Once I get fuel system problems sorted out, one of the first power improvement mods I want to do is a more free-flowing exhaust.

Which is better, dual 2.5" pipes exiting in front of the rear wheels, maybe with a crossover pipe at about the cross member, or a Y-pipe to join the two into one 3" pipe?

 

why not go with a "y" pipe and a single four? a lot off peeps on here seem to go that way.....

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...ification.html

 

use the link i just posted i have done the same thing to my truck and it works great it was pretty simple to do also

 

Been there, read that - which is why I'm wondering which is really better - the single 3" or the two 2.5". The 3" looks pretty simple, but cutting off the existing downpipes and installing two new 2.5" pipes and glasspacks exiting in front of the rear wheels would be at least as simple - maybe even more so. Wouldn't even need to remove the downpipes from the truck....

 

The only problem with true duals is the front fuel tank and the drivers side exhaust pipe.

I have seen it done by crossing outside the frame, but where the exhaust crosses under the frame by the rear of the front spring would not be a good option if you are serious about off roading like I am.

I also realize that only 1 in 10,000 trucks will ever see anything close to the places I go rather often.

 

I am a little confused about all the options to redo the exhaust. also what is the advantage of a crossover pipe? If i was to do two 2.5's what would be the best place to attach the new pipes to? the existing downpipe? The article linked sounds great but i honestly can't make sense of it.

 

I have true 3inch dual exhaust, it was a tight fit, they run side by side...even the muffler guys didn't think they could do it but they did it! Cheaper, if you are going single, go 4inch with 3inch down pipes from the exhaust manifold. lol

 

also this may not even be possible but what if i used a flexible tubing for the exhuast down pipe?

 

Flex tubing is not a good option.
All the ridges inside the pipe add to the restriction.

You can not attach a 2.5 inch ID pipe to the exhaust manifolds, it will not fit the clamps. So what you have to do is attach the 2.5" to the stock downpipes.
The closer to the manifold you attach the 2.5" pipe to the downpipes the better you are.

Any good muffler shop can swedge a given pipe size bigger to attach it to a larger pipe. So if you want to run 3" duals, start at the 2.25" downpipe close to the manifold and start swedging the pipe larger till you can attach the 3" pipe.

Basicly what the link did was cut the downpipes apart, then it tied both stock downpipes back into a 3" single exhaust. This is a lot better than attaching the 3" to the back of the Y pipe because of the short piece of 2.25" pipe that both downpipes would have to run through before it got to the 3" pipe after the Y.

Hope that makes sense.

 

i'm personally not a fan of duals... don't ask me why. i just threw a banks y-pipe and hooked the 3 1/2" hypermax exhaust up to it. the difference is NIGHT AND DAY. plus... i got the y-pipe used for $75 from someone and the exhaust for $225 from hypermax. can't beat that.

 

I understand why the setup gives you better flow-im just confused as to what original parts are being used again.

I know the 3 inch pipe was not stock and i know the 45 degree bend was not stock. The other piece of 2.25 used on there obviously is from a part of the stock exhaust-but which one? also the small part stuck on the end of the 45 degree bend?
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I had single 3inch, then went to duals...big difference but thats another $400.00 that could of went to a turbo?!!

 

If I were doing a NA exhaust again I would find a good muffler shop first.
Then I would cut about 4 or 5 inchs from the exhaust manifold on both sides.
Trash everything except the 4" pieces and the manifold clamps.
Weld 2.5" pipe to the pieces you have left.
Then rebuild the exhaust out of 2.5" pipe for the Y and into 3" or bigger pipe from the Y to the back.

A good muffler shop can make a better Y pipe where the downpipes come together like the tubes on a header going into the collector. That way the eaxhaust is all going in the same direction in the bigger pipe.

 

Dave, the guys I went to built it from the exhaust manifold down, did a very nice job...if I ever get a hold of a ditigal camera, I've have take some pictures of my baby!!