Getting Ready to Re-do My Exhaust, Opinions?

[mlara1129]

So i've been trying to put in my magnaflow hi-flow cats for months now, and for some reason or another it just keeps getting pushed back and back. I'm about to graduate and I'm not sure how much longer I'll have the LS (or this particular one, an 06 Ceramic Pearl LS V8 Turbo is still in my plans...Alex!) so i've decided to go big and just do my whole exhaust. 2.5" piping with some other goodies.

I have some questions, and would like to hear your thoughts and opinions.

My Current Set-up:

• Resonator delete, with magnaflow mufflers. Not sure which ones I have since i got them before my LVC days. Just walked into a shop and asked for a louder exhaust lol
• I like the tone, and the fact that its louder than stock, but its not loud enough IMO.

My Lincoln LS - YouTube


My goals for the new exhaust:

• Increase volume
• Keep the relatively same amount of performance. From what i've read Bassani and magnaflow give the best performance. So trying to stay away from Flowmasters
• Maybe get a different tone, like the bassanis

What i'm thinking about doing:

• Set in stone:
  - 2.5" magnaflow hi-flow cats
  - 2.5" piping from manifold back
• X-pipe:

- Either these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/39034187311...AX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_3681wt_952

-or for half the price:
http://performance-curve.com/3crossoverxpipe-1-1.aspx

Any benefit to getting the magnaflow x-pipe?

• Mufflers:

- Magnaflow magnapacks $120/ea
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnaflow-1...ies&hash=item519e207689&vxp=mtr#ht_5015wt_952
- Magnaflow magnapack XL $125 for 2?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/16069891839...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_2210wt_1026
- Bassani Universal Mufflers $115/ea
http://www.bassani.com/part/4820
- Bassani race mufflers $185/ea but i've found them for around $135/ea
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370502967697?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_922

• Tips

- Magnaflow 4" tips
- or for half the price, the vibrant ones.

I'm def leaning more towards the Bassanis. I like Alex's set-up but i'm not sure if they're loud enough for my taste though, maybe the bassani race ones? I also like the tone of the magnaflows, but i wouldnt mind them being louder. And supposedly they have the best performance so maybe the maganflow magnapacks? lol decisions decisions...

Thoughts?

 

[BlackLS06]

I kinda want a louder exhaust too.

I think those Bassani race mufflers will be the loudest.

 

[kaball]

When I went through the research for mine I ended up with the bassanis. I didnt want the magnaflow sound. They all sound the same to me. One car that has magnaflows sounds the same to me as the other. I plan on getting mine installed in the next month or two if you want to wait and hear how they sound.

on another note are you keeping you barcelonas if you get another LS?

 

[NYC LS8]

Definitely Bassanis. I had them with AeroTurbine resonators and an X pipe on my old '03. Car sounded euro-ish for a V8.

 

[mlara1129]

I kinda want a louder exhaust too.

I think those Bassani race mufflers will be the loudest.

It seems to be the normal progression lol. People try out the magnaflows. They like them. But soon they want to change it up to something louder.

When I went through the research for mine I ended up with the bassanis. I didnt want the magnaflow sound. They all sound the same to me. One car that has magnaflows sounds the same to me as the other. I plan on getting mine installed in the next month or two if you want to wait and hear how they sound.

on another note are you keeping you barcelonas if you get another LS?

Sure i look forward to that. If i had the Barcelonas by the time I got another LS then most likely yes i would keep them. I'm not getting another LS like next week tho lol

Definitely Bassanis. I had them with AeroTurbine resonators and an X pipe on my old '03. Car sounded euro-ish for a V8.

Your exhaust sound has always been one of my favorites. Any thoughts on the bassani race ones? Do you think i could get that same unique bassani tone/sound just louder?

 

[NickT88LSC]

The Bassani's have a good tone, for me I liked my car the best with a center dual in/out magnaflow and no rear mufflers, I was getting hassled from the cops and added the magnaflow bullet mufflers on the back. That was with stock cats, I am sure with high flow cats the result will be louder. I think I sent you the link to my friends shop in Ramsey NJ, ask Tommy about his work if you want more confirmation.

 

[05 LS8]

Magnaflows are known for best performance gains. Not the loudest, but i liked them on the last two cars.

I definitely wouldn't try to convert the whole system to 2.5 piping. You will loose back pressure, which will result in loss of torque.

 

[cammerfe]

A few thoughts:

If your cats are in good shape, you'll be changing simply for a difference in sound. There will be no performance improvement.

