Finally had the time to install the Sweptside yesterday and all I can say is WOW! It made such a difference in throttle response and low end torque. I was amazed, never expected it to make that much difference. Very esay to install too. Hardest thing was cutting off the old pipe, there is just no room for a hacksaw to be easy.

It also got rid of the rough idle I had after the K&N filter was put in. I guess if you open up the intake, you need to do the same to the exhaust to keep it balanced. I even cleaned the MAF sensor thinking it got oil on it from the filter. But the K&N just gave me a rough idle, that is until I put the exhaust on. Now it's smooth as glass.

On a side note, what makes Ford put a muffler the size of a VW Bug on our trucks anyway? The Gibson is 1/3 the size and about 30 pounds lighter.

------------------
Boss™

Ordered June 29th, 2000; pick-up date Nov 28th, 2000: 2001 F-150 Lariat, Oxford White/Silver Supercab 4x4, Styleside, 5.4L, 7700# payload, Class III Tow, 3.73LS, Skids, Leather Captains, 4W disc ABS, shift-on-fly, keyless, HD everything
Planned Mods:
"Protected by the Owner and his 2 friends, Smith & Wesson" sticker, Westin Chromed Stainless Nerf Bars, ARE LS II bed cover, Bedrug™, Gibson Swept Side Cat Back, K&N filter w/airbox mods, Pacesetter ceramic coated headers, Superchip, 3" body lift with at least 33's, alarm/pager/auto start system, stereo system

 

Do you have ANY in-cab drone? I have the dual sport and was thinking of changing to the swept side to get rid of the drone I have. The dual sport is not real loud, but I don't want to give up the performance advantage of the catback.

Thanks,

Jim

------------------
1998 F-150 XLT SC 5.4L

 

JSCOTT
I have the Gibson sweptback, have no drone at all in cab. I put back the anti-vibration weight on exhaust in place of clamp that came with system. Very quiet system, I like it. I also have PaceSetter ceramic coated headers on truck.

MJD5.4
--------------------
2000 F150 SC White, Harvest Gold, 5.4, Towing Package.

Mods:
AirRaid
PaceSetter Ceramic Coated Headers
Gibson SweptBack Exhaust
Future Mods:
SuperChip
SuperCharger: Yeaa! I can't wait!!!!!

 

JSCOTT,

No drone what so ever. With the radio off, a/c blower motor off, windows up, you can just barely hear it under acceleration. I can still hear the motor fan more than the exhaust. It does have that throaty V8 sound, but that is what we wanted anyway. It's just very quiet, so quiet that most of the guys on this board complain that it's too quiet. Great performance gain by my seat-of-da-pants meter. I also think the sweptside will increase your performance from the dual sport, more low end torque.

MJD5.4,

I have those same headers on order, should be here next week. How do you like them? Are they good quality? Any leaks or problems with the install?

 

One other thing. After hearing how some guys on this board had thier non-stainless steel Gibson muffler rust out internally, and that isn't covered under the warranty, I covered the inside of mine with Ospho before the install. I don't know if it will do any good, but makes me feel better. I've had a Gibson on my Bronco for 8 years now and it hasn't rusted out. One reason for this could be no cats that produce water in system. It could also be that hear in S. Florida it doesn't get cold enough usually to make a lot of water in your exhaust even with cats. No matter what the reason, the one on my Bronco is still going great, so I stuck with Gibson for my new truck too

 

Thanks for posting your results. I've got the it in S/S ordered but I just found out the ship date from Gibson got bumped again to the 4th.

Sounds like the sound I want. Meaty big block kind of. I think I'd look silly with anything louder on my Expy.

Your truck is pretty new. You still had problems with the old exhaust? Is your's clamped after the y pipe? Mine looks like as long as the clamp comes off easily and I can get the 2 pipes apart I'm in business. At least I hope.

------------------
2000 Eddie Bauer Expedition 4x2
Estate Green
5.4 ltr
3:55 LS rear
Tow Package
Superchip
Airaid FIPK
Rear Load Leveling
Moonroof
Century Child Seat!
Gibson Stainless Steel Swept Side Ordered and Backordered and Backordered again!

