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she wants it LOUD!!

2K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  dajuice730 
#1 ·
okay folks, i could spend days on here and have...
but i have two thoughts.

replace factory muffler with???? for like $100

or should i just save the $300 to $400 for a cat-back?

would like better MPG that is all.....or just want it to breath better as we all know it needs to. have 66k on and she wants it LOUD, but not tooo loud


i am sure we could aruge all day long on what system is better and why.

i just am looking for a yes/no answer.


Replace stock muffler with X or wait for catback?

not sure i realy want a turn out/turn down set up, but if that is my best bet for say $100 or so then i will do that.
and get a cat back next spring (when truck is paid for
)
 
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#2 ·
You may want to repost this with a survey and a yes no answer.
Here's my take, Why would they make cat backs, if all you needed to do was replace the muffler? I guess you could find a replacement muffler, but keep in mind some trucks (maybe not yours?) have two mufflers and a resonator. If you just replace one of them the system may perform worse? They are supposed to work together.

So... my vote is wait and get a whole cat back setup.
(I vote Magnaflow
)
 
#3 ·
Option #3: replace stock muffler, and save the money. Your not looking for "all out performance gains", just a better sounding, better breathing hemi.


What does your current setup look like now? Being a 2500, you should only have the single "30 gallon drum" muffler in front of the rear axle, then a single resonator (not important) just before the exit? If so, you already have a full 3" "cat back" waiting to happen. Just buy your muffler of choice (3" inlet/3" outlet), remove your muffler, and rear exiting tailpipe. Slide the new muffler on at the end of the existing pipe, and add one of these on the end, presto your all done.
 
#5 ·
assuming you are going to a muffler shop for the installation, i suggest you getting a Moroso Spiralflow ($50.00 on Ebay) and have them bend a new 3" tailpipe, i have a AT3030XL, a Magnaflou, a Dynomax Ultraflow and the Moroso it's my favorite.
 
#6 ·
First, thanks for the advice guys.

Dan O, I agree with part of your statement, from what I have read here and there, the stock muffler blows, for good flow, and restricts way too much.
Hence why I asked if just replacing with a better flowing muffler and keeping tailpipe would be ‘okay’.

I was/am wanting to avoid the ‘dump’ or side discharge, setups.

Phi maybe I better restate my first request.

1. Make it louder
2. Do what ever could gain me better MPG
3. Just removing the stock muffler should gain me some performance gains.
4. Have a CAI (3rdstike) so i am half way to a better breathing hemi.

Guess my point should have been MPG over Performance, but better flow and performance can and will possibly add MPG. If that makes sense?


And how could I get a better sounding and better breathing Hemi if I just replace the stock muffler with a new stock? Sorry if I misunderstood you.


Phil, she is a 2003 1500 long bed QC if that helps.

She has the 30 gallon drum. And no Res.

And yes your idea is the quickest and easiest and would probably be just fine, for what we want/need.

Satch, yes that would be the perfect setup but not this year..maybe next year…


Sppb..No I will not be going to a muffler shop. We do all mods in house
. If I need it bent I either wield my own up or have a few parts bent.

Just went out and looked again and I think your right it is 3”? so remove the muffler, and tail pipe and just dump it?
hum… but which muffler?
Hummm …and can I get it done in the next week ..
hummm if I quit working 50hrs a week..


I also belive 'true' duals with xover is the best breating system.
is the cat back duals all that much better then just a dump?
other then the 'look' of two pipes out below the bumper or turned out each side, is the dual cat back all that much better then a dump?
yes i know it would be somewhat more quiet all the way out the back....

now the cheapest would be replace muffler with straight pipe? but that maybe toooo loud...
Keep the ideas coming please..
Thanks.
 
