Magnaflow question, critique, gripe, and praise.

32CountStep · #1 10-31-2009, 02:58 PM

Stats: 2009 F-150 XL SCREW, Short Bed.

I have part number 16523 Magnaflow install kit. I opted for the dual side exhaust with tips.

I'm pretty sure I was sent the wrong parts. Everything else fit on the truck pretty well and I'm happy about that except getting the pipes that goes over the axle into its exhaust hanger.

The hanger tip on the exhaust pipes looks like a mushroom head (or penis as I described to my wife) and it took forever and a day for me to get it into the rubber hanger. I used liquid silicon, dishwashing soap, and brute force to force it into that hole. With the help of my wife I was able to get it through. With me forcing it on she used a flat head screw driver to make more room for the head to go through the hole(that's my gripe)

Anyway, I get all of that done and go to install the part of the pipes with the tips and realize there is no way in HELL it'll fit. It doesn't marry up to the pipes that are over the axle and even if it did, there is no way for the pipe's hanger piece to fit into the stock exhaust hanger; The shield around the spare tire prevents that.

Even if it did fit in the hanger and I put the pieces together the tips would be dragging the ground.

Looking at my pics does anyone see anything wrong with my install and do you think there are some parts I can buy at the auto store to get those tips on properly? (that's my questions)

Overall the install went very smoothly and should have taken an hour but it didn't due to that tough hanger piece (that's my critique)

The kit itself is top notched and I'm enjoying the sound of the muffler (that's my praise)

---
All the parts left over. I used the 18" intermediate pipe. I'm also missing a clamp!

Looking at muffler and intermediate pipe.

Looking at rear of muffler and going towards rear axle.

Pipes going over axle. I'm 99.5% certain I put it on correctly!

Pipes going over axle, pointing down. I did put this on right. I'm positive!

Pipes over axle and the rear side exhaust on the ground. No way these can fit together.

Side shot of same. Top hanger is on the right. Side exhausts on the ground on the left. No way these two can marry up.

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08FX4 · #2 10-31-2009, 03:45 PM

I can't really tell much because the pictures are big but I'll see if I can help you out........

The first thing I see is that the muffler is not perfectly straight and it's causing one tailpipe to be higher than the other -- what's the reason for that?

The second thing I see is that the pipes coming over the axle should be angled towards the passenger side of the truck -- not turning straight towards the ground like a dumped exhaust. What's the reason for that?

If I'm thinking correctly all of the pipes are welded together, right? If so you should be able to twist the muffler a bit to make the outlets on the muffler the same distance from the ground on both sides and that'll turn the outlet pipes towards the passenger side of the truck and your last piece of pipe with tips should go right on. I know it's always easier said than done but that looks like what you have to accomplish somehow. Sometimes you have to tweak the hangers a bit on cat-back kits so don't be afraid to bend one if necessary. However if you have to bend it A LOT then something is probably wrong.

32CountStep · #3 10-31-2009, 04:01 PM

Thanks! I was just on my way back to the desktop to adjust those pictures (realized I left my keys on the back of the bumper during my test drive and went to find them

)

Anyway...

>The first thing I see is that the muffler is not perfectly straight and it's

It was straight but once I got the bent piped over the angle into its hanger and hooked it to the muffler the muffler turned slight. I didn't think it was too much of a problem.

>The second thing I see is that the pipes coming over the axle should be angled towards the passenger side of the truck -- not turning straight

No, not all of the pipes are welded together. It came in pieces that I had to clamp together.

Looking at the 4th picture, what if I loosened the clamps at the muffler and rotated it such that pipes angled towards the side? I guess I could do that. I also guess the hanger and rotate in the rubber part too.

It's hard to capture what I'm seeing in a picture but when I took those duel exhaust tips and put them to the OEM hanger, I was simply not able to get them in there at all. There is a shield around the spare tire that won't allow the tips to fit there.

I may go back out later and tinker with this.

08FX4 · #4 10-31-2009, 04:16 PM

Now I can see the pics better. Thanks!

Try this..... loosen the clamp on the muffler inlet and temporarily slide the last section of pipe with the tips over the over-axle pipe. Once you get it over rotate the tips up towards the side of the truck and see if you can get them close to where they should be even if it means slightly bending the heat shield that's protecting the rear tire.

It's kind of odd that the 16523 kit covers 2004-2008 trucks and 2009-2010 trucks since it seems that there are some design changes to the underside of the truck.

Maxout05 · #5 10-31-2009, 07:42 PM

I agree with 08 fx4. It looks to me like you have the muffler crooked when it should be straight flat. If you get it flat the rear pipes look like they will line up perfectly. You should either cut that heat shield or just remove it completely cause it looks like it will be very very tight in there. The 04-08's didnt have so I'd toss it and make life easier on yourself. But get the muffler straight and it should work man.

avfrog · #6 10-31-2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxout05

I agree with 08 fx4. It looks to me like you have the muffler crooked when it should be straight flat. If you get it flat the rear pipes look like they will line up perfectly. You should either cut that heat shield or just remove it completely cause it looks like it will be very very tight in there. The 04-08's didnt have so I'd toss it and make life easier on yourself. But get the muffler straight and it should work man.

I'll second that...

32CountStep · #7 11-01-2009, 09:56 AM

Thanks guys! I'll try to work on that later this afternoon and report back to this thread.

