Need help picking a muffler for my Dakota

[A.J.]

My Dakota is a '94 that had a 5.2 in it. The 5.2 needed too much work and I found a '98 5.9 for it. Today I found a set of exhaust manifolds and Y-pipe off of a '92 Dakota in the junk yard. From the Y-pipe back to the muffler is 3" compared to the 2 1/2 inch that I have now. I didn't get the rest of the exhaust because they cut the pipe to get the cat out and mangled it. After the muffler it shrinks down to 2 1/2. So I'm building my own exhaust. It's going to be 3" from the collector at the Y-pipe back. I need help picking a muffler. I don't want something loud but I'd like something throaty. I don't want to use the straight through design like the Magnaflow that's on my van. I need some back pressure so my EGR will work.

So you can see the difference between the '94 stuff and the '92-'93 stuff. The outlet on the exhaust manifolds are 1/4" bigger. The down pipes are .400 bigger.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0038.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0039-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0043.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0044-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0045-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0047.jpg

A.J.

[Vigo]

Thanks for the pics.. always heard about the 92 stuff but never knew what the difference looked like.

[turbovanman²]

I like the Dynomax truck muffler, I'll get you a part number tomorrow, they sound good without being obnoxious.

[John B]

I really like the 3" Morroso Spiral Flow on my Shadow. It's a bit quieter than a straight-through, but I doubt that it provides any back pressure..

[A.J.]

I ended up going with a Flow Master 50 series. When I started the truck a came a little in my pants. It sounds so good. It sounds better than the truck looks. I only got the exhaust done up to the muffler. I still have to do over the differential and out the back. I'll take a video of it so you can hear it. It's got a good rumble to it. It's not too loud but I'm not done yet.

I ran into a few things today. First was I didn't like the pipe that came off the Y-pipe so I was considering replacing it. It took forever to separate two pipes that were crushed together with a u-bolt clamp. When I got them apart, I looked inside the Y-pipe and saw this, pieces of the two pipes inside the collector causing a bottle neck.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0058-2.jpg

I spent two hours with my die grinder grinding it out. It was the only tool I had that I could get in there with, I couldn't get the sides because of the way it was put together, that's the pipe.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0059-1.jpg

Second was since it would be too much work to replace the pipe off of the Y-pipe, I had to come up with a way to make it work. Being a factory pipe, they are never a true number, usually something in between. This one wasn't quite 3"

I wanted to avoid this. This was the old one I removed from the truck.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0042.jpg

This is what I had.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0060-1.jpg

This was my fix. I grinded enough of the pipe down so I could slide a piece of pipe over it so I had a flat surface to weld to the main pipe going to the muffler.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0062-1.jpg

And welded:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0067.jpg

I'll have more photos tomorrow.

A.J.

[glhs0426]

Looks good so far. A low restriction exhaust will really help the 360 run to it's full potential. You may even be able to run a 93 360 computer now.

I thought the EGR functioned on lack of backpressure. i.e. When the load on the engine goes down (less backpressure in the exhaust), the EGR would function. The solenoid hooked to the PCM to enable EGR function, and lack of exhaust backpressure lets it function. EGR introduces the combustion chamber with inert gas making the engine displacement "smaller", requiring less fuel, so, the engine returns better mileage in a no load cruise function. I know what EGR is supposed to do for emissions, but it has a great effect on mileage.

Chrysler played the EGR mileage game back in the 80's with the M body. They introduced a "miser" pkg that had terrible driveability due to extreme amounts of EGR, but had great mileage. The reason for this was CAFE standards. The cost of the service bulletin repair that launched simultainiously with the cars introduction was far less than the cost of failing to meet CAFE standards. The repair lowered the vehicle mileage, but the customer driveability complaint was gone.

[turbovanman²]

I have a Flowmaster on my full size van and my Jimmy, love the sound. I want one for the Minivan but the one I need is like $150, no drone, lol.


Looks good so far. A low restriction exhaust will really help the 360 run to it's full potential. You may even be able to run a 93 360 computer now.

I thought the EGR functioned on lack of backpressure. i.e. When the load on the engine goes down (less backpressure in the exhaust), the EGR would function. The solenoid hooked to the PCM to enable EGR function, and lack of exhaust backpressure lets it function. EGR introduces the combustion chamber with inert gas making the engine displacement "smaller", requiring less fuel, so, the engine returns better mileage in a no load cruise function. I know what EGR is supposed to do for emissions, but it has a great effect on mileage.

Chrysler played the EGR mileage game back in the 80's with the M body. They introduced a "miser" pkg that had terrible driveability due to extreme amounts of EGR, but had great mileage. The reason for this was CAFE standards. The cost of the service bulletin repair that launched simultainiously with the cars introduction was far less than the cost of failing to meet CAFE standards. The repair lowered the vehicle mileage, but the customer driveability complaint was gone.

The computer simply turns the EGR solenoid on and off, the transducer uses backpressure to control the rate of EGR apply.

