Exhaust recommendations

I'm looking for a shop in NC that can do aftermarket exhaust work on an '03 Silverado with a 4.8 V8. I'd like to find someone who knows what works best with this engine - not just someone who wants to slap on 3" pipe and some Flowmasters.

Alternatively, if anyone here can make recommendations as to what might work best, suggestions would be more than welcome.

Stock, this truck has two cats going into a y-pipe into a single muffler. I'd like to go dual all the way back, but don't want to end up with something that's going to be constantly triggering the Check Engine light.

Thanks for any info.

Reply to
scrape
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General Motors had a pretty good idea of what works best for this engine for nominal cost. You must be thinking your going to get a bunch of miles per gallon out of some form of tuned exhaust. I'm one of those guys that "slapped on some flowmasters." My check engine light never comes on. I'm satisfied with the sound and the look of dual exhaust. My truck is a 99 4x4 with the 5.3 engine. It constantly gets 16 - 17 mpg. It might change by fractions depending on highway or in town driving. If you're looking for some major improvement in performance or mileage, you won't be satisfied. Performance seems to be better but probably only because of the sound. Mileage changes by a fraction. I was only concerned about hearing the sound in the cab so I'm happy with mine. I hear it at low speeds but I don't have that rumble on the highway.

Reply to
George

If you did nothing more than install a hi performance muffler in place of the factory one, you will improve almost everything across the board.

Reply to
Shades

I;m not expecting huge HP/torque gains nor big mileage improvements. Nominally better, or at least not worse, would be great with something that looked and sounded better.

Thanks.

Which Flowmasters did you go with? Dual? If so, before or after the Y connector?

Reply to
scrape

magnaflow performance dual front to back 2 1/2 inch pipe no cat

got it on my 93 silverado with a 5.7 V8 and sounds awesome in the near future getting a couple nascar rated boom tubes to completely finish it off. will give it a deeper rumble but not louder

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Reply to
Michael McNeil

I bought my flowmaster Model 40 on ebay for 39 bucks. 3 inch inlet dual 2½ inch out. Mine has dual cats with a short single pipe to the muffler. The installer cut right behind the factory hangar. I paid the guy $210 to install my muffler, dual pipes out the rear and I had a set of flamethrower tips (with leds). The tips are ok but they suck cause the leds didn't hold up. They only lasted a few months. I was surprised at how quiet the truck is. I thought the model 40 would rumble pretty loud. My son drove it and as he pulled away, it sounded good from the rear. You don't hear it like that from inside the truck.

Reply to
George

Thanks. Is there much difference between brands other than the material they're made of?

Reply to
scrape

Thanks. I would have thought the 40s would have been pretty loud inside the cab. I've got the same configuration - dual cats into a Y pipe into a single muffler. I was wondering about going straight back from the cats, but it's been mentioned that that can cause problems with the O2 sensors/loss of backpressure, etc.

Reply to
scrape
4- stroke engines DO NOT require back-pressure to operate correctly. All things being equal changing Cats, Mufflers or Pipes WILL NOT affect the operation of the O2 sensor/s
Reply to
Mad Dog

Yes and no...most aftermarket mufflers will reduce backpressure and increase noise. Some reduce less backpressure and REALLY increase noise, and versa-visa. Flowmaster is a tried and true design but others can do very well on a stock engine. My suggestion is stay away from glass packs and any 'turbo' muffler with any kind of stuffing, they don't last and can get VERY loud! I prefer the unique sound of single exhaust which is what I had custom bent for my Suburban(people want my exhaust 'cus they LUV the sound), but that's the joy of being American, freedom of choice(for the most part). I know many people that have removed the muffler and had a Y-pipe put in its place. Its up to you!

"scrape" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Reply to
Shades

Go MAGNAFLOW. I did on my 2500HD 8.1L. Sounds great and and turns some heads when you fire it up! Cost installed was just shy of 5 Uncle Bens. The stainless steel will last alot longer than the galvanized steel of the Flow Masters.

I've also put a Hypertech Power Programmer III on and got some gains, but I've been told by others that there are better programmers out there.

I've been looking into the Whipple Superchargers and Magna Chargers but they cost alot.

