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Car Forum / Chevrolet / Chevrolet Trucks / February 2006

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What is "Too Loud"?

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zerowick - 01 Feb 2006 22:17 GMT
went for a MA inspection sticker today to the same place I have taken my
pickup for 3 or more years and the tech started it and immediately shut it
down and said it is "too loud".  same exhaust it had last year, single,
stock exit point with a Magnaflow that really isn't loud at all.  maybe the
guy just got out of a Honda Civic, in which case it would seem loud yes.  so
I'm wondering if anybody knows the specs for exhaust noise level for light
duty passenger trucks in MA.

thanks
Shep - 02 Feb 2006 00:18 GMT
The inspection process requires  that info be made available to the public,
how was it determined this is too loud, judgement, decibel meter I would
contact MA DMV and question them on this.
> went for a MA inspection sticker today to the same place I have taken my
> pickup for 3 or more years and the tech started it and immediately shut it
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> thanks
zerowick - 02 Feb 2006 00:52 GMT
here was his method:  1. start engine
                                 2. turn engine off

I was in the showroom checking out cars and didn't get to speak with him,
the service rep who is a friend just said to take it to someone else because
the state has been keeping an eye on them.  bunch of crap if you ask me,
especially since they passed it last year with same set up.
Lena - 02 Feb 2006 21:21 GMT
> I was in the showroom checking out cars

Boy! Does that raise a flag!  Are you saying that the state vehicle
inspection is done at an automobile dealership?

Can you take it elsewhere?

Lena
zerowick - 02 Feb 2006 22:37 GMT
lots of dealers have an inspection station within their service dept here in
MA, it's quite common.  there are plenty of places I can go, just used to go
there out of convenience.  my Trooper friend said anything other than stock
is not technically legal, but he recommended a place where I won't have
trouble.
(PeteCresswell) - 02 Feb 2006 01:28 GMT
Per zerowick:
>I'm wondering if anybody knows the specs for exhaust noise level for light
>duty passenger trucks in MA.

In some places it's not rigorously defined.

Long time ago, I had a bike that needed mufflers.   I was too cheap to spring
for the nice, throaty Triumph stock mufflers so I got something inexpensive
called "SnufferKnots" - basically steel caps that go over the end of straight
pipes and have multiple holes in them.   Kicks the brains out of performance,
but is *really* quiet.

Practically the next day I got a ticket for muffler violation.  Tried to point
out that my bike was about six times less noisy than the cop's bike but he
wouldn't hear it... "You don't have proper mufflers on that thing...".
Signature

PeteCresswell

zerowick - 02 Feb 2006 01:42 GMT
just seems odd that he could make such a quick assessment, annoying more
than anything.  I'll have to ask a Trooper friend with DOT training, I
remember seeing a sound meter at his house too.  would like to go back to
the dealer with the numbers!
Jon R. Pickens - 03 Feb 2006 02:01 GMT
Ask the dealer to define "illegal" in decibels... Then, and only after
they figure out a number (which should take some time) pull out the
sound meter.

~jp
zerowick - 03 Feb 2006 02:27 GMT
if you look up a few post I found out from a Trooper friend that anything
other then stock exhaust is not legal, plain and simple.  he would know, he
loves writing tickets.  no big deal, I have options, my truck passes
emissions with flying colors so I'm not worried.
Jon R. Pickens - 03 Feb 2006 03:46 GMT
I wonder what they think about factory optional "performance"
exhaust...?  Just curious because a friend of mine's Corvette has
performance exhaust that was factory equipped.  It's not really too
loud, but definitely louder than the normal stuff.

~jp
Steve W. - 03 Feb 2006 04:20 GMT
In NY at least the way it reads is that the vehicle cannot have an
exhaust that is louder than the stock exhaust system. Stock is stock
regardless if it is optional or not. If it came with it from the factory
it's stock.

