Mufflers

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

i was looking around recently for some info on mufflers, say i have, oh $150, to spend on some exhaust stuff, including labor (if possible), i was considering perhaps a glasspacked muffler for the sound, and leaving the pipes alone? what i really want is good sound, performance is second. anyone got some tips? prices are helpful too!! thanks

 

[Ray Hutchinson]

Muffler and exhaust

Personally, I'd stay away from glasspacks, and instead get a high flow performance muffler. You might look and the Flowmaster mufflers, but for price and performance, and a "throaty" sound, you might check out the DynoMax. That's what I have, and I got the muffler on sale for $25 at JC Whitney (About 4 years ago, though). Whitney calls it the "Super Turbo Muffler". Then a shop mandrel bent a custom pipe for about $75. Larger dia. pipe is important to help out the higher flow muffler. I asked about a 3" pipe but my shop reccomended a 2 1/2". They said that's bigger than the OEM pipe, and any larger wasn't necessary. Make sure the pipe is "mandrell bent" that keeps the bends smoother and insures that the inside diameter remains constant. Any decednt muff shop should be able to do this. You can also buy complete "Cat Back" (pipe and muffler combos) from Flowmaster, Dynomax,

 

[flyguy]

go with the cat back system and a flowmaster. Flowmaster is great, but odds are any muffler you put on wont sound well with your stock cats... so replace em while your at it... its easier and cheaper to do it all at once too. I dont know about you guys, but my local muffler shop was able to beat any other prices I could find on the flowmaster, and did the entire install for $125 (with pipes). Thats not including the cat though... it was installed after I found out my muffler sounded terrible... and cost me an additional 60 or so. I forget.

nick

 

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

im looking to spend maybe $150-200 total though, i was thinking of a turbo muffler and 2.5 inch pipes. does that sound ok?

 

[Ray Hutchinson]

Yup, that's basicly the combo I have.... noticeable improvement in performance, reasonable price, and I like the sound. I believe the "Cat Back package from JEG's mailorder is currently under $200, but a local shopprobably could beat
that bt bending their own pipes. For some reason the Cat Back for the 96 up system is diouble the price for the early Ex's like mine.

As far as sound... how loud, and what tone... well that's personal preference. guess you'sd just have to find some different installations on Expl's and listen. Some guys like real loud and boomy, but that can get really annoying on a long highway trip My d-max is kinda mellow, but the wife says it's too "throaty"

 

[flyguy]

For the most part I would expect the same performance gains no matter what cat-back system you get... and Rays right.. .basicly your buying the muffler to suit your personal taste in sound. If Im not mistaken, the flowmaster series 50 delta is the mellowest you can buy. And thats not exacty quiet.

nick

 

[Alec]

I have a Magnaflow muffler (don't know what kind exactly) and a 2.25" tailpipe. The shop did it for under $200. I would NOT recommend changing the cats right now. First, it's illegal (at least in TX) to change the cats sooner than 4? years if nothing's wrong with them. Second, the stock cats, especially later model ones, are already high-flow. You might lose too much backpressure changing them out and thus lose some torque.

The best thing to do is to find a good muffler shop in your area and go have a chat with them. They'll have some advice and preferences, but should be able to hook you up with a good deal. Get a Flowmaster or Magnaflow muffler, and a 2.25" or 2.5" tailpipe.

Good Luck!

 

[flyguy]

Oh yeah, before you got buy a catback or whatever, get a KKM or similar product. As far as it being illigal to swap out. All you muffler guy does is look at them and go "looks broke to me."

nick

 

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

i went to 2 muffler shops today

Monro Brake & Muffler:
can't get a turbo muffler, my current muffler is dual inlet and single outlet, and they apparently dont make those. he suggested a glasspack muffler and 2.5 inch pipe with the pipe running in the stock location. i could go dual exhaust but have to remove spare tire from underneath and do some cutting in the spare tire well (AAARGH!! ITS A LEASE!!) single (parts & labor) estimated at $250 max

Terry's Tire
suggests combining the pre-muffler pipes into one with a Y splitter, running them into a single in/single out muffler. couldn't really find any mufflers with dual in. could get a turbo muffler if i connect the 2. thought about getting a glasspack on each pipe??? then connecting the pipes behind the muffler with a Y splitter for single exhaust, or running dual (same thing with spare tire) no price quoted yet, they are checking on mufflers.

Basically, i would love to have dual exhaust, but the labor might be more than i am willing to pay, it could run me to $300-350 total Monro said. let me know what you guys think, the most i could POSSIBLY spend is $300, and even that is pushing it, i would really like to keep it down by $200-250 for parts and labor

Thank you guys for all your help, ill let you know what i decide to do!!

 

[Pyro]

Originally posted by <<MONOCHROMOUS>>
i was looking around recently for some info on mufflers, say i have, oh $150, to spend on some exhaust stuff, including labor (if possible), i was considering perhaps a glasspacked muffler for the sound, and leaving the pipes alone? what i really want is good sound, performance is second. anyone got some tips? prices are helpful too!! thanks [
I modified my 99 4L SOHC with a Flowmaster 50 3 chamber. the mufler has 2 - 2.25" inlets and 2 - 2.25" outlets. I had a custom shop pipe duels to the rear with resonated SS tips. The stock 2 pipee and cats feed directly to the muffler. With the KKN Super Rev the truck sounds awsesome.
Total cost of the exhaust mod was approximately $300 because all the pipes had to be custom fit in very tight spaces. I would like to install headers. Any advise as to a good brand that fits well?]

 

[flyguy]

Keep looking around. Youll find a cheaper quote. As for the the duel exhaust. You can remove the spare to do it, or it CAN be done. Someone had it done on this board without removing the spare. Its hard, thats why they dont wanna do it. Anyways, You could use a Y splitter as well. Probably be the cheapest.

nick

 

[Alec]

If the muffler has dual outs, you can also dual out just on one side. Right next to each other with simple round or square tips, they're look good.

 

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

there are only about 3 places around here that do custom exhaust, so my prices are pretty restricted, ill keep looking though, thanks you guys!

 

[Waverider]

I just got a flowmaster exhaust and I love it. It cost 50 bucks and labor to put it on was 20. I also hooked it up with a chrome tip for ten bucks. Real good deal and it sounds great.

 

[flyguy]

where you live?

 

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

i live in Cary, NC, near raleigh. there are plenty of places in raleigh i could go to, but they are farther away than i wantedt o travel. Waverider, where did you get all that for so cheap?

 

[flyguy]

thats about what I paid for mine... cept I had all new pipe n stuff.

nick

 

[Jon98sohc]

Hey man stay away from the y-pipe and the glass pack. I tried it and it sounded awful like a lawn tractor on crack. I ended up with a flow master and 350.00 less in my pocket.
Now I wished I had put duals on.

 

[flyguy]

True duels are a bad idea... way to much pipe for that 4.0. and glasspacks do suck.

nick

 

[Grinder]

Hey flyguy, what kind of cats did you put on? Are they
new stock ones or some performance ones? Mine (94) has
two I think, I want it to sound good and have a little
more juevos.

Oh yea, I live in California. Home of the smog demons.

[Edited by Grinder on 12-17-2000 at 10:10 AM]