at long last - a muffler choice!

MMAFIGHTER121

MMAFIGHTER121

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As I'm sure has been noticed I've weighed over a billion muffler choices and listened to a bunch of opinions on the forum.. well after lots and lots of research and trying to save every last dollar I could - I went with a Jones Full Boar Maxflow SS muffler. I got them at http://performance-curve.com/ where they were 40% off (!!!!), then I found a code at the checkout for another 5% off (SAVE5) so all in all, shipping included, it was $72. So the price is certainly right! I had done a lot of reading various forums on a bunch of different vehicles, watching a lot of youtube, and basically they are the magnaflow 11226 design, only with a mandrel bent straight through tube instead of pinch. There's a video of them being independently flow tested against similar magnflows and they do flow better (on youtube..;)) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxPIt-eoT3w&feature=related I also read a bunch of reviews on their longevity and sound being equal to or superior to the magnaflows. So FINALLY after some 6 months of financial woes, I pulled the trigger and I have the thunderbolt high flow cats, an x-pipe, and these mufflers will be arriving in 3 days... now its just time to get the 2.5in pipes in between and find someone to weld it all up! Hopefully this will give me a VERY well flowing exhaust system... anyone know a good pipe bender in Upstate NY? :D
 
MMAFIGHTER121 said:
As I'm sure has been noticed I've weighed over a billion muffler choices and listened to a bunch of opinions on the forum.. well after lots and lots of research and trying to save every last dollar I could - I went with a Jones Full Boar Maxflow SS muffler. I got them at http://performance-curve.com/ where they were 40% off (!!!!), then I found a code at the checkout for another 5% off (SAVE5) so all in all, shipping included, it was $72. So the price is certainly right! I had done a lot of reading various forums on a bunch of different vehicles, watching a lot of youtube, and basically they are the magnaflow 11226 design, only with a mandrel bent straight through tube instead of pinch. There's a video of them being independently flow tested against similar magnflows and they do flow better (on youtube..;)) I also read a bunch of reviews on their longevity and sound being equal to or superior to the magnaflows. So FINALLY after some 6 months of financial woes, I pulled the trigger and I have the thunderbolt high flow cats, an x-pipe, and these mufflers will be arriving in 3 days... now its just time to get the 2.5in pipes in between and find someone to weld it all up! Hopefully this will give me a VERY well flowing exhaust system... anyone know a good pipe bender in Upstate NY? :D
Click to expand...

I'd be interested in seeing some ET's at a drag strip or a dyno run pre/post exhaust setup. I haven't done enough reading to know if the 3.9L V8 works better with or without some back pressure. Still interested to see how this turns out for you!
 
there's definite HP to be gained from higher flow than stock exhaust, magnaflow makes a kit for gen 1s thats supposed to gain in the 15hp range and another LS owner on the boards here has the thunderbolt high flow cats I picked up (on his advice) and says its a definite improvement.. however I think magnaflow kit only goes 2.25in piping whereas I have 2.5, so I don't know if it'll be different there, especially since my cats are 2.25 inches for ease of installation.. not a major difference for sure. our 3.9 engine falls into a gray area of Pipe sizing math.. take a look:
http://www.magnaflow.com/07techtips/faq/question10.asp
our engines fall just under the 250cid (242) cut off, but over the 250hp (256 stock) cut off... so I went with 2.5inches.
 
MMAFIGHTER121 said:
there's definite HP to be gained from higher flow than stock exhaust, magnaflow makes a kit for gen 1s thats supposed to gain in the 15hp range and another LS owner on the boards here has the thunderbolt high flow cats I picked up (on his advice) and says its a definite improvement.. however I think magnaflow kit only goes 2.25in piping whereas I have 2.5, so I don't know if it'll be different there, especially since my cats are 2.25 inches for ease of installation.. not a major difference for sure. our 3.9 engine falls into a gray area of Pipe sizing math.. take a look:
http://www.magnaflow.com/07techtips/faq/question10.asp
our engines fall just under the 250cid (242) cut off, but over the 250hp (256 stock) cut off... so I went with 2.5inches.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but the butt-dyno always feels faster after you spend money on a car. :)

Only way to know for sure is to set-up and test. Usually at the expense of your bank account. Still interested in seeing if you find any measurable difference. Like 0-60, etc. Also wonder how it'll sound.
 
Well I'm taking it for a dyno tune after the exhaust is finished..(not immediately, but its next on the list) unfortunately that'll just give me a number over stock after all the mods as I've never had a dyno done prior or taken it to a track yet.. a little research and I had found a forum where someone dyno'd a stock cat vs a test pipe vs high flow style cat and the results were that the high flow added about 7 ponies.. so.. we'll see the end result hopefully before summers out!
 
A little more research found me a thread with dyno sheets where high flow cats gained more like 1-2hp. But the price was really cheap for them and with 100k clicking on the clock the time is right. Here's a good comparo of flow rates of high flow cats. The generic spun body 300 cell metallic, like the thunderbolt showed a 10% flow increase over their stock at 365cfm. Now whether or not that's even useable by our engine or what our stock cats flow at is debateable, but nothing ventured nothing gained right?
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=2&t=387435&a=1
 
so i know it has been talked about on here and getting mad that i cant find it lol
but im going to be getting flowmasters put on next week and wanna do the whole x pipe deal

dude at the muffler place said you already have an h pipe so there really is no need

but even though he is very good at what he does he doesnt know the ls like you guys

so it will be better to have an x pipe than a h pipe
and is there a certain x pipe that would be more suitable for the car if it is better than a h pipe thanks guys
 
The car technically has an H-Pipe, although it's somewhat similar to an X-pipe too. I'd probably consider it a sort of hybrid design. But the point of both is to combine the effective exhaust pipe area behind them, resulting in better scavenging, less backpressure, and lower noise.

In theory, an X-Pipe has better scavenging then an H-Pipe and should result in more performance.

Here's what a traditional H-Pipe looks like:
18380105_wal_40418_pri_detl.jpg


Here's and a traditional X-Pipe looks like:
magnaflow_x_pipe.jpg


And here's what a Gen2 has under it:
5272796.jpg



Not really an H-Pipe, not really an X-Pipe, kind of a cross of both. I think you would have some power gain with an X-Pipe like the one I pictured, but how much who knows. Would need to find someone who swapped out and dyno'd pre/post swap.

If you want more noise you can eliminate the X/H pipe and run true duals. You will probably get a small performance reduction though. I know on the Gen 2's that Ford spend a lot of time tuning the exhaust. No clue on the Gen1's :)
 
tripolincoln said:
i have a gen 1 so in your opinion would you go with an x pipe
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I'd save the money and put a whole new exhaust under it instead of patching the stock exhaust. You might have some issues as it looks like there are resonators down there. An X-Pipe usually requires more room because of the way it's built. An H-Pipe can be very easily routed. You'd need to go to an exhaust shop and have them see how they could make it fit for you.

An X-Pipe should give better performance, but it might cost twice as much. But there is no right or wrong answer. Just a question of money, time, and performance.
 
ya im actually getting done at a shop he is gonna be running all new pipes and taking out resonators thats why I was curious but ill ask the guy at the shop again when I go to get everything install and see what he thinksand his reasoning but thanks a bunch guys
 
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