Looking for opinions on flowmaster Super 40 Volume/Drone (and possible alternatives)

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I've heard and read thru the decades that the 4.0 sohc engine is a unique engine to work with for that proper exhaust performance and sound. Kinda like the 4.6 engine. The 4.0 ohv engines sound good with most various flowmasters. The 4.0 sohc sounds good with super 40 super 44, from what I've heard.

Are you only replacing the muffler only or complete system with new pipe? If muffler only with stock pipe will be fairly quiet with a little tone. When you change the pipe size to 2 1/4 to 2 1/2, that where the sounds really come out.

I used to own a 1994 ford ranger 3.0 5spd for 31 years, I only ran flowmaster, never like those straight thru mufflers. I ran a 50 series deltaflow from 1998 to 2001. Used the original 40 from 2001 to 2022. Went the super 44 from 2022 to 2025 when my 94 ranger was totaled. Always had 2 1/2 piping on there, and the original 40 sounded the best, yet i really did like the 44..it had that tone i liked, more mellow yet redefined with that flowmaster sound.

I now have a 1997 ford ranger 3.0 5spd, i had a flowmaster original 40 installed that i found cheap at the junkyard, had it installed with 2 1/2 pipe. After 6 months I will soon have a 50 series deltaflow installed. I never had a chance to use the deltaflow 40 series, it's another muffler that sounds good.

I believe the super will be alright with you. The super 40 case is 5", where as the original 40, deltaflow 40, super 44 are in a 4" case. The bigger case will produce more sound as well.

Yeah only the new muffler and required flex pipe, everything else is staying as is. Based on what I’ve got from this thread so far, I think I’m gonna go with the super 40. Will let you guys know how it turns it out.

 

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Thanks all for your input!

 

[bobbywalter]

for me....a v6 is better to be seen and not heard.....more so for 4 cylinders.

i would put a walker back on it.

 

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for me....a v6 is better to be seen and not heard.....more so for 4 cylinders.

i would put a walker back on it.

I agree with you, to a degree. I think its perfectly fine to want an exhaust note on any vehicle (besides perhaps something like the electric charger lol).

The issue for me arises when it becomes too loud or obnoxious. Hence this thread. I want something that can be heard, but I don’t want something that screams to everyone around “please look at me”.

 

[Curious Hound]

I currently have an ebay knockoff of (I believe) a flowmaster 40 variant in my 3.0l. It was recommended to me by a co-worker. It has been in there almost 10years and still works fine. It actually gave a pleasant note to my 3.0. Not loud, but noticeable. I also put a resonator in-line with it. I’ll have to see if I still have ordering info.

 

[Shran]

I have an OEM muffler on my daily driver but both of my Explorers and my stepside truck got knock off Flowmaster mufflers (Street Flow brand) that IIRC are the same thing as a 40 series. There is a bit of "drone" but it's nothing like other obnoxious sounding mufflers. At idle I get a lot of "sounds like you have a V8 in that" comments.

I have the same muffler on a 3.0 and it sounds terrible though. Not sure what the difference is. Just what I had on hand, better than no muffler.

My V8 swapped truck has a Y pipe and knockoff single in/single out 40 series too. Sounds good, and it's quiet even with the exhaust dumping down right behind the cab.

82 F250 w/ 351w has stock Y pipe, factory cats and a single in/dual out real Flowmaster. Not sure what series it is but it's very quiet, maybe just a bit louder than a OEM muffler. I think the cats in these old trucks suppress a lot of noise.

86 F150 w/ 302 has true dual exhaust and glass packs. My favorite sound on an old truck! It's angled out the back by the bumper. Quite loud inside the truck! I think some of my hearing loss is directly related to this vehicle.

 

[superj]

not a 40 but i had a magnaflow single in, dual out put on my 04 ranger with the 3.0. it gave it some deep sound at idle that was barely louder than stock and you cannot hear it while driving with the windows up. i like it and it looks cool with the two tips coming out in front of hte passenger rear wheel

 

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Hey guys. Have the super 40 on now for several days. It turned out really well. A good sound that’s not obnoxious. Maybe there’s some slight drone around 2.5k rpm, but its pretty much indistinguishable from road noise and the radio.