You are right how it works, sort of, its function is to lower cylinder temps which reduce NOx and allow more timing, especially at part throttle, which allows better engine efficiency and power, which in turn needs less gas pedal.

I remember reading an article on the LT1 engines, GM's EGR routine is fairly complicated and is a good reason why they got good MPG.

[BadAssPerformance]

Yeah, 92 5.2L Daks have some nice parts on them.. some 93's got them too, then they cut back. 92's came with full 3" after the Y out the back. I ran a Flowmaster on my old 92 for years, two of them actually as they rusted out easily. Not a problem in AZ! LOL! My current 92 has a stainless Magnaflow on it that I mostly chose because it was stainless although I dont drive it in snow if I can help it. I think I like it better as it doesn't sound like a 5.0L mustang is follwoing me like it id with the flowmaster LOL

[Force Fed Mopar]

Everybody loves the Thrush Welded Turbo on my '93 Ram w/ the 5.2 5-spd, it is basically a Flowmaster knockoff so probably sounds very similar to yours. It is kinda loud though, my wife can hear me coming in the house when I'm an 1/8 of a mile away :D Stock manifolds w/ some minor porting and clean up, stock dp's and Y-pipe, no cat, and the muffler dumps in front of the axle.

[A.J.]

The EGR that Chrysler uses that has that flat black plastic solenoid is a solenoid but also a back pressure transducer. The solenoid allows flow but then uses back pressure to open it fully. If you don't have enough back pressure it won't open. I left the back pressure line off (accidentally) and failed Nox emissions.

I bought a 10' stick of 3" pipe (my exhaust place only sells it that way), 3-90* and 3-45* elbows. The cheapest 3" cat back exhaust I could find was $380. I'm into mine about $250. Then another $50 for the 92/93 exhaust manifolds and Y-pipe.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0069-1.jpg

This exhaust really woke this truck up. It's a little loud/obnoxious when I get on the gas but at idle and cruise it's quite. If I had to do it again I'd get something a little quieter. I also used the factory hangers.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0073-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0074-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0072-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0071-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0070.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0075.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0076.jpg

I'll try to video the sound tomorrow.

A.J.

[black86glhs]

I was going to say the 50 series might be a little loud at full throttle, but how often are you really standing on it? They have a truck muffler that is more like stock, but can't remember which one.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

[A.J.]

but how often are you really standing on it?


Um, always. How else do you get the truck moving from a stand still? :-)

A.J.

[BadAssPerformance]

LOL... yeah, it'll get loud towing too. Thats one place the Magnaflow is way better, is towing. Even with the 5.9 :thumb:

[turbovanman²]

Um, always. How else do you get the truck moving from a stand still? :-)

A.J.

Nice job on the exhaust, :thumb:

So your at WOT all the time? :confused: ;)

My Jimmy has a nice bark but gets really loud at WOT, which is fine.

What part number did you get?

I just got a big block FM for my mini van, #53070. FM said it wouldn't drone and wouldn't cost me much in power, found out tomorrow. Didn't cost me a dime as my sponsor paid for it, :nod:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390246153371?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[glhs0426]

Beautiful exhaust. I like how you made it fit around the spare tire.

[A.J.]

Nice job on the exhaust, :thumb:

So your at WOT all the time? :confused: ;)

My Jimmy has a nice bark but gets really loud at WOT, which is fine.

What part number did you get?

I just got a big block FM for my mini van, #53070. FM said it wouldn't drone and wouldn't cost me much in power, found out tomorrow. Didn't cost me a dime as my sponsor paid for it, :nod:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390246153371?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I'll get the part number tomorrow. I meant to post it but forgot. The 50 series I got doesn't drone at all. It's quite until you hit the throttle hard. Even part throttle isn't too bad. The straight through Magnaflow I got from TU has more drone than the Flowmaster.


Beautiful exhaust. I like how you made it fit around the spare tire.

Thanks. I was going to take the easy way out and dump it in front of the rear tire. A friend of mine did that on his pick-up and he hates it. I was intimidated by all the bends I needed to do to get it over the diff, around the shock, then around the spare tire. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I keep forgetting to drive it with my scan tool hooked up to see if it leans out my fuel trim any more now that it flows more. I also thought about doing a back pressure test but that was after I had already removed the old exhaust. That would have been some cool data.

A.J.

[135sohc]

Exhaust looks clean, underside of that truck looks cleaner than a brand new truck does after 1 year up here!

[A.J.]

That's why I left New Hampshire.

A.J.

[A.J.]

The muffler part number is 943052.

Here's what it sounds like:
http://youtu.be/uuUXL0cku44

A.J.

[Force Fed Mopar]

That's almost exactly what mine sounds like.

[mopargriffin]

Truck sounds real good, nice choice! My Rampage has a cherry bomb and the header adds to it. It has a pretty annoying hum (so the neighbors say) around 1500rpm then gets real nasty when I step on it. :)