I have a full cat-back Magnaflow system on my '02 Sport and a pair of Bassanis and a hand-fabbed 'X' on my '63 F-100 ICB. Quality-wise, it's 6 of one and a half-dozen of the other.

For cat's sake, it's a LINCOLN. Overly noisy is 'ghetto', in the vernacular.

Messing with the exhaust is unlikely to make any demonstrable difference in performance. The first time I went to Maxton, I had the factory exhaust system. When I went back a month later, I had installed both the MF cat-back system and the intake ducting sold by Grayghost. Speed was exactly the same, to the hundredth of a MPH. NO CHANGE!!!

Backpressure is NEVER your friend. Anything to the contrary is an 'old-wive's-tale'. It's just not true. Look at it this way---If some is good, then more should be better! So shove a potato in each tailpipe and create infinite backpressure. Oh, wait a minute. With backpressure, the engine won't even run!!!

KS

 

[2002_lincolnLS]

A few thoughts:

If your cats are in good shape, you'll be changing simply for a difference in sound. There will be no performance improvement.

I have a full cat-back Magnaflow system on my '02 Sport and a pair of Bassanis and a hand-fabbed 'X' on my '63 F-100 ICB. Quality-wise, it's 6 of one and a half-dozen of the other.

For cat's sake, it's a LINCOLN. Overly noisy is 'ghetto', in the vernacular.

Messing with the exhaust is unlikely to make any demonstrable difference in performance. The first time I went to Maxton, I had the factory exhaust system. When I went back a month later, I had installed both the MF cat-back system and the intake ducting sold by Grayghost. Speed was exactly the same, to the hundredth of a MPH. NO CHANGE!!!

Backpressure is NEVER your friend. Anything to the contrary is an 'old-wive's-tale'. It's just not true. Look at it this way---If some is good, then more should be better! So shove a potato in each tailpipe and create infinite backpressure. Oh, wait a minute. With backpressure, the engine won't even run!!!

KS

I wish more people would understand this, I mean please anyone here please show how back-pressure can possible benefit an engine, why do you think drag cars run almost no exhaust. There is no part of the engine that backpressure helps

 

[BlackLS06]

A few thoughts:

If your cats are in good shape, you'll be changing simply for a difference in sound. There will be no performance improvement.

I have a full cat-back Magnaflow system on my '02 Sport and a pair of Bassanis and a hand-fabbed 'X' on my '63 F-100 ICB. Quality-wise, it's 6 of one and a half-dozen of the other.

For cat's sake, it's a LINCOLN. Overly noisy is 'ghetto', in the vernacular.

Messing with the exhaust is unlikely to make any demonstrable difference in performance. The first time I went to Maxton, I had the factory exhaust system. When I went back a month later, I had installed both the MF cat-back system and the intake ducting sold by Grayghost. Speed was exactly the same, to the hundredth of a MPH. NO CHANGE!!!

Backpressure is NEVER your friend. Anything to the contrary is an 'old-wive's-tale'. It's just not true. Look at it this way---If some is good, then more should be better! So shove a potato in each tailpipe and create infinite backpressure. Oh, wait a minute. With backpressure, the engine won't even run!!!

KS

Its his car and his money...i think he is allowed to modify the exhaust as he see's fit. You modified your vehicle with a roll-cage and its not a race car is it? Same aspect.

I know i wont get more performance with a louder exhaust but i still want it louder. Its not gonna sound like a cammed pushrod motor so whats the problem??

Everybody has different tastes and individual expressions. If i feel like putting pink fuzzy dice in my car i will.

I wish more people would understand this, I mean please anyone here please show how back-pressure can possible benefit an engine, why do you think drag cars run almost no exhaust. There is no part of the engine that backpressure helps

Theres lots of contradictions to this. I really dont know the answer but the way i see it if i bought my car i will do what i please with it. I dont care if its a Lincoln, its a sports sedan and not a town car. I see too many posts on this forum telling everybody not to do this and that...well frankly we are nobody to decide what goes on someone elses vehicle.

Yes i agree with keeping it somewhat classy but again i don't want to be stock.

Apologies if i offend anyone but i just needed to get this off my chest.

 

[Alax7]

On video you may think the bassani's are too quiet but the volume is great.

I do wonder how the bassani race mufflers would sound, but I think it might be too loud for me.

Definitely go with a pair of bassani's, either race or the reg universal ones.

 

[BlackLS06]

mlara are you looking for more of a mustang type sound??

