02 exhaust question

[SkoalRingKing]

I have a 2002 Explorer 4x4 Eddie Bauer Edition with the 4.0L

I am looking to install an aftermarket muffler to get a deeper tone and maybe improve my MPG (if both are even possible). I am thinking about the Flowmaster Delta Series 40 or 44...i plan on keeping the original pipes the same, just swapping the muffler. I don't want it to be super loud in the cab at highway speeds(I drive back home from college at least 2 times a month). Any suggestions or advice on either of these or any others?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Explorer0204]

DON'T DO THIS!!!

I had the same thoughts....but don't. Please do yourself a favor...don't

Look on youtube at 4.0 Explorers (or rangers same engine) with aftermarket exhausts. Unless done right as in (getting rid of the cats, doing duals with 2.5in pipe and turndows) they sound terrible.

How do I know this...I was dumb enough to try.

Here is the main problem.

The exhaust hanger for one of the mounts to the frame is on the muffler itself. When you remove the stock muffler it makes it almost impossible to hang the exhaust so the tail pipe doesn't hit the bumper.


The exhaust on these things are strange. Lots of angles in the pipe that comes off the cat pipe that makes it a pain to try to line up an aftermarket exhaust in the stock spot. If you must insist make sure to get a center in, side out muffler for best fitment.

The kicker
If you decide you don't want it you are basically screwed. I cut mine out so that I could clamp the stock muffler back in if I wanted it....well that still didn't allow things to line up correctly. Therefore I wound up having to buy all the walker exhaust parts (muffler, int pipe and ext pipe) which totaled about 120 or so. To make matters worse the stock piping is all nicely mandrel bent and the walker stuff is pressure bent junk. The oem muffler and pipes are 342 dollars so I didn't want to spend that so I went with the walker anyway...

I've been down this road and tried everything. A muffler, glasspack, straight pipe. They all sound like crap and mileage is negligible. We don't have the V8's and we just have to live with it. Yup,,,it sucks but whatcha gonna do


In the end I am like 300 bucks and I kid you not probably 20 hours of messing around with that exhaust all for naught.


If you really insist on doing it though do this.
but walker int pipe. It has the hanger on it that you would otherwise loose. This will make it way the heck easier to mount your new setup
Buy a muffler that is center in side out.


This will at least let you avoid some of the problems I had.

Good luck. Hope you listen to me for your sake and if you do go down this road I hope you have more luck than I did

 

[daddyrich33]

I actually have a 40 series muffler on my 05 4.0 with stock pipes and love it. I too wanted MPG as well as sound and all i got was sound....but better than stock in my opinion. Maybe the 02 is different than the 05 in regards to the hangars...but mine is fine and has been for 3+ years. And...i was very concerned about the sound being ricey on a V6 and not a V8...but the Flowmaster 40 series fit perfect. Nice and throaty...not V8 throaty but not ricey either...and not too loud in the cabin. I like mine!

 

[SkoalRingKing]

Thanks!

explorer0204....i don't intend on doing the work myself, i have i guy i went to highschool with who works at a muffler shop back home and would have him do it. I guess I will have him take a look at it and see if he can hang it properly.

daddyrich33....Thanks, i think i'll go with the series 40, i was a little concerned with the cabin noise but if it isn't too bad then i'll give it a go....worst comes to worst i can always do a cat back system in the spring!

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

I would go with the Magnaflow cat-back. It will not drone like Flowmasters are prone to do, and should have a better "mellow" tone at cruising speeds. It is pretty easy to swap out and relatively inexpensive.

 

[SkoalRingKing]

The Magnaflow 15718 is the only Magnaflow cat-back that comes up with my year make and model. That's a bit expensive for what i have right now, verses the flowmaster which is over 1/5th the price. I'm really just wanting to swap mufflers, do you think i should go with just a magnaflow muffler then?

 

[SkoalRingKing]

I took it into my buddy's shop and he said the xlerator muffler would be the best sound for the money, so he is currently installing it!!! I'll post again when I get it out and see how it sounds

 

[Limited02]

I took it into my buddy's shop and he said the xlerator muffler would be the best sound for the money, so he is currently installing it!!! I'll post again when I get it out and see how it sounds

I have a FM 70 and love it on my V8. I was going to suggest a 50 series, but it appears you are already getting something done. I see Ames on my way to Fort Dodge and Waterloo when we go visit my wife's family. I've done RAGBRAI 5 times and I'm hoping to go this year.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

The Magnaflow 15718 is the only Magnaflow cat-back that comes up with my year make and model. That's a bit expensive for what i have right now, verses the flowmaster which is over 1/5th the price. I'm really just wanting to swap mufflers, do you think i should go with just a magnaflow muffler then?

Swapping the muffler alone will add cost for labor. I paid about $250 for the 15718 a few years ago; just shop around and keep an eye on eBay.

 

[SkoalRingKing]

Well the Xlerator sounds great! It has a nice deep tone without all the crackling sound! I love it, and there isn't much drone at highway speeds!

Limited02, if you go to Ragbrai this year, good luck! And have fun! I volunteered last year for one of the camps with my buddies, it was a great time!