2.9L JBA Headers and Exhaust Setup

[TexasDuck66]

Hi there, I finally scored on a some JBA Headers along with a Y-pipe for my 88' Ranger XLT 2.9 '5 Speed 4WD.

I do not tow or race this truck. I drive it on a nice day or on the weekend so I think a 2.25in single out the back would be best for my application. I did have the thought of doing true duals with an x-pipe but it would be kinda pointless considering I have a bonestock 2.9.

What do you 2.9l guys run in terms of exhaust?

 

[mtnrgr]

You found the impossible these days..good job. For a muffler there are lots of choices for the older rangers 6 cylinder engine, and I have heard and seen it all over the years..from hack jobs to professional installs. My experience from being around quite a few 2.9's are they sound horrible with Gibson, borla, magnaflow, cherry bombs, etc. To me they are bad with a straight thru muffler..my taste varies from others. They sound best with a clambered muffler. You could buy a chambered muffler from summit, jegs, etc..yet they all resemble to the Flowmaster original 40 design. They sound good for an old school sound.

My 94 3.0 5spd ranger i ran the Flowmaster original 40 with 2.5" piping si/so setup and had routed same as stock exhaust..used that muffler from 1998 to 2022. Changed to the Flowmaster 44 and I absolutely love how it sounds and performs.

I would look into a chambered muffler even the 44, best option is use 2.5 piping to si/so system. I learned from sounds of experience. Trust when I say this, a chambered muffler will sound better when inlet and outlet are both off center. The center outlet makes it sound different.

That is what I look at using.

 

[gaz]

@TexasDuck66 ,
I used my stock 2.9l with JBA headers, universal 2 into 1 cat, 2¼ single exhaust through a Borla Turbo (now called the ProXs line) with great performance results. How it sounded was the last thing on my mind, I wanted to use their XR1 muffler (now called XR1 multi+core) but they were nearly $300 back in the early 90's, so I went with the Borla universal Turbo instead.

It was much smaller and lighter, stainless and the sound was barely noticable unless I had it floored; at wide open it simply sounded like a performance engine, thought 100% stock.

 

[TexasDuck66]

You found the impossible these days..good job. For a muffler there are lots of choices for the older rangers 6 cylinder engine, and I have heard and seen it all over the years..from hack jobs to professional installs. My experience from being around quite a few 2.9's are they sound horrible with Gibson, borla, magnaflow, cherry bombs, etc. To me they are bad with a straight thru muffler..my taste varies from others. They sound best with a clambered muffler. You could buy a chambered muffler from summit, jegs, etc..yet they all resemble to the Flowmaster original 40 design. They sound good for an old school sound.

My 94 3.0 5spd ranger i ran the Flowmaster original 40 with 2.5" piping si/so setup and had routed same as stock exhaust..used that muffler from 1998 to 2022. Changed to the Flowmaster 44 and I absolutely love how it sounds and performs.

I would look into a chambered muffler even the 44, best option is use 2.5 piping to si/so system. I learned from sounds of experience. Trust when I say this, a chambered muffler will sound better when inlet and outlet are both off center. The center outlet makes it sound different.

That is what I look at using.

Any chance you have some videos of it?

 

[TexasDuck66]

@TexasDuck66 ,
I used my stock 2.9l with JBA headers, universal 2 into 1 cat, 2¼ single exhaust through a Borla Turbo (now called the ProXs line) with great performance results. How it sounded was the last thing on my mind, I wanted to use their XR1 muffler (now called XR1 multi+core) but they were nearly $300 back in the early 90's, so I went with the Borla universal Turbo instead.

It was much smaller and lighter, stainless and the sound was barely noticable unless I had it floored; at wide open it simply sounded like a performance engine, thought 100% stock.

Gotcha, if you have any videos of it, send them my way.

 

[JoshT]

Not a 2.9 but about the same. My 84 2.8L had true dual 2.25 inch pipes exiting at an angle at the back corners of the bed. It ran generic muffler shop turbo mufflers and I loved the sound. Have what I assume.are the same on my 68 F-100 in 2.5" and like that too.

The V8 swap in the 99 2.5" got 2-into-1 Flowmaster for a temp exhaust system. I don't like that one. When the permanent system goes in it'll either get magnaflows.or generic turbo mufflers again.