Got the whole system installed! I wouldn't recommend this for amateurs at all. It took us almost 7 hours working pretty much non-stop.

If you do it yourself you definitely need a TIG welder. Mig or anything else just sucks donkey *****.

The welding was only 1/3 of it. Cutting and fitting the pipes correctly was most of the work. It's all trial and error when you do it yourself.

The best part is the whole system is now smooth 2.5 inch mandrel bends going into the flowmaster dual in, single 3 inch out y-pipe, then about 2.7 ft and into the 3 inch SI/SO Dynomax Ultra-flo. Everything worked out pretty good except the hanger placement. Right now I only have one hanger at the back and it's missing the hangers at the back of the muffler. We just used a grinder with a cut-off wheel to cut the old sh_t off.

I have to tell you guys/girls that it sure sounds DAMN SWEEEEEEEET! Not too loud either. I can really see why some people just put a straight pipe in to replace the muffler on these trucks. Those 4 catalytic converters suck up all the sound energy. Even WOT isn't that loud. It has a bit of a nice resonance between 1800 and 3500 when you go 1/2 to 3/4 throttle that sounds so sweet that I think my gas mileage is going to go down just cause I like to kick it out of overdrive and listen to that sweet sound.

If you're driving on the hwy at 50-60mph there's barely much more sound in the cab than with the OE garbage can so I'd recommend anyone who does their exhaust to definitely get an ultra-flo or similar muffler that's basically a glasspack design. The sound is really deep too like she's got huge hairy ***** now. Can you tell I'm permanently smiling?

I hate to think what a muffler shop would have charged me for all of these nice TIG welds ($300-500 at least). I'll be posting pictures shortly and the sound clip on my website in a few minutes. Check the bottom of my webpage for the sound clips before and after using a cheap microphone in my carport. Both sound clips are recorded at the same volume level so you can get a good idea of the difference.

Seat-of-the-pants meter says probably quicker than before. No perceivable loss in torque so I'm not sure what all the other people that have put 3 inch cat-backs on are complaining about... perhaps doing the y-pipe is the answer. BTW the t-fitting of the OE exhaust wasn't too bad. About 1/8 inch edge around the hole where it joins the passenger side pipe so perhaps 2 1/8 inch hole there. Could have been worse.

If you don't have access to muffler tools and a well-stocked workshop with a TIG welder I'd say leave it to the pro's unfortunately.

Scroll down the page for the sound clips: http://members.shaw.ca/pferlow/exhaust_f-150.htm

I'll post the rest of the article, pictures, video clips, etc later. I'm pooped out now.

 

Sweet sounding exhaust!

 

Sounds like a great system

 

The system has become a little louder since installation. Have a misfire though and there maybe some fuel in the exhaust making it louder... not sure yet... scope check tomorrow morning, this afternoon my mechanic buddy was up to his ears in work. I had to reschedule.

 

for all that time and money it looks like you would have gone ahead and put duals on it

 

Sure... it cost me time. But the parts cost was under $300cdn so it's less than any of the cat-back systems available plus I've got the y-pipe mod.

Duals may sound a bit nicer but I don't want to add another 10lbs of steel tubing to my truck.

Misfire was cured by yanking out the new autolite plat. pro plugs and replacing with Champion "truck" plugs.