Need Muffler Info

[handcannon]

I recently installed a Diamond Eye 4" exhaust system, with their muffler, in my 94 K250. I like the system, except for the sound while towing. I'm not real fond of very loud exhaust and the DE w/muffler is right on the edge of what I can stand. It helps me go real easy on the go pedal most of the time.

However, when towing my travel trailer and having to go up hill, the sound is too much for me. The loudness and resonating/vibrating inside the cab gets to be too much.

I lifted the following comment by Buddy out of the "Att and KOJO tune" thread where he talks about his 4" exhaust and how he prefers a quieter system.

4" with 4" Aeroturbine muffler to 5" Aeroturbine muffler and 5" exit, works really well, muffles OK and I think works better than just one aeroturbine muffler. So the in series claim they make is for real. I would highly recommend two AT4040XLs (or one AT4040 and one AT4040XL) in series, but expensive, looks cool though.

I have done some searching on the 4040XL Aero Turbine muffler and like what I see. The prices are too much for me to double them up as Buddy is suggesting, however I did find one place in CA that will sell them for $110 with free shipping to the lower 48 states.

My question is--- has anybody used one of these mufflers on their truck and towed with it? Will this muffler stop the drone/resonating? I don't mind a muffler that is a little louder than stock, but the resonating/vibrating in the cab is driving me nuts (and deaf)! I know, I'm showing my age.

If anybody has a different setup they have successfully used without the resonating and vibrating the cab problem, without causing back pressure problems, I'm interested in that also.

Thanks
Don

 

[matuva]

on my 3" straight pipe, I added an AE3535XL after I mount the A-Team turbo.

With the 3" straight pipe, the ATT let me thought I had a 454 under the hood.

The 3535XL immediately reduced the noise level, transforming the "barking" rumble to a nice "round" one, while making
the truck more responsive...

my .02

 

[bk95td]

There was a thread a whole back about quiet mufflers . The op tried several different mufflers to get one quiet enough. Try a search with gulfyankee or gulfsurfer.
Bobbiemartin has his quiet. You might ask him what he's running.
Maybe try 2 of the diamondeye mufflers?

 

[JMJNet]

You can try to reverse the muffler (front to back) and see if it is better.

 

[buddy]

If you want it quiet and want to try the AT4040XL then I would keep the DiamondEye muffler in series. When I had just the 5" AT5050XL it was way too loud and resonant. It really does well under load though. Mine is loud at low load and quiets down over 2000rpm. I think thats because the aero part works better at higher velocity exhaust. So if your problem is only at high load, then putting an AT4040XL in series will definately help reduce that issue, but its not great at low load, wich the DE might be alright for. The DE might fit between the crossmembers and the 4040XL where stock muffler is.

I think the best for reducing resonance is a chambered muffler. I believe the hushpower have a chambered design if you want a single muffler. I bought a 4" straight through chambered design called the Equalizer from Car Chemistry, and it is of great quality and they will customize I/O size and location, but have not installed it yet, will replace my regular AT4040 with it to cut out the low load noise.

 

[handcannon]

Hey everybody, thanks for all your replies!! Some great info there.

Barry, I now remember reading the thread by gulfsurfer after finding the thread. I like the description of the "wife pleaser" muffler. I think it just might be a pleaser for my wife. The only problem with it is the length. It's long enough that I'd have to revamp the way I set up the pipe and joints. Buddy's suggestion of doubling up the Aero Turbine 4040XL with the DE muffler would fit perfectly just by unclamping and removing one piece of the DE pipe without doing any cutting. I used the band clamps so the sections should be easy to seperate.

If I double up the 4040XL with the DE, what are your opinions as to which should be installed first/closest to the motor? I have my thoughts on this, but they don't come from any experience with this kind of situation.

I guess for my own safety I should ask for my wifes' opinion on which muffler to use.

I now have one more problem to deal with. My computor crashed this morning and all my info about these mufflers is on it. My son tried to get it running, unsuccessfully. I "liberated" my daughter's lap top to check on this thread so I may have problems checking in regularly. And I'm going to have to try to replicate my Aero Turbine search and relocate the company that had the best price on the muffler.

Don

 

[buddy]

It probably wouldnt matter which is in line first. Whichever way fits best. Resonators are usually before mufflers but I think the the AT4040XL might be more effective second so it has an opening to the outside allowing the exhaust to move out of it as fast as possible. I only mention that because mine start working when accelerating or cruising over 2000rpm when exhaust is coming out faster.

 

[Dave01]

I have the "wife pleaser" from Kennedy, I think I posted in that other thread. I had the Diamond Eye, kind of enjoyed it in the winter but once the windows were open I really noticed the noise, plus the low rpm noise around parking lots and friend's driveways was a bit much. The quiet muffler has been a good improvement. One thing to mention - with the DE my turbo spooled almost instantly, with the quiet muffler it spools much slower, which has to have an effect on power.

 

[buddy]

Thats what is great about the AeroTurbine mufflers, they dont cut any power or spooling. In fact when I put the second in line the ATT would boost even more.

 

[handcannon]

I think I'll be eventually going with the AE 4040XL, doubled up with the DE muffler. I don't want to hamper the turbo/towing ability any more than needed. It's going to have to be delayed for a while now though, I just had to replace the hydroboost. I've been watching an oil stain growing on the frame under the master cylinder area for a little while. Then within a weeks time I had to refill the power steering pump twice. After some investigating I found the leak. There is a weep hole on the bottom of the hydro where the master bolts up. I wiped it off, ran the motor and worked the brakes and had more oil dripping out. Swapping out the unit was fairly easy EXCEPT for that pesky clip that holds the brake switch onto the pin on the pedal.

Don

 

[buddy]

Hey Don, did you ever modify the exhaust to quiet it down?

 

[handcannon]

No buddy, I haven't. Lack of funds has become my constant companion. Add to that the fuel prices going up and I have greatly cut down on how much I'm driving it. I sold my Ford pickup in order to have cash for things for the 6.5. Then I got a chance to sell the older travel trailer for cash so I combined things to get a more economical car for my wife to drive to work. Now I have to sell the Astro she's been driving in order to try and recover the money I thought I had set aside for a tune and other things (muffler and ATT) for the 6.5. I found an 89 Crown Vic with the 5.0 motor but she vetoed that, granny car. It would have been cheap to buy and cheap to run and would have lasted a long time as it had only 56K origional miles on it. I have an 88 Crown Vic I got for the kids to drive and if I drive it I can get 17 to 18 MPG locally with it and have got as much as 22 on the highway. I hate the way it handles, but I love the MPG, and the bells and whistles that will talk to my daughter to get her to pay attention to the vehicles needs.

I'm rambling, better stop.

Don