Giant Muffler

[4banger]

I just bought a 2001 cavalier and the previous owner put a huge muffler on it. Im wondering if it is helping or hurting my fuel efficiency. Basically what Im asking is should i keep the aftermarket muffler or straight pipe it.
I feel like the larger muffler would help exhaust flow but a smaller straight pipe would help velocity. i just dont know which is more important.

[Old Tele man]

...a BIG volume muffler won't hurt your milage, just your eardrums (wink,wink)!

[4banger]

Haha ya its pretty obnoxious. So you think stay with the giant muffler as a pose to smaller diameter pipe?

[JethroBodine]

From a mileage stand point, I second Old Tele, your choice. However, if you are opposed to law enforcement attention, you might want to sell the fart can to someone else who isn't. Being pulled over for a too loud exhaust WILL hurt your mileage.

[4banger]

I havent heard the muffler from the outside but its louder than my cobra with catback inside so its gotta be loud as all hell outside.
But so far no noise complaints. Driving around in the city and such it sounds stock compared to the ricers around here and out in the more rural areas i just get dirty looks from guys because my cavalier is louder than their jacked up trucks.
So im gonna stay with the giant muffler even tho i despise it. Its just not worth even the few dollars to put something else on.
Unless someone wants to argue the two of you.

Also I appreciate the fast responses, I can already tell im going to like this forum.

[bhazard]

You can get a cheap turbo muffler for like $20-30. Itll be way quieter.

Who knows, a stock replacement might even be pretty cheap.

[Ryland]

If you look at the math then larger is not going to help, the only thing that a larger muffler will do is help you keep your foot off the gas by making your car loud when you give it to much gas, this makes side by side testing hard, but if you do a lot of highway, steady speed driving then for sure a smaller exhaust pipe will flow better because after all exhaust is pulses not a steady stream.

[oil pan 4]

You can get a cheap free flowing Thrush turbo muffler close to your stock size for no more than $35.

[JasonG]

Is that a muffler or is the muffler farther upstream and that is just a resonator ?
If so, just straight pipe it and live with the resonance around 1400-1800 RPMs most develop.

[4banger]

It is the muffler. Classis fart can consisting of an oversized muffler with an attached tip.
I had it up on a lift the other day, didn't look like it had a resonater anywhere. Idk if it's supposed to. Anyone know if an 01 cavalier should?
If anything I'll just run by a local shop and get a cheap glass pack so I don't have to see the muffler and it'll flow more efficiently.