First off, I want to say I researched extensively before deciding on the Solo Performance MR400 4" Single Exit w/ Mach-46 muffler, cat back exhaust for the F150 5.0. I was originally torn between Borla and Magnaflow. I then went to stage3motorsports.com to research exhausts. This is where I actually first heard of Solo Performance. After researching, they have quite a reputation for stellar exhaust systems.

I decided to add the Mach-46 muffler to this setup due to reviews I heard about just how loud the MR400 system was by itself. I am glad I did, but more on that later.

I ordered the product from Stage 3 on a Sunday afternoon and had the exhaust on my doorstep on Friday morning. The shipping label showed that this shipped directly from Solo Performance. The box weighed probably 70lbs, which was a surprise. I opened the box and was immediately amazed at the 4" setup. It truly is massive compared to stock. The 4 1/2 inch polished exhaust tip was wrapped in bubble wrap to protect it, which was nice. I was truly impressed with the size of this thing. Massive.

I began the install at 9:30 AM in my driveway. I did not lift the truck at all. I did the entire breakdown and install with the truck on the ground using only a few wrenches. While this was somewhat difficult and I wouldn't suggest it if you have other options (such as an extra person or a lift), it certainly is doable. I was even able to remove the stock exhaust without cutting. It was tight, however. No install instructions were included, but Solo does provide install instructions on their webpage. It was a pretty straight forward install, but I did read over the instructions to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I highly recommend using warm water and soap in a spray bottle to help loosen up the rubber hangers. Solo suggests this as well and it helped A LOT. Everything lined up perfectly and went together smoothly. I was done with the install by 12:00 PM. So 2 1/2 hours total for a one man job. Not too bad.

Here are some pics of the setup itself. The pictures really don't do justice to the massive the 4 1/2 inch exhaust tip. It really is impressive:



Here is the Mach-46 Muffler:







So during my reviews, I heard that the MR400 setup by itself was quite loud. As I mentioned, I opted for the Mach-46 muffler option (no extra cost). On a scale of 1-10 for loudness, stock sound being a 1, I would rate this setup a 5. Others have rated the MR400 setup a 9 or 10. So this is quite a middle ground. Below is the stock setup during a cold start for reference:


Now, the sound of this Solo Performance setup was EXACTLY what I was looking for. It couldn't be more exact. When you get on it, it is quite noticeable. Even a little light throttle will wake it up quickly. While cruising, there is only a slight rumble that is pleasing. Enough to know that it is there, but not make you yell over to talk to your passengers. This truly sounds like a muscle car of old. Good ol' American V8 power.

And finally, a video of startup and light throttle:


I also did a video of how it sounds going down the road. While you get an awesome idea of how it sounds during acceleration, the wind is what you hear once it gets up to speed:


Best decision I could have made in my opinion. For nearly half the cost of what I was going to get with a Borla setup, I got this beast and it sounds AMAZING! I'm not knocking Borla as I've heard their setup multiple times and it does sound good. This system is just superior sounding and looking in my opinion.

And since Stage 3 was awesome at comparing different exhausts on their webpage, here is exactly where I found my setup:

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/998...h-Exhaust.html

 

Excellent sound. Very nice choice. Love your choice in tires also.

 

Very nice review. I'm strongly considering going with the MACH-46 or the MACH-X dual but need to looking into the dual a bit more. Thanks for sharing!

 

Great review. I wasn't fond of these guys until recently and I think this sold me on a solo performance kit.

Wasn't sure how I felt about the single oversized tip I think I like the dual tip style that comes on their dual exit system, but seeing it on your truck is growing on me.

 

I gotta ask tho. SIngle 4" isn' that way too big for these engines? Or where does it turn 4"
It does sound pretty good tho.

 

I love the looks of it. I actually prefer the single exit over the dual straight out the back. My second favorite would be the dual with 45 degree exits. The video does a decent job of catching the sound of this, but it does sound even better in person. I still think this is the best sounding exhaust I've heard on the 5.0 so far.

It's 3" up until right before the second hanger if I remember correctly.

 

I'm not to familiar with those years. Where is the second hanger?

 

Never mind...I was wrong. Here is a picture that shows it pretty well. It's only 3" for the first foot and a half or so:

 

Did you notice any power loss on the low end?
and J pipe, the new truck have one of those?

 

I didn't notice any performance changes after installing it, but I'm not trying to drag race either.

The J pipe is specific to the Solo Performance (I'm sure some other manufacturers have them as well). They claim it eliminates drone. I don't notice any, so that very well may be why. This is straight from Solo's website:

 

Good to know!