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I have been running the standard Flowmaster 44 mufflers for some time and would like something a bit quieter. Magnaflow is what I was looking at, but the muffler shop near me said they are getting harder to find and have the Flow FX. Has anyone here used the Flow FX with their 460 and how do you like them? I don't want it to sound like a modern Mustang or Hell Cat. I honestly think they sound cheep. I'm old school I guess and like a natural exhaust note, not synthesized and sounding like you have a pillow stuck in the exhaust pipe with a bunch of little firecrackers going off. I remember the old turbo mufflers and they sounded great. Flowmaster 44s sound good, but too lowed and suck power and fuel economy. Am I just being hard to get? [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7[/img] Is the standard Magnaflow the way to go if it's different from the Flow FX?
On my former '97 F250HD w/7.5L, the original muffler was single 3" in, dual 2-1/4 out. When the muffler got a rust hole (thanks to winter Ohio road salt), I replaced it with a Mganflow 7" round straight-through stainless 3" in/out and a new 3" stainless tail. Muffler-forward was still the stock 3" in/out single catalyst,. Still quiet at normal speeds, but a bit louder low tone if I'd get on it a bit.
My latest truck is getting the same cat-back as the previous truck (3" in/out cat, 3" in/out Magnaflow, single 3" tail), but it is also getting a new pre-cat addition of mid-length headers and Y-pipe. I don't feel the need to run duals on a truck - the stock 3" system is plenty - and flows the same or better than most duals. The 5.8L first gen Lightning got factory duals, and that bundle-of-snakes system is a PITA to work around- not enough clearance between trans and frame rails for the cats, mufflers, etc...
FWIW, here's pics of the components laying on the ground - stock system vs my more rowdy sounding engine/exhaust. Engine got some mild internal mods (compression bumped up to 9.5:1, and a mild 'computer-compatible' camshaft, and was converted to '96-97 7.5L CA-emissions EEC-V- Sequential Mass-Air SEFI. A BONUS is that configuration does not require AIR pump and associated hoses, checkvalves, etc. The engine got mid-length headers and y-pipe to the stock catalyst, then 3" single on back. 3" in/out stainless Magnaflow 13742 straight-through 24" body muffler, and a stainless 3" mandrel bent DynoMax 55082 tailpipe with a polished tip (OEM fitment for that tailpipe was for a Dodge Dakota(!) ) - comes out at a 45° angle to the rear like the newer SuperDuty..
Muffler tailpipe top view
Muffler tailpipe side view
Headers Y-pipe side view
Headers Y-pipe top view
*Edit* - I forgot to mention that the DNA Motoring headers/y-pipe are polished 304 Stainless steel
The stock replacement catalyst (less than 1000 miles on it after I installed it 7 years ago!) was retained because I live in a testing area, but it did get a new 3" stainless pipe between the cat and the Muffler
Last edited by cougrrcj; Jun 12, 2026 at 06:57 PM.
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