Exhaust opinions

JamesBaumann · Dec 23, 2003

I found one of those header style exhaust manifolds off of an 86 Aerostar 2.3! I am going to go purchase it this week sometime and run true dual exhaust. I will let you all know how it works out. Now, I am looking for some opinions on what kind of exhaust I should put in my N/A 2.3 to get the deepest most 5.0 like sound out of it. (I know it is never going to sound as good as a 5.0, but you can get it close...ish) Should I use 2.25" or 3" exhaust. Is 3" exhaust going to hurt more than help? Also, what type of mufflers should I look into putting on to give myself a throaty sound? Flowmaster, MagnaFlow? I know this is a lot of questions at once, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ka0tyk · Dec 23, 2003

too big of an exhaust will hurt your low end torque, too small with create too much backpressure and you will lose high end HP... 2.5" should be fine.

at low rpm's the combustion makes a "ripple" and that force pushes the ripple in front of it along, and it also sucks the one behind it along too... if you put too much of a pipe, you'll lose that ripple effect and you'll lose low end torque, but you will probably gain a LITTLE high end hp...

351wcoupe · Dec 23, 2003

JamesBaumann said:
I found one of those header style exhaust manifolds off of an 86 Aerostar 2.3! I am going to go purchase it this week sometime and run true dual exhaust. I will let you all know how it works out. Now, I am looking for some opinions on what kind of exhaust I should put in my N/A 2.3 to get the deepest most 5.0 like sound out of it. (I know it is never going to sound as good as a 5.0, but you can get it close...ish) Should I use 2.25" or 3" exhaust. Is 3" exhaust going to hurt more than help? Also, what type of mufflers should I look into putting on to give myself a throaty sound? Flowmaster, MagnaFlow? I know this is a lot of questions at once, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Somebody else may verify that its the same as the ranger header but I would guess so. A lot of people go that route but I have an idea about a good N/A or turbo exhaust. If you're ever planning to go turbo then keep that in mind when buying anything. I would wait for a cheap long tube off ebay. Then get stinger to make you the same connector pipe that he made for me. I have 3" single all the way back but its on a turbo car. That would be way too much for an N/A but would probably sound really good. I used a Borla XR-1 15" sportsman muffler that I could fit my arm all the way through and it sounds great.
When you swap to turbo all you do is get a 3" down pipe and you're set

351wcoupe · Dec 23, 2003

ka0tyk said:
too big of an exhaust will hurt your low end torque, too small with create too much backpressure and you will lose high end HP... 2.5" should be fine.

at low rpm's the combustion makes a "ripple" and that force pushes the ripple in front of it along, and it also sucks the one behind it along too... if you put too much of a pipe, you'll lose that ripple effect and you'll lose low end torque, but you will probably gain a LITTLE high end hp...

wow ok listen to that
thats a really good explanation

another little note. flowmasters on a turbo car sucked for me. I just didn't like the sound.

91FiveOhNo · Dec 23, 2003

351wcoupe said:
wow ok listen to that
thats a really good explanation

another little note. flowmasters on a turbo car sucked for me. I just didn't like the sound.

running true duals on a 2.3 is gonna hurt you anyway, so do what you want with exhaust sizing

JamesBaumann · Dec 23, 2003

91FiveOhNo said:
running true duals on a 2.3 is gonna hurt you anyway, so do what you want with exhaust sizing

What is it about running true dual that is going to hurt more than help?

Asha'man · Dec 23, 2003

You can't run true duals on a 2.3, it's an inline engine. "True" duals are usually one header into one exhaust pipe through one tailpipe, times two. We have to Y-pipe into the duals because we only have one header.

I did a 2.5" Y-piped through Dynomax Super Turbos, and it sounds sweet, but I did lose some low-end torque, which was of course accentuated by my A4LD. You'll be fine with 2.25".

