1989 F150 with 5.8l 351w MPG / Power improvement
04-24-2015, 10:16 PM
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
We have a pipe and muffler shop that is renowned around the southern area here called Benny's. They sell the Flowmaster, Borla, and Magnaflow stuff.
Being without sleep for the last couple of days, I'm not understanding exactly what you guys are recommending. Are you saying that replacing the cat/all the way back with something from Borla, Flowmaster or Magnaflow would offer performance/mpg gain? Or leave the muffler on as it is now and just get a hi-flow cat? The headers are close to the replacement in price. Would I get enough value out of the headers for performance/mpg gain to justify the price there? I'm only going to be driving it maybe 4 times a month, and it's just for hauling around pinball machines.
Just the pipe, cat and back is about $350 for the parts. Adding the headers is almost as much. If the headers will significantly increase the performance/mpg and I don't doubt Benny's can install, I'll save up the money and do both.
What do you guys do if this was your truck, besides adding nitrous?
Being without sleep for the last couple of days, I'm not understanding exactly what you guys are recommending. Are you saying that replacing the cat/all the way back with something from Borla, Flowmaster or Magnaflow would offer performance/mpg gain? Or leave the muffler on as it is now and just get a hi-flow cat? The headers are close to the replacement in price. Would I get enough value out of the headers for performance/mpg gain to justify the price there? I'm only going to be driving it maybe 4 times a month, and it's just for hauling around pinball machines.
Just the pipe, cat and back is about $350 for the parts. Adding the headers is almost as much. If the headers will significantly increase the performance/mpg and I don't doubt Benny's can install, I'll save up the money and do both.
What do you guys do if this was your truck, besides adding nitrous?
04-25-2015, 11:27 AM
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
After getting some sleep, and doing more research something clicked.
I didn't realize how loud straight pipe was. I thought it was just a little louder then something with a muffler. After researching videos on the internet, even some good ol' boys in the mountains are commenting on how their truck is too loud now.
I think I've decided to start with a hi flow cat, and then whichever muffler offers the lowest back pressure while also adding K&N cone style instake.
In the future I do see headers, and even future down the road possibly the edelbrock manifold / gt40 heads if I ever decide to rebuild the engine. Anyone see any mistakes with that setup?
-Pat
I didn't realize how loud straight pipe was. I thought it was just a little louder then something with a muffler. After researching videos on the internet, even some good ol' boys in the mountains are commenting on how their truck is too loud now.
I think I've decided to start with a hi flow cat, and then whichever muffler offers the lowest back pressure while also adding K&N cone style instake.
In the future I do see headers, and even future down the road possibly the edelbrock manifold / gt40 heads if I ever decide to rebuild the engine. Anyone see any mistakes with that setup?
-Pat
We have a pipe and muffler shop that is renowned around the southern area here called Benny's. They sell the Flowmaster, Borla, and Magnaflow stuff.
Being without sleep for the last couple of days, I'm not understanding exactly what you guys are recommending. Are you saying that replacing the cat/all the way back with something from Borla, Flowmaster or Magnaflow would offer performance/mpg gain? Or leave the muffler on as it is now and just get a hi-flow cat? The headers are close to the replacement in price. Would I get enough value out of the headers for performance/mpg gain to justify the price there? I'm only going to be driving it maybe 4 times a month, and it's just for hauling around pinball machines.
Just the pipe, cat and back is about $350 for the parts. Adding the headers is almost as much. If the headers will significantly increase the performance/mpg and I don't doubt Benny's can install, I'll save up the money and do both.
What do you guys do if this was your truck, besides adding nitrous?
Being without sleep for the last couple of days, I'm not understanding exactly what you guys are recommending. Are you saying that replacing the cat/all the way back with something from Borla, Flowmaster or Magnaflow would offer performance/mpg gain? Or leave the muffler on as it is now and just get a hi-flow cat? The headers are close to the replacement in price. Would I get enough value out of the headers for performance/mpg gain to justify the price there? I'm only going to be driving it maybe 4 times a month, and it's just for hauling around pinball machines.
Just the pipe, cat and back is about $350 for the parts. Adding the headers is almost as much. If the headers will significantly increase the performance/mpg and I don't doubt Benny's can install, I'll save up the money and do both.
What do you guys do if this was your truck, besides adding nitrous?
04-26-2015, 09:55 AM
#13
That's about what I'd do with the exhaust.
I don't like the cone filters - just because they don't fit in the airbox so you end up sucking air from under the hood, which kind of defeats the whole cold air intake system the truck came with.
You can get a k&n filter to fit where your paper one is now, or find a way to get the cone to pull air from outside the engine compartment.
I don't like the cone filters - just because they don't fit in the airbox so you end up sucking air from under the hood, which kind of defeats the whole cold air intake system the truck came with.
You can get a k&n filter to fit where your paper one is now, or find a way to get the cone to pull air from outside the engine compartment.
04-26-2015, 10:14 PM
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Aahh, I thought the square K&N filter that fits in the housing would not offer any improvement over a paper filter. I just thought it was washable so you could recycle it.
Does it offer a power improvement over a regular paper filter?
-Pat
Does it offer a power improvement over a regular paper filter?
-Pat
That's about what I'd do with the exhaust.
I don't like the cone filters - just because they don't fit in the airbox so you end up sucking air from under the hood, which kind of defeats the whole cold air intake system the truck came with.
You can get a k&n filter to fit where your paper one is now, or find a way to get the cone to pull air from outside the engine compartment.
I don't like the cone filters - just because they don't fit in the airbox so you end up sucking air from under the hood, which kind of defeats the whole cold air intake system the truck came with.
You can get a k&n filter to fit where your paper one is now, or find a way to get the cone to pull air from outside the engine compartment.