I like this system. Ordered the 4" and installed it last night.

My pickup now sounds like the neighbors tri-axle Marathon with a cummins.

Not loud...just different...smooth...deep...mellow.

It sounds like it is passing "air" at idle...but once on the throttle it is neat as I really enouy "playing the pipes" on just about any vehicle.

Prelimiry computer readings show I lost 1 mpg, down to 20.4...but will know more after driving more today whether I think I lost any or not.

Additionally, I dont think there is any drone; none like I have ever encountered in my muscle cars and the cab interior is only marginally louder. Of course I have a regular cab long box truck.

I "sausage cut" the rear pipe where it exits past the box body, similar to the factory exhaust although the MRBP doesnt have the same angle at the rear wheels so you dont get as big of a "slice"

One happy customer (thanks Dppi)

Ron.

 

i don't think i've ever seen over 18mpg so don't complain...

...too much anyways

 

Hummin Cummins,

Great, glad it's installed and exactly what you expected. Call is if you ever need any other help.

Mark @ DPPI

 

Milage is about 21.1 now that I ran the tank of fuel out.
I run a 50/50 mix of stop and go and interstate driving in hilly country.

Of course I am a smooth and steady operator

Now I need to get my front end problem fixed (bigredrig is at the garage as I type)...seems I am wearing out my inside edges of the front tires; rather aggressively as a week ago when I washed and waxed the rig the front tires were "square". ...and they are new tires too!!!

Hmm...something I havent thought about...wonder if the horses will mind the new noise.?!

 

Yep that is a really sweet system, Mark Craig did his homework when designing that system with MBRP. Add to that their great service and you have a combination that is hard to beat at any price.

 

Hummin, I have the same system sitting on my garage floor. I haven't tried to disassemble my stock system yet. I removed the U-brackets and shot some oil in all the joints. I am hoping to pull it out this weekend.

What tools did you use to get your stock system off. I see the crimps in the stock system on both sides of the stock muffler and I am convinced I will need to cut it off. I don't own a sawzall. How hard do you think it would be if I used a hacksaw?

What did you use to cut the angle in tailpipe? Does it look good?

I also have a cat-pipe for when I am offroad. I want to keep my cat intact so that I can easily insert the cat back into the exhaust system when I am not offroad.

Once you had the stock system separated into pieces, was it difficult to get the hangers out of the rubber mounts?

TIA

 

To start with, make sure you are safe. I wore the necessary items (goggles, gloves). I actually did it with the truck sitting on the floor with the tires and rims on as I am big enough to muscle things but small enough to fit under the rig.

Important note is the clamp on the turbo is to be reused. I sprayed mine with WD40 about an hour before I took the system off. IT was stubborn to removed until I gingerly (lightly) tapped it with a small ball-peen hammer. It popped right off the the downpipe nearly sliced my thumb in two (it's just a knick...I'm exaggerating).

I didnt even bother with the factory C-clamps under the truck. I just used a saws all with a 9" blade and cut the pipe at each clamp location. Much quicker and easier figuring I wasnt going to bother reusing the stock system at all...ever. I took the stainles pipe to the local recycling yard and they offered me 10 bucks to take it.

I actually cut the factory hangers off the rear most rubber mounts as it has a push on clip on it. The others came out with some spit, sweat and wiggling once the exhaust is cut. The muffler was the most difficult as it has 3 mounts on my rig.

I used a saws-all to cut the angle in the pipe...after it was on the truck I had my pop hold the pipe from wiggling while I cut it. I marked it with a 45 degree framing/millwork square with sharpie marker (the sharpie comes off with polishing compound). I started the cut on top with a straight cut down...then angled the saws all and cut the 45d chamfer. I also matched the box line with the cut...so it is about 5 degrees from square from the top side. Basically I used my eye and marked the pipe, took my time and kept my patients, and hoped for the best. A fresh blade (after cutting the old system off I put in a new blade) and recharged battery were a big plus.

the Sausage cut is a little smaller in opening than the factory opening. But it does look good. Much better than the square cut the way it comes already...and it looks "stock" for the most part (except for the mirror shine on the pipe).

I had to bend the one hanger (the one on the tailpipe where it hooks to the frame ...near the tire) a little forward so the hanger sat evenly in the rubber iso mount (I use my workbench vice to hold the hanger as I twisted the pipe as I saw fit). The hangar on the downpipe I had to bend a little to get it to go up far enough as to seat and clamp to the turbo outlet housing elbow (the cast piece the stainless hooks to).

