Exhaust system DIY

[rkevins]

Has anyone replaced the exhaust system on a truck. I have a 2014 Silverado and am thing of replacing my exhaust with duel pipes not anything loud just something with a little more sound when it starts and when I romp down on it.
What kind of kit have you used. I don't have a lift or access to one.

 

[finn]

I wouldn’t do it.

The Oem systems on my 05 Dodge and Super Duty gassers are still solid after 13 years.

The Chevy, on the other hand, is on a three year replacement cycle. I have tried several brands of cat back systems, stock and “mellow “, but none of them lastmore than a few years.

Similar experience with my Fox body Mustangs, and then there is the highway drone issue common with aftermarket junk.

 

[dogdog]

Oh thought you were going to make one from mandrel bend pipes.... that is a fun project (not cheaper, just more fun)... not for older folks though. I don't have trucks, or anything like that but I do have and like AeroExhaust mufflers... no drones. loud but reasonable for my VW....

 

[leog]

I used a Borla system on my 96 GMC it was still intact when the truck went to the boneyard in 15' due to a left turning person that I had to avoid. It was a cat back system but only single.

Keep the durty side down

 

[brownbagg]

i used a fence post once

 

[snyder]

There are a lot of nice, easy to install kits out there. A stainless borla would be top of the line. A nice magnaflow system would sound good too. Very easy to diy without a lift.

 

[sberry]

Why ruin a good one just to spend money.@

 

[Tynee]

I’ve been shopping some myself lately. My stock ’08 Silverado has leaks at both manifolds, with studs broken off in the heads, as well as a leak somewhere around the Y-Pipe. I’ve been shopping new systems all the way from the head flange to the tail pipe. What I’ve decided is that I can replace it all for anywhere from $800 to “$why would I spend that much on a truck with 195,000 miles?” It’s definitely a DIY-able job in the garage or driveway. Hardest part for me will be getting thw broken studs out of the heads.

 

[Schurkey]

Why ruin a good one just to spend money.

...and annoy people.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

A roll of flex pipe; It helps a goofed up system to look like a goofed up system

 

[mike93lx]

I had a magnaflow cat back on an 01 f150 that sounded great. Not hard to install, especially on a truck. You'll need something to cut the stock tailpipe with. A sawzall is perfect

 

[finn]

An $800 (min) exhaust system on an almost 11 year old truck with 195k Miles seems a little over the top.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I got 4" mandrel pipes off some newer trucks, sliced and diced till I had a system. Probably spent about $50. I have aMagnaflow which was cool at first, but I hgave a lot of drone now, and suspect the rockwool packed up with soo

 

[thammel]

I just helped a friend install a Borla stainless steel catback system on his jeep grand cherokee. It cost him $440. Really nice system and not difficult at all to do.

Tom

 

[Spareparts]

Got my wife a new Mustangfor our 25th anniv, V-6 5 Speed and she said she wanted dual exhaust. Went to Ford got the GT stainless exhaust and the rear valance, painted it to match and got all the factory hangers, on her birthday droped the car by the body shop installed the valance then to the muffler shop and they installed the exhaust.2 Hours it was back in the drive. Never told her it was done, it sat there for 2 days. She was happy when she finally drove it. She had that car for 11 yrs and that exhaust still sounded great and solid. After that any exhaust work was done in stainless.

 

[Tonyuk]

The hardest part of working on an exhaust can be the condition of the fasteners.

Since its a 2014 its not that old, they might actually be in pretty decent shape. I would go under and have a look, have a look at the fasteners and how the exhaust is routed from the engine to the rear and make a judgement if its something you would like to tackle without a lift.

I don't think it'll be hard to do, the access might be your biggest issue working on the ground.

 

[Dragfluid]

If your engine has displacement on demand, don't do it. Cruising through town @ 30 MPH when it kicks into 4 cyl mode will make it sound like a big noisy *************!!

 

[aka Larry]

If your engine has displacement on demand, don't do it. Cruising through town @ 30 MPH when it kicks into 4 cyl mode will make it sound like a big noisy *************!!

This was my concern on my wife's '15 Charger R/T. I wanted more sound, but having heard a friend's Silverado when it kicked into 4-cyl mode I did NOT want that sound. After some research, I discovered on the Charger, the mufflers are in the middle of the car, and the resonators are at the back. I had a local shop replace the mufflers with straight pipe and left the resonators. As it turned out that was the perfect solution as it sounds better in V8 mode, but the sound difference vs. stock is barely audible in 4-cyl mode.

I hear lots of comments on drone, which is common with many aftermarket mufflers like Flowmaster. On my Mustang GT, I simply deleted the mufflers and left the OE cats. The car is louder of course, but at highway speed in 5th gear, there is no drone.

 

[ScottsGT]

2015 Mustang GT. Replaced the stock system at almost 1 year after buying it. I went with the Magnaflow Street. Not too loud, but a nice deep rumble.
But I heard the same thing from my wife that half the guys here posted.
"You spent $900 to replace a perfectly good part on your car!"
"Why do you have to make all that noise?"
She still doesn't get it.

