Madcat
12-07-2007, 06:01 PM
The muffler on my Jeep was looking pretty bad. The outer wrap had rotted away on the bottom and I felt that it could blow a hole in the bottom at any time. That was all I needed to justify a new high flow cat back exhaust system.
Finding quality systems was easy. Choosing one was difficult. I was pretty sure that they were all well made and would provide years of service. In order to make my decision, I created criteria that were important to me.
Sound: I did not want a “buzz can”. I was looking for a nice deep sound that I could tolerate both inside and out side the Jeep.
Flow: A 242 cu.in. engine will flow 385 cfm at 5500 rpm assuming 100% efficiency. Pushrod OHV engines are closer to 80%. So, my minimum muffler flow was set at 308 cfm.
Price: It’s just a muffler and tail pipe for Pete’s sake!
I finally bought a Dynomax Super Turbo CatBack exhaust system. The exhaust tip is polished stainless steel while the rest is aluminized steel. This system will not “wow” anyone with its looks. It’s straight forward and functional. The mandrel bending on the tail pipe was well executed and there were no excessive tooling marks. The muffler construction appeared to be typical OEM quality.
Pros:
The sound (to me) is almost perfect. Going down the road and at idle it has a nice deep “rumble”. Backing off the throttle results in a nice, healthy “burble” from my inline six. Plus, I did not have to buy a bigger amp for my stereo just so I can hear it. I have had several people compliment the sound. While “only” a 2¼”Ø tube, the muffler is rated at about 373 cfm. 4WD lists this setup (17345) for $159.99.
Cons:
The construction is aluminized steel and is not stainless steel. However, at this price you could buy two systems and a differential cover for the price of some of the competition.
I suppose that my only real complaint would be the exhaust tip. I angles down toward the ground instead of being parallel to it. Please note that this is not something that is severe. It is just something that is noticeable. I am extremely pleased with this system and I’m sure many of you would like as well.
Finding quality systems was easy. Choosing one was difficult. I was pretty sure that they were all well made and would provide years of service. In order to make my decision, I created criteria that were important to me.
Sound: I did not want a “buzz can”. I was looking for a nice deep sound that I could tolerate both inside and out side the Jeep.
Flow: A 242 cu.in. engine will flow 385 cfm at 5500 rpm assuming 100% efficiency. Pushrod OHV engines are closer to 80%. So, my minimum muffler flow was set at 308 cfm.
Price: It’s just a muffler and tail pipe for Pete’s sake!
I finally bought a Dynomax Super Turbo CatBack exhaust system. The exhaust tip is polished stainless steel while the rest is aluminized steel. This system will not “wow” anyone with its looks. It’s straight forward and functional. The mandrel bending on the tail pipe was well executed and there were no excessive tooling marks. The muffler construction appeared to be typical OEM quality.
Pros:
The sound (to me) is almost perfect. Going down the road and at idle it has a nice deep “rumble”. Backing off the throttle results in a nice, healthy “burble” from my inline six. Plus, I did not have to buy a bigger amp for my stereo just so I can hear it. I have had several people compliment the sound. While “only” a 2¼”Ø tube, the muffler is rated at about 373 cfm. 4WD lists this setup (17345) for $159.99.
Cons:
The construction is aluminized steel and is not stainless steel. However, at this price you could buy two systems and a differential cover for the price of some of the competition.
I suppose that my only real complaint would be the exhaust tip. I angles down toward the ground instead of being parallel to it. Please note that this is not something that is severe. It is just something that is noticeable. I am extremely pleased with this system and I’m sure many of you would like as well.