Exhaust Info Requested

[HuiDaddy]

Howdy boys. im back and i have a couple of questions bout upgrading my exhaust. I drive a 98 5.0 XLT. i want to upgrade my exhaust system maybe with a Flowmaster 50 series muffler. ive read time and time again on this board to just take the muffler to some shop and have them slap it on with custom piping. i just called some shop near my house that has been in business for like 20 years. i asked him how he was going to bend the pipes, whether mandrel bends or regular. his response was that nobody in San Diego county has a mandrel bender. San Diego is pretty big and im SURE someone has a mandrel bender. he says he'll charge me $50 for the install, but the bending has to be just regular bending so what should i do? are the performance gains from mandrel bending THAT significant or should i just suck it up and do it?

oh yeah, anyone gotta better suggestion on which muffler is best with the 5.0 engine. i am pretty hesitant on the 40 series, because i really dont want my exhaust to be screamin like the typical Mustangs that i hear. how good does the 50 series sound on a 5.0? 50 series just seems to be the majority from flowmaster on the board. get back to me ASAP cause the upgrade bug bit again!

 

[mrboyle]

I am not 100% sure, but I think the 40 series is quieter than the 50. As far as bending the tubeing a standard bender will restrict the flow over a mandrel bent pipe, but you will never notice the difference on your X. The amount the pipe is compressed during bending is very minimal and if you are having a larger diameter pipe installed the amount of crush won't be as restrictive as the stock tailpipe.

 

[jimbo74]

the 50 is quieter han the 40 and the deltas are quieter than their numerical counterparts...the 50 sounds good.....most muff shops have a mandrel bender and just dont know it....just ask them if their bends will make kinks or ridges...if they say no like it is a straight bend than it probably mandrel

 

[yob_yeknom]

No mandrel benders?... He's not telling you the truth. Almost all muffler shops around here have them. He probably just doesn't want you going to someone who does have one.

 

[Mainfraim]

I've got a single in/dual out Flowmaster 40 Series on a '91. Two 18" pipes running right out from under the bumper. It looks and sounds awesome. People think I have a V8. Now if it only did something for the speed difference between the V6 and V8.