DIY: Sound Generator Delete for $4
 

For those that do not know, this tube exists because Subaru/Toyota thought it would improve the experience of the driver/passengers to funnel intake sound into the cabin to give it more of a sports car tone. Some may prefer to keep it but if you want to quiet down your cabin, clean up your engine bay, and possibly improve the intake flow (unconfirmed), you can remove it.

This thread will show you how to remove your sound generator tube for approx $4 in Home Depot/Lowes plumbing parts. This only takes about 5 minutes and is completely reversible.

Parts needed:
- 1.5" Flexible\rubber Pipe Cap (Picture 5 below)
- PEX 3/4" plug (Picture 6 below)

Tools needed:
- Flathead screw driver (or 8mm wrench)
- 10mm socket\wrench

1. Loosen hose clamp on sound tube (lower green box in 1st picture) that is connecting it to the intake tube. Pull out the sound tube from intake tube, it will take little wiggling to make it come loose.
2. Remove 2 10mm bolts that secure the sound tube to the car (2 upper green boxes in 1st picture). There are also 2 zip tie style plugs securing the tube that need to be disconnected.
3. At the firewall where the tube ends, just pull the tube out, there is nothing securing it at this location besides a plastic fitting. You can then remove the entire sound tube. The unit should look as pictured below in the 4th picture.
4. Place cap (5th picture) on intake tube where the sound tube was connected (red box in 2nd picture) and tighten. Be careful not to over tighten this since there is no metal ring in place like there was in the sound tube--you are securing the cap around plastic only. Just tighten it snugly so it feels secure.
5. Go into passenger side of car and pull back carpet to find the a hole in the firewall leading to the engine bay (3rd picture), put plug (6th picture) in it. You can also probably plug this from the engine bay side, I haven't tried but it probably works just the same.

Picture 1
Engine bay before:
http://i.imgur.com/UOeKgYF.jpg

Picture 2
Engine bay after:
http://i.imgur.com/zWw9b9j.jpg

Picture 3
Behind passenger side carpet, on firewall:
http://i.imgur.com/nSJgBkT.jpg

Picture 4
Sound tube removed:
http://i.imgur.com/wyiTNJL.jpg

Picture 5
Cap for intake tube, $2.50, bought at Lowes because Home Depot didn't have it in stock:
http://i.imgur.com/u1weRzY.jpg

Picture 6
Plug for interior firewall hole, $1.75, bought at Home Depot:
http://i.imgur.com/H6VEB9P.jpg

Nice tutorial! I just might do this this weekend!

FYI, you can save that $1.75 by plugging the interior with the cap from the glovebox power adapter. It fits perfectly :)

May I ask why you would want to remove this? What's the benefit?

To eliminate the faux intake sound channeled into the cabin.

It's less loud but you definitely hear more of a grumble every once in a while at lower RPMs which is nice.

If you have a modded exhaust, you will hear it more. There's also a cheaper cap that I got a 2-pack of at Home Depot. Was only 75 cents or something like that.

Note grumble with hose attached, yes?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

You can use the cig lighter cap located in your glovebox to plug the hold in the firewall. Perfect fit, and free.

Yes, but I personally rather spend $2 on the plug rather then leave the lighter plug uncapped in the glovebox.

1. Quieter cabin
2. Cleaner, less cluttered engine bay
3. Weight reduction
4. Streamlined air intake flow (Stretching for reasons at this point)
5. +5HP (Really stretching now)

Nice thing about this mod is if you miss the sound, it only cost you $4 and 30min to put it back.

Thanks, just did mine. I've had the hole I n to the cabin plugged since I go the car, finally shed the rest of the crap.

Tip: Be careful tightening the rubber cap on the intake tube. The sound generator b.s. has a metal liner inside, so it won't collapse, you can easily over tighten, the rubber cap. I probably won't hurt anything, provided you don't tighten to the point it pops off, but it will look "collapsed".

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...67548296_n.jpg

Just did this to my twin. Exhaust is loud enough so part of my plan to quite the cab up. Have sound matting in the rear half of the car. No road noise at all. Just need to do the front now.

Thanks for the how to guide! :thumbsup:

also if you dont have a flat head screw driver or just prefer to use the socket wrench, an 8mm will work for the pipe clamps!

Thanks for the comments guys, I added both tips that you provided.

1. Only slightly, but sounds worse, generic
2. Not really. The pulleys and dipstick tube now stand out
3. The shit I dropped this morning weighed as much
4. It will RUIN the airflow, capping the side like that 3" in. The car will be jumpy on and off the throttle at traffic/back roads speeds
5. Possible power loss, if anything

:lol: