Intake/Exhaust Etc

[d0nk3x]

hey all.
i've put subs/amp speakers deck in my 97 limited V8 Exp. and now im interested in doing some performance stuff. nothing too crazy for now. i was looking at www.explorerexpress.com and they were really close to where i live, just 2 hours away. so i was amazed there was a 5.0-specialized tuner/service garage near me. so i looked into their performance section and saw that they featured Mac Intakes and a Mac Catback/Exhaust system. the prices seem reasonable to me? but i have no experience. i was wondering if anyone could give me any input on intake/exhausts. maybe someplace i could get some good deals while sitll getting some performance. i not building a racecar, just a little something to make driving a little more interesting. So, is the Mac or some other company's tuner intake really needed? or will K&N's be just fine? and opinions on exhaust? thanks a lot.

 

[celly]

Mac intakes are a great value and a better intake for the money than K&N. If you have a 5.0, K&N doesn't even offer an intake for the V8. There are much better options than MAC on the exhaust front. Don't get hung up on "catback" systems. Just pick a muffler of your choice and get a shop to weld it into new pipes from the cats back. That's a catback too and personalized option at that (and often cheaper too). Flowmaster and Magnaflow are popular options.

While at EE, take a hard look at their front and rear swaybars. Nothing changes the handling of an Explorer better than beefier bars and their bars are the defacto standard for aftermarket bars.

Once you do decide on exhaust and intake, tie it together with custom tuning via a flasher or chip (SCT are where it's at, see sctflash.com for more info). Two site sponsors bamachips.com (my 1st choice) or hypnotic illusions can help you out with custom tunes.

Tons of options. Stick around the site and prepare to part with your cash! Use the search function to your advantage. Most questions you may want answered have been answered many times through the years. Welcome.

 

[Xploder99]

hey all.
i've put subs/amp speakers deck in my 97 limited V8 Exp. and now im interested in doing some performance stuff. nothing too crazy for now. i was looking at www.explorerexpress.com and they were really close to where i live, just 2 hours away. so i was amazed there was a 5.0-specialized tuner/service garage near me. so i looked into their performance section and saw that they featured Mac Intakes and a Mac Catback/Exhaust system. the prices seem reasonable to me? but i have no experience. i was wondering if anyone could give me any input on intake/exhausts. maybe someplace i could get some good deals while sitll getting some performance. i not building a racecar, just a little something to make driving a little more interesting. So, is the Mac or some other company's tuner intake really needed? or will K&N's be just fine? and opinions on exhaust? thanks a lot.

Hi im new to the explorer world. i just got a 99 5.0 litre v8 and i put a flowmaster exhaust on it. I have i think a 50 series muffler and three inch piping out the back. i paid $245 installed for everything. I called to many diff places and found around $300 installed was what it was going for. they said it gave me around 10hp and about 2-3 mpg. As far as intake, with the 5.0 litre you're going to be limited. I looked around for a while and found that not many places made intakes for the 5.0 . I went to a local ford performance shop, and they said that the most common for the v8 is from mac performance, so i decided to get that (it costed me $177 w/ tax uninstalled). i was told it would add 14 hp. like i said im new to all the exp,lorer talk becuse i just got mine a month ago. hope i helped.

 

[Turdle]

Hi there,
I also suggest a good muffler shop, and if you like the v-8 tone all the time, flowmaster 50 dual in out.
I recommend the x-spec suspension also
Jon

 

[d0nk3x]

thanks a lot to all for your help and input. i was wondering for the Mac Intake, EE provides some mass air sensors. can someone clarify the use/job of these little gimmick's are? and why they are not emissions legal?

 

[celly]

The MAF (MAS) they list are no longer available. Pro-M went belly-up a while back. EE is notorious for not updating their website.

Aftermarket MAFs provide marginal (if any) gains for the most part. Not sure about your emissions question. Ford's OEM is actually a pretty good unit by its own right. Spend your $$$ elsewhere.

 

[aldive]

Stick with your stock Ford MAF; if you want it to be a little better consider a C & L MAF housing - take a look at http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136883&highlight=maf

This mod allowed a 7 RWHP increase on mine.

 

[Rage1973]

I have purchased the MAC cat back exhaust for my 4.0 SOHC, and I have taken it off and gone back to the stock until I get back to the USA. It sounded great, but in the cab it was way to loud, and it got worse between 2 1/2 - 3 RPM's. Go with what others have said.... go to a muffler shop and it done custom. Hope this helps you.

Jeremy

P.S. The MAC intake is the ballz... great price for a great product.

 

[skfullen]

Needed a new muffler on my '00 V6 due to contact with a stump. I went with a Magnaflow. Cost me $135 installed. I noticed no great improvement in "sound". Can't hear it. I'll let you know about performance once I've got a few miles behind it. PS: the rest of the exhaust system remained stock.