When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
In tracking down exhaust smells that were making their way into the interior cabin I found leaks at both ends of the stock muffler pipe
joints.
We use the Ex for long trips with the kids and often towing a camper so I’d like opinions on what would be the best option for the least amount of exhaust noise and secondarily better mileage/performance:
(a) seal the leaks with exhaust putty/tape
(b) delete the muffler
(c) replace the muffler
any specific product recommendations for (b) and (c) would be much appreciated.
I put a 4" Magnaflo and then an Aeroturbine 4040 XL muffler. It's a little louder for sure and has some drone at lower RPM's but it has helped with MPG's (about 2) especially with towing my boat over the stock system.
Diamond eye is about the best deal for exhaust kits. You can get them with or without a muffler, Stainless or alumimized. I have had the 4" aluminized kit on for 5 years and it's still holding up fine. Straight piping or putting a high flow muffler on a 7.3 doesn't really make it much louder inside the cab, most of the noise from a 7.3 comes from the engine itself not the exhaust.
Diamond eye is about the best deal for exhaust kits. You can get them with or without a muffler, Stainless or alumimized. I have had the 4" aluminized kit on for 5 years and it's still holding up fine. Straight piping or putting a high flow muffler on a 7.3 doesn't really make it much louder inside the cab, most of the noise from a 7.3 comes from the engine itself not the exhaust.
Came to roughly the same conclusion after listening to sound clips all day. There seems to be some noticeable variation among the brands on the exterior sound and lots of reports of “drone” in some.
For now I’m going to patch the leaks and keep an eye out for a discount on a 4” kit (with a muffler) while I sample some local Ex/7.3 PSD experience.
Cut out the muffler and replace. I did this on both my F350 and the wifes Excursion. I went with a Walker Big Truck Muffler from the local auto parts store. It is still in good shape...I think it's galvanized of some sorts...after 18 years. I did the same with the Excursion, but went with the stainless Magnaflow. It is also still in good shape after 15 years, and I bought it used at the time. You will not hear any additional noise until you put your foot in it as both these mufflers are straight through designs...plus the turbo keeps it quiet. It will help EGT's, performance, and MPG.
I ran a 4 inch straight pipe for about 3 years. After 3 years, the drone was too much, especially on long road trips and while towing. I installed a 30 inch FTE resonator a couple of weeks ago to try and get rid of some of the drone. The resonator got rid of 99% of the drone and it is so much more pleasant to drive. It sounds almost stock on the inside, and still has a good tone on the outside. I went with MBRP when I first bought the straight pipe and don't have any regrets.
I stopped by the shop that does work for me and they suggested replacing the heat shields while I was replacing the exhaust system. When I went to check, one of the shields appears to be no longer available, the other I only found in a few places.
Any thoughts on whether it’s worth hunting these down?
I had a local exhaust shop cut my muffler out and install a delete for $60. Im thinking you could go this route and save some money. There is definitely a difference in sound. And if you have the passenger side rear window and vent window open you can really hear the difference. At first I didn't like it. My kids said it sounded like I had baseball cards in my tire spoke! 🤣🤣 It's grown on me and now I like it. Especially when I get on it and it really rumbles. I'll eventually go to a 4" exhaust with that aeroturbine 4040xl muffler, I just have some other projects that are going to come first.
