My 87 f150's stock exhust system is rusting off. I am wondering what what is a good system to replace it with. It has a single factory cat converter and sounds a little on the loud side with no muffler attached now. It did have the 2ft long cylinder muffler which I took off. Without a muffler how will that effect performance and fuel mileage? What is a good muffler replacement for some sound and performance? What size pipes are needed and would you need to replace the cat converter? Any ideas or help? thanks.

 

Running it without the muffler shouldn't effect performance or fuel economy. If anything it will run better I would think.

I would replace the cat with a high flow one and then run 3 inch pipe from it back to a good muffler. It depends how loud you want it. If you just want it to be deep and mellow and not real loud then get a 50 series flow and run a single 3 inch tailpipe in the stock location. If you want it to sound mean run a 40 series flow with a turndown and just dump the exhaust under the bed. This will also be the cheapest way. You could also go with cherry bomb extreme for more sound or cherry bomb elite for more mellow tone.

I think Conanski showed a part for an inexpensive single 3 inch tailpipe a while back in one of these posts.

 

Remove the cat(or gut it) and replace the second half with an aftermarket, and then put no more than a 2.5" cat back with your choice in muffler, anything bigger will just hurt performance with a stock motor. If the exhaust is loud to you with the stock cats then you won't like the Flowmaster 40 or 50 series mufflers with aftermarket cats.. they do next to nothing to reduce sound.. I have tried both on my truck.

 

what engine do u have? id use a cherry bomb turbo and a 1 7/8'' tail pipe,that would give u a good crack if u would want your truck to do that but your neaghbor might not like u for it, i myself like my trucks loud but thats just me

 

how do you gut a cat converter?

 

get a long skinny piese of pipe and shove it into the inside of the cats and just start scrapping the in side after u do that start the truck and rev the hell out of it ,if u see little chuncks of white honey comb looking things on ur drive way,u got through the cats insides, the cones sound like bolts going around in a washing machine when they come out ur truck, it will crack and backfire really loudly

 

I found a vendor special on this forum and ordered a cat-back system dirt cheap! I ordered Part # 86226 and paid only $104.60 plus shipping. That system on Doug Thorley's website is $446.00.

Vendor Special:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...-catbacks.html

Doug Thorley's website:
EXHAUST FORD at Doug Thorley Headers dougthorleyheaders.com

 

I love my Flowmaster Super 44. What motor do you have?

YouTube - Locked 4x2 Part 2.

YouTube - F150 Cold Start / Mounting Ramps

YouTube - F150 Passing by

YouTube - 300 I6 Short drive and Rev.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QIy1...e=channel_page

Flowmaster Super 44's seem to produce the natural sound of a motor while making it a little more quiet than straight pipes and deepening the tone. =)

 

how well did this system work? How difficult was install?
Thanks

 

Hello again!

This system works very with my exhaust tips exiting after my rear tire. With all of my windows up I get zero drone. The noise I do get is a nice burbly rumble. Outside my truck it is very loud. I like this system, personally.

For what it's worth, I've heard a few sound clips of Flowmaster 40's on 300's with both cats and it didn't sound bad. It sounded quiet but deep; kind of like a V8 with near-stock exhaust. I'm guessing you have a 300 I6? I'd go with the baffled muffler route, I.E. Flowmaster or other.

Edit: I had this system installed by an exhaust shop. The pipe is non-mendrel bent. Here's a picture;

 

Picture of my exhaust;

 

Picture of my exhaust;
Folks, I am sorry about the double post. I hate this computer.