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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Maniflow cross-the-back exhaust

Hi all!

I have a Maniflow exhaust under my 1430 RWA and it's quite loud.
I like it, but my daughter (6, and good at it!) complains and it keeps her from joining me on tours, so I'm looking for a slightly more social exhaust.
I wrote Maniflow to see what they can do and they told me they have a cross the back type which should be less loud than the one I have now.

Do any of you have any experience with this or pictures of how that would look? Or maybe a different brand of exhaust altogether?

All info more than welcome!

Cheers from the sunny Netherlands!

Eddy
Eddy Veuger

Buy her some foam ear plugs, cost you about E1.00, then you get the loud exhaust & she still gets to hear properly.
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

Actually foam ear plugs for everyone who drives "topless" for any length of time is not a bad idea. I think that prolonged noise from the wind and tyre roar, particularly at higher speeds is sufficient to cause long term hearing damage. I am pretty deaf and I put it down at least in part to driving topless for years. Your daughter is right to be concerned about her hearing!
Guy Weller

Not sure what my exhaust is but it's unpleasantly loud. It has one smallish silencer at the back, and it mounts at the rear and the manifold flange only.

I don't fancy driving with earplugs.

What's a "standard setup" for a 1971 1275?
And what's standard for the 1974 RWA?
And which cars originally had a single silencer like mine?

Ant-jumpin-in-on-the-thread-Ant
Ant Allen

I totally agree with the use of earplugs, however the foam ones tend to cut out all noise (you'd be surprised how much faster you are travelling when you can't even hear the engine), the more expensive ones cut out a lot of the damaging frequencies but still allow you to hear the important things, like car horns, bits falling off and conversation.
Apart from saving your hearing, you also arrive a lot less tired.
Gary Lazarus

Gary,
i find the same speed thing when wearing sunglasses, perhaps i should try earplugs at the same time ;-)
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

Being a biker I have the tailor made blue ear plugs, but my question wasn't really about ear plugs was it???

Although I agree that wind noise will cause damage I wouldn't want to wear them in the car...under a helmet is a different thing, but having two blue ears kinda take the cool off when riding topless LOL

Cheers
Eddy Veuger

Eddy,
try an RC40 box, you won't lose power & it still gives a sporty note.
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

Ant, early 1275s had the single box system like the 1098s.
From September '69 production the 2-box 'round the corner' system was introduced. So '71 and '74 1275s should both have the same system.
David Smith

Eddy
The 'cross the back' exhaust is like all others but when it gets near to the rear LHS of the car it turns across the back through a large muffler and exits on the RHS.
I have one here and it's boring, but a small price to pay for the company of your 6 year old daughter. Soon enough she wont want to be seen within 50 miles of her father and then you can revert to what you like best. She'll be out with some git in a Ford Focus with a hot water system hanging off the end of his exhuast pipe.
Mike Allen

ear plugs get my vote too

so does the across the back exhaust (even though I don't have one)

Like Guy I'm going deaf, it isnt nice and should be avoided like the plague.

so there!
Bill sdgpm

Eddy,
for the later exhaust, your have to buy the different exhaust brackets.
I had an RC40 on my 68 Cooper, nowhere near as loud as the Sprites sport exhaust system.
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

Accross the back is much, much quieter, but RC40s as people mentioned are also much softer in note. The maniflow really is loud and gets louder over the years too!
Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

I've got the straight through maniflow with the RC40 box on the back. It has a deeper sound but much less stress on the ears. I still use the earplugs for motorway driving though.
The RC40 box exits the car slightly differently as it was made for Minis, although I seem to think that I heard that they are doing a Spridget box now. (I may have dreamt that bit).
Gary Lazarus

Gary,

not sure who, but i have heard the same re-RC40 for a spridget.
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

I thought it was a blessing for married men to go deaf to stop heering that anoying sound comming from the passenger side about: to fast, its cold, its raining, can you please behave like a grown up?, not so close to those truck wheels and so on!!! LOL
Arie de Best

Eddie. Maniflow are considered to be one of the best in performance exhausts, but the RC 40 is a very good option too. However as you are looking for performance and with a little less in the ear drum bashing department, try and get hold of Mark Turner, he makes bespoke systems for some of the MG Car Club midget Challenge cars, he tell me that he will also make a road legal system. The beauty of his systems over any of the others are they are re-packable.

Mail me off board Eddy if you are interested and I will put you in touch with Mark.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Eddie,

I have a Maniflow across the back exhaust - a single large box, it has welded reinforcing plates from the pipe to brace/support the box, pretty H/duty.

Gives good clearance to shockers/ground etc, sounds very good - throaty but not overly noisy when wound up - a nice growl normally.

And of course Maniflows colour is green also to match my car !

