I just got a "new" 2000 f150 5.4l the other day, and I am looking to do something with the exhaust system on a budget, think 200$ at the most.. I am hoping to get a sound similar to this: 2001 Ford F150 with Flowmaster 50 Series Exhaust - YouTube however that product seems to be discontinued.. any ideas on what I could put in myself?

I'm not exactly the most car-savvy person around, but I like to think that I could possibly do the system myself.. any ideas on how difficult it would be?

 

Any of the cat-back kits on the market should be easy to install with basic hand tools. Summit Racing.com has lots of different brands. Cheapest route is to cut out the old muffler and add a new one.

 

Would putting in a catback potentially increase my mileage?

Also, does the size of the tubing do anything besides decrease back pressure?

 

It might give you 1/2 mpg. Problem is that it sounds good so you're in the go pedal more often... lol Once the tubing size gets too big it won't support flow. Really a 5.4L only needs dual 2.25's 2.5's at the most. Won't really matter with a cat-back cuz the cats, manifolds etc keep the backpressure up.

 

I went to a couple of shops today and asked about putting in a system. Both of the shops said that getting a flowmaster 40 series and stainless tips would be around $400. Is this reasonable? I've never had exhaust work done before so I am not sure what price range I should be expecting.

 

You can really pay anything you want for an exhaust system.....i've seen guys pay $1,000 because "it's stainless steel". To start with, the oem system is stainless........a stick of stainless pipe, 2 1/2" diamter is about $40 wholesale, so with twin tailpipes the guys got $80 in materials. Muffler, flow sell retail at about $80 each, throw in the SS tips at $50 each retail...you can add this up from here.

Now lets talk about mufflers, i know you want a flow master for sound quality, but take a look at these flow numbers for flowmaster, they really are not all that great for the price you are paying:


broaderperformance.com/muffler_flow_tests.htm (Independently tested cfm flows of the more popular mufflers, glasspacks and resonators @ 15” wc:
2 ½” diameter straight pipe 521
2 ¼” diameter straight pipe 365
2” diameter straight pipe 283
2 ¼” diameter tailpipe 268
2 ¼” round glasspack- no louvers 274
2 ¼” round glasspack- with inward punched louvers 133
2 ¼” round glasspack- inward punched louvers/installed backwards 141
2 ½” inlet/outlet Dynomax SuperTurbo 268
2 1/4” inlet/outlet Thrush CVX 260
2 ½” inlet/outlet Flowmaster 2-chamber 249
2 ¼” inlet/2 ½”outlet Cherry Bomb turbo 249
2 ¼” inlet/outlet Flowmaster 3-chamber 229
2 ¼” inlet/2 ½”outlet Maremount Super C (OEM Replacement) 149
2 ¼” inlet/2” dual outlet Maremount 183
2 ¼” inlet/outlet California Turbo 229
2 ½” inlet/outlet Hooker Aerochamber 324
2 ½” inlet/outlet Hooker MaxFlow 521
2 ¼” inlet/outlet Maremount Cherrybomb Vortex 298
2 ½” inlet center/outlet offset Borla Turbo 373


Allied, Edelbrock, Borla, Magnaflow, Hooker All of which use packing material which although is not fiberglass (as no one has used in 20 years), they each use a sound material absorbing design. Even conventional "glass packs" are proven in flow testing to out perform many of the so-called "Free Flowing Real Mufflers". While there are mufflers that will out flow a glass pack design, it also depends on the design. Does the glasspack use "louvers or perforations" - Louvers reduce the flow by as much as 50% but Allied resonators (that sell for $40 each and available at any muffler shop) installed in independent test flowed 90%+ of a "race spec muffler". Others using other brands consistently showed similar results.
Exhaust system material thickness should be no less than 16 gauge- double-walled pipe was commonly available through the 1970’s until manufacturers began seeking ways to reduce costs. Many of the “Muffler Chains” who marketed lifetime warranties always used double-walled pipe before “stainless steel” became the “in-crowd”. If a shop had it available, I would choose double-walled aluminized coated steel or 14 gauge stainless steel (depending on environmental conditions or personal tastes) - it is very quiet, solid and in terms of costs, pipe is pretty cheap, depending on length, 16 gauge aluminum coated runs about $11 to $20 wholesale (depending on diameter), stainless about double for the same gauge.

Realistically, is $400 out of range for a "name Brand Label" exhaust system- no; Can you get an exhaust system that is "no-name" that performs, sounds, etc exactly the same if not better for about 40% less- Yes!

 

I wish you wouldn't say that no one uses fiberglass. Most companies are to cheap to use fiberglass, but there are some.

 

That is a lot of information that i tried to comprehend but I think that I missed some of it. I haven't really done much research on my own as i just got my truck recently and haven't had a car that i have cared to have modifications done on before.

Beechkid, if it were your truck what would you do? I want to stick with si/do muffler with the SS tips, but what type of muffler would you consider to be comparable to a flowmaster super 44 that would save me some cash. Keep in mind that I have limited access to tools at the moment due to going to school.

 

Any of the straight through mufflers. Magnaflow, Dynomax etc.

 

Allied resonators.....they are available in just about any size, length, etc and available (sticked0 at just about any muffler shop- very well built, last 10+ years without any issues or drone. They are a straight through design....similar to any race muffler such as magnflow, etc. Cost around $40 each depending on the size (could be alittle cheaper or a little more)....

A 3" diameter can be installed directly to the existing oem head pipe, to save $ (and have the same flow)...I would go with a 24" to 30" length (have em drop the pipe & hold the resonators up there while you start the truck & rev the engine to see just exactly what you like tone/noise level wise. Now you can either run a single 3" tailpipe or have the shop make a wye and run duel tailpipes out......

Cost for the system.....

IMHO...

Resonator installed....$80
Single tailpipe........$50 to $80
Duel tailpipe..........$150

Plus your chrome or stainless steel tip. You should be able to get out the door as low as $150 (depending on the tip you choose)

 

You're right...I should say the majority of the major mfgs do not fiberglass as the primary sound absorbing material.