Ash

mightypoof · Dec 23, 2003

I think the header he is getting has two cylinders going to one collector and the other two going to a different collector...or sometihng like that? It sounds weird, but cool to me. I have a single flowmaster on my car and it is way too quite. I think I am going to end up putting dual with some turbo mufflers of some sort.

mr_woodster · Dec 24, 2003

ok heres the deal, if you go with an aerostar header, its going to hafta be modified to make it a true dual. the 1-4 and 2-3 run to the bottom of the motor independantly and then join into a small collector. Im sure an exhuast shop could cut off the collector and fab u some thing to connect the piping. I dont want to say No one has done this, just no one that i have heard has put any input on how it turned out (that i have heard of) . As stated the 2.25 will be just fine, no need for bigger on a non-turbo motor. Mufflers are upto you, and what you want to pay for how it sounds. I have heard quite a few differnt types on 5.0's, flow masters is the usual dull droney sound, borla is nice, super turbo muffer sounded good ( I forget who has put this on there 2.3...), also flowpath from mac...there are so many differnt versions, basic go by what you like, or whats readily availble too you. Exhuast shops usualy carry flowmaster though. Sounds like an awsome exsperiment, dont forget to post sound clips!

91FiveOhNo · Dec 24, 2003

Asha'man said:
You can't run true duals on a 2.3, it's an inline engine. "True" duals are usually one header into one exhaust pipe through one tailpipe, times two. We have to Y-pipe into the duals because we only have one header.

I did a 2.5" Y-piped through Dynomax Super Turbos, and it sounds sweet, but I did lose some low-end torque, which was of course accentuated by my A4LD. You'll be fine with 2.25".

Ash

technically you can run "true duals" on a 4-2-1 design header (just cut of the "-1" part and run two pipes)...but it's pointless. you loose ANY of the small amount of torque you had to begin with. there is a limit to how "open" you want the exhaust (delete the cats...straight through muffler...bigger piping, but not too big), running true duals on the 4 is wayyy past that limit, you will have 0 backpressure, therefore 0 amount of torque. if you want the dual look, just run a y-pipe somewhere along the way.

CruzNlife1 · Dec 24, 2003

I don't think that header will work for you. It's not the Lima motor, it's that HSC pushrod. A whole different beast, I HIGHLY doubt that header will bolt upto your motor

Paul C. · Dec 24, 2003

Keep it 2 " . Torque is where it's at. Add 3" tips if you must!

mr_woodster · Dec 24, 2003

i dont know how much torque would accutly be lost, do to the fact that the 1-4 and 2-3 runners do join into a decently small Y's not to far from the head, that should create a small amount of backpressure, and like stated above all else fails just go with 2" tubing to 2.5 or 3 inch tips. It is kind of exsperimental, so u take it as it comes, if i wasnt going turbo i would have been already give my best attempt at it!

ka0tyk · Dec 24, 2003

my exhaust is as follows:

from header to y-pipe: 2.5"
from y-pipe to muffler: 2"
from muffler to tips: 2"
tips: 3" (like the way it looks.... prolly go to dumps soon...)

basically the mid-pipe is where it all matters... once you get to the muffler it really doesnt matter... i kept the mid-pipe at 2.5" and I think anything bigger without a power adder would be just a waste of torque...

CruzNlife1 · Dec 24, 2003

AND YOU WILL LOSE A NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF TORQUE, LEARN FROM MY EXPERIANCE. On my truck, I've got the factory tube header, and a 2.5" pipe all the way back with no cats, and a dynomax superturbo dumped..... I LOST NOTICEABLE TORQUE
Stock was 2.25 with 1 enormous cat ((Almost the length of the transmission)) and a huge muffler, with a tailpipe with a ton of bends.... I LOST TORQUE.... I've got some bigger tires and noticed it HEAVILY in stop and go. However.. the motor now shines above 3500 like it never has before.... It screams all the way to the limiter, I did the intake, exhaust, plugs and wires, and the motor has NEVER EVER screamed that hard to the top.... But in a couple weeks, my turbo motor will be whistling a happy tune...

slow88stang · Dec 24, 2003

I went to a shop just yesterday asking about exhaust. They found a 2.25" from manifold to "y" then 2 super turbos and 2 2.25" tips. All of this for under $300 canadian :canflag: (not installed). He figured that this would help my overall power and is is about as close as i would get to a 5.0 sound.

They found this by looking for the 86 svo dual system

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