'd have thought, without the resonator it resonates!). I know I could fix it with a 33" quarter wave resonator but I think I drive maybe 3000-3500 miles a year now so it hardly seems worth it. To be honest though, I don't think I'll ever find another cheap car that sounded as good stock as my old Abarth. I don't know how they made it sound so great outside but so quiet inside. I measured the Abarth exhaust and they branched and one branch was 50% (ish) longer than the other so the pulses came out out-of-phase, I'd bet that has something to do with it. Could probably reproduce that on a FiST but I like that it's quiet, with just some gurgles and stuff. I may try to fit a quarter wave resonator into the stock system at some point just to kill the boomy drone around 2700-3200 rpm. Just like with most FiST exhausts, the trouble is at 106.67hz plbbbbbbpt

 

[Dpro]

I was already cutting up the exhaust and having it put together with vband clamps, and I wanted later to try out different resonators on the stock exhaust - I swapped the resonator-less pipe on to check it out and it sounded decent for stock(ish). I really just wanted stock quiet sound levels, but with a little bit of burbling on upshifts and the stock resonator does a really good job of soaking those up. Just for comparison's sake, since it's always hard to judge how loud something is - the cicada type sound when stopping/decelerating is my slotted rotors cavitating against the pads.

The resonator delete does create a pretty significant level of.... resonance (who'd have thought, without the resonator it resonates!). I know I could fix it with a 33" quarter wave resonator but I think I drive maybe 3000-3500 miles a year now so it hardly seems worth it. To be honest though, I don't think I'll ever find another cheap car that sounded as good stock as my old Abarth. I don't know how they made it sound so great outside but so quiet inside. I measured the Abarth exhaust and they branched and one branch was 50% (ish) longer than the other so the pulses came out out-of-phase, I'd bet that has something to do with it. Could probably reproduce that on a FiST but I like that it's quiet, with just some gurgles and stuff. I may try to fit a quarter wave resonator into the stock system at some point just to kill the boomy drone around 2700-3200 rpm. Just like with most FiST exhausts, the trouble is at 106.67hz plbbbbbbpt

ya I get it it’s all set up why not try it . I just felt the stock exhaust was just too dead quite as well. I like to hear my engine on an exhaust note it does not have to be super loud but just a deep throatyness is dope . My Thermal sounded good on stock turbo but when I went s280 with the downpipe then it just started to kinda growl in a low way . I get compliments on the sound a lot. I pulled into the parking lot at a Novation party at NAMM and this guy looked over as was low rpm and commented on how Good it sounded. It sounds business and powerful without being raspy or harsh. To me your stock exhaust with resonator delete going down the road under acceleration with the external mic had that raspy harsh little small pipe 4 banger sound. I hate that sound it’s very Honda with a cheap muffler or exhaust sound. I try to run away from that at all costs .

 

[Intuit]

I've always favored the sleeper aspect.

Came up on a typical altered FoST yesterday and no matter how slow it was accelerating, just sounded like he was getting on it... even though he wasn't. It just made the car seem heavy and lethargic... even though it may not be.

Previous motorcycle on stock exhaust was kind of that way and some people would act like they wanted to challenge it. I was only shifting around 4k RPM... that thing red-lined at 15.5k...

 

[Dpro]

I've always favored the sleeper aspect.

Came up on a typical altered FoST yesterday and no matter how slow it was accelerating, just sounded like he was getting on it... even though he wasn't. It just made the car seem heavy and lethargic... even though it may not be.

Previous motorcycle on stock exhaust was kind of that way and some people would act like they wanted to challenge it. I was only shifting around 4k RPM... that thing red-lined at 15.5k...

Automatics with exhaust tend to have that heavy lethargic sound unless they are running a dual clutch paddle shift semi auto. Otherwise they just sound lame and oh ya cheap exhausts usually are horrible sounding like I mentioned earlier.

 

[Intuit]

It's just a matter of preference really.

 

[Joeshmoe]

How are you liking the adapt-x? I got my FiST 3 weeks ago and was thinking of doing the adapt-x for daily drivability. I like the fact it ties into factory tables and improves them, and can learn new parameters of new mods.

 

[Clint Beastwood]

How are you liking the adapt-x? I got my FiST 3 weeks ago and was thinking of doing the adapt-x for daily drivability. I like the fact it ties into factory tables and improves them, and can learn new parameters of new mods.

I'm pretty sure I did a big detailed write up a couple years ago, but I'll summarize below. Perspective: as a mid-40's adult male with most of my youthful shenanigans behind me (most! not all!).

