I had my muffler and tailpipe replaced today and have some questions.

I have a 2002 EB250 with a 5.4 Triton motor. This is my first Ford, and first van. I always felt the exhaust was too loud and planned to take up the floor and put in some sound deadner. Additionally, I chased around a rattle in the back, which improved with balancing the tires. However, once front end and brake rebuild were completed the rattle was back. Turns out, the muffler is bad, broken welds at both pipes. It is a flow master.

The Tech at the shop said I had 3 choices, #1 stock, which is quietest, less flow. #2 FlowMaster again, which is loudest, but provides best flow. OR #3, DynaMax which is kinda in between. I chose #3, thinking it would be best of both worlds.

Once completed, I could tell no difference in the sound at lower speeds, but was clearly quieter on the highway. Is that possible, to replace a flow master with a dynamax and have it make as much noise as a damaged flow master? Seems odd to me.

Consider also, there are some damaged high door weatherstrips, but doubt that has anything to do with noise coming through the floor.

I'm set up to replace the DynaFlow with a stock muffler on Monday AM, because I would rather listen to my radio than talk over a cool sounding, but loud exhaust.

I am hoping for some input from folks that have various types of mufflers. Keep the dynaflow and put in some sound deadner?
Replace with stock so it's quieter?

Heck I have yet to remove engine cover and some noise may be coming through there. I also suspect there may be a leak at the manifold, but that shouldn't cause such a loud noise at muffler, right?

Recommendations and experiences appreciated.

I posted this question on the SportMobile Forum, and was told a 5.4 Trton should have a 2.5 in tailpipe, but mine is a 3 "! Could that have anything to do with it?

Wandering Bob

 

Some years back I had a conversion van with a 4.6.
I thought it would sound good and benefit from a performance muffler.
I had a Series 40 Flowmazter installed.
The drone in the van was horrible.
My current van with the 5.4 stock system is just fine.

 

I just drove my van a few hours and it really is better than it was, but I am leaning towards going back to stock,

I see your present van is stock, but I am wondering is he put on a 2 3/4" stock pipe instead of the 3 in, it would be better. I guess I'll never know, because they will prolly only change it once. Will report back.

Thanks,
Wandering Bob

 

Stock muffler for me. The small benefit, if any you get from a louder muffler, isn't worth the annoying noise, in my opinion.

 

I would agree----but then again I'm well past that age where being loud to be noticed was my main vehicular concern.

Honestly the Ford exhaust system is pretty much engineered for van performance, the PCM dictates that level of performance so changing anything (except the PCM programming) results in very little to no gains in any parameter of "performance". In some cases going against Ford's original design can hurt "performance" and possibly affect MPG's or other things as well.

In over 10 years ownership of various E-Series vans I'd had near zero issues with any part of the exhaust systems. Most of my vans have been well over 200K miles either when I bought them or currently. Ford uses stainless steel which makes their exhaust parts more costly up front but considering my vans average 15 years old that cost is amortized over long enough period its worth it. Its one less thing I have to worry about fixing in the near future.