 

[onewheat]

I have a '14 Sierra Denali with a 6.2 - I swapped out my stock exhaust for a Corsa Sport Series system - not cheap, around $1100 but it's all stainless and solid. It sounds great, doesn't drone on the highway but 'wakes up' when you're on the gas. You can hear the difference when you drop to 4 cyl mode, but I could hear it on the stock exhaust too. I did mine on the floor in the garage by myself. If you want to cut the stock exhaust, it is pretty easy - I didn't cut mine so I had to jack up the right rear to get some clearance between the frame/bed and the axle to fish the stock exhaust out in one piece.

Auto Anything Corsa Exhaust

 

[Bad Eye Bill]

I used to like to hear a nice rumble on my rides and a good throaty roar under acceleration but now I prefer almost having to lift the hood to see if it's running. I still like to hear one winding out when it gets floored, just not mine.

 

[Schurkey]

For the record...it's against Federal law to remove a functioning catalytic converter.

Unless the converter has failed, you're not allowed to replace it with a "hot-rod" catalyst.

 

[ScottsGT]

I've never heard of an individual getting busted for this. (in my area at least) Only shops that were cutting them all off years ago around here. A few shops fined out of business and shops wouldn't even think of it. Like 30+ years ago.
Years ago (12-13) I had a car that had the converter removed during an engine swap. Took it to an exhaust shop that I knew the owner of to get a pipe welded between the header and the muffler. tech in the shop went nuts saying he couldn't touch the car now, bla, bla, bla....Owner came out and told him to put my damned pipe on and to shut up. LOL! Law was written that they could not REMOVE a cat. It was gone already. She actually pulled the written law and had to show him to shut him up.
As far as replacing with a "hot-rod" cat, done all the time. I know CA has CARB laws that stop that, but I think fed laws you can swap, as long as it is a real cat. I personally prefer to keep mine so the car stinks less! My '15GT is a "Cat back" system. everything behind them replaced.
But a lot of header builders offer replacement cats that fit with their headers and fake hollow cats as well that pass a visual inspection. Got a tail pipe sniff test? Fuggataboutit!
On the Mustang forums I read about guys pulling their systems and reinstalling stock every time they have an inspection coming up.. No thanks! life is too short for those shenanigans.

 

[Backwodsurvivor]

Exhaust is probably the best thing you can do to a car. It helps with power and efficiency and it sounds good.

I've got a flow master super 44 with the "delta flow" which is their quietest "performance" muffler for towing or long trips. I also run an exhaust cutout, it essentially makes it straight pipe that dumps to the street right after the y pipe. It was a 35 dollar part for the nice stainless one and cost 60 bucks to have installed along with the muffler and everything back.

Daily driving I enjoy the open exhaust but if I get sick of it or want to be mannered its 3 bolts to put on the cutout plate. They make remote valves for them but for me they aren't worth the price.

 

[73surffisher]

I’ve been shopping some myself lately. My stock ’08 Silverado has leaks at both manifolds, with studs broken off in the heads, as well as a leak somewhere around the Y-Pipe. I’ve been shopping new systems all the way from the head flange to the tail pipe. What I’ve decided is that I can replace it all for anywhere from $800 to “$why would I spend that much on a truck with 195,000 miles?” It’s definitely a DIY-able job in the garage or driveway. Hardest part for me will be getting thw broken studs out of the heads.

Yep, i have the same year and truck with tne same issues, , but the exhaust is still good

 

[sberry]

I agree that exhaust and a couple other things can make more power but,,,,,,,,,,,,, this is usually at WOT and doesn't mean much in general driving. A bud bought some parts, was showing it to me. A glorified coil and some spark plug wires, over 300 smackers and a sheet shows all these big gains. Well the data is all for 600 hp v8 and 6500 rpm,,,,, cant understand why it really isn't going to do much for a 10 yr old Topaz with 4 banger and 150k on the clock. To boot, at the time would have had to drive 150K more miles to break ieven with gas savings even under the gleaming 10% claim.
But,,, I don't know anything about these "people" and this company,,, ha Well I do now that if Ford could have got 3 or 4 mpg out of changing a wire and putting a little better coil on it they would have.
Same for all that air filter stuff,,, remove a well designed factory deal made to last long time and replace with junk sucking up dirty air that needs to be maintained so it can make an extra 10 hp under max throttle is a waste.
You can do it, nothing bad may no happen but its a lot of farting around on something that works for added cost. When I was 20 it was cool for a little while but I got tired of it, now the grumpy old man don't care for crackin noisy dirt bikes.
A little is ok, it will get there as it all gets older, for free.

 

[Tynee]

An $800 (min) exhaust system on an almost 11 year old truck with 195k Miles seems a little over the top.

Agree, that’s why I’ve been shopping, not buying. I guess I’ll just run it until the muffler falls out the bottom when I hit a speed bump...