Need comments from Magna-Flow owners

[RKrueger]

Hi,

My 99 duallie has a 3:54 RE, and before I purchase a Magna-Flow SS exhaust system, I would like to hear from anyone else similarly equipped on the noise issue, under power with the windows rolled up.

I purchased a competitors SS system, and it produces a termendous amount of resonance, droning, ear-splitting sound when pulling under power ( 2/3 to 3/4 ). I have heard that the Magna-Flow's have not had this problem, athough there is an acceptable increase in the overall noise level due to the flow-through design.

The competitors system is just intolerable at this point, so I must find a solution or reinstall the OEM system. ( Which is about the same price as the SS 4" systems )

If I could get some feedback from a few people that perhaps tow a fifth wheel or similar load that has the 3:54 RE, it would be very helpful.



Robert

 

[chuck3]

I have the SS magna-Flow muffler also. It is fairly loud, especially when towing. As far as the drone I don't really notice any but my hearing is not what it used to be, but my wife has not mentioned it so it must not be bad.

 

[DWest]

magnaflow muffler

chuck3: Does the Magnaflow muffler let the turbo whistle sound come out of the tail pipe? They are going to have an alumonized system out for the Dodge Cummins soon at a reasonable price. Would like to get some whistle out of the exhaust if possible. DW

 

[chuck3]

DW, Somewhat but not as much as my buddies truck, I don't know what muffler he's running, I thought it was a Magna-Flow, but it may be a Dyna-Max, I'll check and get back to you.

 

[John]

I have had a 4" dia. stainless steel Banks exhaust system on my Ram for more than two years now. I have always had the droan at about 2k RPM.



That is until Rip Rook and I removed the 22" long (body length) Banks Dynaflow muffler and installed a 24" long MagnaFlow muffler in its place, placing a second, 14" long MagnaFlow muffler about 21" ahead of the aforementioned MagnaFlow. No more droan, just a nice throaty idle without being too load or too quiet (IMO) while driving... and I'm a picky SOB!



If I were to do it all over again, I'd definitely purchase the stainless steel MagnaFlow exhaust system (which uses a single 30" long muffler). This exhaust system will not droan either. As the muffler is installed ahead of the middle hanger assembly (instead of just downstream of it), the droan problem is eliminated.



I would strongly encourage you to check with Rip Rook for a price on the stainless steel MagnaFlow exhaust system (or any other exhaust system for that matter... he is a fellow NW BOMBer and all around good guy!)



www.sourceautomotive.biz

 

[HRDROKN]

Just installed 4" Jardine system w/Magnaflow muffler and no resonator. 2 weeks on the road and absolutely no droan! Of course I haven't pulled my trailer yet either?

 

[RKrueger]

Thanks to all for your informative replies, I truly appreciate it.
To John, I did talk to Rip about this, and he told me what you did. Banks' response so far to this situation was to install two venturis inside their current muffler. I did test this, and it did result in substantially less noise, but there is still something wrong with the muffler design.
I have two options left at this point. I have asked to be able to return the Banks system for credit. If this is approved, I will order the Magna-Flow system, with one alteration. I have already ordered the 14" MF muffler. If Banks' will not credit the return, then I will order the 30" MF, and couple the two together into the existing Banks system, which will fit. ( The 14 MF will mount forward of the 30" to act as a resonator ) This is identical to your fix, I think, John. I am hoping not to have to go this route, for the obvious reason of having to spend substantially more money to correct a design flaw.
If Banks' allows me to return the unit for credit, then I will use the 14" MF in the MF system configured the same way for even greater reduced db.
Thanks, guys. As I promised in another post, I do intend to let the other members know how all this turns out, including the noise issue itself

 

[RKrueger]

Chuck3, while this is a little off topic, I noticed you had the Mega-Cannon also. The Turbo whistle coming out of the inverted cone portion of the filter that is pointed right into the passenger compartment drove my wife crazy, she even plugs her ears when under power. :{ It doesn't affect me either, because of high frequency hearing loss, also because you don't hear it as much on the drivers side. I just installed an identical filter AFE sent me to reduce this, which has the no inverted cone on the end, otherwise identical. It made a big difference.
Has your wife noticed this also?

