Aftermarket exhaust

Oct 19, 2003 7 Replies

I'm going to buy a performance exhaust system for my '97 XLT V8. I want to free up a bit more power and some of that nice deep 5.0 sound (but not *too* much sound for these fortysomething ears).



Flowmaster and Gibson Performance have applications for my truck -- does anybody have experience with these systems? Any thoughts on quality, longevity, performance, etc.? Many thanks.


Buy a stainless Magnaflow muffler and have a local shop mandel bend a pipe. Magnaflows are straight thru without the anoying drone that you get with Flowmaster or Dynomax.

On our Expedition (5.4l engine), we put a Flowmaster on, with 3" mandrel-bent tubing, cat back. Mileage went up about 10% on city driving, and a little over 15% on freeways (a real savings, since we use it for our vacations). The neighbors say it's a little louder, but not objectionable, and we don't get a drone. Anymore. I had the shop change the hanger locations, and the drone disappeared.

"and we don't get a drone anymore. I had the shop change the hanger locations, and the drone disappeared."

What did I tell you? Magnaflows are the "bomb baby!!" Seriosly, the Flowmaster has baffles, and baffles are restrictive. Magnaflows are wide open. Do it once, do it right. Get a Magnaflow and a K&N FIPK kit and enjoy!!!

But just don't take my word for it, check out the exhaust section on the forums at

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and the forums on
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"Mags" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Neither. I installed a Borla (probably 4 years ago). LOVE it! Sounds great. Can't say I get astronical fuel economy or that much power. Most of these systems make more noise than power. But it's stainless steel, has a million mile warranty, sounds and looks good. It will be the last system I have to buy for my truck.

K&N? I don't think so. The stock paper filter on the Expedition flows more than enough; more just doesn't accomplish anything. A freshly cleaned & oiled K&N flows more dirt than the paper filter, and as the K&N plugs up to the point where it filters as well as the paper filter, it loses the advertised (but absent in real life) flow advantage.

"Mags" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Perhaps they dropped the V8 from their product line. Sure enough, I have an XLT V8-AWD 1996 and I have the Borla system. It's characterized by twin tips rather than single tips (V6). And it sounds GREAT! Contact Summit RAcing, they should have one in stock.

Zammer

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