#7 ·
yeah, my wording was a little missleading... sorry bout that.. what i was trying to say, is remove the factory muffler, and replace it with a high performance design.


just replacing your muffler with another straight through performance muffler will "essentially" be as good as a cheap ol' cat back system. Your factory piping IS mandrel bend, and it IS stainless steel. What the pre-fab'd cat-backs are good at is letting any old Joe Blo unbolt his factory system, and bolt on a new system... Do they flow better? Maybe some, all depends on what style, size of pipe, type of muffler, and number of bends. being a truck, especially a long bed QC, there are not that many bends to speak of (unless doing exiting duals).

As for an increase in MPG with just a cat back or muffler swap (and CAI)... some say "i got 3mpg increase", other say they noticed no measurable difference, even fewer will admit to loosing mpg. The "theory" is solid... more/cooler air in (CAI) combined with easier exhaling of exhaust going out, sounds good... reality is while it may run better, that additional air in air out scenario equals to more fuel being needed to maintain your AFR at 14/1. Even more to the argument, is that increase in power "will let me use less throttle to maintain the same speed"... how much less throttle? it's not 10% less, more like 1%, even that is a maybe depending on a lot of other uncontrollable variables. I changed mine out in a simple pursuit for better sound, if an increase in mpg followed i considered myself lucky. My truck gets within +/- 1-1.5 MPGs as it did before a CAI, and Cat-Back. Does it run better, well HELL yes it does, just I personally did not see a significant increase in economy (not enough to truly justify the cost of equipment over the long haul). In my experience (an i've had a number of different types of exhast, on a number of different trucks over the years), a muffler that retains "some" back pressure is the best formula for retaining or maybe even gaining some economy. flowmaster 50 HD is just about right. Before i get bashed on this statement, let me explain... If you run open exhaust, your PCM is constantly polling the 02 sensors for info, if exhaust gas is not present, the 02 sensors are not making "as accurate" of a reading as they should be, usually reading on the "low temp/low efficiency" side of the scale. This info is translated in the PCM as "not enough fuel" so it "adds more fuel"... out goes your MPG. With the right amount of back pressure the 02s are reading "actual" and realistic AFR gases, keeping your PCM happy, because your AFR is more correct, ultimately resulting in "better" fuel economy. I've tried this with, and without cats, with and without mufflers, duals, and single pipe, dual 2.25, and dual 3" pipe. While performance goes up with larger free flowing exhaust (see previous statement about PCM adding fuel), most times all out performance will hinder the economy. Enough of my opion...just being honest with my findings, and discouragements over the years.



So, back to your delima...
if you want to maintain your factory piping (even the over the axle exiting piece). You will either need to find a direct replacement bolt on muffler (that retains the same length body of the factory unit, or it is sent with an additional length of pipe to make up the difference). You are not stuck with just this option, but a trip to the muffler shop may be in order to have them cut and flange a correct length for you, all depending on what muffler (length) you pick. Yet another option is if you may be able to find a pre-flanged pipe online that you can cut to length later. EX: if your factory muffler is say 30" long, and you choose a Magnaflow 18", the difference in length plus flanges will be needed to "clamp" everything back together correctly.
 
#8 ·
dang man.


yeah i completley under stand all you are saying here.
still can't belevie how some folks here change thier mufflers daily monthly like some do.

i understand about MPG yes/no increase.

my biggest thought here was NOT changing to somehting that is know to HURT MPG....IE straight pipe..

thanks.

will order something on Monday......
will wait for more thoughts over the long weekend.
 
#9 ·
quote:Originally posted by madcat:
Your factory piping IS mandrel bend, and it IS stainless steel.
sure is a bunch of rust on it for SS.
 
#10 ·
I agree with everything stated except for one little detail
quote: Here's my take, Why would they make cat backs, if all you needed to do was replace the muffler? I guess you could find a replacement muffler, but keep in mind some trucks (maybe not yours?) have two mufflers and a resonator. If you just replace one of them the system may perform worse? They are supposed to work together.
IMO cat backs are a money maker. Whats the difference between the mandrel bent tubing you'll pay $400 for, and what they have down at your local exhaust shop? Its just tubing. Sure the way the tubing is bent will flow better, but any good exhaust shop can route your exhaust however you want. BTW, the moroso is MEAN!!! That'd be my pick, and i had flowmaster and magnaflow on my truck before the moroso i have now. Putting down the most hp on the dyno with my current setup, and the dyno dont lie....
 