 

Hi Boss96Hog;
The hearders are decent, just make sure you check for straightness on header flanges. I have no leaks. The driver side went on no problem. The passenger side I had to take off starter to put on and tighten one bolt on bottom right next to bellhousing. I drove truck for three weeks with headers on stock exhaust, I found the truck performed great along with more mpg. After installing Gibson sweptback it felt like I lost some torque, but after I cleared computer and drove truck for two weeks I do notice a power increase. Will go to track to see!
MJD5.4

---------------------

2000 F150 xlt sc white harvest gold 3.55 ls towing package.

 

Mine was clamped too. But wait til you see how tight that clamp was put on and how deep it squeezed the pipes together and you will opt for the hack saw too! There was no way in hell they were coming apart without heating it cherry red and having enough room to wack it with a 5 pound sledge hammer.

The Gibson install instructions tell you to measure 17" forward of the stock muffler and cut anyway. This is about 6" forward of that joint. I only did 15" because there was a cross member blocking me, might be just a 4x4 thing though. The 15" worked better for me anyway, I think 17" would have been too close to being short.

One thing I did do is move the rubber bushings to the inside of the stoppers for the " T " hanger. On the exit pipe, after the muffler, there is a clamp that is a " T " hanger. This goes up and through the stock mounting location. The one that comes with the Gibson doesn't have the triangle nipples on the end of it like the stock muffler does to prevent it slipping out of the rubber bushings. I was kinda worried that it would slip out so I forced the rubber hangers closer together by pulling them past thier stops. This makes it almost impossible for the Gibson hanger to slide out on it's own.

 

Thanks you for the heads up. I've got a torch so I'll robably try that first unless it calls for cutting it for my Expy too.

If mine ever gets here I'll let you know how mine goes....

------------------
2000 Eddie Bauer Expedition 4x2
Estate Green
5.4 ltr
3:55 LS rear
Tow Package
Superchip
Airaid FIPK
Rear Load Leveling
Moonroof
Century Child Seat!
Gibson Stainless Steel Swept Side Ordered and Backordered and Backordered again!

 

I just put this system on my 2001 screw.
Thanks to the input from Boss96hog & Family ride.I like the system alot it's just what I was looking for.My question is did you all do the computer reset thing? Will it make anymore of a difference? or will it adjust itself over time or not at all? Some on the board's say to do it other's say just leave it alone.

------------------
2001 Supercrew XLT 4X4
BLACK W/DARK GRAPHITE
5.4 EFI V8
17" 10 SPOKE'S W/BFG AT'S
3.55 LIMITED SLIP
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
SKID PLATE'S
POWER MOONROOF
SLIDING REAR WDW.
TRAILER TOW PKG.
BED EXTENDER
CLOTH CAPTAIN'S CHAIR'S
STAINLESS STEP BAR'S
GIBSON SIDE SWEPT
WINDOW TINT
VENT VISOR'S
LINE-X-BED LINER
FORD MOLDED MUD FLAP'S
K&N FILTER
HUSKY FLOOR LINER'S
HEADLIGHT/FOG SWITCH MOD.

 

FallScrew-
Being an Expy owner who is about to install his 2nd catback (switching from a Jardine to a Gibson Swept Swide), you defintely want to do the computer reset. Now that you have opened up the back end, the engine will run different and needs to re-learn.

I'm hoping I'll have as much satisfaction from the Gibson as everyone else on this thread. The Gibson goes on this Friday!

Enjoy your upgrade...

------------------
2000 Wedgewood Blue Expy XLT 5.4L 4WD, C&C group, towing package, beige leather interior, captain's chairs, 6 CD Changer, 255/70R16, all-weather floor mats, factory fog lamps, Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic w/ Puralator filter

MODS
Ford Bug Deflector (2/15/00), Superchip (3/11/00), Airaid (3/23/00), Edelbrock IAS shocks (3/23/00), Jardine cat-back exhaust (4/6/00, removed 8/22/00), Under Seat Locking Storage Drawer (6/6/00), MPC Rear Air Foil (7/2/00), Super-White Headlamps and Foglamps (1/15/01)

 

The storry I got about the computer is that it keeps an average over 50 (or so) temperature cycles, so even if you do not reset your computer, it will in less than 3 days reset it self.
There are some instances where you do need to reset computer right away, like when going from a less restrictive air filter (K&N) to the stock paper, the computer thinks (for ~50 cylces) that the engine is still getting lots of air in, so it feeds gas to satisfy the previous filter and runs a little ruff, but again it will take care of itself if you give it time.


------------------
2001, F150 SuperCrew, 5.4, Limited 3.55, Trailer Tow, 4R70W Tranny, 255-70-16, Captain Chairs.
Assembly Date 10/4/2000.
++++++++++ Modifications ++++++++++
** Gibson Side Swept Stainless Steel - Cat-Back exhaust. **
** K&N Filter **
*************** AUSTIN, TEXAS ***************