Cat back for v8

[BobinIL]

I have a couple of questions. what is a good cat back system for a 2000 explorer v8? price is a consideration so I think Borla is more than I want to spend. I also do not want it to be overly loud (the wife and kids will be riding in it). Also what size pipes are best for the v8? I know most v6 cat backs are 2.25" or 2.5" I am looking to gain power and MPG with moderate sound levels

 

[Explorer 5.0]

Eight Cylinder Catback Exhaust Solutions

The best way to go in my opinion is to a custom muffler shop and have them install a custom exhaust. You will get a better fit, welded pipes, and lower prices than a catback system that you will have to install. I currently have a magnaflow muffler # 12249 installed on my 97 XLT V8. It is a 3 inch inlet and a 2.5 inch outlet. My muffler originally had a 3 inch outlet but because of the dreaded 5.0 liter drone and resonance between 1800 and 2300 RPM and right rear horizontal shock clearance issues, I downsized my tailpipe to 2.5 inches. Please refer to my past post (Magnaflow Muffler Drone Help), this is a very educational post for V8 Explorer owners. My X is a family vehicle also so I did not want a super loud exhaust note just a deep one. The magnaflow provides me with what I want. The challange for a muffler connected to the V8 is to quiet the drone that is produced in the 1800 to 2300 RPM range on the V8's. Too my surprise my current muffler is not quiet enough for me in that RPM range. The drone and cabin resonance is very loud when the X is pulling a load of luggage and family members. I have installed sound deadening material under the rear seat footwells, rear cargo floor, rear cargo area side panels and the rear hatch. This only lowered the cabin resonance by 3 decibels. Since the muffler is connected to the frame by the hangers it is impossibe to cancel out all of the resonance that the muffler produces. So you need to get the largest high flow muffler that will fit your X. The larger the muffler the greater the quieting area, the lower the decibel level of the 1800 to 2300 RPM drone and resonance. I contacted magnaflow and told them about my problem. The magnaflow technician stated that since SUV's have enclosed cabins and not open beds like trucks they are extremely vulnerable to the drone and resonance of high performance mufflers. He stated that my current muffler #12249 is the muffler that they install on open bed trucks not SUV's. He recommended that I try the muffler that they designed specifically for SUV's and trucks with enclosed beds, muffler # 12579. Magnaflow shiped the 12579 muffler to me with a y-pipe and flange attached at the inlet free of charge. MAGNAFLOW HAS AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE! I have not had time to install it yet but when I install it I will update my magnaflow muffler drone help post with the results. I also recommend the installation of a resonated exhaust tip. Just like the muffler the bigger the tip, and the lager the resonater area of the tip, the more quieting power. I am going to install a Hooker 4 inch Large Bore Resonated tip when I install the new muffler. When installing the tailpipe I would set it at the same anlge as the stock tailpipe outlet. I installesd my current tip with it extending beyond the bumper by 1 inch with the outlet at a 90 degree anlge, flush with the bumper. This allowed more noise to get into the cabin. Aiming the exhaust tip down like the stock tip sends the sound down and away from the cabin. The Magnaflow is an outstanding muffler. If my current muffler did not drone at a high volume in the 1800 to 2300 RPM range it would be a perfect muffler. I hope the larger muffler #12579 will lower the drone and resonance to a level that I am satisfied with. If this was not a family vehicle that is used for long road trips the muffler drone would be acceptable. My highway gas milage improved from 18 MPG highway to 21 MPG highway. Here is the address to a great article on performance mufflers. Dead Link Removed

 

[Xplor]

Bobin welcome to this site. I am too looking for a purchase of a exhaust system. I agree with Explorer 5.0 if you want to some some money. There isn't much offered as a cat-back system for the '00 V8. Borla only carries them for earlier models. If you really want to get a cat-back to were u want to install it yourself, then I would look into Explorer Express "X-Spec" model. This is the true duel (2 mufflers) set up. I heard they use the Magnaflow mufflers...I don't know what model muffler. but it's 3" all the way with a 4" resonated tip. They quoted that 1700-2200 rpm hard to make quiet, since thats is where the exhaust is the loudest. Their price is nearly $450 bucks! Explorer 5.0 keep us up to date when you get the new muffler installed. I am interested if you get a big improvement or not with the noise and performance.

 

[Explorer 5.0]

Magnaflow Muffler 12579 V8 Results

I have been driving with the Magnaflow #12579 muffler installed for a month now. To my ears the muffler is about 20% quieter than the 12249 Magnaflow that was removed. The drone and resonance in the 1700 - 2300 rpm range 60 - 67 mph highway cruising speed is still present. It is quieter than the smaller mufflers drone but it is still annoying to me. The drone is much quiter when the truck is pulling two passengers up front. When I put any type of load in the back seat,or cabin, especially the left rear seat the drone and resonance increases 6 dbs. With the resonated tip the sound coming out of the tailpipe is very quiet. I hear more muffler noise inside of the cabin than outside when the SUV is turning 1700 - 2300 rpm. The bottom line is that the 5.0 V8 is much louder than the V6 engines. The resonance and drone in the 1700 to 2300 rpm range is very hard to tame with just one high flowing muffler. The Magnaflow custom exhaust sounds great to my ears at idle. Some might say that the resonated tip makes it too quiet. There are only two other modifications that I think may lower the volume of the 1700 - 2300 rpm drone and resonance. One would be installing a heat shield. This may lower the volume of the soundwaves penetrating the muffler case. Flowmaster makes one for their big block 70 series mufflers, but to my knowledge Magnaflow doesnt. If you are going to install a high performance muffler on your V8 I would recommend installing a resonator right after the muffler outlet, like the Borla catback system and the stock exhaust system. This may help at lowering the voulume of the 1700 - 2300 rpm drone and resonance. Installing sound deadening material only quieted the cabin by 3 dbs so I do not think it is worth the investment for exhaust note quieting, for high performance stereo installs it is worth the investment.