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Muffler vs Straight Pipe


Joephus

New Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2011
Messages
2
City
SW Washington
Vehicle Year
1986
Transmission
Manual
I have a 2.0 in my '86 Ranger. Stock headers, stock muffler, stock exhaust plumbing. The muffler's internals have fallen apart, and the exhaust pipe from the muffler back isn't even attached to it anymore, just sitting inside it.

I want to know if cutting out the muffler and just leaving straight pipe would work. How would it sound, and would my performance decrease/increase? What about fuel economy and anything else?

The alternative, obviously, is to install a new muffler. Are there any favorites among mufflers for these trucks as far as sound and performance, or should I just spring for the $80 exhaust shop special?

Thanks,
- Joe
 
Don't run a straight pipe. Its incredibly annoying to everyone else on the street. With everything else on the exhaust stock you won't see any power or economy increase. For a nice mellow throaty sound go with a turbo muffler.
 
Yeah don't do straight pipe... especially with a 4 banger... my 3.0L sounded ok straight piped from the cats back...

But I can say that Turbo mufflers are a really nice sounding muffler. not loud but theres a noticable difference
 
Thanks for the input. I'm going to drive awhile with the broken muffler, because I'm still holding out for my integra to sell so I can fund a 302 swap. If after a few more weeks I haven't sold the car, I'll order a turbo muffler online and bring it to a shop, unless they have mufflers already.
 
on a four banger strait is a bad idea and inline motors run better with more backpreasure trust me my brothers muffler on his 97 2.3 lima fell off and ran like crap he put on an flowmaster and it was like nothing ever happend. But on my 4.0 i run a muffler delete lightning side pipe and love it and it sounds like an scalded dog that meaning it sounds good.
 
No, straight pipes on a 4.0L sound like shit too. I'm sure you're the only one that thinks its cool when you rip down a street.
 
Any one running straight pipes on the street deserves the baseball bat they get.

Richard
 
all my buddys like the sound of my 4.0 muffler delete and it really isnt that loud with two stock cats so unless you have heard it dont diss it o and ps the truck has been ported so the sound is completly diffrent than what you may think
 
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all my buddys like the sound of my 4.0 muffler delete and it really isnt that loud with two stock cats so unless you have heard it dont diss it o and ps the truck has been ported so the sound is completly diffrent than what you may think



:rolleyes: Actually I HAVE heard what a 4.0L sounds like (my SOHC) with 2.5" catback and no muffler. The muffler I had to install was a center in/center out and needed an offset in/center out so swapped in a piece of exhaust tubing to fill the gap and then I drove like that 20 miles to the store to pick up the correct unit. My 4.0L SOHC heads flow a lot more (and make more power) than the ported 4.0L pushrod heads and it still sounded like a V6 with straight pipes. AT idle it sounded mean but that stupid resonance that V6s seem to create at 2500rpm was there full force. At 5750rpm it sounded terrible.

But, you guys go hot rod your straight pipes! Its cool to highschool kids.
 
why hate on my exhaust setup really number one yes it does sound like a v6 but not a ricey one at all and everybody agrees on that the port job really gave the truck a good throaty sound simliar to add trick flow heads to an 5.0. I am sorry but the comment that high school kids think it is cool is not facetious. and number 2 the SOHC in my view sound ricer than the old pushrods i dont know why its just me sorry if this upsets anybody my thoughts. grow up
 
i had straight pipe on my 2.3 long bed and as long as it was not WOT it was not much louder than stock. i did it for cost reasons ,tore exhaust/muffler off on trail and friend replaced cat back with straight pipe for free ,the floors were bare already so the actual sound was not much more at cruise or idle -and no it did not sound great at all
 
yeah i agree my brother 2.3 muffler fell off and it sounded like a popcorn machine and worse it didnt even sound good for an 4 cylinder not a good site
 

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