Richard.


richard boobier

go to magick midget they sell a repacable stainless exhaust the sound depends on the amount of padding

got one under mine sounds nice without being to loud
Onno Könemann

Pacesetter, not Maniflow, but a decent enough look (color-coordinates with the blubber). No resonator in this setup, just the can, a decent distance from the seats and reasonably throaty without being overly loud. My fourth muffler setup and the first one that looks AND sounds right.

R


Richard 1979 1500

Onno (and others) ISTR Kim at MagicMidget sells the ones made by Mark Turner... and Peter May sells the repacking material.
David Smith

As Arie says, "it's a blessing for married men to go deaf"

Trouble is, my wife has gone deaf too, so a lot of shouting goes on in our house.

I've never been troubled in the midget by exhaust noise. It gets drowned out by the whining transmission, wind noise and road rumble. Never thought of earplugs but thats a good idea.

I also am sure that if you can eliminate a lot of the noise, you tend to drive faster. Recently I've had to replace the exhaust system and tyres on my ZS and an already fairly noisy car has become a damned sight noisier. There's an annoying resonance from the exhaust at 70mph and the Dunlop Sport tyres make a lot more racket tha the original Michelins.

However, after a recent bout of profound deafness I found myself driving a lot faster. At least that's what my wife reckoned, and told me to slow down.

Dave
Penwithian

But did you hear her Dave..... ;-)

Mark.
M T Boldry

Actually the ear plugs that I use do not cut out lower frequencies so the exhaust (and induction roar) still sound good. But they do reduce the wind noise and particularly the tyre noise from other vehicles as I pass them on the M-way. Mechanical noise from engine and transmission is reduced but still audible so I still know if summat is going wrong. I don't bother with them on short or lower speed journeys, but if it involves motorway travel or anything over about 45 mins then I use ear plugs.

Being concerned about whether they appear "cool" or otherwise is something from the way distant past for me and anyway, if they are ok for F1 pitlane crews then they will do for me!
Guy Weller

Mark, you have mail!

I like the looks of the Pacesetter though!!! Looks very sporty!

I found the ultimate solution to the nagging-wife-problem: Divorce!

More expensive than earplugs though....
Eddy Veuger

My wife goes all quiet when I drive fast. And it usually lasts for some while after we get home again - sometimes several days....
Guy Weller

" I think that prolonged noise from the wind and tyre roar, particularly at higher speeds is sufficient to cause long term hearing damage."

If the tires are ever noisy enough to cause hearing damage, I suggest you change the tires VERY SOON! As for wind buffeting, my expirience in the midget has been that there isn't a whole lot. The occupents of the car are seated very close to the windsheild so its just a tiny bit of wind that hits the back of your head. It is enough to mess up a womans hair but wether or not it would cause hearing damage is beyond me. The engine noise is the worst offender by far.
S.A. Jones

Seth,
It does make a difference if the car actually moves ;-)
I don't know about long-term hearing damage (I prefer to think of it as "selective hearing"), but I know that a few hundred miles in a Midget at 70mph DOES have a short-term effect on my hearing.
David "did you say something?" Lieb
David Lieb

I agree with David,
after a journey on the motoway without earplugs, my hearing atleast in the short term (which also proably means in the long term too) is definately worse.
Gary Lazarus

Lets see, 70mph means that on a standard midget the engine is cranking over at around 4500 RPM, but I know you have the 5 speed, so its more like 3500-3800. In those rev ranges the engine is quite loud indeed. The only time I ever hear tire noise at all is when going through a tunnel or driving by something close enough to reflect the noise back to me, but even then its minimal. Granted I usually cruise at around 55-60 rather than go at 70 (just more comfortable that way, less engine noise better gas economy and hey I'm in a car that makes me smile so why rush it? I'd much rather enjoy the scenery a little longer as it rushes by).

This website offers a good guide.
http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/hearingloss.cfm

Now if you're REALLY worried about this, just stroll on down to radio schlock and get your self an SPL meter. When you're done you can either walk around with it land use it on every single noise you hear and be over protective of your hearing to the point of rampant paranoia, or you can donate it to the local british car club's club tool chest. If they dont have a tool chest, then this will be the first tool that goes in it.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103667

It's as simple as that. Basically, as I understand it unless you are driving very long distences, or your muffler is missing, you should be OK.
S.A. Jones

Alternately if you are tech saavy enough, just get this iPhone app and take some measurements

http://www.faberacoustical.com/products/iphone/soundmeter/
S.A. Jones

And tech-savvy people would have a toy i-phone WHY?

I agree that tire noise has never been a factor for me (after all, the smallest Falken Azeni 215 was still too large for my Midget -- those get REAL loud as they wear), but wind noise is another thing entirely.
David "waiting for the Pre" Lieb
David Lieb

Seth,
When I said tyre noise, I meant predominantly the tyre noise from other vehicles as I pass them on the M-way. Although when driving a Sprite the rear tyre contact point is barely 2 feet from your ear so I do think that even with good tyres the noise at speed is well worth taking action over.

