hi everyone the name is Jimmie just bought my f150 in october and i love it to death. its a 01 screw with the 5.4.. and thats about all i know lol. I come from a long line of chevy drivers but this was my first attempt at building some credit and i wanted a ford. (so please pardon my ignorance)

so today i was reading over the forum and decided i wanted to put on a new exhaust and was needing some help with what works and what doesn't (since i'm not very technically minded)..

I want to put on longtube headers into two cats (one on each tube) into a H or X pipe (don't know advantages or disadvantages to either) into two mufflers (no clue what brand) and out to back with stainless slant tips.. i'm going for loud but not crazy loud and most importantly i want it to be smog and street legal. (price isn't my first concern but i don't want something stupid expensive)

i know this is a redundant question but i couldn't find what i was looking for in the threads listed.. thanks for all your help.. and by the way love the site!

Jimmie

 

Hello and welcome to the F150 world. I too had started with GMs, had a black Trans Am WS6 when I was in high school, and bought a '05 Silverado 2500HD Crewcab 6'5 bed since a Trans Am isn't practical for daily driving, winter driving, and for a landscaping job.. and it was getting me in trouble with the cops a little too. But that gave me aot of problems so I got my F150 and love it so far. Anyways im getting off track

Longtubes with hi-flow cat converters would be a good set up. I'm not sure if the Longtubes will be legal though, usually they wont pass emissions, but if you are sure they will, go for it if you have the money for them. The Longtubes will gain you 10 - 15 horsepower & ft lbs torque, the hi-flow cats will flow excellent and sound like a cat-less vehicle. I would go with an X pipe over H pipe due to the fact that H pipe doesn't crossflow as an X pipe will. The X pipe will keep a better scavenging affect to help you retail good low end power. For mufflers, Magnaflows will keep your performance high and sound really deep and loud with Longtubes with respectable inside noise. I have 11" body Magnaflow mufflers with 2.5" true duals, have a listen in my signature.

 

i've noticed some of the long tubes have had holes for either the air system or the o2 sensor (can't remember) but i really just want away from the stock manifolds.. long tubes would be preferred but shorties would work i guess.. i just have to stay legal.. anyone know of any long tubes what would pass nc emissions?

 

Those holes are for the front O2 sensors, your truck has them now but they're way up with the manifolds just about. Theres no place to properly connect them with LTs so they need extensions and mounted down further.

 

so what does a set of long tubes need to be legal? .. sorry i'm very ignorant lol

 

I'm not very sure, its just the fact that Longtubes cant pass over here where the emissions are. Not really sure why but believe its due to the massive sound out-put they create.

 

anyone else know of any long tube setups that are smog legal?

 

alright, here is what you really need to know.

all headers are completely smog legal as long as they come with an egr hookup and o2 connectors. this is just about every long tube out there as long as it doesnt say offroad only.

as far as power gains go, you are gonna want to get long tubes. shorties really do nothing for you.

one cat on each side might not pass emissions. put 2 high flows on each side and youll see a gain over stock with guaranteed 50 state smog legality. this will also raise the sound of the exhaust but with the long tubes everything will be a deep, throaty sound. very nice if i say so myself.

after all that, go with an x-pipe. best for exhaust scavenging (pretty much no gain in back pressure and an all together better flow). an x-pipe will net better gains for horsepower and torque. an h-pipe is generally louder but produces a raunchy sound and isnt the greatest thing to go with.

for mufflers: magnaflow makes a great straight through design. this keeps the exhaust open and free flowing which is better in the long run. they also give the exhaust a good note without that drone of baffled mufflers (flowmaster).

so to sum everything up:
-longtubes are a must, opens exhaust up, makes for a great sound, adds horsepower
-high flow cats, again, less restriction from stock, completely legal
-magnaflow, puts that muffler that is required in place, keeps exhaust free flowing, makes for a nice note

everything after that is up to you. i like the look of slant tips out the back. if you have a good custom exhaust shop or if you can do the work yourself everything else is just making it fit.

 

okay awesome i guess i'll start pricing my set up.. i know a guy in asheville that can install it..

but one more ignorant question and i'm done..

when i get long tubes will it lean my motor out so that i have to get a custom tune? i've heard rumor of this and just wanted to make sure.. i plan on getting the edge programmer and didn't know if that would conflict with a custom tune.. thanks again!

Jimmie

 

You dont have to get a tune, but it would be best if you did. Custom tuning will unleash every bit of power from your modifications, and power thats restricted by factory tuning. So if you go with a custom tune, you might as well also get an upgraded air intake.

 

i already have one.. not sure what brand it was on there when i got the truck.. but would a custom tune be better then getting a edge programmer or something? i'm not too concerned with getting the max hp i'm more wanting to be able to get this thing inspected where ever i go.. so an ses light is my biggest concern.. i know a custom tune can erase these.. but i have no clue what a edge can do

 

i like my edge. i can read and clear any trouble codes that pop up.

there was a noticeable difference in gains. you will need an actual tuner and not just the tune to be able to clear DTCs.

intakes and headers are really considered a bolt on mod and theres really no reason to get a tune unless you want one, but a tune will also help unleash the maximum output your mods can provide.

go to the chips and tuners section on the forum, browse through there and see what you come up with. lots of info in there.