Signature

Steve Williams

> I wonder what they think about factory optional "performance"
> exhaust...?  Just curious because a friend of mine's Corvette has
> performance exhaust that was factory equipped.  It's not really too
> loud, but definitely louder than the normal stuff.
>
> ~jp
zerowick - 03 Feb 2006 13:55 GMT
> In NY at least the way it reads is that the vehicle cannot have an
> exhaust that is louder than the stock exhaust system.

yup, MA is the same, but Jon brings up a very good point, I bet my noise
level is no louder than say the Dodge V-10 performance 2wd pickup or the new
Cherokee with the 6.1 hemi.  there should be a level of noise that is
considered acceptable and that figure should be the standard.  really mine
is anything but "loud".  good thing I don't have a Flowmaster "40" on it!
Jon R. Pickens - 03 Feb 2006 15:03 GMT
The whole "stock is stock" law seems to be designed to keep people from
upgrading to a louder system, messing with their emissions output (cat)
or both.

Here in GA, they won't replace a Cat unless it's proven to be defective
or has a hole in it.  I've heard of other states where it's illegal to
replace the Cat unless the vehicle has over 100k miles on the odometer.

This just reminds me of how many aftermarket products I've seen
advertised "for off road use only".  I've ever seen blocks advertised
for Marine use only.  That one killed me, because it was (as far as I
could tell) no different than any other standard 5.7L Chevy smallblock.

~jp
zerowick - 03 Feb 2006 16:28 GMT
only way to have fun on the road is to get a pre-emissions muscle car and
have your way with it!  it's on my "to do" list, after the mortgage and
college tuition for the kids of course... :(
http://www.hemmings.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/dealers.detail/hmn_vehicle_id/21720
3&CFID=1728206&CFTOKEN=179f7bd902e47aa5-0B3F042C-2BF4-1D59-19BDEA7401EECF41

my dream machine, just an example of the right year and engine I would like.
I'm not a mopar guy, just love the size, room for 6, simple lines.  too bad
you can't touch these things for a reasonable sum nowadays.
Jon R. Pickens - 03 Feb 2006 16:55 GMT
Very nice...my dream machine is a 1967 Corvette Coupe.

I want one in any condition, the worse the better.  I don't care about
originality, or matching numbers.  I just want the car, and I want to
build it my way, with the options I want.  It would be very stock
looking--no need to screw with perfection :-)

I'd have other upgrades elsewhere (drivetrain and suspension).  I did
find a '66 Coupe for $3500.  It was a body and frame only.  No
interior, drivetrain or suspension.  The body was pretty well thrashed
too.  But it DID have a valid, clean VIN and title.  So it was almost
worth the $3500 for that.

I've actually thought of building one piece by piece, from scratch.
The only piece you can't find is the body shell.  Everything else is
available as new reproduction parts.  I know it'd be pricy, but
considering the currently market value of these cars, it'd still be
cheaper than the $60k+ that they're going for.

And I wouldn't piss off the people who are freaks about originality.
My only complaint would be titling it as a kit car.  That's why I was
so juiced about that '66--no matter what I did it'd never be
"original", yet would've still been a "real" '66.  I would've had free
reign over its design.

~jp
Marsh Monster - 03 Feb 2006 02:43 GMT
go down to the Court House and put in a
request for a variance on the code.

You know...........
make a big stink out of it.

Get the local papers involved.

Call up the Radio Stations.

Picket in front of the Police Station.

Raise hell in Church about it.

^ ^
0-0
L
O

http://north-attleboro.ma.us/boh/noise%20regs.htm

~:~
MarshMonster
~you could always jest chalk it up to another
idiot in the world and go somewhere else to
git duh inspection~
zerowick - 03 Feb 2006 14:22 GMT
plenty of places I can go without a problem, no rush, only a few days over
at this point.

this is what I have:
http://www.hottexhaust.com/MagnaFlow_Performance/Aluminized.htm  3" in and
out, other than that totally stock w/ 4" stainless tip.  the cat on the '95
GM 5.7 is so damn big you could probably run straight pipes and it wouldn't
be that bad.
zerowick - 08 Feb 2006 22:27 GMT
at least I didn't think I would have a problem.  guy tried for 20 minutes to
get the right numbers on the machine and finally said it wouldn't pass with
the flow through muffler.  also said the test machine had just been
calibrated.  doesn't make sense, passed fine two years ago, even though it
was a different muffler it was still a flow through, just a Gibson instead
of a Magnaflow and a dual out instead of a single.  I'll try another place
tomorrow, really don't want to change exhaust.
 
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