exhaust

[Tikitoes]

what is the difference between off road x and h pipes and regular x and h pipes? also i want a REALLY LOUD and beefy exhaust system what would u all suggest? and should i go with or with out cats?

[Torinalth]

if you just want loud then get an off road x pipe and the SLP exhaust..... from what i;ve heard thats more or less the loudest combo on the market for the 4.6

now.... if you are not building just a track car, and its going to be a daily driver, then you will need to get it emissions tested... and if that IS a factor then you will need a standard X or H pipe... the offroad does not have catalitic converters, which reduces something or another in the exhaust gas...

so if you dont need to worry about emissions then get an offroad X pipe and SLP exhaust. the crowd pleaser i heard it referred to once before.

Torinalth

[The Deuce]

www.mustangexhaust.com

has sounds of almost all combos.

[Titan]

Originally posted by Torinalth
if you just want loud then get an off road x pipe and the SLP exhaust..... from what i;ve heard thats more or less the loudest combo on the market for the 4.6
Torinalth

My dad has this combo on his cobra. It has ups and downs to it...at low rpm's, the thing sounds like a beast. However, at high rpm's, you can tell there's no backpressure. Sometimes it may even pop.

Just for reference purposes, his car is a 94 cobra, but has a new engine (5.0) w/ twisted aluminum heads, pulleys, timing adjusters...just about everything, now that I think about it, and a full exhaust makeover from headers back. Don't know how it would sound on stock...

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

U Say You Want loud and aggressive?

I saw SLP Mentioned in a previous Post.... And I'm not downing on SLP (they have some good stuff) but SLP has been primarily dealing with GM vehicles for the past ?? Years and It seems to me that since GM is no Longer producing SLP Primary source of income, Firebird and Camaro, that they want a piece of the Ford Market... So among other things they are new to the ford game.... That is reason enough for me not to buy anything slp for a ford Vehicle... But The person who posted before me was right it is loud... but theres no way they have had time to test their products like the existing and numerous companys who specialize in ford products....

Sorry for the preaching but i said that to say this.... People Like X-pipes because of the exotic Sound they produce, the offroad x that is.... The X-pipe with catalytic converts sounds very very similair to a catted H with very minimal Differences (i.e. not worth the money difference)... Personally i have a Off-road Bassani X-Pipe And 2 Chamber Flowmasters on my 96 Cobra... So If in fact u do not have to deal with emissions stuff and u want a loud sound I'd go with and Offroad X ***(Don't forget when u remove catalytic Converters u lose a little low end torque but u gain a good amount of top in power) Also, there is more than one type of X pipe... BBK and Bassani's Designs Have more of a Chambered X, where as DR. GAS Magnaflow, and Some of the others have a X That is basically 2 pipes with a section cut out welded side by side.... Personally I don't like that for a couple of reasons (one it looks cheap, and I like the Chambered X sound better but it does cost more) But before you decide on a mid pipe (h or x) u need to decide what kind of mufflers to get...

... Are you a Chambered muffler fan or A straight through muffler fan? There is a big difference... An Offroad X with A straight through Muffler is going to have a good sound, but its very different from a chambered muffler sound... I personally Like the aggressive deep rumble of a chambered muffler with the X... It does pop a little more than a straight through muffler, but In a way that just adds to the sound... If u are new to exhaust then you'll probably hear lots of people say that Offroad X and a Chambered muffler sounds terrible... And that is because it pops.... and because its so loud compairable to an O/R H with a chambered muffler.... It sounds So very different on the outside of the car than it does on the inside.... So Say u had a mustang with a offroad H with 2 chamber flowmasters and another car with an offroad x with 2 chamber flowmasters.... and they were driving down the road and u were standing 25 yards away from them... The car with the H and flows would be loud... but the x and flows would be 3 times louder *(my oppinnion) than the h with flows.... The h would have a more low bass sound and its pops in the sound are much smaller.... the x has a Stronger Higher pitched bass with larger pops but only when the engine speed decreases it doesn't really pop when revving.... The straight through muffler isn't going to sound as good from Idle to say 3,500 RPM...(at WOT (wide open throttle) the striaght through muffler sounds very very good... The chambered muffler sounds good from idle to redline (my oppinnion once again)(The only thing i disliked *(at first only, i love it now) Is the popping from about 2,600 - 3,250 RPM. But that is because my car is a cobra The secondary valves open up at 3,250 RPM so i guess the primary valves were a little smaller therefore under more straign ...

