MrPutter

Having recently purchased a nice 04 FX4 in my home province of Alberta, I was faced with a bit of problem. In Alberta an inspection is required for all vehicles 12 years old or more to qualify for insurance. My truck passed the inspection, but with a note from the mechanic stating that the exhaust was near the end of it’s life. He stated that the muffler was leaking at the rear seam, which I later verified by observing some soot build up. Not wanting to spend a ton of money on a new system, I thought, why not a take-off system from a late model truck that someone has upgraded to an aftermarket exhaust. I found such a system listed in the local want ads for $100. I purchased it for $75 Canadian, which is like almost nothing American. It had less than 1000 kilometers use and looked brand new.

After getting it Home and pulling my stock system off for comparison, I figured it was close enough to make work.

MrPutter

The rear section is identicle, except larger diameter and with a chrome tip. The two rear hangers are in exactly the same spot.

MrPutter

The front section is different, with a slightly shorter muffler and a different offset.

So I cut the clamp off the new system and the offset pipe off the old system and welded the two together.

MrPutter

Once the new pipe was welded up, it was a simple matter of clamping the system together and firing up the engine to check for leaks.

The installed system looks totally stock and actually sounds better than the original system. I don’t suppose it makes much difference power wise, although I’m guessing it flows better. $75 and a little time goes a long way.

PerryB

Well done! That's a really good looking truck. I love black, I've had 3 of them over the years and the next time I order one It'll probably be black too. Kind of a pain to keep clean but man, they look sharp when they're wearing a shine.

MrPutter