Exhaust

[Hauser717]

I am considering my next mod and that would be the exhaust system. I have done a search on what threads there are on the subject and have found quite a few interesting thoughts. However...

What is the general opinion on replacing the entire exhaust system ala the Stainless Works system reviewed on this site? What of the Kooks system? How do they compare? Also, I noticed that several members have only installed headers without changing the pipes. Would there be any reason to keep the stock pipes other than $$? Am I overthinking this as I do most everything?

[CKMustangCobra]

From my experience with other cars....

Unless you have a boosted motor... full exhaust systems might net 25rwhp.... most of which is up top.

On Marauders... I've seen complete exhaust systems for for $2000+

Not worth the cash IMO. Want to change the sound a little... Weld in a nice set of mufflers.

[Hauser717]

The site review for the Stainless Works system http://www.mercurymarauder.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/29/sort/2/cat/2/page/1 states a HP gain of "44.5 dyno'ed RWHP gain peak to peak.". Was this untrue?

[SILVERSURFER03]

Flow Masters 2 Chamber Should Sound Nice And Preform Well

[FormulaMarauder]

There has a post about how the Kook's added around 55+hp on a mostly stock car. I'll try to find the link and dyno for ya.

[red]

I picked up 40 at the wheel between headers, midpipes, mufflers, and intake spacer. Did it on a budget and kept the stock tail pipes including tips. Well worth the gains.

[Raudermaster]

The post Formula Marauder is referring too, is a post from Logan, it's realllllll old.

[CKMustangCobra]

I picked up 40 at the wheel between headers, midpipes, mufflers, and intake spacer. Did it on a budget and kept the stock tail pipes including tips. Well worth the gains.

Mind me asking how much the whole setup cost? Install and everything?

[CKMustangCobra]

There has a post about how the Kook's added around 55+hp on a mostly stock car. I'll try to find the link and dyno for ya.

55 rear wheel HP from a set of longtubes????????????????????? ???????

I need a link for that.

[SC Cheesehead]

55 rear wheel HP from a set of longtubes????????????????????? ???????

I need a link for that.

^^^^^^^ +1 ^^^^^^^^

If this is true, man, that's a no-brainer!

SCCH

[Mike Poore]

I wrote this before, a long time ago; but in a nutshell, think about future mods, as well. Some exhaust setups work better on normally aspirated engines, and some enhance superchargers. These may not be the same system, and I dare say, the type of supercharger you decide upon might dictate one exhaust over another. It's a long roundabout way of advising against putting expensive stuff on now, that may not work best, later. A set of delete tips using Gordon's setup is the best bang for the buck, while the savings could be put towards a set of Zack's control arms and a driveshaft.

[Egon Spengler]

Anyone ever throw in a set of cherry bomb mufflers?

[Breadfan]

Anyone ever throw in a set of cherry bomb mufflers?

Tried to, but they just bounced off :confused:

[Egon Spengler]

Bounced Off!?!?! Were They Installed Properly??? Would They Be Good If They Didn't "bounce Off"???

[Breadfan]

Bounced Off!?!?! Were They Installed Properly??? Would They Be Good If They Didn't "bounce Off"???

Well I tossed 'em at the OEM mufflers and they just bounced off.

j/k of course

I've never tried them, are you referring to the old school glasspack cherry bombs or the new chambered ones?

Personally I'm not sure I'd go for 'em...if you want some good straight through flow I'd go magnaflow

[Egon Spengler]

Is there a type of muffler I should be look for from flowmaster or magnaflow? What I mean is, is there a certain model type that I would need to look for so that it will fit under the car, or is it pretty much anything can go under there. I forgot what it looks like under there.

[Hauser717]

I don't plan on putting an S/C on my car as I can't justify the money. Barring a lottery win or an unexpected bit of generosity from someone, I plan to stay naturally aspirated. So with this in mind, would a Stainless Works or a Kooks system be better? Or is there a better setup?