I would love to have that cobra sound but i dont think its possible with any type of exhaust on this vehicle. Even a 4.6 sohc is louder than this damn engine.

 

[2002_lincolnLS]

Its his car and his money...i think he is allowed to modify the exhaust as he see's fit. You modified your vehicle with a roll-cage and its not a race car is it? Same aspect.

I know i wont get more performance with a louder exhaust but i still want it louder. Its not gonna sound like a cammed pushrod motor so whats the problem??

Everybody has different tastes and individual expressions. If i feel like putting pink fuzzy dice in my car i will.


Theres lots of contradictions to this. I really dont know the answer but the way i see it if i bought my car i will do what i please with it. I dont care if its a Lincoln, its a sports sedan and not a town car. I see too many posts on this forum telling everybody not to do this and that...well frankly we are nobody to decide what goes on someone elses vehicle.

Yes i agree with keeping it somewhat classy but again i don't want to be stock.

Apologies if i offend anyone but i just needed to get this off my chest.

I wasn't telling anyone what to do with their car at all I was stating just the concept of back-pressure. I will say that anyone should do what ever they please to their car but do expect criticism when you ask for opinions, but no one should be telling one not to do something unless it is bad idea (dangerous) and it has already been experienced like I will tell everyone on here do not drive with flat tires, I don't care if its your car its not a good idea

 

[BlackLS06]

No doubt im just saying in general we should not discourage exhaust. Its not something dangerous for the vehicle if done correctly (aka no cats and high levels of co2 gases) and its all a matter of personal preference.

 

[2002_lincolnLS]

No doubt im just saying in general we should not discourage exhaust. Its not something dangerous for the vehicle if done correctly (aka no cats and high levels of co2 gases) and its all a matter of personal preference.

Yes after spending an afternoon in the ER for co poisoning I will never allow anyone to cut off their cats other than to replace them

 

[mlara1129]

OK guys i just wanted to clarify, my reasons for going 2.5" have nothing to do with adding back-pressure. Althought adding back pressure may or may not be involved by doing so, i just wanted my car to breathe a little better. I thought many have gone with 2.5" piping from the cats back with not issues?

I think I sent you the link to my friends shop in Ramsey NJ, ask Tommy about his work if you want more confirmation.

Yup got all the info. That's were i'm going to get everything done. I talked to him on the phone and he said he could work with me. I actually went this past saturday to try to get my cats put in, but i didn't know he didn't work saturdays lol so 40 minute drive for nothing.

I definitely wouldn't try to convert the whole system to 2.5 piping. You will loose back pressure, which will result in loss of torque.

Again i thought many have done the 2.5" piping with no issues?

On video you may think the bassani's are too quiet but the volume is great.

I do wonder how the bassani race mufflers would sound, but I think it might be too loud for me.

Definitely go with a pair of bassani's, either race or the reg universal ones.

Yea i'm afraid the race will be annoyingly loud. On a scale from 1-10 how much louder would you say the bassanis are than the magnaflows?

mlara are you looking for more of a mustang type sound??

I would love to have that cobra sound but i dont think its possible with any type of exhaust on this vehicle. Even a 4.6 sohc is louder than this damn engine.

Not really going for a mustang type, although i do love their sounds. Specially the cobras.

I just want something that sounds good, maybe unique, and louder than magnaflows

 

[RodLS]

I'd like to hear your exhaust when its done. I currently have 2.5" from the cats back with Magnaflow mufflers and a X pipe. It sounds really good but sometimes its just a bit too quiet.

I really wish these engines would sound like the 4.6.

 

[Jrt1418]

x pipe for sale

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=82056. I currently have a 2.5inch exhaust with flowmaster 10s. It idles fairly quiet but sounds like straight pipes when I get on it. It seems to have lost just a little bit of the low end torque though. They mounted my x pipe just before the location of the resonators on mine so the bassani x pipe would have been too tight of a fit. If you are putting new cats on, you can mount this closer to the engine so clearence will be no issue.

 

[coleio1]

i left factory cats and added magnaflow tru x 2.5 xpipe. 2.5 pipe no resonators and universal bassani mufflers with 4 in tips. i like the sound of what i got with the exhaust and the k&n intake.

 

[05 LS8]

A few thoughts:

If your cats are in good shape, you'll be changing simply for a difference in sound. There will be no performance improvement.

I have a full cat-back Magnaflow system on my '02 Sport and a pair of Bassanis and a hand-fabbed 'X' on my '63 F-100 ICB. Quality-wise, it's 6 of one and a half-dozen of the other.

