My muffler went out friday has a slice about 4 inches long on the side. I went to the muffler shop today and he said it is unusal for them to rust out beccause they are stainless. The rest of the system looks ok. Has anyone else have problems with them rusting out or is the muffler the only thing that 's not stainless. I have 71000 miles on it. His books doesn't show a stock replacement for it so he is going to put a regular truck muffler on it that will fit.

 

Make sure the replacement muffler is a chambered unit...and not a flow through design. The chambered units help with preventing the famous V10 drone...due to its firing order.

IMO...you might ask for them to install a FlowMaster 70 series muffler. This is about as close to stock in sound from the aftermarket world.

Sorry...but not sure what the exhaust system is make of. I didn't think they were stainless until the '05 and beyond Model years.

Good luck...

biz

 

The whole system is 409 stainless (Or other 400 series stainless) even on the 99'-04' SD.

400 series stainless will rust, however it is very resistant to rusting through and usually just accumulates a slight surface rust.

You might have gotten a poor quality muffler from the factory because it should not have rusted out on you at 71k.

 

Yeah, the 400 series stainless has a lot of carbon in it. It's still vulnerable to salt and such if you happen to live where the roads may have been treated. Also acids, the road type (from leaky vessels, tankers, etc.), can affect the exposed surfaces...but it takes quite a bit unless you happened to get a muffler that slipped past the inspector.

 

The V10's firing order is a nice even firing order, bank-to-bank...

The issue, I believe, is the exhaust valve timing being 72 degrees apart - more overlap in exhaust pulses.

 

Thanks for the information.

BigOrn
I live in central Ohio and they started treating the roads with a salt and water solution they put it on when snow is forcasted it stays on until it snows or wears off in a couple of days. That cannot help the exhaust system or the cars finish.

 

DING! Thanks for the correction. I went and read it again...and gosh...what was I thinking?


biz

 

I just remember a few years back when this was being said over and over again, and it's just a misnomer...

Thanks Biz!

 

I have the same issue. I was looking at replacing from the cat back. Anyone have any recommendations? It doesn't need to be anything better then stock in sound or performance. Just looking for a good kit that will hold up to Ohio road salt.

 

A 304 S.S. exhaust will never rust out on you.

304 stainless has high contents of chromium and nickel which makes it one of the most corrosion resistant stainless steels available (316 and 321 being most)

The 409 series stainless that many "stainless" systems are made out of are cheaper because they do not contain much of the expensive nickel and chromium alloys. 400 series stainless in general has a high amount of carbon which allows it to be hardened or heat treated.

Long story short a 304 stainless cat-back will last the longest in your situation.

I believe Borla has a 304 system as well as a couple other companies.

 

If you were driving a diesel it would be lubed from the inside and last forever.

 

LMBOFAO!!!!