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Ford Explorer Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
hey, im looking to put an intake and muffler on my 92 explorer automatic. I'm kinda short on cash, so would maybe a spectre intake and thrush exhaust work?
If you're low on cash, I'd say you're better off with a stock replacement K&N filter, and/or cutting a hole in the passenger side of the airbox.
Thrush mufflers are ok, but don't have the lifetime warranty and improved flow of the Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers. If you want to install one, just follow the directions in this thread:
If you want to save some money over the K&N, RockAuto has the FRAM AirHog filters (K&N knockoff) for the Explorer for $6 plus shipping. This would make the intake/exhaust a ~$30 mod, ~$6-8 for the filter, ~$20 for the thrush muffler from Advance, and a few bucks for the extender pipe and clamps.
Just be sure to keep the stock hanger in place behind the muffler.
Adding a muffler to the stock 2" crimp-bent exhaust is a waste of time. You can get a full 2.25" Dynomax cat-back for $135 shipped. It'll replace all that rotten old piping that's most likely going to fall apart as soon as you touch it anyway.
Adding a muffler to the stock 2" crimp-bent exhaust is a waste of time. You can get a full 2.25" Dynomax cat-back for $135 shipped. It'll replace all that rotten old piping that's most likely going to fall apart as soon as you touch it anyway.
Go to Dead Link Removed and select Search by Make/Model and punch in the specs. When I did mine they had a $75 rebate so I got it for around $60 shipped. It's an incredible fit and I get nothing but complements on how it sounds. It'll take a month or two for it to "wear in" but I'm told it sounds great yet I can't hear it at all over my tires in the cab. I keep trying to get people to drive it on the trails so I can hear it but they're all scared.
I swapped to a manual at the same time the exhaust went in so I can't say for sure, but I don't see how going to a larger-diameter and uncrimped piping and a more-freely-flowing muffler would provide no benefit.
I absolutely agree that money could likely be spent better elsewhere, but I don't believe upgrading the exhaust system would provide zero benefit.
ive got a K&N cone fliter on the end of my stock intake pipe with a bracket i made to bolt up to the MAF. if i were to purchase the kit above from ebay i would only get it for the piping and the fittings. the filter is prob crap and made out of paper or is not cleanable, most other aftermarket filters are.
oh and as for exhaust i went with flowmaster, ive tried a few others but i just like the tone of a flowmaster and the gritty/mean sound it provides, but for the money the dynomax is good.
Edit: wow i feel like dumb...turns out the filter is washable.
Adding a muffler to the stock 2" crimp-bent exhaust is a waste of time. You can get a full 2.25" Dynomax cat-back for $135 shipped. It'll replace all that rotten old piping that's most likely going to fall apart as soon as you touch it anyway.
If you live anywhere with salt on the roads I would pass on that Dynomax kit. I had that same kit and it rotted out in about a year. Not only is it inexpensive, it is also CHEAP. You get what you pay for. Replaced that with a Flowmaster cat-back, which was more expensive, but sounded better in my opinion, had larger tubing between the cat and muffler, and lasted at least 4 times longer.
In the end though, I've learned that I've never noticed any performance difference from any of the exhaust setups I've run... that includes the straight pipe (in place of muffler) I was running for a while too. If you want a throatier tone that will last a while for cheap, I would run stock tubing with a Thrush welded muffler or equivalent.
I can't say anything about its durability in salty conditions- I live in Louisiana; when there's salt on the road it's because someone just pulled his boat out of the Gulf and it's draining on the road.
I disagree, I have had a few diffrent cars that i actually gained fuel milage for sure and it felt (not claiming for sure) more power from doing an air intake and free'er flowing muffler. I had a 99 Silvarado and I went from 18 mpg on the high way to 20 to 21(depending on how I was driving) by putting on a 28 inch glass pack and i tested it on several tanks of gas before and after the intall to make sure i had accurate results, I also had a 84 ranger that I put on flowmaster 40 and dumped it after the muffler and went from 17mpg to 19 mpg ( these are mostly highway miles too btw) and I had a 05 Ford Focus that I put on a 24 inch glass pack and went from 33mpg to 36mpg and that car seemed to gain the most from the muffler than the others and i believe it is do to the fact of how restrictive the stock exhaust was. Like i said they all felt a lil stronger mostly off the line but without a doubt the milage was better and that was without a cold air intake btw. All cars I had ran atleast 4 tanks of gas before and after to get a accurate test on my fuel milage. So by putting on a free'er flowing muffler I do believe it helps atleast on fuel milage and I believe on power a lil but I never dyno'd my cars or trucks to be sure on the hp responce.
O and btw I also had a 95 Explorer down in texas that I put on a Flowmaster super 44 and put on 31 inch tires and was still getting 1-2 more mpg than stock. How ever I also had done a cat delete on that vehicle.
The Dynomax Super Turbo kit provides a HUGE benefit when used with a higher flow air filter or intake, especially the 91-92 kit that's 2.25" from the cat to the end.
The kit IS aluminized steel, and so will rust out, BUT Dynomax/Walker has a LIFETIME WARRANTY, so when the muffler rusts out, you just take it back and exchange it for a brand new one. I've done this several times on my mufflers, and they are replaced every time without question.
Compare this with Flowmaster, whose mufflers not only flow worse (which gives them that sound people apparently like), but have only a 3 year limited warranty on Aluminized mufflers, and 10 years on Stainless Steel.
Since you can't get a Borla system anymore, the only option for a longer-lasting stainless steel system is getting custom bent stainless pipe, and using either a Borla or Magnaflow universal muffler.
I second this. I had a 93 manual explorer. I put a flowmaster catback on along with KKM intake and even a BBK tb later on. It did nothing for me other then make my truck sound tougher. MPG and acceleration stayed the same. If you want better mpg or accel. i would look into an electric fan. But it all depends what you want the mods to do for your truck.
i can vouch for the kkm/dynomax combo. my truck was a turd when i started driving it but after the above-mentioned upgrade it actually feels kinda sporty and is relatively quick off the line.
