Mufflers rusting out

[PhilinPA]

So the good news here is I have a lifetime warranty on my exhaust system. The bad news is I have to get the tailpipe and muffler replaced every 3 or 4 years. The muffler shop hates me. It seems like the muffler is rusting out from the inside. does that mean I have a cracked head and coolant is getting into the exhaust? I do add coolant every 250 - 500 miles. I put 2 - 3K miles on it a year and this has been going on for the last 10 years plus. Should I just live with it and keep returning to the muffler shop? Any idea how long this engine will last?
I keep it under 5K per year since I would have to get an emissions inspection if I didn't and that would require a dyno.

 

[slater50]

you live in PA, its the road salt eating your truck alive....
how do you know its from inside out....
My guess, it is not....
Coolant would not cause your muffler to rust....
You have lots of condensation / water going through your muffler as a result of normal combustion process....
What brand muffler are they installing?
Theyre using cheap parts, regardless of lifetime warranty...
Road salt is the devil & dont wish that upon anyone!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

If I plan on keeping a vehicle and I can scrape up the money, I go full stainless on the exhaust. That’s the only way to get it to last in PA. 3-4 years is about what an aluminized exhaust lasts, between moisture from the combustion process and road salt. Stainless lasts considerably longer, like over 10 years longer.

Engine can last awhile. Hard to really say. I just replace the engine when it goes, lol.

How much coolant do you have to add each time?

 

[sgtsandman]

I concure with the others, you get what you pay for when it comes to exhausts. If you go with anything other than stainless, you are only going to get about 3-4 years out of them. It's a pay it now all at once or pay it over time in replacements over the same time period. I prefer "one and done" usually.

 

[19Walt93]

If you do a lot of short trips moisture will condense in the muffler and rot it from the inside out, during cold weather it will condense even more. That's why most mufflers have a small drain hole in the case. Most places that offer a lifetime warranty on exhaust assume you'll replace the vehicle before they have to replace the exhaust again.

 

[Shran]

^ what Walt said...

Might see what the shop is using for tubing. There is thin wall tubing...and thick wall tubing. Thin wall is junk but much cheaper.

 

[PhilinPA]

The muffler and piper are "walker brand". I am more concerned with the coolant loss. I have to add 2-3 " in the radiator every 500 miles or so.

 

[slater50]

The muffler and piper are "walker brand". I am more concerned with the coolant loss. I have to add 2-3 " in the radiator every 500 miles or so.

Needs to be diagnosed, anyone here that figures it out for you would be talking out of their ass…
Not trying to be rude, it’s a process, don’t do the crystal ball part canon…
Pressure test and use your eyes balls, could be anything…

 

[Snoranger]

Needs to be diagnosed, anyone here that figures it out for you would be talking out of their ass…
Not trying to be rude, it’s a process, don’t do the crystal ball part canon…
Pressure test and use your eyes balls, could be anything…

-OR-

We could be talking from 30+ years of Ranger experience and say there’s a very good chance that a 2.9L coolant leak is from a cracked head or bad head gasket… which is extremely common.

 

[slater50]

-OR-

We could be talking from 30+ years of Ranger experience and say there’s a very good chance that a 2.9L coolant leak is from a cracked head or bad head gasket… which is extremely common.

Been a Ford engine tech for 32 years, very familiar with all aspects of every engine that was ever put in a ranger along with everything Ford…
From the OP post, we know nothing…
Just saying!

 

[Roert42]

I keep it under 5K per year since I would have to get an emissions inspection if I didn't and that would require a dyno.

If the truck is over 25 years old in Pa you are exempt from Emissions inspection.

I don't think anyone has emission dynos left, but I think your '90 is old enough it doesn't matter any more.



Doesn't fix your issue, but I thought you might want to know.

 

[PhilinPA]

In PA any vehicle driven less than 5000 miles a year is also exempt from emissions. I average about 2500.

 

[scotts90ranger]

You say you have to add a number of inches of coolant to the radiator, what about the overflow tank, does it change? If not then you have a restriction in the bottom of the tank or in the hose which could just blow past the radiator cap and lose it over time which isn't unheard of...

Back in the day my '90 went through a few sets of exhaust, they're alumized on the outside but think just mild steel on the inside... maybe see if you can find a stainless tailpipe... that corner gets water shot at it a lot which is where I had a couple blowouts. Short runs and low miles per year don't help anything.

I don't know how but my '97 has the complete stock exhaust system at 234k miles... I welded up a couple cracks in the cat housing earlier this year but otherwise it's solid...

 

[slater50]

You say you have to add a number of inches of coolant to the radiator, what about the overflow tank, does it change? If not then you have a restriction in the bottom of the tank or in the hose which could just blow past the radiator cap and lose it over time which isn't unheard of...

Back in the day my '90 went through a few sets of exhaust, they're alumized on the outside but think just mild steel on the inside... maybe see if you can find a stainless tailpipe... that corner gets water shot at it a lot which is where I had a couple blowouts. Short runs and low miles per year don't help anything.

I don't know how but my '97 has the complete stock exhaust system at 234k miles... I welded up a couple cracks in the cat housing earlier this year but otherwise it's solid...

Very common issue...
I remember, I always pull the hose off the bottle side & shove my compressed air blow gun on the hose & blow it out, pretty impressive load of crap comes flying out when it finally lets go...

 

[sbspence]

So the good news here is I have a lifetime warranty on my exhaust system. The bad news is I have to get the tailpipe and muffler replaced every 3 or 4 years. The muffler shop hates me. It seems like the muffler is rusting out from the inside. does that mean I have a cracked head and coolant is getting into the exhaust? I do add coolant every 250 - 500 miles. I put 2 - 3K miles on it a year and this has been going on for the last 10 years plus. Should I just live with it and keep returning to the muffler shop? Any idea how long this engine will last?
I keep it under 5K per year since I would have to get an emissions inspection if I didn't and that would require a dyno.

I was going through Walker mufflers every couple years here and I switched to a stainless muffler. It was extra even on top of my warranty but worth it in the long run.