If you can come up with that dyno FormulaMaurauder, that would be great!

And I would be interested in Cherry Bombs... If I still had my old Plymouth Satellite Sebring.

[pacammer]

If you are interested. I just replaced my DR Cobra manifolds, cats, and x pipe with the 3" stainless works because I am upgrading my supercharger and wanted to flow a little better.

The DR exhaust served my well without any issues. I used Borla mufflers with my setup.

If you are interested in buying a good used DR exhaust send me a PM.

Gary

[KillJoy]

If you are interested. I just replaced my DR Cobra manifolds, cats, and x pipe with the 3" stainless works because I am upgrading my supercharger and wanted to flow a little better.

The DR exhaust served my well without any issues. I used Borla mufflers with my setup.

If you are interested in buying a good used DR exhaust send me a PM.

Gary


If you REALLY want this sold, post it up in the Classifieds...

It WILL sell!

:up:

KillJoy

[Raudermaster]

I have the DR Cobra kit and I like it, I bought mine used and it's in flawless condition. Sounds great too and my car definately feels like it gained some ponies.

[GreekGod]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(240,240,240)" align=left bgColor=#f0f0f0>Quoting from a posting on the ForeFe forum:

"Steel Tube Headers.... One PITA after another....



</TD><TD vAlign=top align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-LEFT: 15px">Makes me glad my teen-age years are behind me and I no longer feel compelled to ***** around with worthless headers! The sc***** knuckles, the burned flesh, the endless hours of cussing and hammering and torching and beating and bending and what-all. The constant burned out gaskets, the burned out tubes, the loose bolts, the scraping on the bottom, the cops hearing the loud exhaust and pulling you over for safety inspections, the cheap steel and bad welds, the lack of customer service.

Wow. I just realized all over again how great life can be without steel tube headers. Thanks, Ford Motor Company, for your blessed cast iron manifolds and cast iron FE headers! Truly thou hast delivered me from EVIL!!!!"


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></B>

[Hauser717]

Ok, GreekGod has a round-about way of telling us to stick with cast iron. Does anyone else have an opinion on this subject?

[Paul T. Casey]

Ok, GreekGod has a round-about way of telling us to stick with cast iron. Does anyone else have an opinion on this subject?


Yep. Kooks headers, high-flow cats, X pipe, and Magnaflows worked great for me. Gained a consistant half second in the 1/4. Ask some of the guys here whom I've run (stock gears) what the back of my car looks like. They'll all be able to answer (well maybe not the s/c guys, and Glenn when he was n/a). It is the single best go fast mod I have done. It works well with anything else you may do. Anything to improve air flow efficiency makes you go faster. We have great heads on these cars. Let it breath. I'll be doing the final pieces of the exhaust real soon (tailpipes to 2 1/2"). I expect to gain a little more when this is complete. Other "cheap tricks" which will work wonders: spacers, intake polish, port match.

[GreekGod]

Ok, GreekGod has a round-about way of telling us to stick with cast iron...

I'm just saying headers are not for everyone...all mods involve compromise...you can be quick and/or fast with cast manifolds, you can be relatively quiet with steel tube headers. The modern design & construction of headers for our cars (especially stainless) are much better than what was generally offered years ago.

Unless 1/4 mile times are most important, money could be better spent on other upgrades. A super-sleeper supercharged MM (SSSCMM) with OEM exhaust can be a quiet 11 second machine, without spending money to draw Sgt Standanko or officer Friendly's attention.

[red]

Mind me asking how much the whole setup cost? Install and everything?

It was somewhere around $1600, including labor.

[red]

Is there a type of muffler I should be look for from flowmaster or magnaflow? What I mean is, is there a certain model type that I would need to look for so that it will fit under the car, or is it pretty much anything can go under there. I forgot what it looks like under there.