Reply to
Tailgator

I like flowmasters, and install a lot of them! You can't screw with any of the exhaust from the Cats forward. So no true duals all the way back! You can get a Single in and Dual out Flowmaster, like a 3" Inlet and 2 1/4" or 2

1/2" outlet works good. Then it's sound you want. 40 Series is the Original and is pretty loud but sounds great. I personally have a 50 series flowmaster on my truck. I little more quite outside, and quite a bit more quite inside the Cab. Your not going to have any problems with the check engine light as long as you don't screw with anything from the Cat forward. If you have money to burn, you can go all Stainless. Not something I normally do, but did on my truck, Stainless Flowmaster, Stainless Rear pipes, bent myself, and Stainless tips out the back. System should last for as long as I have the truck. Which is a 03 Silverado with a 5.3.

Reply to
JBDragon

Interesting. I was thinking about headers at a later date, but have seen several that list themselves as no EGR. I haven't looked at mine specifically for EGR, but I'd have to imagine that it's present. Maybe this is what I was reading about that screwed with the check engine light.

The local guy that several folks have recommended only does galvanized. I'm sure there is someone else I can use, but how much faster is the galvanized going to wear out than the stainless?

Reply to
scrape

E.G.R. functions are handled by the intake manifold and E.G.R. valve.... your'e thinking of A.I.R. (air injection reactor) which pumps air into the exhaust manifold as a means of reducing emissions. You can do anything you want to a vehicle that must pass emissions testing as long as it passes the test when you are done.Slap on a set of full-length hedders (shorty's are not worth the effort), aftermarket high flow cats are available in any style and O2 sensor bungs can be welded back into the aftermarket pipe to retain factory sensors. True duals will serve you well and open the door for future engine mods if you so desire.

Reply to
Mad Dog

I had an 01 Chevy 1500 Silverado with the 5.3l V8. Despite what Chevy claims that engine was really weak (at least mine was). I towed the exact same camper with my 01 5.3 as I did with my 96 with a 350V8. Both trucks had 3:73 gears. The 96 350 would pull circles around the 01 I had.

Anyway, to get power and performance I did a Flowmaster American Thunder stainless cat back dual rear exit system (along with K&N air intake and Hypertech programmer). There was a dramatic power improvement but not much difference in gas milage. The truck pulled a lot better, no question about it. I like a throaty V8 sound but don't want to go deaf driving it. This exhaust was very good. It had a nice throaty V8 sound (similar to some of Dodge's Hemi exhausts) without being crazy load. I wouldn't have minded it being a little loader actually but left it alone. The Flowmaster was very easy to install and took no time. I was very happy with the quality, fit, etc... I would get another one again.

I just bought an 04 Silverado w. 8.1l V8. I solved my power problem.

Reply to
Rocketman

I just bought a new 04 Chevy 2500 HD w/ the 8.1L V8. I traded campers last year and my new one is much heavier than my last one. I was having great difficulty towing it w/ my 01 chevy 5.3L V8. I had a Flowmaster, K & N air intake and Hypertech chip programmer for my 01 Chevy.

I bought a K & N air intake for my new 8.1 but Flow Master doesn't offer a complete cat back system for the 8.1L yet. How loud is your Magnaflow? I don't want Nascar kind of loud or even close to it. I don't mind a throaty V8 sound but it has to be reasonable. How loud is your exhaust on a scale of 1 - 10 (1 = stock and 10 = Nascar)?

Also, was this a complete cat back system that you could put on yourself or did you have to have the pipes made to fit the truck and muffler at a local shop? Where did you get your Magnaflow?

Thanks,

Reply to
Rocketman

scrape let me know what you find and where, as i am thinking of duels on my

04gmc thanks
Reply to
Charles H.

What do you guys think of the X-pipe design, such as the Hedman X-TREME X-Pipe? Or the Hooker or the Flow-Tech? Do they improve performance somehow over the H-pipe setup? What do they sound like?

Reply to
William G.

I've been reading the posts about exhaust recommendations that started on

3/13. They've been very informative. I have a '05 GMC Quadradsteer. For an out the back dual system, I haven't seen anything listed for my truck. It looks like I might have to go custom. Has anyone found an over the counter or catalog system? From the posts, it looks like Flowmaster or Magnaflow is the way to go .

Jim

Reply to
Jim Anderson

I've been reading the posts about exhaust recommendations that started on

3/13. They've been very informative. I have a '05 GMC Quadradsteer. For an out the back dual system, I haven't seen anything listed for my truck. It looks like I might have to go custom. Has anyone found an over the counter or catalog system? From the posts, it looks like Flowmaster or Magnaflow is the way to go .

Jim

Reply to
Jim Anderson

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