Reducing Cabin Noise (Ripped out my carpet)

[mikejungle]

So I ripped out my carpet and sound deadening material this past weekend because I wanted to check for rust. (I found some :( )

The first step is buying the rubber shift boot, but are there any other ways to reduce cabin noise?

Although I might replace the carpet if a good deal comes along, I'm totally fine with the way it looks right now and I think once i put in the rubber boot, the noise will reduce dramatically (i can hear the engine roar through the hole)

[blunttech]

That boot will help a lot. But short of putting your carpet back in I dont know of anything durable enough to take the day to day usage and make a difference in noise

[mikejungle]

Thanks.

BTW, does anyone know which boot this is?

[slammin.e28]

Spray foam. The wholefuckingthing.

[Fixcinater]

Just cut out a carpet from a junkyard car. It's like $20 and 1/2 hr with a couple razor blades.

[iansane]

[AndrewBird]

^^^That won't help with road noise. It will help with rattles, but do almost nothing for soundproofing.

Seriously, why not just put your carpet back in?

[george graves]

I used that e-dead stuff. It does block some engine and tranny noise. Makes the car feel a bit more "solid" going over small bumps in the road. Makes a nasty haze all over my windows even years later. I bet that roofing material would do the same, if not worse.

Oh, and don't "cut" carpet out. You "remove" the carpet. Why you would cut it out is beyond me. The only area you might cut is around the heater core if you're too lazy to remove it.

[blunttech]

that looks like an early 02 boot

[AndrewBird]

I used that e-dead stuff. It does block some engine and tranny noise. Makes the car feel a bit more "solid" going over small bumps in the road. Makes a nasty haze all over my windows even years later. I bet that roofing material would do the same, if not worse.

I've used quite a bit of the roofing stuff and while all of it is covered by the interior, I've never had problems with it hazing the windows or having any kind of smell. I've only used it to deaden panels though, not block sound. It doesn't work for that.

[gkobez]

What about the dynamat stuff? Shouldn't that work?

[Northern]

Put the carpet back in or deal with it.

[Joe G]

there is a liquid/spray/paint like stuff that supposedly works really well. I forget the name, but i know there is youtube video of some guy putting it in a subaru.

[FunfGan]

Yeah im confused why you no buy new carpet? I mean, If my car was purely a street car I'd HATE not having carpet. I can give you a ride in my car though, then your's will seem like a library.

[mikejungle]

Hey blunt, is this that part? Why are there two different OEM shift boots? I don't know what you mean by early 02

http://realoem.com/bmw/showphoto.do?id=25111220581

The one in the picture above has 3 apparent ridges while the one in the link has 2 and a big flap that I think goes into the hole.

BTW, i got the standard rubber shift boot and it helped kill most of the cabin noise. My car's always been noisy, so I don't mind it too much. My original question was phrased poorly, but I wanted to ask if there were any other sources (like the hole to the transmission) that were big contributors to cabin noise.

I cut out my carpet, because it had holes around the dead pedal area and i thought that if i was going to put one back in, it wasn't going to be the same one. My original plan was to dye the carpet, but that was before i discovered the holes.

For now, i'm content with the way it is. Thanks for the input.

But if anyone positively knows what that other shift boot in the picture is, please let me know.