For cat's sake, it's a LINCOLN. Overly noisy is 'ghetto', in the vernacular.

Messing with the exhaust is unlikely to make any demonstrable difference in performance. The first time I went to Maxton, I had the factory exhaust system. When I went back a month later, I had installed both the MF cat-back system and the intake ducting sold by Grayghost. Speed was exactly the same, to the hundredth of a MPH. NO CHANGE!!!

Backpressure is NEVER your friend. Anything to the contrary is an 'old-wive's-tale'. It's just not true. Look at it this way---If some is good, then more should be better! So shove a potato in each tailpipe and create infinite backpressure. Oh, wait a minute. With backpressure, the engine won't even run!!!

KS

A few facts:

Too big of an exhaust pipe causes power loss, because a big pipe has less exhaust stream velocity than a smaller pipe. That is why i said it will result in some loss of torque.

Since we are talking about potatos, lets discuss garden hoses....

A garden hose with water flowing through it without a nozzle = slow rate
A garden hose with your finger against the opening = much faster rate

I wish more people would understand this, I mean please anyone here please show how back-pressure can possible benefit an engine, why do you think drag cars run almost no exhaust. There is no part of the engine that backpressure helps

I don't know...never got an arousal watching bunch of men making boring quarter mile runs, to find out.
Just because they do it, doesn't mean it's right.

 

[Stopsign002]

I'm not a car expert, but I do understand physics very well, and it doesn't make sense that back pressure could ever help an engine. The speed at which the exhaust travels after it leaves the engine doesnt matter, as long as it doesnt try to go back in (which is what back pressure is basically causing).

Heres some more information that definitely seems to support this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aftermarket_exhaust_parts). The easier the engine can get rid of its exhaust (the easiest way being straight pipe), the better it would be for the engine (says physics at least). Maybe there is something I don't know about though I suppose

 

[marcredd]

Waiting.....waiting....waiting......

 

[Stopsign002]

A few facts:

Too big of an exhaust pipe causes power loss, because a big pipe has less exhaust stream velocity than a smaller pipe. That is why i said it will result in some loss of torque.

This actually could make sense if its bigger before the components, because you need pressure to get through the components. Food for thought?

 

[Jrt1418]

A few facts:

Too big of an exhaust pipe causes power loss, because a big pipe has less exhaust stream velocity than a smaller pipe. That is why i said it will result in some loss of torque.

Since we are talking about potatos, lets discuss garden hoses....

A garden hose with water flowing through it without a nozzle = slow rate
A garden hose with your finger against the opening = much faster rate



I agree, I did notice a loss of low end torque when I went to a larger exhaust. It is barely noticable since I don't drive the car fast. It is nothing a tune to correct the throttle response won't cure. lol.

I also ran open headers on an old F-150 (302) for a bit and the minute I put the rest of the exhaust together, there was a very noticable increase in torque.

The benefits of the new sound of my LS far outweigh the tiny loss of torque.

 

[centason]

I think it's about time for me to chime in on this. If there are noticable HP increases with 2.5" pipes, then that is going in the right direction. I have owned 3 MKIII Supras all built with the exaust diameter in mind do to increase intake and exhaust flow to to bore, stroke, larger turbo, etc. As stated above, the bigger the pipe the lower the exaust velocity and the cooler the exhaust will get, which in turn will make it more dense and slow down, UNLESS you have the motor built producing more exhaust output, then a larger diameter pipe is needed. I've seen as high as 4.5" pipes on Supras producing over 1000hp. The smaller the pipe will give you higher velocity, but choke you out at higher RPMs causing unneeded backpressure. The myth of a car needing backpressure to run is completely absurd. And whoever says exhaust valve burning is caused by no back pressure has no idea what they are talking about. That happens because, either the ECU can't compensate for the added fuel needed from increased intake and exhaust flow, and drops below stoich, say below 13 or 12:1, or you have a carbbed vehicle that does not have the jets to push ebnough CFMs. You have to marry flow capacity with velocity. If you see HP increases then it's great and the right decision has been made. Optimal would be to wrap your entire system to keep the exhaust as hot as possible, thus increasing velocity. Mlara I'd say go for it. If you see increases in power through most of all the powerband then you've hit the nail on the head. I have already bought Cherry Bomb extremes. They flow 500cfm and I will be going 2.5" myself. If I see a loss low end, I'll wrap my entire exhaust system.