And I disagree that the engine noise is the worst offender. Try standing near to a M-Way, or Freeway or whatever you call it. As traffic passes it is almost all tyre noise that you hear on most cars. Plus some exhaust noise. Engine noise is far less than the noise generated by tyres.

Guy
Guy Weller

"And I disagree that the engine noise is the worst offender. Try standing near to a M-Way, or Freeway or whatever you call it. As traffic passes it is almost all tyre noise that you hear on most cars. Plus some exhaust noise. Engine noise is far less than the noise generated by tyres."

When was the last time your midget's engine was quiet enough to hear any of that? Maybe you converted it to an electric motor? Standing near a freeway is an irrelevent test of what is heard inside the cockpit of your vehicle. Seriously, do you stand 50 feet away from your car when you drive it? Heck I cant hear the radio over the engine (in the upper rev range) unless I really crank the volume. I have a maniflow exhaust, and this is WAY quieter than the falcon stainless steel unit that was in there before. Remember that sound follows an inverse square law like any other wave. Most modern cars have very quiet exhausts so if you stand by the side of a road you wont hear much engine noise except for the cars closest to you as they pass.

If however you are sitting on a harley davidson motorcycle or driving a vehicle with an equally loud engine (say an MG midget with a glass pack muffler) you will not hear much of anyting except for the engine. When your ears are only 2 feet away from the tail pipe and 3 feet away from the engine and not far from sheet steel which transmits some sound and vibration to the inside of the cockpit, chances are you will hear your engine first and everything else wont be nearly as loud. Unless that is you have an engine that is quieter than anyone else's tires when heard from inside your car at 70mph with the top down.
S.A. Jones

Seth,
You do not seem to be differentiating between engine noise and exhaust noise.
David "I can hear my radio just fine" Lieb
David Lieb

Maybe your Illinois road surfaces are different.

Here in the UK, it's always tyre noise from other (modern fat-tyred) vehicles. It easily drowns the noise of your engine, and then some.
Nick

Ant,

a 71 Midget should ahve a two box system as David has said. Photo of my 71 may help.

Jeremy


Jeremy 3

When we are driving our moderns, it's usually with all windows closed (in the interests of aerodynamics and fuel consumption) and fresh air/aircon working to keep us cool and comfortable. Noise from other vehicles dosn't seem to be an issue.

On the other hnd, driving your spridget (top down naturally) on the motorway or fast dual carriageways, the noise from other vehicles is deafening and I agree with Guy that it is mainly tyre roar from the larger vehicles. It is particularly bad on concrete surfaced sections where the random grooving in the wearing surface produces a lot of noise (thankfully not so common nowadays)

Dave
Penwithian

my 71 (built in august of 1970) has had a 1 box system for as long as I can remember, and I grew up with this car. So unless some previous owner more than 25 years ago changed it because he liked it better this way, this is the way its always been, and I'm not about to change it because a 1 box system is cheeper, simpler, and maybe even gives a few extra horses. As for all you in the UK, remind me never to visit the land of tires as loud as jet engines.
S.A. Jones

Jeremy 3 Looks like they've knicked your wheels.... ;-)

Mark.
M T Boldry

Well he does live in Scouse land.
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

The two box system removal was one of the first mods I made. It just sounded too much like a Morris 1000.... So dull.

Then I put the small single box on, I was then reminded as to what my MK IV Sprite (I owned 30 years previously) sounded like. :-)

Puts a grin on my face everytime I use the car now.

However my little girl also complains about the noise and isn't so keen to join me. I can't figure what sort of ear plugs would suit her.

Roly


Roly Alcock

Ya know, Dave is right. I drove the Bugeye down to South Bend on Saturday (and back home today) with the top in the garage where it belongs. He is 100% correct; on nine out of ten (or more) vehicles on the road, the only sound you can really hear as you pass is the tire noise. No exhaust, no engine, just rubber meeting the road. Scary.
David "It took me how long? " Lieb
David Lieb

Hi Roly

You should let her drive occasionally - gives them something to take their mind off the noises. You can then stick your head into the breeze and get benefit from all the rape-seed pollen.

A
Anthony Cutler

Mark, Brad,

yeh and they got the roof too...

Jeremy
Jeremy 3

rc40 across the back is the way to go, no silencer just the back box, this my current set up, but i may be changing it to rc40 straight exit as it should flow better. good luck with the decision making, as with all these things trial and error is the only way to find out what you like
WDT Corry

As an alternative, I have an Ashley system on mine. The pipe is getting on for 2 inch dia and the single box is huge, about 6 ins dia and 18 ins long. Only just fits in the gap between spring and tank.

It makes the car sound more like a B than a Midget/Sprite.
Clive Berry

This thread was discussed between 20/05/2009 and 31/05/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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