This is sort of getting long and i don't want to bore you so i'ma try and end it up with this.... If your new to exhaust but u want the car loud and money isn't an issue, I would buy a Catted X from Bassani (the stainless one of course, it doesnt' rust and it always looks good).... and when u get it put on make sure the muffler shop u go to doesn't weld the catalytic converts on... make sure they use the clamps (included in the kit).... Weld the rest of the system up (to mufflers and tips and all)... And drive the car that way for a coupla days or a week or 2.... and if it isn't lound enough for you go back and take the cats off.... there you go.... But if money is an option, and your worried that u may not like the exhaust, its better to be safe then sorry, so i recommend either an offroad x and a straight through muffler (i.e. bassani, steeda, borla, magnaflow, etc...) or either a offroad Prochamber from mac (its an H pipe with a new and more effienct design) and a chambered muffler Such as (flowmaster, Mac, or Spintech)...

I know this is long but i have one more thing to say... I know exhaust is expensive and getting it put on is a hassel and is expensive.... so i recommend before doing anything go to www.mustangexhaust.com and listening to every sound file they have... and make up your mind for your self.... but i do have to say that the sound files that they have of an o/r X and a chambered muffler doesn't do the exhaust justice.... Thats about it, i think i covered everything.... Oh yeah one more things... The factory Manifolds make the exhaust more raspy and higher pitch... so if you plan on getting a set of long tub headers or shorty headers the exhaust will smoothen out and have more bass to it.... Ok now... fewwwwww... That should be it... I'm pretty sure i've covered everything... i feel like i jumped around a little with the info but i hope it helps you decide (because exhaust the the most important thing on a mustang! :P ) If u have any questions feel free to e-mail me @ svt_snake@hotmail.com .... Good luck!

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

One last thing i forgot.... almost the most important thing.... You should Determine what kind of exhaust to get based on your Engine Type.... Is it a modular (4.6L) or a windsor (5.0L) type... The things i said in the previous post were based on a 4.6L Cobra... The 4.6L Gt isn't that much different, actually i think the exhaust on a gt sound better because their is only 1 Exhaust and 1 intake valve on the heads.... No straigning of the primary vavles as in the cobra.... (I'm not particularly sure on the size of the exhaust valves but they play a big role in the sound of the exhaust..) Ok and lastly.... anything i said in the previous post doesn't apply, if you have a 5.0L Windsor type motor... I don't want u to buy something that would sound like crap....And i say that because i don't know what those exhaust setups sound like on a 5.0..... They have a similar sounds if u look it them compaired to a GM or Dodge motor.... But when compairing them by them selves... they do have a different sound.... Ok thats it.... Goodluck

[Tikitoes]

WHITE SVT SNAKE,
THANK YOU! your long article was exactly what i was looking for.

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

Hey no problem man... Best of wishes with the exhaust... Let me know how it turns out....

[ac97gt]

just my input... i had flows on my car already, and it sounded OK, but you could tell it was just mufflers, it just didnt sound complete, so i figured i would add the bassani x (with cats for emissions)... i figured from some of the stuff that i read that it was gonna be LOUD, but when i fired it up after installing i found it to sound ALOT like just having flows.. i mean it changed the sound for sure, made it a bit more throaty, and she sounds great, but i would love it have it about 3x as loud as it is now...

