i was wondering why some mustangs sound so dam good. they have the same engine as a truck, so can i make my truck sound like one? if so how exactly would you build the exhaust?

 

Depends on which Mustangs you are talking about, some have tuned exhaust from the factory. Also I am sure the length of the whole system has some to do with it along with them being duals whereas our trucks are singles. I guess you could throw a Shelby or Bullitt muffler on and see how it sounds, would be an interesting experiment.

 

well some mustangs have the 4.6 and i have heard its the same motor in the trucks. even though the moter should be the same with little diferences between ci.

 

well i am not a mustang guy but i knoew some have the 4.6, i have the 4.6 so i fugured it was the same. when you say factory tuned exhaust, what do you mean?

 

It is all in the bends in the pipe as well as length of the system. Magnaflow mufflers are the best thing going for flow and sound.

 

The motors are also tuned different. If I'm not mistaken they also have differnent cams.

 

The exhaust on a Mustang has two equal length exhaust runs that are tuned for a specific sound. Ford used to spend up to 5 years developing the exhaust for the Mustang to make it sound just right (of course thats a relative term). It is extremely difficult to replicate this on a truck. You can have very good sounding trucks don't get me wrong, but its not easy to to equal length runs on a truck because of where the gas tank is located. Since the drivers side has to cross over to the passenger side, you get unequal exhaust lengths, which makes it sound different from a Mustang. The best alternate solution is to run a single muffler with dual outlets. This balances the sound better. It also helps build more low end torque, which is needed to help get the extra weight of a truck off the line.

Your question is a complex one, and I don't think there is a right answer. the closest I can tell you is that making a truck sound like a Mustang would be very difficult, but the guys here are right, with the right mufflers, you can make a truck sound very good.

For the record, you can get better flow and sound than a Magnaflow. I've had two Magnaflows in the past, didn't like either of them. They sound good when new, then as they get old they can start sounding ratty because the guts settle and break down. They also wrinkle their inner pipe when they bend it for the standard offset center configuration. Its cause they are too cheap to mandrel bend it where they figure you won't see. A mandrel formed inner tube will outflow one that has been wrinkled.

 

More questionable advice...

The Magnaflow muffler fitted to my truck is a straight through design, no wrinkles???

ALL muffler packing settles with time. Where the notion that Magnaflow is too cheap comes from is beyond me. They are MUCH better built than most with SS construction. Go ahead, run a Flowmaster till it rusts out.

Oh wait... you didn't have any advice on what to do, just what not to do

 

Ok, what to do is to take the stock gas tank out, mount a new one in the bed, and route the exhaust however you want. A lot of effort for a Mustang sound.

Where my notion that Magnaflows are junk is my bad experiences with three of them combined with my growing collection pictures that I've accumulated.

I don't rip into the Flowmasters, largely because they don't try to claim their units are lifetime guaranteed. They make their product out of aluminized steel. They don't try to conceal this fact, or make you believe you are getting anything else. They still last at least 5-7 years in areas with hard winters.

The only way you get a Magnaflow with no wrinkles is if you get a center inlet, center out configuration. This is not the configuration used by a stock system. All OE designed use an offset inlet, center outlet. This design shifts the pipe over to clear suspension components and the rear axle. Custom exhausts will sometimes move away from this design, which works well enough, but is not as neatly tucked as the stock setup. When magnaflow builds their offset/center design, they have to make two bends. They wrinkle both bends, which creates turbulence. This turbulence creates a raspy sound, which may not be that noticed unless you compare it to a muffler that is mandrel formed.

Magnaflow goes through great lengths to make the product look perfect where you see it, but they go through equally great lengths to cut corners where you do not.

For the record, there are mufflers that do not deteriorate or settle over time, at least not over the lifespan of a vehicle. There are mufflers that carry real lifetime warranties, not this lifetime of the muffler, limited warranty crap.

Magnaflow has refused to warranty any of my mufflers. They claim an increase in sound to unacceptable levels is normal.

 

You can give Bear River a try with their Wicked Flow muffler. It is similar to a Magnaflow but apparently stronger and will not increase in sound do to the packing settling (so I'm told). I have had one on my truck for 4 months now and it seems great so far. Sounds good, looks brand new still. I'll see what a salt filled winter will do to it though.

Flowmasters around here last 1-2 years before they rust right out. I would stay away from them. I do not prefer their sound or lack of performance compared to a straight through design. I like magnaflows but have heard of them failing and people having warranty issues. The Wicked Flow was a good buy for the price, and seems like a very well built muffler.

 

My Magnaflow is center in, center out. It looks as if it could have been a factory install. No problems with clearance or increased sound levels.

 

well relocating the gas tank is not a problem. i have plans in the future to intall a turbo and i will need the space. also i have ordred some cams, but i want that really badass exhaust note. i have used magnaflows and flowmaster on my 03 dodge 5.7 hemi and i wasnt really impressed. installed a cherry bomb extreme and i relly like that sound. i just wanted to know why mustangs sound so good and if i could make my truck sound like that, you know turn some heads