Ok guys... i have been reading alot of posts about exhaust here and its something i plan on getting soon so i have a couple questions for anyone with knowledge they are willing to share...
I have picked up that the most popular exhaust here is either the 40 series Flowmaster or Gibson exhaust. also i think i have picked up that the flowmaster has a more aggressive sound. heres my questions; which of these two has better performance... and that can mean lower end torque or higher speeds later right? which is best for which or is there a difference? also its my understanding that the larger the exhaust 3 + inches is a bad thing because of the low pressure it makes. i understand that i think, so do you guys think 3" is too big or what are the limits on that? i guess im looking for the good medium that isnt too restrictive or too large. One more question i had that kind of relates to exhaust has to do with headers. i know they are connected somehow but the truth is i dont know cause im a newb when it comes to this? i think the bigger the headers the bigger the exhaust should be and vise versa? yes no? also was wondering about dual vs. single... i read a pervious thread about it and it made it sound as if a 3" single is about the same as 2" duals? if thats true, is the only difference the looks or is there performance or sound involved?

sorry about the grind of questions guys but i'd like to get this down. thanks

 

IMO the Flowmaster sounds best but the Gibson has better flow characteristics and so probably better performance. Either after market system easily outperforms the stock exhaust. Selecting an exhaust system always requires a little trade-off on either high or low end so you should consider your driving style.

If you drive mostly in the low to mid-range RPM’s go with a standard 2.25 or 2.5 inch single muffler cat-back system. This type of system gives the best performance for typical driving at the cost of a small loss in high RPM performance.

If you really wind it up before shifting you might want to consider duels. Duels maximize mid to high-range performance at the cost of a small loss in low RPM performance. Duels are not available as a kit and you will have to have a muffler shop fabricate one for you or weld it up yourself.

A good rule of thumb for headers is to size the exhaust pipe to match the discharge diameter of the collector.

 

magnaflow is also another good choice. straight through design gives you maximum flow, and there are no baffles to break. i believe magnaflow and gibson are at the top of the list in cfm flow rates while flowmaster is near the bottom. plus the magnaflow sounds better than the gibson or the flowmaster. IMHO.

 

Yea, I have read good things about Magnaflow’s performance. I will probably try them the next time I need exhaust. Another option is the Dynomax race bullets. I hear they have good flow and really aggressive sound.

 

i have a 5.0 in my ranger so i get to hear all the mustang guys talking about their exhaust systems all the time. Most of them start off with the magnaflow and then change to the flow 40's. they say that not only is the sound better but it's way better performance wise as well

 

Well I have dual 2.5 inch exhaust with Flowmaster 40’s and I think it performs pretty well. However, in bench testing of the various major players the flowmaster’s rated fairly low. I believe the Flowmaster 40 only free flowed 435 CFM. I’m pretty sure an N.A. 4.2 V6 generates around 480 CFM max flow, so while I have surplus capacity with my duels (2 X 435 CFM), a single Flowmaster would be creating some high end back pressure.

I like this exhaust stuff, it always generates good discussion!

 

ahh conflicting ideas) hah thats what im looking for though! thanks for the posts guys, keep em coming

 

I have a single 40 series flowmaster and I have no complaints so far. It sounds and runs great. I there is another muffler out there that flows better, goody. I'll stick my my flowmaster for now.

 

come on guys! i know more people than that have aftermarket exhaust... let me know what you have and why you like/dislike it.

 

all i will say is that when i installed my magnaflow it felt like more than the advertised hp increase. it really made a difference.