I don't know Adam from Exhausts. Can someone give me a rundown of the different types? Stainless? 409? Aluminized? What is the life expectancy of these? Is there a performance difference? Thanks. You guys always steer me in the right direction.

Danny

 

Google MBRP, their homepage has a good writeup on it if I'm not mistaken.

 

409 is a type of stainless if memory serves. Stainless is a way of putting nickel in the mix while making steel to keep it from rusting.

Aluminizing is putting aluminum on top of the steel.

I'd go with stainless if I were you. That way even if it gets scraped by something it won't rust. With aluminized it could start rusting if you somehow knocked off the aluminum coating. Plus aluminum does rust and over time becomes brittle, not sure if it would flake off at that point or not.

 

If you want to spend the cash go S.S. You can still get good qaulity aluminum for alot more reasonable price.

 

Depending on where you live:
Alluminum 3-5 years
409 SS 7-10 years
304 SS 15+ years.

Now, if you lived in New Mexico or a similar climate where things just dont rust, even alluminized would last 10+ years. If like me, your in Pennsylvania...or similar.....alluminized would start to show some rust at a couple years. The 409 will not really rust out under most conditions, rather it will tarnis to a light surface rust. The 304 will be nearly new looking for many years. I have 409 SS on my 7.3 and its about 6 years old, it does not even have the surface rust on it yet, but it is very dull looking. My 304 SS tips look like new after a quick rub with some polish. I have MBRP on one truck, Flow Master American Thunder system on another, and BullyDog on another. All are 409, and all are holding up fine...even with the extreme salt we use around here. The 304 is more for the guy who wants his truck to look perfect at all times, and does not want to see tarnished 409 SS pipes. You pay the price to go to the 304, the 409 is really very affordable....even compared to the alluminized. If your familiar with Galvanizing, than you should understand the alluminized pipe, it is a standard carbon steel base material coated with an alluminum layer to prevent premature rust.

 

dannyo,

Check our site, lots of specific detail on materials and features you won't find other places.

www.dieselperformanceparts.com

Mark @ DPPI

 

So, what is the factory exhaust made from? Is it aluminized? It seems like those last more than just a few years.

 

yes, some say it's stainless 409, but they never were that brilliant and shiny from the factory like that. i know my stock system wasn't stainless because it wasn't that hard, and it had the aluminized finish but a few years weathered, it was just rust. the stock exhaust on my 2006 work truck and the 04 dump truck (soon to be an 06) are both aluminized.

 

the stock system on my truck was 409 it was pretty rusted after 200,000 miles though. i put my 409 system on in january and it is already rusted

 

Your 409 SS system is rust coated in 4 months? That is very out of the ordinary. What brand is it?

 

i have an mbrp. its not completely rusted but there are rust spots all over it i thought it would have lasted longer than it has. i had an aluminum system on my gasser and after a year there was much less rust on it than my 409 has in 4 months.

 

That's where I saw it Mark. Couldn't remember it. Thanks.

 

That's because rust is a term for oxidizing iron. Aluminum does not rust. It does oxidize but not like iron. If you scratch that aluminized pipe, the iron below will oxidize/rust. SS is an iron alloy consisting of other metals to inhibit (but not prevent) rust. Everything oxidizes. You're doing it reading this post. Now wasn't that exciting?

 

I have your 5" aluminized system on my truck and it's great. It still looks like the day I put it on - no rust at all.
If you live in an area where they salt the roads in wintertime, then the SS system is a requirement if you want it to last. All other places go with the aluminized.