 

[Car_nut57]

Since you are considering a stainless steel system, you might also look at the Banks Monster exhaust. They are very good quality and sound great with a deep tone which is not much louder than stock. We have installed both and I prefer the sound of the Banks system and the price as well.

 

[RKrueger]

The Banks Monster Exhaust is the one I'm having all the trouble with.
They have "a list" of others who are having the same difficulty.
They realize this and they are working towards finding a solution.

 

[dsather]

Sound volume

The Cummins sounds good but I really like it for the way it runs. I haven't bought a 4 " exhaust for my 99 yet but when I do I want it to be as close to the stock noise levels as I can get and still flow good. One of the members installed what I think was a Donaldson truck muffler 40". I wonder how that worked.



Dennis

 

[chuck3]

Originally posted by RKRUEGER

Chuck3, while this is a little off topic, I noticed you had the Mega-Cannon also. The Turbo whistle coming out of the inverted cone portion of the filter that is pointed right into the passenger compartment drove my wife crazy, she even plugs her ears when under power. :{ It doesn't affect me either, because of high frequency hearing loss, also because you don't hear it as much on the drivers side. I just installed an identical filter AFE sent me to reduce this, which has the no inverted cone on the end, otherwise identical. It made a big difference.

Has your wife noticed this also?

Yes she has, and even I hear that under load, it gets pretty loud, I,m getting the sock cover for it hope that quitens a little.

 

[RKrueger]

chuck3, don't order the cover for this problem, it won't work. I have the cover, and it's to keep bugs and stuff from getting imbedded in the filter material, but it does -not- alter the sound at all.
If it bothers you, call AFE, and they offer an exact replacement filter with no inverted cone at the end. Obviously, it will cut down the CFM somewhat, but unless you're pushing high HP, you probably won't notice the difference. The whistle problem is fixed by this other filter, though.

 

[chuck3]

Thanks for the info Robert.

 

[John]

RKRUEGER, the reason I used a 24" long MagnaFlow muffler to replace the 22" long Banks Dynaflow muffler AT THE SAME LOCATION, was because this muffler mounts JUST after the mid-ship exhaust hanger setup. There is not enough room to install the 30" MagnaFlow muffler behind the aforementioned hanger because it would be well into the radius as it bends over the axle. I installed the 14" long muffler ahead of the 24" long muffler, which left approximately 21" between the two. This dimension was derived from cutting off the expanded portion of a 2' section of replacement Banks 4" dia. stainless steel exhaust tubing (supplied with exhaust systems for use with Quad Cabs). I then chose the 14" long muffler because this particular mounting location allowed me ease of bolt removal/replacement (non-stock... ) at the mid-ship driveshaft bearing.



In addition, the 30" MagnaFlow muffler that comes in their complete 4" diameter exhaust system cannot be purchased separately. Rip tried to procure this muffler for me as it has the mid-ship exhaust system hangers welded to the outside of the muffler. You see, this (30" long) muffler installs more or less ahead of the OE and Banks location to eliminate droan.



However, as Rip may have told you, you can purchase a MagnaFlow 30" long stainless steel muffler however, it WILL NOT have the exhaust hangers welded to it therefore, making it more universal.



Compared to my Banks setup, my custom MagnaFlow setup has 38" of (straight through) muffler as compared to 22" with the Banks Dynaflow.



Hey, sounds great to me!

 

[John]

Uh Dave...



did you read my first post in this thread?



If so, please take note, I HAD THE BANKS "Monster Exhaust" installed on my Ram... for well over two years!



The reason I dumped the Banks Dynaflow muffler in favor of two MagnaFlow (also stainless steel) mufflers was due to the droan. Come on, the droan that the Banks Monster Exhaust puts out is legendary!



One of the quietest? Not friggin hardly!



