My exhaust, I don't know if it is factory or not, but it is true duals all the way back until it is about 2 feet from the tip, then it joins and comes out the side right in front of the rear passenger wheel. What I want to do is, get it cut and have the other one run out of the other side of the truck in the same spot as the passanger side, so the pipes would end directly in front of my rear wheels. I also want to cut my mufflers and go with glass packs or maybe flowmasters on both sides. Is this a cool idea, and would I have to make it an H-pipe or could I keep them both completely seperate? Just an idea looking for opinions. Thanks in advance!

 

Is this a typical 97' setup? Are you sure it's stock? I just wonder out of curiousity. Check for welds upstream or differently corroded pipes. If it were me, I'd have a "Y pipe" installed with a glasspack and turn-down for best sound, but sounds to me like you want duals, so I'd go with an "X pipe" to dual glasspacks with 4" tips out the back, or dual side exit like an "L", as it's not very easy (or safe) to run pipes under the plastic fuel tank to to the driver's side. Good luck man!!!

-AR

 

Jackal,

I think that is just the cover of the gas tank that is plastic. I'm pretty sure the tank itself is metal, although I'm not 100% on that.

This doesn't sound like a stock setup at all. Pickup man, IMO you should split them and pipe them straight out the back.

 

I never thought about the gas tank, but it seems like everyone that I know that has duals on an F-150 has them out the back, and I kind of like the side exhaust, I may have to end up going with them both on the same side. I kind of liked the double-sided thing, though. Thanks for bringing that up before I blew myself up! I have no idea if it is stock or not, I got my truck after someone else turned it in on lease, and it didn't have very many miles on it when I got it, but the first owner could have changed it, I am not sure. I don't see that many 97's with 4.6s, so I never really got a chance to check. My truck sounds okay, especially around 2500-3500 rpms, but I want it louder, not deafening or anything, but at least where it's noticeable. How does the X-pipe work, does it rejoin and then split again, or is it just straight out? Sorry I am stupid about exhaust, but I have never really learned about them. I can't really see any new welds or anything on either of the pipes, and neither looks worse for the wear than the other, but it has 106,880 miles on it, so if it was done a long time ago, I wouldn't be able to notice much. Thanks again!

 

Well, I checked, and the tank is metal, but it would still have to be right up against it, and I don't want to do that, so I guess I will go with both out the same side. DANG!!!! Oh well, maybe I'll move my gas tank. I'll post back what I do.

 

Pickup man,

I have seen other f150's with true dual side exits around, I'm just not sure how they're doing it. Moving the gas tank sounds a little extreme, I would go find a muffler shop in your area that specializes in custom exhaust systems. I'm sure they will be able to help you.

If you have to run close to the gas tank, you should put in a heat shield. Some exhaust systems in cars run right under the tank, so I'm sure you could run beside it if you wanted to.

Anyways, like I said, find a good custom exhaust shop, and they should be able to help you.

 

PickupMan,

You could always have the exhaust exit behind the rear tires on each side.

 

I'm going monday to get an estimate at a custom shop here in town. I think it can be run around the outside of the gas tank, but I think I will have to make it an H because of the uneven lengths. Now, my question is what mufflers sound the best?
Scale of 1-10 ratings, with a 1 being a ricer and a 10 being a Winston Cup car. I'm thinking glass packs, but I may go with a real muffler if I can find something that sounds good.

 

FLowmaster 40's sound "good", but their VERY quiet...especially with one on each pipe, but you could do a dual in, dual out, and their expensive. If it were me, I'd run the Dynomax Bullets, and reverse them if it's still too quiet. Check my post to hear my straight pipe sound.

-AR

 

Pickup Man,

Now you have opened the perverbial can of worms.
And you thought that deciding on how the exhaust should
be routed was confusing. Seriously you will get a lot of opinions on mufflers. It is a very personal thing. What sounds good to you may not to another. My advice is to find a truck that sounds the way you want yours to sound and see what mufflers they have.
Then you will have an idea of what your truck is going to sound like.

I used muffler from CGS Motorsports but it is probably too tame for most. Sounds good, just not loud.