I prefer Borla's, but Flowmaster and MagnaFlow both make nice mufflers. You'll need offset inlet, center outlet. Otherwise, a good exhaust shop should be able to get any muffler smaller than stock to fit. My mufflers are 14" long, 4" high, and 9.5" wide, with 2.5" inlet/outlet. Stock midpipes are 2" and stock tailpipes are 2.25".

[red]

There has a post about how the Kook's added around 55+hp on a mostly stock car. I'll try to find the link and dyno for ya.

It's unlikely you'll gain this much by upgrading exhaust alone. With all my upgrades, I've only gained 60HP at the wheels.

[oldekid]

If you want your car to sound healthy without spending a lot of money, try cutting out the mufflers and running straight pipes. Locally, it costs about $50, and if you don't like it, you can try something else. I tried several systems, including the Ford Dual Mode mufflers, but wasn't happy until I did this.

I have been running without mufflers for a long time, and love it. The only time they are annoying is when the engine is cold. At that time, they sound very raspy.

I have had so many compliments on how good my car sounds. . . and it's cheap! My wife is also getting used to it.

:banana:

[Aren Jay]

I had holes in my Mustangs mufflers I used to set off car alarms in parkades.

[CRUZTAKER]

From my experience with other cars....

Unless you have a boosted motor... full exhaust systems might net 25rwhp.... most of which is up top.

On Marauders... I've seen complete exhaust systems for for $2000+

Not worth the cash IMO. Want to change the sound a little... Weld in a nice set of mufflers.

WRONG.
Take it from a Marauder OWNER:

On the contrary, the full KOOKS yielded nearly 40 rwhp for myself, and nearly every other person on this site.

It was the best 2k I spent for a bolt on. It was my first mod as well.

You DO NOT need a blower to see massive gains with full exhaust.

If you are going down the road as I did, wanting to avoid the blower and partaking in strictly bolt ons to gain performance, this is a must to achieve numbers comparable to modestly blown cars.

At one point, I was able to get 307 to the rear with >350 torque and running nearly 13 flat on street tires and race fuel. I loved my car, it was insane!

[Hauser717]

I'm not necessarily looking for increased sound/noise even though I know that is a by product of headers, etc. Not to mention that straight pipes wouldn't pass inspection in Missouri and I don't want my daily driver THAT noisy. Quite simply, I am looking for more horsepower. I know that getting an S/C would add the most, but I can't justify the estimated $6K investment so therefore I am looking at exhaust. And even if I could swing the S/C, I'd still want to upgrade the exhaust to handle the increased airflow.

So, bottom line is that I want horsepower. I have CAI and SCT. Exhaust is what I believe to be the next step. Stainless Works, Kooks or what's behind door number 3?

[red]

So, bottom line is that I want horsepower. I have CAI and SCT. Exhaust is what I believe to be the next step. Stainless Works, Kooks or what's behind door number 3?

I may stand corrected, but from what I recall, the biggest gains are seen from Stainless Works and Kooks. The cobra manifolds route will yield you less horsepower, but still enough to make it worth your while.

[red]

At one point, I was able to get 307 to the rear with >350 torque and running nearly 13 flat on street tires and race fuel. I loved my car, it was insane!

Barry, what exactly is your fastest time on the stock N/A motor and with what mods? I'm trying to figure out what I need to get here:

http://www.dragtimes.com/Mercury-Marauder-Timeslip-3206.html

... besides 30 degree cooler weather and decent race fuel (my last experience with 100 octane... well, lets just say I was getting 4 degrees of knock retard and regret buying fuel from a rundown Sunoco station).

Also, how were you running 110 octane? Isn't anything above 100 usually leaded? It's my understanding leaded fuel will eat up catalytic converters and 02 sensors.