But now I have another problem. I like how avfrog's H-Pipe setup looks! I should have opted for something like that...except for the rear pipes.

Our garage is shallow and on my old 97 F-150, unless I was seriously careful, the garage door would always nip or flat-out hit the pipes on the rear.

Good thing I only park in the garage during the cold Indiana months!

Maxout05 · #8 11-01-2009, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 32CountStep

Thanks guys! I'll try to work on that later this afternoon and report back to this thread.

But now I have another problem. I like how avfrog's H-Pipe setup looks! I should have opted for something like that...except for the rear pipes.

Our garage is shallow and on my old 97 F-150, unless I was seriously careful, the garage door would always nip or flat-out hit the pipes on the rear.

Good thing I only park in the garage during the cold Indiana months!

Try to return the maggie and get a custom set-up, lol!!

32CountStep · #9 11-01-2009, 04:42 PM

I did you guy's suggestion and you were right. Unfortunately I was right (sort of) as well.

I rotated the muffler such that it was flat and re-tightened the clamps. I eye-balled the pipes with the tips and noticed they indeed would fit! So I held the pipes up to the pipes that come over the axle and it fits.

This is where the problems began.

I connected the two set of pipes and tried to get the tip pipe into the hanger with no luck. So I took them apart and tried to get the pipes into the hanger with no luck due to the heat shield.

I bent the heat shield and no luck.

So I decided to take the heat shield off!

Realizing it would be easier to take it off with the spare tire lowered I set upon a 1/2 hour diversion to figure out how to get it down and where the tools to do so were (I've only had this truck since last month)

I get the tire down, the heat shield off, and to my disgust and horror I realize these pipes will NEVER fit on the hanger. The part that fits into the rubber hanger is not pointing upwards enough. There simply is not enough room.

I thought to try to bend it but don't want to possibly weaken the welds. I thought about applying heat but figured for what I paid for this kit I shouldn't have to perform this sort of surgery.

I bought some hanger parts from AutoZone but decided that would be cheesy.

So I will be calling Magnaflow tomorrow to see how they want to handle this.

I'll update this thread for those with the same vehicle who are contemplating this kit.

The two pics are of the tip pipe and the hanger after I removed it.

32CountStep · #10 11-01-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxout05

Try to return the maggie and get a custom set-up, lol!!

If I get an unsatisfactory response from Magnaflow I will do that.

This is clearly a F up on their part.

08FX4 · #11 11-01-2009, 05:02 PM

You said that you got it up there and it looks good so it'll definitely fit. Remember what I said about slightly tweaking the hangers? I would say this is one of those cases.

Here is what I think is going on...... Magnaflow says that kit will fit 2004-2010 model trucks but 2004-2008 models and 2009-2010 models are completely different generations. I'm sure they wouldn't claim the kit fits both generations unless it indeed does. I wonder if Ford may have changed the rubber/steel exhaust isolator in the middle of the model year? Maybe they started out with the old style and that's why Magnaflow says it'll fit. I know that hanger definitely looks different than the one on my '08. If you think you can heat it along that last bend on the hanger and slightly bend it up so that it'll go into place I would do that so that you can get it on and enjoy the exhaust.

By the way..... where did you get it from?

Langford · #12 11-01-2009, 05:15 PM

Great...I ordered a magnaflow kit (#16612 I think?) for my 2010 f-150 and it is scheduled to be here tomorrow. I was looking forward to an easy install after work tomorrow, but now I'm a little nervous now...I tend to lose my patients a little too quickly when simple things dont go so simple. The listing said it was for a 2004-2009, so I assumed it would work on a 2010 also...but now I'm second guessing that assumption.

Let us know what you end up doing for a fix, because I may have to do the same thing.

used2vtec · #13 11-01-2009, 06:43 PM

Sorry your having such a hard time with this. I find it strange that they say this kit fits 2004-2010 models. Hopefully Magnaflow will make it right for you and hopefully future buyers wont have this issue.

Langford, please post up how your install goes tomorrow.

Maxout05 · #14 11-01-2009, 07:13 PM

I had bought two maggie kits for my 05. Neither kit would match up hanger wise without alot of bending. So in my experience the maggie kits don't fit right, maybe your experiencing the same thing?
Magnaflow is very good with customer service with my experience so I think in the end you should be ok. Hopefully you got this from hottexhaust because they are excellent to deal with.
I dont think the hanger style has anything to do with it, I just think they fit the 09-10's but not like a glove so to speak. My boss has a 2010 and his stock exhaust is identical to my stock 05 exhaust from the cat-back. I compared them side by side. Only difference is his mounts to the midpipe with a flanged spring bolt style, mine just fits into the mid-pipe and gets clamped, other then that off the trucks side by side they are exactly the same, hangers and all. So I dont think its the year of the truck, but who knows. Like I said my maggie kits both fit poorly, huge reason I sold them and bought a roush off road which fit like a glove.

Call magnaflow before you go any further, i think they will help you without any problems, they were absolutely awesome for me, unfortunately their products were not at all as "awesome".. but that was two years ago.

avfrog · #15 11-01-2009, 08:24 PM

Custom is so much easier. Watch some one else cut and weld. Your in and out in under 30 min. Best of all, you don't have a head ache. LOL