Stratified Stage 2 tune - the car feels obviously tuned, everything feels little herky jerky, the throttle response is super... sharp. The pops are obnoxious but I could see liking it as a teenager. The "progressive" pops is kinda neat, if only it had more clearly defined thresholds for the popping. Long term - I think it surges a little on the freeway at 75-78mph. Just a teensy bit, but it could be the throttle sensitivity as well. The stratified tune is like owning a tiger - its stupid, and excessive, but... you own a frickin tiger. Whatever happens, it won't be boring. It is, however, a little more.... stressful? to drive. Like I have to pay more attention. This was a "one and done" purchase - flash the tune, send in some logs, if there's a problem they'll tell you.

dizzy stage 2 tune - its milder than the stratified, and as a result I think more streetable. I have an older tune, so there was no dizzyburb and the dizzy pops are absolutely absurd, I used them for an hour then switched to the no pops tune. throttle not quite as nuts, power comes on a little later so it hooks instead of turning tires into smoke. drives pretty well, well behaved on the freeway. Jason at dizzy was responsive to my (excessive?) questions.

adapt-x - it feels like stock, but just... more. with both the stratified and to a lesser extent the dizzy, when I let enthusiast friends drive the FiST they immediately ask questions about the tuning. With the adapt-x tune, the responses are generally "holy shit I didn't know these things drove like this". It's not peaky or overly sensitive, its just... more of everything. It adapts to whatever fuel I put in, when I switch intakes between a noisemaker and stock, etc. The monster tuned folks were super responsive, and without my asking sent me a couple revisions as they optimized the tune.

The one I run daily, and have for a long time now, is the adapt-x. I can throw in an extra gallon of e85 during the summer to keep the car happy, and after a long freeway pull the adapt-x has factored it in and runs a little stronger. Fill up with regular, drive around - the adapt-x factors that in and numbs things a bit until I put in regular gas.

 

[Joeshmoe]

I'm pretty sure I did a big detailed write up a couple years ago, but I'll summarize below. Perspective: as a mid-40's adult male with most of my youthful shenanigans behind me (most! not all!).

Stratified Stage 2 tune - the car feels obviously tuned, everything feels little herky jerky, the throttle response is super... sharp. The pops are obnoxious but I could see liking it as a teenager. The "progressive" pops is kinda neat, if only it had more clearly defined thresholds for the popping. Long term - I think it surges a little on the freeway at 75-78mph. Just a teensy bit, but it could be the throttle sensitivity as well. The stratified tune is like owning a tiger - its stupid, and excessive, but... you own a frickin tiger. Whatever happens, it won't be boring. It is, however, a little more.... stressful? to drive. Like I have to pay more attention. This was a "one and done" purchase - flash the tune, send in some logs, if there's a problem they'll tell you.

dizzy stage 2 tune - its milder than the stratified, and as a result I think more streetable. I have an older tune, so there was no dizzyburb and the dizzy pops are absolutely absurd, I used them for an hour then switched to the no pops tune. throttle not quite as nuts, power comes on a little later so it hooks instead of turning tires into smoke. drives pretty well, well behaved on the freeway. Jason at dizzy was responsive to my (excessive?) questions.

adapt-x - it feels like stock, but just... more. with both the stratified and to a lesser extent the dizzy, when I let enthusiast friends drive the FiST they immediately ask questions about the tuning. With the adapt-x tune, the responses are generally "holy shit I didn't know these things drove like this". It's not peaky or overly sensitive, its just... more of everything. It adapts to whatever fuel I put in, when I switch intakes between a noisemaker and stock, etc. The monster tuned folks were super responsive, and without my asking sent me a couple revisions as they optimized the tune.

The one I run daily, and have for a long time now, is the adapt-x. I can throw in an extra gallon of e85 during the summer to keep the car happy, and after a long freeway pull the adapt-x has factored it in and runs a little stronger. Fill up with regular, drive around - the adapt-x factors that in and numbs things a bit until I put in regular gas.

Awesome! I really appreciate that. Thats the same boat im in. Most of my shenanigans are behind me, but sometimes want to have fun. I was thinking adapt-x for daily driving, and dizzy for if i know im going out for fun, but if youre saying adapt-x covers it all, then ill just do that and keep that 😁

 

[Intuit]

I suspect the primary reason for the thirty second or so time limit on overboost is due to cooling system limitations. Does Adapt-X work without cooling system alterations or does the tuner specifically (or implicitly) warn against its use without specific changes?

EDIT: Questions answered here... (does not require hardware changes)
https://monstertuned.com/products/Fiesta-ST-Adapt-X-Tune-p358859436

Based on their description, one might assume that the overboost time limit still applies.

 

[Joeshmoe]

I suspect the primary reason for the thirty second or so time limit on overboost is due to cooling system limitations. Does Adapt-X work without cooling system alterations or does the tuner specifically (or implicitly) warn against its use without specific changes?

I dont have it yet, but reading their website, it says peak power is 5800 rpm, so shifting later than that will cause slower acceleration they say. So it seems they recommend not hitting the 6500-6750 factory redline. Also since it adapts to the factory timings and such, they only say 1 step colder spark plugs are required, so no upgrading cooling equipment needed, but if/when you do, you do a kam reset and let it learn the new i lnformation its getting from the new mods. I just got my FiST 3 weeks ago and its still stock, im in kansas, so im thinking of seeing how it handles our summer this year, if ut does well stock then ill get the plugs and tune, if not ill do intercooler and radiator and 180 thermostat, then when ive saved the money again, then get the adapt-x

 

[Intuit]

On stock tune it seems like torque/power drops-out before 5800... like you're just spinning your crankshaft well before you get there. Like others I assumed this was a limitation of the turbo. But if what they say is true, timing could well be a factor. At 5800 rounds over 60 seconds, the piston takes just 0.010 second for an up AND down motion. In other words, that piston will move up AND down over 96 times in just one second. I can understand being more conservative with timing.

