Those new modular v8s run best with an x-pipe or h-pipe, maybe thats what that guy forgot when he swithched over too flows. I have heard from several exhaust shops that say if you don't run a h or x-pipe with a duel exhaust, the mod v8s will lose all there low end grunt.

 

I would agree, broncoroadkill, but the factory setup on my stepmothers Expy, with the 4.6 no less, outpulls his truck. On a 40% grade, 2 mile uphill, he has to kick to passing gear. We pull it dropping only 200-300 rpm. He also has 3.73's, while we have 3.55's. Go figure.

 

Don't straight pipe a 4 cyl, they don't like it. They perform better with a little back pressure. I've run both the glass and turbo, I tend to prefer the turbo. No matter what you do, the 4's just don't sound as cool as an 8.

 

To be honest, I could care less as to how it sounds as long as it's loud and annoys people. The engine is shot anyway, so performance isn't a big issue, and it's not like it'll lose that much hp. I have my 300 running straight and I never knew the difference, except the noise. That engine is about shot too, it has over 200K and it's startin to lose comp. That ranger though, it takes so much oil it ain't even funny, but it still seems to have good power.

 

take off the cat converters also for best sound, if your state doesn't do smog.

i wouldn't worry about losing hp...its a 4 cylinder, and you dont have much to work with anyways. when i driving record clears up and i dont have to worry about getting pulled over, i'm going to do the same.

i dont care about it sounding good, i just want it loud. there are a lot of *** hondas with fart-cannons in my town. i just dont wnat to hear their pieces of sh.t when i'm driving and i'll just rev if they fart their *** imports at me.

 

Yeah I hear ya there(stupid rice grinders) and for further notice when I say striaght pipe, that means straight pipe, cats and all gone.

 

I lost the muffler on my 92 Ranger and I was running with just the cat on there and it did sound like crap. I would get a cherry bomb or something like that.....

 

if you want loud and sound good at the same time run dual exhaust from the cat back, i have a friend with this set-up and it sounds great and is loud.

 

what kinda turbo muffler u talkin about? the one autozone carries for 20$??

J&A,j.

 

i just took it off the cat-back and replaced with with nothing.
sounds the same as oem but 10 times louder. its making me keep my rpms down and i have better low end torque but thats about it.
now i have a true appreciation of what they mean when they say that mufflers absord sound AND VIBRATIONS

straights to the rear would be much better and sound isn't too ricey but its just a four-banger and well, it always will be

 

Have a question along the lines of this thread, I bought my 92' Ranger (2.3) and the previous owner had the cat cut off and replaced with a length of exhaust pipe, I have a check engine light on, could it be the lack of cat/backpressure trip a code? or screw up the 02 reading in any way?

 

My buddy has a 91 with 2.3 and only a glasspack- sounds like a ricer to me....
Scott

 

Fordman428 your friend did he put galss or anything after the cat or just strait

 

hyepwrd if i want to blow anybody away i have a strait piped 351 on 3in to 4in 6ft stacks i can be heard up to a mile. i have a390 thats been tweak a little waiting to get udder the hood.

 

The lack of a cat with no MIL eliminators is the cause of your CEL. Either put a cat back on, or do some research on MIL eliminators for your oxygen sensors. Later model cats dont hurt exhaust flow that much anyways.

Needing backpressure is NOT TRUE. Taking off the muffler WILL NOT cause your engine to go bad. Other problems were the cause, not a free flowing exhaust. Backpressure is a resistance or choking of the exhaust system, ALL cars will be fine with a free flowing exhaust. Burning your valves from "no backpressure" is also an old wives tale. You want exhaust velocity, but you dont want backpressure. They are 2 totally different things.

Take my advise however you want, but any mechanic that tells you that backpressure is needed, is no mechanic I would go to. I wonder what else he is wrong about.