How To Install A Flowmaster Muffler (w/Pics)

[mp88]

Hello everyone. After the search of which muffler to get to give my Explorer a beefier sound, I decided to get myself a Flowmaster 40 Series Delta Flow. Being the amateur car-fixer-upper (mechanic was too professional of a word to credit myself with) that I am, I didn't know exactly where to start when it came to actually installing one of these bad boys. So I figured a thread on here would be helpful to anyone else loking to install an aftermarket muffler with little experience and no welder.

For this project I used: a Flowmaster 40 Series Delta Flow, 2, 2.25" to 2" adapters, 1, 2" to 2" muffler extension, 2, 2.25" clamps and 3, 2" clamps.

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Note: To avoid using an adapter and just use one the one extension, measure your pipes before you actually get the muffler. In my case, the pipe was 2".
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Alrighty. For this to be possible: first, you need one of these.
1, 1994 Ford Explorer XLT

And one of these:
1, Flowmaster 40 series muffler

The first thing I did (to keep out of the cold) was attach and clamp the 2.25" to 2" adapters on to the Flowmaster to end up looking something like this:

Proceed to jack the side of the car up and make sure it is safely supported with jackstands (the one in the middle is holding the stock muffler up).

Then, using a cutting tool of your choice make the cuts here

And here

And so your cuts should look something like this

and this

Make sure to wire brush any rusty chips or anything off of the pipes.
Here is the old muffler

The next thing to do is cut that extension (I cut mine at 5-1/2", use your best judgement)

Then, as easy as the old one came off, (while supporting the Flowmaster with a jack or something similar) clamp the intake part of the muffler onto the exhaust pipe from the engine.

After that slide the exhaust pipe into the extension, and the extension into the Flowmaster. Clamp it nice and tight and...

Voilla! You're done.
Time spent not playing video games (including set up and clean up): 2 1/2 hours!
Take the Explorer out for a test drive. In some cases it takes a while for the actual sound to kick in. My Flowmaster sounded excellent right off the bat and only got better.

Hope this helped a few people and good luck!
(For any of you guys that know a lot more than what I'm doing, feel free to add anything)

[Edit: Make sure you read the future posts of this link. These guys have pointed out a crucial mistake I made by not welding on a new hanger.

Oh, and here's what she sounded like the day after I put the muffler on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4RzKcspj50

 

[Big Red]

Thanks a lot this really helped. I will be getting a 40 series with a couple months. Can you post the costs of the exhaust and extra parts to make it work. Thanks!!!

 

[PRS]

 

[exploder619]

excellent write up, very helpful. I have already done mine but i did it almost identical to yours.

 

[Arthur]

good work man... let rick know that you did this right up and u might get a couple of months elite membership... if instructions on putting on a spare tire got somebody an elite membership than this is definitely worthy

 

[mp88]

I paid about $75 for the muffler, free shipping. www.autopartswarehouse.com
Got the 5 clamps and the extension for about $20 at Advance Auto.
It's a relatively cheap project and really worthwhile.

 

[nolimitssjca]

Nice write up. Thanks!

 

[Mud Bug 94]

you frgot the beer in the "need" list.

 

[Rick]

Nice writeup. I'm going to make this thread a sticky in this forum.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Cool! This will work for Gen II's as well.

I feel the wallet getting lighter already

 

[Phager]

That's awesome, thanks for the great writeup!

Pat

 

[Killem234]

That is really nice, is there a way you can get a clip of what it sounds. I know there are clips in other threads, but wouldn't it make since just to put them all in here now?

 

[Pollarican]

Looks awesome. I've been wanting to throw a more mean throaty muffler on my ex. How has it affected your milage so far?

 

[mp88]

I have noticed a slight increase in horsepower, and I'm sure with some better driving, the gas mileage would slightly improve as well.

If anything, there's probably a drop in the gas mileage from revving it to hear that Flowmaster sound .

Actually I'm going on a little road trip. I'm going to check and see if there is an actual increase in mileage.

I would really recommend the Delta Flow. It barely resonates inside the car but it's nice and throaty outside.

 

[ryanmagahis]

Wow this just helped me out big time. Thought you could only weld these types of items. Sweet.
Does anyone know what the sound would be like for this type of muffler on a 98 xlt v6?

 

[BlackRhino93]

Looks fairly simple, and im sure that flowmaster sound makes a presence when riding around town. Thanks for the pictures, now that i have a reference it looks like ill be heading to the parts store soon!!!

 

[Charlie]

Also, with the muffler clamps, it is best to re-tighten them down after driving and getting the exhaust hot, after a week or so works good. It helps to seal it in good.

 

[explorer_boy]

Wow this is a great write up. It will help me alot.

 

[bdmelton4]

Hello, sorry to jump in so late after the posting but I am a newbie here. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Brian and I have been in the exhaust business for just over 30 years (pretty silly on my part) owned my shop for about 14 years now. What you did was pretty good for a DIY, the only problem I have with it is you didn't put a hanger back on to support the muffler. This is a common mistake because it seems to hang there just fine sitting in the garage. Now imagine trying to hold up that heavy muffler from the end of a 2 foot pipe, now imagine running as hard as you can over rough terrain. The leverage is the killer here and will seriously shorten the life of your exhaust system.
First thing is to get rid of the rest of the rod, you showed cutting the old one but that leaves a piece of it in the rubber hanger that needs to be reused. If it is really rusty start by moving the rod around in the rubber and getting the biggest rust chunks to fall out. Then some spray lube (I use WD-40) on the head and and inside the rubber if possible. Just pulling won't hardly work, you need some channel locks big enough to reach around the rubber and over the rod's head and push it backwards enough to start it out the use some vice grips and finish by pulling and twisting it out.
Another option is that if you have a small disc type cutter like is in one of the pictures above just cut the head off next to the rubber and slide it out easy just be careful not to get the rubber too hot while cutting.
Some pretty simple things can help a lot. Good ole coat hanger wire beats nothing. The problem with that is the wire will stop it from falling but does nothing for sideways or upward movement.
A couple of better things to do without a welder is to get a 3/8 steel rod and measure the distance between the center of the bottom hole in the rubber hanger to the center line of the pipe. Bend the rod in a Z shape with the bottom being rotated 90 degrees so it will hook in the stock rubber hanger at the top and lay beside the pipe then use a standard muffler clamp around the rod and pipe to make the connection solid.
The next possible solution would be to use some steel strapping, if you can find something about 1/8 in. thick with the holes already in it you are in luck. Use a 3/8 bolt I think 1 1/2 in. long works well with a washer on one side through the rubber hanger then put the metal strap on the other side, pull it up snug and double nut it so it doesn't come loose. For the bottom of the bracket put a muffler clamp around the pipe sideways, put the saddle on the clamp then through the metal strap, put the nuts on and tighten them down. Cut off any excess hanging below the pipe so it doesn't snag when off roading and rip the whole thing off.
If you can't find the strapping with holes already in it you can use regular flat steel, about 1/8th thick by 1 1/2 wide is good but you will have to do some measuring and marking and drilling but the rest is the same.
Hope that explains some things and helps somebody. Unless of course you live close to me. Then just let it fall off on the road and run over it a couple of times, then stop by the shop and let me sell you a whole new exhaust system.
Brian

 

[trx250r]

i did the same thing only in place of the stock muffler i put a stick of straight pipe. i was lookin for a little more power with a low budget. sounds pretty good