Exhaust advice please. - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

DansEdgli · 11-15-2003, 17:14

What size exhaust should i get for a mild 351?
Is a twin system better?

I curently have a single 2.5 system and was told that i lost heaps of power when the extractors were connected to my old exhaust.

How much should I pay? I dont need stainless but the car needs to stay fairly quiet and improve breathing at the same time?

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Dan

ESP · 11-15-2003, 20:56

Unfortunately quiet and performance do not always go hand in hand in regards to exhausts.

More flow always equals a little more noise , it's only logical I suppose if you consider you are passing more gas. ( exhaust that is, know what I mean :-) )

Mild Clevelands LOVE a twin 2 1/4 with a merge collector or X - pipe , forget the old balance pipe , they work in principal but no one ever welds them up right.

The twin system should flow into twin straight through style mufflers , DYNOMAX or HOOKER or even manumatic.
If you want a quieter system , ask for triple flow mufflers or baffled mufflers. These are much quieter but you do lose power.

These should then flow into twin hot dog style resonators as the system exits the car. This should stop the droning that some set ups are prone to , especially if the car has mild compression and moderate airspeed through the heads. The gases tend to linger longer in the system and cause that dreaded drone.

You should try and use mandrel bends everywhere to avoid turning a
2 1/4 inch system into a 2 inch system as press bends normally do.

This set up should set you up nicely for around $900 in mild steel.
I guess stainless would probably be double that !!!!!

If all this doesn't sound right , I'm sure someone will correct me , one way or the other you'll get the best advice here on the forum.

xdc351 · 11-16-2003, 03:43

Are you running petrol?

If so then its unlikely you'll get a normal twin system past the fuel tank. Instead a twin 2 1/4 as far back as you cen then merging into a single 3" is a good compromise, otherwise having the twin pipes run side by side past the tank and exiting together in the normal location can work, but expect to pay a fair bit more for this setup than a first system I mentioned.

Also, depending on how much work you *plan* on doing a twin 2 1/2 is better for high performance engines and although it might loose a little bit of power in a mild engine, it'll save you having to buy a completely new exhaust should you decide to up the power a bit in future.

Please let me know where you are planning to have the work done, i am in the same are as you and there really are some mighty poor exhaust shops around here.

Cheers,
xdc

DansEdgli · 11-16-2003, 04:14

Thanks guys,
I was going to get quotes from midas in ferntree gully, fast fit in bayswater where i got my engine put in but not really sure if i want to go back there and performance exhaust in ringwood. My girlfriends mum reckons they are pretty good.

Is there anywhere else?
I think the twin 2.25 or 2.5 then merging into a 3 inch will be the go to avoid getting funny looks from the police and what not. Im not in a hurry to get pulled over.

Thanks
Dan

DansEdgli · 11-17-2003, 01:21

well dont go to fast fit to get your exhaust done, I went to midas in croydon today and they asked me if i had to pay for the exhaust that was in there from when i had a six. Apparantly my current exhaust is just welding everywhere it should be bolted and very shoddy i was told.

On the quotes issue both midas in croydon and performance exhaust in ringwood said to go a single 2.5 inch exhaust for the 351. The midas guy said i would lose power with a twin system and the perf. exhaust place just said a twin wouldnt fit and that a 2.5 was the best option.

What should i do? I already have a 2.5 system but apparantly only half of it is the right size according to midas. both places will replace it for $290 and $300

Where else is there to go in the S.E suburbs?

xacoupe · 11-17-2003, 01:29

of all places I use advantage suspension for my performance exhausts. They don't advertise that they do it but they did a great job on the XA.
You will have big probs making a true twin exhaust run because of the location of the fuel tank.
I cant remember what sort of motor you are building but if it's mild-ish , IMO a single 2.5 will do .. once you start to get serious you will start to strangle it though

xdc351 · 11-17-2003, 12:56

Try Exhaust Fix in Croydon.

DO NOT have any work done by either of the 2 places you have mentioned above. If you want to know my reasons for the above statement PM me as i'm not posting details on the forums.

No matter where you go make 100% sure you get a mandrel bent, 2 1/2" system. Check every single bend and every single section of pipe before you drive away and don't accept any bullshit excuses or lies. If its not what you asked for then don't pay.

Cheers,

xdc351

DansEdgli · 11-18-2003, 01:53

I went to exhaust fix and he was very helpful, friendly but he said not to bother with mandrel bends.
In his words-'You dont need mandrel bends on your car, trust me, they �re a waste of money. If its done properly it will not be any different performance wise with that system'

He said he will put in a 2.5 with a long straight through muffler that is made longer than most, which quietens the exhaust a bit but doesnt reduce flow like a non straight through muffler along with a resinator for $320.
He said the muffler was straight through and was made longer to help quiet the noise and was made for use with large sedans, it cost $130 on its own. I didnt find out what kind it was.

What do you think?

Ill have a good look through the yellow pages tomorrow and ring around a bit more.
Thanks
Dan

xdc351 · 11-18-2003, 18:37

Those guys have been in the business a long time and I personally take whatever advise they offer. I have never had a single problem with any work they've done for me and many of my mates have walked away very happy with their work too. They were the guys that fixed the total mess my exhaust was after some less professional people made a hack of it. So I would say for $20 more than the other two your getting a very good deal.

If you would like to see some of their work, let me know. I live in Lilydale.

As far as the mandrel bends its really up to you. I think you might have trouble finding anyone who will actually do it. From what I have been told the mandrel bender for 2 1/2" pipe is too expensive for most places to warrant buying one, but nearly everyone has a 2 1/4" bender. Which is why they'll try for hours to tell you a 2 1/2" is too big for your engine and a 2 1/4" will be better. Or they ignore your request for 2 1/2" and install a 2 1/4" system instead bullshit you when you point out to them its only 2 1/4" pipe...

I would look mostly at where you want to be in the future, because I can see no point in spending $300 or so on an exhaust which will need replacing in 6 months if you decide to get more power from your engine.

Good luck,

xdc351

DansEdgli · 11-18-2003, 18:45

Thats good enough for me, Ill book the car in this afternoon.

Thanks a lot.
Dan