 

[cmcolfax]

are you not a bot?



dynomax. magnaflow. borla. last would be flowmaster. but it is a fair product.

This is pretty much what I have determined thru interwebz research with regard to the SOHC 4.0

As someone else said, the SOHC 4.0 is apparently a "unique" engine in terms of its natural exhaust tone.

V6's sound different anyway thanks to 60* crank rotation/ignition cycles.

If it ain't a V8, Inline-6 FTW (I'm a European car guy...)

I was considering a Dynomax knockoff, but it's seeming like the Super-44 ain't bad?

 

[bobbywalter]

This is pretty much what I have determined thru interwebz research with regard to the SOHC 4.0

As someone else said, the SOHC 4.0 is apparently a "unique" engine in terms of its natural exhaust tone.

V6's sound different anyway thanks to 60* crank rotation/ignition cycles.

If it ain't a V8, Inline-6 FTW (I'm a European car guy...)

I was considering a Dynomax knockoff, but it's seeming like the Super-44 ain't bad?

ahhh...yes. i can see where some might think that when dynomax comes up...

more specifically....this is the muffler i am referring to...

Ultra Flo™ Welded Mufflers - DynoMax® Performance Exhaust

DynoMax® Performance Exhaust is a leading brand of stainless steel exhaust systems, cat-back systems, axle-back systems and stainless steel muffler technology. DynoMax® Performance Exhaust has a complete line of mufflers, including the Ultra Flo X stainless steel muffler, Ultra Flo Welded...

www.dynomax.com

flowmaster is the knock off in regards to function and durability up against an ultraflow welded..

not sound....sound is subjective.

i mean actual lifespan...actual flow....and actual durability.

its my first choice. generally cheapest and most power at the wheel.

 

[broncc]

All loud exhausts will drone. Pick the volume you want and build a J-pipe or a Helmholtz bottle:

Drone Reduction - Wilhelm Raceworks, LLC

Adding a Helmholtz resonator to my center exit exhaust for done reduction. Calculator to design a Helmholtz to solve your own drone problem.

www.wilhelmraceworks.com

Rangers will have plenty of room to do a J-pipe. It should be an easy afternoon project. You'll need a smartphone with a sound app, tape measure, IR thermometer.


My Capri has dual knockoff flowmaster 40s and its about as loud as I would feel comfortable putting in a street car. I need to measure them again but I think they're -3dB relative to straight pipes. EFI kicking itself out of high idle means that it won't be too rude to the neighbors in the morning.

 

[bobbywalter]

offset size

All loud exhausts will drone. Pick the volume you want and build a J-pipe or a Helmholtz bottle:

Drone Reduction - Wilhelm Raceworks, LLC

Adding a Helmholtz resonator to my center exit exhaust for done reduction. Calculator to design a Helmholtz to solve your own drone problem.

www.wilhelmraceworks.com

Rangers will have plenty of room to do a J-pipe. It should be an easy afternoon project. You'll need a smartphone with a sound app, tape measure, IR thermometer.


My Capri has dual knockoff flowmaster 40s and its about as loud as I would feel comfortable putting in a street car. I need to measure them again but I think they're -3dB relative to straight pipes. EFI kicking itself out of high idle means that it won't be too rude to the neighbors in the morning.

that is definitely a cost effective way to reduce drone if you have drone..

i run a setup like that on the thing that identifies as a ranger....at least for now pre turbocharging. (350 Z w/lm7)

there exists a variety of ways to deal with drone...velocity tubes/variators....offset muffler/stack out size and a page of shit i dont even know what it is called

on certain powertrains just throwing away the oem system and putting a tailored sytem in with just pulseflow variation via velocity tubes can free up 12-20 hp on a 190 hp engine...and remain same decibel level in cab.

the cost of this is horrendous, and a waste for gains but definitely changes the sound of a 4.0 jeep into a totally different musical note.