Wanting to upgrade the stock exhaust on my '01 S'Crew (5.4L).

I want a Magnaflow muffler as I am more interested in performance upgrade than sound...I also would like a dual look (exit each side of spare)...

What would it hurt if I bought the muffler and some tips and took it to a local muffler shop for them to install?...I am pretty sure that they don't have that mandrel bent pipe and it would all be aluminized and not stainless...Would that give me the performance increases I'm looking for with the look?...

Or would I be better off to fork out some money for the Magnalflow #15609 system from Mike Troyer or BigExhaust?...

 

Maganflow does not offer a dual ou rear kit right now, but I hear one is coming. So, you'll have to do a custom setup anyway. I recommend the pre-bent Magnaflow tail pipes. They are cost effective compared to the labor and materials that most shops charge, they fit exactly without removeal of the spare tire, and they are mandrel bent not crush bent like most shops do.

Would you be better with the #15609 system? It doesn't meet your objectives so I guess not.

 

Thanks APT...

Didn't know Magnaflow had pre-bent pipes....Looking at BigExhaust.com, they also look reasonable, so I will consider that route heavily...

Only question would then be, what about a trailer hitch....I have an aftermarket Kurt hitch...Would the pre-bent stuff interfere with that or miss it?...Hate to get it to the muffler shop, have the old stuff ripped and find that it doesn't fit....

Also, would you put stainless tips on the aluminzed tail pipes or a chrome plated tip?

 

I do not know how low your hitch is, but I remember pictures of one guy one here, I think WLF, that has the Magnaflow pre-bent pipes and it exits below his hitch just fine. If anything, you may need to have a shop make a slight bend so that the pipes angle down a little and miss the hitch.

I would go with stainless tips because that is what most people ever see. I have seen a lot of aftermarket exhausts in the Detroit area. I have seen too many ones that look bad after a couple years. Also check out Bigexhaust because they have great prices on Magnaflow slash cut tips.

 

APT,

One other thing....I see talk on here about replacing the factory "Y" pipe....

Is that necessary?....Is there a huge restriction in that area or is a Magnaflow "Y" just that much better?...

I guess I am having a hard time picturing how you could manufacture a "Y" that combines two pipes into one with a major restriction....Or maybe Ford did it, I don't know....

They aren't that expensive, and if it helps, I don't see why I shouldn't replace the thing if I am going to put all the other stuff on...

 

I clipped this from a past thread posted by Jackal. Not all are like this. Some will be more restricted while others will be less.