Compared to prior generation engines which ran pretty cool, manufacturers altered their engine management strategies to intentionally run them hotter for improved emissions, with the added benefit of significantly reduced carbon buildup in the cylinders. Running plugs that are too cold can result with inefficient burn due to fowling which is at even greater risk of occurring when engine temps aren't hot enough, long enough, for successive operating cycles. I'll leave the cooling system and other hardware alone. At most I might consider the step colder with smaller gap plugs and Adapt-X.

 

[Clint Beastwood]

I dont have it yet, but reading their website, it says peak power is 5800 rpm, so shifting later than that will cause slower acceleration they say. So it seems they recommend not hitting the 6500-6750 factory redline. Also since it adapts to the factory timings and such, they only say 1 step colder spark plugs are required, so no upgrading cooling equipment needed, but if/when you do, you do a kam reset and let it learn the new i lnformation its getting from the new mods. I just got my FiST 3 weeks ago and its still stock, im in kansas, so im thinking of seeing how it handles our summer this year, if ut does well stock then ill get the plugs and tune, if not ill do intercooler and radiator and 180 thermostat, then when ive saved the money again, then get the adapt-x

I think I upgraded my intercooler a few months after I bought it, IIRC I hit my first SoCal summer in the FiST and noticed it was really unhappy once warmed up. Adding the whoosh v2 intercooler made it so the car feels approximately the same year round.

 

[Clint Beastwood]

On stock tune it seems like torque/power drops-out before 5800... like you're just spinning your crankshaft well before you get there. Like others I assumed this was a limitation of the turbo. But if what they say is true, timing could well be a factor. At 5800 rounds over 60 seconds, the piston takes just 0.010 second for an up AND down motion. In other words, that piston will move up AND down over 96 times in just one second. I can understand being more conservative with timing.

Compared to prior generation engines which ran pretty cool, manufacturers altered their engine management strategies to intentionally run them hotter for improved emissions, with the added benefit of significantly reduced carbon buildup in the cylinders. Running plugs that are too cold can result with inefficient burn due to fowling which is at even greater risk of occurring when engine temps aren't hot enough, long enough, for successive operating cycles. I'll leave the cooling system and other hardware alone. At most I might consider the step colder with smaller gap plugs and Adapt-X.

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Mine stayed happiest with 1 step colder plugs, I just order the pre gapped ones from whoosh every couple oil changes

 

[Joeshmoe]

On stock tune it seems like torque/power drops-out before 5800... like you're just spinning your crankshaft well before you get there. Like others I assumed this was a limitation of the turbo. But if what they say is true, timing could well be a factor. At 5800 rounds over 60 seconds, the piston takes just 0.010 second for an up AND down motion. In other words, that piston will move up AND down over 96 times in just one second. I can understand being more conservative with timing.

Compared to prior generation engines which ran pretty cool, manufacturers altered their engine management strategies to intentionally run them hotter for improved emissions, with the added benefit of significantly reduced carbon buildup in the cylinders. Running plugs that are too cold can result with inefficient burn due to fowling which is at even greater risk of occurring when engine temps aren't hot enough, long enough, for successive operating cycles. I'll leave the cooling system and other hardware alone. At most I might consider the step colder with smaller gap plugs and Adapt-X.

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I did just read that adapt-x actually is programmed to keep the grill shutter open at all times while the car is on, improving cooling. So after reading that, i think ill do plugs, adapt-x tune, then fmic and drop in filter and keep adding things from there

 

[Joeshmoe]

I think I upgraded my intercooler a few months after I bought it, IIRC I hit my first SoCal summer in the FiST and noticed it was really unhappy once warmed up. Adding the whoosh v2 intercooler made it so the car feels approximately the same year round.

Awesome! I just read that adapt-x keep the grill shutter open at all times, so i think ill do the plugs, adapt-x tune, then fmic and drop in filter and add from there

 

[Clint Beastwood]

the adapt-x guys were really responsive to my questions pre-sale, maybe because I was an early adopter, but I would recommend hitting them up with any questions

 

[Joeshmoe]

the adapt-x guys were really responsive to my questions pre-sale, maybe because I was an early adopter, but I would recommend hitting them up with any questions

I will do so. Appreciate your help and insight as well

 

[Intuit]

Weather is cold/cool/mild for the overwhelming majority of the year. Just some peak days during part of June/July but by August things are already on the decline.

Grill shutter is passive on our vehicles. It only opens with airflow generated by forward movement of the vehicle.