#11 ·
quote:Originally posted by nopeitsherhemi:
my biggest thought here was NOT changing to somehting that is know to HURT MPG....IE straight pipe..
The best mileage I got with mine was when I was running true duals with no mufflers, just cats. That was all highway miles; Sullivan to Indy and back, 2 trips to work and 1 to a buddies house and Sullivan to Bloomington and made it back to Linton when I gassed up. Got almost 18mpg. It would throw a code though in cold weather saying not enough back pressure.
 
#12 ·
quote:Originally posted by Silverbullet5.7:
I agree with everything stated except for one little detail
quote: Here's my take, Why would they make cat backs, if all you needed to do was replace the muffler? I guess you could find a replacement muffler, but keep in mind some trucks (maybe not yours?) have two mufflers and a resonator. If you just replace one of them the system may perform worse? They are supposed to work together.
IMO cat backs are a money maker. Whats the difference between the mandrel bent tubing you'll pay $400 for, and what they have down at your local exhaust shop? Its just tubing. Sure the way the tubing is bent will flow better, but any good exhaust shop can route your exhaust however you want....
That may be true, if you have a shop around that can do the work. The shop by me can't do 3" tubing. I know I live in the country. Also, a shop will do all the work for you and bend the tube, but some guys, (Like me) would rather buy piping and do it themselves. Besides the cost to custom bend piping would almost cost the same.
 
#13 ·
quote:sure is a bunch of rust on it for SS.
so did my Full 3" SS Magnaflow cat-back system


 
#14 ·
alrigthy (poping my fingers).........well anything is better than stock you could go with a straight pipe and leave the resonator on and have better flow than the BBQ pit we have although dont be to sad the Fix Or Repair Daily's mufflers are bigger than ours so there is hope.........when it comes to MPG gains if your flowing better its breathing better you may gain a little just cause your not trying to force so much through something thats like a fun house maze, but it won't be that noticable unless you do alot of long highway trips.......but there is a con to that if your like me and you love your hemi your gunna wanna hear it which wont transulate in much MPG gains.........the key to better flow in a muffler is the less baffles you have in the muffler the better it will flow and sound i see that AT3030 is a real popular muffler on here, i am a Cherry Bomb guy and i think i always will be its not the old glass pack muffler company any more even though you can still get them from cherry bomb,and if you were like me before i opened up my mind to the exhaust world you only think one way Flowmaster which i was guilty of..........

here is a quick vid of what my truck sounds like with headers high flow cats and true duals with cherry bomb extreme mufflers dumped

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGWfedYizHY

and again i have said it before its all about personal preffernce if your truck see's alot of family time you may want it quiet if your a hemi head like me and you dont mind your kid hearing your exhaust over the radio your gunna wanna be heard a mile down the road whether your gassing it or grandma'ing it......

so my advise i know i'm writing a book here would be to save on money just have the muffler replaced because the resonator will keep it family friendly and the stock piping isn't bad from my cats to the front of my X-pipe is still stock piping......dumped will be loud and droaned but sounds great and won't be as expensive,cat-backs are a waste if you ask me because your stuck with what you buy unless you go out and buy something which can get pricey so but so can custon work if you dont know the right people because muffler shops can be shady if dont know what you want i hope this helps a little and i think i need to stop typing now This message has been edited. Last edited by: dajuice730, document.write(''+ myTimeZone('Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:20:50 GMT-0700', '05 July 2008 09:20 AM')+''); 05 July 2008 09:20 AM
 
#15 ·
although i do respect madcat's analysis and break down of the mechanics of the situation concerning the Air Fuel Ratio and Flow.....i've been doing alot of readin lately LOL!!!!!!!!!!
 
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