IMO, the quietest exhaust systems utilize the Allied straight through style truck muffler (I'm not sure about the length used)... and I have heard almost every 4" exhaust system on the market!



Let's see:



*DD



*Stan's Headers



*Jannetty Racing



*ATS stainless steel dual tailpipe setup



*MagnaFlow



*Banks Monster Exhaust (complete with monster sound )



*Jardine (great sound! Oh that's right, they use the MagnaFlow muffler too... )



*and last, but certainly not by any means least, the Rip Rook exhaust system (many choices to suit every individual... NO off-the-rack BS here!)



www.sourceautomotive.biz



and I'm sure there are a few others I've forgotten...

 

[DieselDoghouse]

Have had the Magnaflow cat-back for ~2 yrs now, pleased with fit & finish. I don't feel the droan is any worse than OEM. Theres probably alot of subjectivity here because each system will have a different pitch. Crikes, now we're talking like what's the best guitar!!! Anyway, I saw your post and did a little test, was on a long drive I asked my gorgeous co-pilot about the noise - any noise - when she woke up from her nap. She identified engine clatter, turbo spooling, but really wasn't struck by the exhaust. Conclusion? it's different, but worse?!! I don't think so.

 

[dsather]

Muffler noise

John,



Among the 4" systems you heard was Stan's Headers system. Did that system have the 40" Donaldson muffler on it? How did that compare to the Allied muffler system that you heard?



Thanks for any info

Dennis

 

[RKrueger]

Hi John,
Hmmmmmm... ...
I took a lot of measurements under the truck, and received the exact measurements from Magna-Flow for their 30" model. Here's what I found. The 30" MF body is centered equally from each end, with a total overall length of 36", which is the same length as the Banks OL length. The Banks is much shorter, but they weld on a one foot piece on the end to get their OL length. The Banks hanger is not welded on, but clamps on the forward portion of the muffler flange, so it shouldn't make any difference who's muffler flange it is, as long as the length is correct. The 14" MF will mount forward of this towards the engine, and just in from of the muffler. As you said, it basically replaces the "Extension Pipe #4" in the Banks assembly diagram.
It's possible I'm missing something in your explanation, but I see no reason the 30" won't fit under my truck as a direct replacement for the Banks. Exhaust Pro's out of Lincoln, Neb even checked diameters, and said the MF's would have to be expanded just a tad to get it to fit over the Banks 4" OD.
Get back to me on this if you can. The 14" will be here this week, but I am waiting for Banks to make a decision before I order ( . . or not ) the 30" MF.

Robert

 

[John]

Dennis,



ALL the Stan's Headers exhaust systems I heard had the Allied truck muffler (to the best of my recollection). As I didn't look under each Ram to verify this, I can't positively say with absolute certainty... I just took each Rammer at their word.



Robert,



As I purchased my Banks 4" dia. , stainless steel Monster Exhaust system when they FIRST came out, it's possible Banks changed some things on their exhaust.



First off, I installed my Banks exhaust system. That stated, I know pretty well what it was comprised of when I received it (prior to installation). The Banks Dynaflow stainless steel muffler that I received had a BODY length of 22" and DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING connected to EITHER end of the muffler (i. e. , inlet or outlet). I'm thinking that when Banks started advertising that their Monster Exhaust systems could be purchased at a new, lower price (to be more competitive), they changed the design parametrers to facilitate more expedient production thus, a lower price. I believe this came about sometime earlier this year So, with that, I'm thinking we are comparing apples to oranges here as my Banks 4" stainless steel exhaust system does not sound quite what you are describing.



BTW, prior to the Banks 4" s/s exhaust I had their "cat back" Dynaflow chambered muffler (more free flowing than the OE muffler) and 3. 5" dia. tailpipe... both were fabricated of aluminized steel. This particular combination was designed for the 12v Rams. As it was the only game in town at the time (I have a '98. 5 24v Ram), I went for it! BTW, this setup had a nice throaty sound at idle but had really nice road manners... it had to be within a decibel or two of stock. EGT drop????