It took me about 2.5 hours to do...I am a little more tedious and pay more attention to details than most. (such as putting anti sieze on the C-clamps and making sure all the hangers were centered on the rubber iso mounts, making sure the downpipe sat squarely on the outlet flange without any due stress, making sure I liked the position of the exiting tail pipe, sausage cutting the tip and so on).

The intermediate pipe was about the most difficult part to install. I had to shift the muffler and tailpipe all the way to the rear (which is why I had to center all the hangers so I had maximum travel. Disconnect the downpipe and move it as far forward as it would go, then I "just" was able to squeak my cut mid pipe (between the downpipe and muffler) into place. I was laying under the truck pushing back on the muffler hanger with my foot while I positioned the cut pipe into place.

The next to last thing I did was make sure the rake of the tailpipe is what I wanted.

Then I clamped it up.

Cut the angle.

and went over the clamps again for good measure (be careful not to overtighten).

Then I started it up and though..."is that it".

Until I took it for a spin and I ear to ear.

PS: if you can borrow, rent or purchase a saws all and blades It will make the job much easier. A good saws-all, like sticky duct tape, has about 1000 uses.

 

OH, and the best part of the story.

I was driving through a local city and these two Homies were stopped second in line with their lowered import with the music at about half-3/4 volume. you know... arms out the windows...those silly stocking caps they wear and other appurtenances...and the "thump thump thump" of the bass.

I pulled up along side them (first in line) and the one guy gave me a little glance asI slowly passed by. Annoyed by their "thump thump thump" I bluped the throttle once and his radio magically stopped working.



I think the boys from the hood were all ears.

 

Thanks - Excellent description. I was looking at buying a sawzall but couldn't really justify it for just my exhaust. But since you said it has 1000 purposes, I will bite the bullet.

I had a beat up bondo'd Ford next to me at a light last night. Two real rednecks in the truck. After I pulled up they started reving their engine, and it sounded horrible. I was really wishing I had the exhaust installed already. So instead, I lightly applied a little brake pedal and built a little boost as the light turned green. My intent was to let them listen to the turbo, but when I let off the brake, lo and behold, I let about 10 feet of rubber.

At the next light these guys catch up to me again. I notice the driver is missing his 2 front teeth. He motions for me to roll down my window. He proceeds to tell me he has his drive shaft in the cab. Sure enough, as he drives off, his rear-end was freewheeling. That's one way to get a front-wheel drive truck.

 

Seriously though.

A saws all is a pretty decent tool to have under the workbench.

Mine is a craftsman professional model which also came with a cordless 3 speed drill.

the price of the two together was much less than buying either seperate.

It isnt the best saws all in the world, but when I need one they sure make quick of a job and make you say...much better than a hacksaw (and you can use it from one side only)...like a jig saw.

So it is a hack saw and jig saw in one (with slighly less control).

Ron

PS: that is pretty funny with the guys in the ford. When I have my muscle cars I am usually all show and no go. I do something silly like turn right or left or something after reving my engine like I am going to race them.

 

just a thought for the sawzall, the standard length blade is just long enough to do the job but if you lift up off of the "foot" of the saw it will bounce terribly as the tip hits inside the pipe. A longer blade picked up will prevent this and make it easier to make a one pass cut without having to rotate the saw around to get a full cut through. if you already have a cordless a sawzall should be able to be found for 100 bux without battery on ebay.

 

Sawzall works great in cutting the old exhaust system off. Last week I helped a buddy of mine install a Magnaflow system on his Superduty. Without the sawzall I would have been forced to used the plasma cutter.

MikeyB

 

Sawzall is the ticket!!

 

Just wanted to update the post a bit.

Now that the exhaust is on the truck for a while I have become more than use to it so the fun factor has worn thinner; but I still like the sound of it when going under bridges and along rock cuts aside of the highway.

My MPG raised. I get 20.5 to 21.5 around town which is up from the loss of economy I initially encountered; guess the computer needed time to recalibrate??? I calculated 22.1mpg on a trip to and from Richmond, VA (from Reading, PA. round trip on one tank of fuel and I really topped the tank when I returned home just to make sure my milage calculation was as low as it could be).

Other than the 4" exhaust, the only other thing I did was removed the muffler from the 5.5" downtube from between the air box and turbo. Also installed a STP air filter which supposedly flows more air than the factory unit.

My driving style is as follows...upshift at 2100rpm (downshift at 1400rpm)...drive on highway no faster than 2000rpm and steady as she goes (no abrupt speed changes), otherwise I did no more than 3-4mph over the posted speed limit. It was largely 55-65mph driving...some stop and go on US 15 as it passes Gettysburg, PA.

:-)