5.0 Exhaust

[ZBlackBeast]

Ok, so i went to the local muffler shop, and i qo a price quote for a dual setup. Well, they want 450 bucks for a cat back with a flowmaster 50 series. What I want is to ditch the rear cats and go dual in dual out and have them both exit the same spot, or just ditch the rear cats and get a "cat back" system and buy a 50 series and go 2.25-2.5 into the muffler and 2.75-3 out from the existing cats? Also, im buying a pair of FRPP headers. why not TM, because im really poor, and the FRPP are about 1/2 the price. Thanks guy, sorry if im being annoying, i just need to learn about the 5.0's, and i want to do this one right because its in great shape and i want to keep it that way!! Thanks again.

 

[Millertime1987]

450 to get dual out exhaust is about right. Since they have to fabricate the whole thing. If you don't wanna spend that much just go with the dual in single out and have that pipe be about 2.75' should have very nice rumble. Plus that won't effect the computer badly

 

[techieman33]

I have a 50 series suv, 2.25" dual in, 2.5" single out with rear cats removed and it cost me about $250 with a new tail pipe. You don't really need the duals it sounds awsome with just a single tail pipe.

 

[ZBlackBeast]

Yea, i knew that, i love the look of JTsmiths mounty with the duals. im fine settling with single. one other problem, they wont remove the rear cats.

 

[Turdle]

Yea, i knew that, i love the look of JTsmiths mounty with the duals. im fine settling with single. one other problem, they wont remove the rear cats.

My dual exhaust is history, I have gone back to a single pipe. Why won't they remove the cats?

 

[techieman33]

Sounds like you need to go find a guy that owns his own shop, the chain places won't do that kind of thing, since it's not exactly legal.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Sounds like you need to go find a guy that owns his own shop, the chain places won't do that kind of thing, since it's not exactly legal.

It is a Federal law that you CAN NOT remove the cats. If a shop was caught doing so it is a $$$$$$$$ fine. It's been in effect since cats appeared on cars in the '70's

 

[chriswells78]

If you want the cats removed, your best bet is to take them off yourself, use a pipe, jack handle, etc to beat the filling out so they are just empty. Make sure you get it all, clean the dust out with water and re-install them empty. In most places, if they are visible you are OK. If they do sniffer tests where you live, you would not be OK.

 

[ZBlackBeast]

I live in Nebraska, no emissions what so ever, only if you bring a car in from out of state do they "look" it over. Yea, they wont do it because its illegal. What im also thinking of doing is removing the cats all together, giving the muffler shop lenghts and pipes degree bends and put it in myself and bring it somewhere to be welded..... I was talking to a guy at a muffler shop, and he said a magnaflow would be better performance then the 50 series flowmaster.... any comments? I also talked to another guy and he said it would be below 300, so better deal here, im just gonna stick with single out!

 

[chriswells78]

I'm telling you, just blow them out. If for some reason you do get pulled over and the cop thinks your vehicle is a little loud, the mufflers and cats are the first thing they look for. Plus it will save you almost 4 feet of pipe between the two. What I did was cut the old flange off of the stock muffler about 4" back from the flange. Then I used a pipe expander to make it a tad bigger for slipping it over the new pipe. Then I used an 8" piece of pipe to each side (originally clamped, now welded), then attached the mufflers to those two pipes.

 

[1996explorerxlt]

My 5.0 X has 2.5" pipes with Magnaflow dual in/out, no spare tire with 3.5" tips and my girlfriends 5.0 Mounty has 2.5" to dual in/out Flowmaster with 2.25" tailpipes to get around spare tire 3.5" tips and hers sounds way better.

Automatics and heavy vehicles shoud have chambered mufflers(Flowmaster,etc.) 5speed and light vehicles like my Mustang should have straight through(Magnaflow,etc.)

My Magnaflow kinda sounds hollow sounding inside the truck, but outside it sounds nice. I am going to remove my rear cats and install a 40 series Flowmaster instead of my Magnaflow in the future.

 

[ZBlackBeast]

Thats what i was thinking. Ill just hollow the cats out, is that a pain? Ill go with the flowmaster 50 series with a 2.75 single out to a 3.5 in tip. Now, should i use bigger pipes from the exisitng cats, soon to be hollowed out, to the mufflers, or just keep it the same, like i stated before, im going to buy som FRPP headers. i think itll sound good!~

 

[chriswells78]

Hardest part of doing the cats is getting them off. Don't forget to buy 2 new gaskets for the forward flanges on the cats.

I would keep it the same because you are not going that much bigger on the exit to warrant more in. Also your down pipes are only 2.25 so you won't flow any additional there either unless you upgrade.

 

[ZBlackBeast]

true.... I just went to take a look at them and they look like they DONT want to come off..Im probly gonna soak then in liquid wrench for a few weeks. couple sprays a night....


let me make this straigt so i dont sound like a moron when im talking to the exaust guys. The pipes from the manifold flange to the cats flange are 2.25. also couldnt i gut them after they put the new exaust on, one less side to worry about unbolting???

 

[chriswells78]

You could do it after. You might even buy new bolts and ask the muffler shop to break them and put new bolts in for you (jsut don't tell them why). It will make your life easier when you go to take them off to gut them. They might charge you a few extra dollars but it may be worth it depending on how rusty they are. I had to sawzall all 4 of them on my Mountaineer, however I was able to use a socket and open end wrench on the Explorer.

Yes the pipes are 2.25 coming from the flange. Both of mine have been 2.25 from the collector to the tail pipe.

edit- make sure they don't weld the pipe to the back side of the cats or you'll have to cut it to gut your cats.

 

[van_redbone]

I was told removing the cats cuts your MPG down about 6 or 7 miles. Any truth to this??

 

[chriswells78]

Not at all. The rear cats in an explorer do nothing as far as the OBD system is concerned. The downstream O2 sensors are about a foot in front of the rear cats. Therefor, if removed your engine won't even know the difference except it won't have to push as hard to get the exhaust gasses out the back end.

 

[van_redbone]

Not at all. The rear cats in an explorer do nothing as far as the OBD system is concerned. The downstream O2 sensors are about a foot in front of the rear cats. Therefor, if removed your engine won't even know the difference except it won't have to push as hard to get the exhaust gasses out the back end.

The two exhaust shops where I live both told me that it cuts gas mileage bad. One told me they would remove them if I wanted, and the other would not because of the law...

 

[Turdle]

The two exhaust shops where I live both told me that it cuts gas mileage bad. One told me they would remove them if I wanted, and the other would not because of the law...

They told you wrong--there are several of us with no rear cats.

Besides, how would they know? They don't drive the vehicles they Muff---
The fuel economy goes away because the driver enjoys the new sound. Cats don't help economy-but your foot will.

 

[chriswells78]

They are also trying to sell you new cats Looks like it almost worked