[Seneca]

I love the Stainless works headers, however pass the headers didnt fit right. clearance over the axle is very tight. Not real crazy about the sound. Just my two cents. However on the dyno i got 40 RWHP over stock exhaust. Best of luck with your choice. Seneca

[red]

I love the Stainless works headers, however pass the headers didnt fit right. clearance over the axle is very tight.
I didn't experience any problems with the header install (besides negotiating clearance between the rear engine cooling kit and the EGR tube), but had heard of the clearance issues with Stainless Works full exhaust system and decided not to touch the axle section and tailpipes. My system is definitely loud and deep with the Borlas.

[CanadaMarauder]

Resonater Delete tips and Flowmaster super 40's...will get the rear cats removed next month
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox-9bYKd8z8

[CRUZTAKER]

.... what's behind door number 3?

Door #3 is the next step.;)
Underdrive pullies, gears, trans work jmod and 3000 stall.


I may stand corrected, but from what I recall, the biggest gains are seen from Stainless Works and Kooks. The cobra manifolds route will yield you less horsepower, but still enough to make it worth your while.

You stand correct.;)


Barry, what exactly is your fastest time on the stock N/A motor and with what mods? I'm trying to figure out what I need to get here:

http://www.dragtimes.com/Mercury-Marauder-Timeslip-3206.html

... besides 30 degree cooler weather and decent race fuel (my last experience with 100 octane... well, lets just say I was getting 4 degrees of knock retard and regret buying fuel from a rundown Sunoco station).

Also, how were you running 110 octane? Isn't anything above 100 usually leaded? It's my understanding leaded fuel will eat up catalytic converters and 02 sensors.

First of all, click the 'MY GARAGE' link in my sig. Everything you see bolt-on is what I had. The NOS only brought my numbers down to 12.4x, but improved 60' times as low as 1.61.

There is 110 unleaded, but it is hard to locate, and usually purchased mail order. I believe VT fuels sells it.

I use LEADED fuel with mix of unleaded. We have 100 unleaded pump around here, and 114 CAM2 leaded. With the aftermarket KOOKS and free flow cats (only 2, not 4), I have little concern for cat failure. My O2 sensors are fine so far, some 41k of this type of beating.

The last trick, was going to see Lidio at Alternative to get good programming off the dyno in all conditions. I use a 4 slot SCT chip, and have a program for each scenario. When running 114 and spraying, I don't remove as much spark as one might to avoid detonation on 94 or even 100 octane.

[red]

First of all, click the 'MY GARAGE' link in my sig. Everything you see bolt-on is what I had. The NOS only brought my numbers down to 12.4x, but improved 60' times as low as 1.61.

There is 110 unleaded, but it is hard to locate, and usually purchased mail order. I believe VT fuels sells it.

I use LEADED fuel with mix of unleaded. We have 100 unleaded pump around here, and 114 CAM2 leaded. With the aftermarket KOOKS and free flow cats (only 2, not 4), I have little concern for cat failure. My O2 sensors are fine so far, some 41k of this type of beating.

The last trick, was going to see Lidio at Alternative to get good programming off the dyno in all conditions. I use a 4 slot SCT chip, and have a program for each scenario. When running 114 and spraying, I don't remove as much spark as one might to avoid detonation on 94 or even 100 octane.
Thanks for the reply, and nice setup! I'm hoping to get into the low 13's N/A without touching the motor (and hoping it holds up to my abuse in the meantime). I have a similar setup to your previous one, just different headers / cold air kit and no suspension mods. I'll be perfecting my tune over the next couple months and am considering different tire options. In your dragtimes profile, it says you were running PZeros. What was the section width and were these on widened rims? Also, what was your best 60' on them? Right now, on GS-D3s and 93 octane, I'm cutting low to mid 1.9's (best to date is a 1.927) and my 1/8th mph is strong (low 81's), but I'm not gaining as much mph by the quarter as I feel I should be (granted, one heavy car). I have yet to launch of stall (3500), as I cannot get these tires to stick above 3k, or above 2k in the cold. I'd like to keep the street tire claim, but may have to go drag radials to take full advantage of my high stall converter.