Aerowill

Has anyone solved the raspy exhaust problem? I searched exhaustively (ha ha) and found no follow-up posts with solutions. My coupe has a very nasty rasp between 3-5k rpm. I started by replacing the exhaust from the snakes on back with a good OEM unit pulled from a wrecking yard. The rasp persisted.

I then pulled the old cat and replaced it with a new aftermarket unit. Still made the same loud rasp! At that point I got mad and installed an aftermarket exhaust from the cat back. The new mid and rear muffler sure sound good at 1-3k and 4-7k but it still makes the raspy sound--exactly the same as before.

No heat shields are touching, the exhaust rubber is new (no contact with the half shaft) and all parts are tightened properly (including the bag o snakes). I can't find a single leak that could be contributing. It still sounds like it's coming from the downpipe area. I can't feel any vibration when the engine is revved and my hand is on the (cold!) downpipe. What am I missing? I am pretty sure these cars did not make that horrible ricey sound from the factory.

To top it all off, I was reading through the thick stack of records that the previous owner meticulously kept and I found that he paid the dealer $1200 (!) to replace that beautiful stainless exhaust in 1997. The reason? "CUST STATES EXH. RASPY" When I bought it from him, he said it had been raspy since the warranty was up (1993).

awdaudi

Honestly, it's been a while since I drove the car on a daily basis, and even longer still since I drove it with the OEM rear muffler, so I couldn't say one way or another, but the car always seemed quite quiet to me. I thought right about 3K was when the car seemed to be eager to go, so I liked whatever sound it wanted to make at that point. 8^)

AudiSport4000

Scorpion sounds neat, Stebro is my fav.

awdaudi

is supposed to sound pretty mean but I can't say I've ever heard it.

You finding your way around Greensboro yet?