which brings me to ask WHITE_SVT_SNAKE about taking off the cats? you can just take the cats off the catted bassani and everything is jive? thinking about it now i really wish i went with O/R for two reasons... in RI emissions lasts 2 years and i had just had it inspected before the pipe (and ill probably sell the car for a newer one before the 2 years is up) and the O/R pipe was significantly cheaper, i cant remember exactly, i think i paid like $500 for the catted and the O/R was like $300 or somethin..

the other thing is that if you are buying the catted X just to pass emissions, bassani makes no garuntee that you will pass your emissions or anything like that, but i suspect that you would pass anyway, depending on your laws. im sure plenty of guys on here are passing with their catted pipes, but it still depends on how strict the laws are.

anyway, i just wanted to give you a little input, maybe somethin to think about.

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

ac97gt,

As to your question about taking the cats off, there are several things to say. One, Remember if you have the Stainless version of the Bassani X then the mufflershop may give you some kind of crap about not being able to cut it... I was going to buy the catted version and see how much louder it got then if it wasn't loud enough take the cats off... But when i went to the shop to ask my muffler guy about it, he said he wouldn't do it because its stainless... And when i say that i'm not saying its not possible i'm simply saying "HE" wouldn't do it, lots of places do i'm sure. As it turns out i'm glad i did buy the off road. And by the way it was around $342 for Off-road and $522 Catted when i got mine... Two, if you have the catted X and you cut the cats off then your gonna have to weld a peice of pipe in place of the cats, and i'm not sure how metalergy works but Stainless steel and Aluminzed steel should weld up with no problems... I'm sure you could probably get a section of stainless steel if u wanted instead of Aluminzed... it might cost but then again, what doesnt... Three, U may want to find someone who has an offroad x with flows and hear their car before you decide to do it... Because When i saw 3x louder... I really mean that... It sounds 100% different inside the car, and somepeople don't like it because its so loud... It does pop, so if your scared of that, don't take the cats off...but its 3x louder outside the car... Four, As to emissions, i've heard alot of guys not passing emission with catted x pipes... Some had modified motors, some didn't.... It all depends on how your setup and how its running when its tested.... I know one guy who passed an emissions test with an offroad X but he had the car running real efficient low temp fans, thermostats, and had it A/F tuned out the butt... but thats only one out of 100 cases ... an extreme anomoly... But if u say u may sell the car before u get tested again... I say go for it... Let me warn you one last time tho... Its a really different sound... well not different as in sound but level of sound... Personally I love it, but i've heard of lots of people hating it and a lot of people loving... so your just gonna have to decide for your self... Goodluck Either Way You Go...

[ac97gt]

my car could never be loud enough, simple as that. the exact reason i wish i went with the O/R. live and learn i guess, when i get my new car its getting O/R for sure. i dont wanna play around with removing the cats for now anyway, but thanks for the info.

[96_4.6]

yea ac97 I have a 96 with flows and bbk h-pipe and its not loud enough either. I picked up some ford motorsport shorty headers for cheap maybe it might get a little bit louder I doubt it cause shorties only give us 3-5hp so it better get louder cause its gonna cost more for install then I payed for the headers but I already bought them so might as well go through with it.

[ac97gt]

96_4.6 let me know what you think of the headers when you get em in..

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

I just wanted to make a quick comment about the headers statement... If you bought them simply to make your car louder... then you might wanna sell them... Headers don't make your exhaust louder, it may have a little more bass because it comes out more smoothly, but it may infact make your exhaust more quiet...Headers don't change the level of sound, they only change how it comes out by allowing it come out more smoothly (less restrictions)... Headers were never developed to enhance the sound of a motor (unfortunately :P ), they were developed to provide a more free breathing exhaust system so the motor wouldn't have to work as hard on getting the exhaust out and more on providing power for the drivetrain... Its simple physics guys... Just think about it.... a Factory manifold is basically a long hollowed out slab of iron or steel with connecting pipes equal length from one another coming from each exhaust port on the motor which then goes to the top or side of the manifold which is a single tube....and the exhaust only exits from one end of the manifold.... which comes out a single pipe to a connector which connects to the H or X (midpipe). Headers (Shorties or Full lengths) have individual exhaust pipes leading to a connector which then goes to the H or X pipe... With the manifold everytime an exhaust port fires and pushes its exhaust out into the manifold the other cylinders on that bank have to fight to push their gas out a single pipe at one end of the manifold... therefore causing restriction not to mention a sound creating affect when the sound has to bounce around the manifold before it exits (((((same idea as a Sub woofer in an audio system, it sounds like crap when the speaker is not in a box(its trying to push nonspecific or nonchanneled air), ,but when its in a box it rocks off..)))) (((((also same idea as a Virtualtech Box, you know the Subwoofer box designed by N.A.S.A. Or some counterpart thereof which makes the air and sound waves bounce around through a maze inside the box, before exiting, causing reverberation which inturn makes more quality bass and sound. Not to mention Virutaltech sub boxes are, if i'm not mistaken, the best in the world)))) ... where as the headers don't cause restriction because the exhaust gasses don't have to fight to get out (this is where headers make HP over factory manifolds... Its kinda funny i don't see any aftermarket Exhaust Manifolds for sale ...), and there is less reverberation when the exhaust sound and gasses are moving through the headers...

So i Say all that to say this... Depending what you mean when you say loud, If you mean loud as in the bass or high pitched Roar, it may sound different than u think... With shorties you may not even be able to tell a difference at all... Full Lengths may be a different story... I'm Not trying to be a pesimist, i'm just trying to warn you ahead of time so maybe you'll be able to sell them and use the cash for something else... because as you know, they aren't cheap to buy or install...

As to a previous post... My exhaust can't be too loud either... I have about as loud as i can get without sacrificing quality of sound... I have a bunch of friends with all different combos of exhaust setups and mine is still about the loudest out there, that being compaired with similiar motors (4.6L SOHC and DOHC from 96-03 Models). I have an offroad bassani X pipe and 2 chamber original flowmasters (not delta flows). There is only one friend that i can think of who has louder exhaust than i do... BBK Full Length 1 5/8" Long Tube Headers, Bassani Offroad X, and 1 chamber Race flowmasters. Not to mention his is only a little louder than mine... His is nastly loud, Sounds like a nascar or something @WOT ... Plus hes got a little motor work done... Pushing like 380Hp at the wheels... on a 97 Cobra....

Man it always seems like my short "quick comment" posts are long as hell doesn't? I'ma stop now, you guys are probably asleep.... lol... Take it easy fellas, if its easy take it twice...

[96_4.6]

Thanks for the lesson but I didnt wanan come off as sounding like someone who listens to ad's I meant was since there only shorties I wont be opening up as much horse as I wanted too so I hope it as least gets louder as in I was try to be sacastic but I only payed 190 for the headers and I'm tryin to find a hook-up to do my headers and every horse counts to me so headers are a must to complete my full free-flowing exhaust. Thats what we all want I think, less restrictive......

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

Hey i agree with ya, I didn't mean to sound as if i was preaching... I just wanted to share my knowledge with ya, so that you may be able to use it and save some money and make some HP all at the same time...

[96_4.6]

Yea I was all hyped about getting these FRPP headers for only 190 off ebay and I got them today and it came with no gaskets and no header bolts just the bolts connecting the collector to the midpipe so great.......

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

Yeah, you got to be careful buying stuff of e-bay... If the add doesn't say something then don't assume it... No matter how common sense it seems... .... $190 is not bad at all, even without the gaskets or bolts... Headers should be dirt cheap, as much trouble and $ as they cost you to get um installed... ... well good luck with the headers... let me know how you like umm...

[96_4.6]

So what do I need, I'm ordering the gaskets and know I just need 8 header bolts and studs I think, where can I get the bolts and studs from?

[WHITE_SVT_SNAKE]

Honestly, It kinda depends... U should probably check with somebody who does installs a lot, Or who sells the headers... i'm sure they use specific parts and all... i'd hate to tell ya the wrong thing...