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Old 03-18-2012, 08:52 AM   #1
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Cat-back Mods

I have a 2007 ford SMB and looking into a cat-back system. Has anyone made this modification? and how are benifits i.e. fuel economy?

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Old 03-18-2012, 11:43 AM   #2
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Cat-back Mods

It will help others to know more about your van. I just talked to my local exhaust guy and he told me never do magnaflo. Best bet is 3" pipe and a flow master. If you do mainly freeway driving you will notice better fuel Econ. In town it will be the same just louder. I have a 2006 ford 5.4L gasser and will probably end up getting a custom exhaust in the near future.
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Old 03-18-2012, 01:32 PM   #3
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Re: Cat-back Mods

I'm not a big fan of the Flow Master mufflers. I've had them in the past and they do sound pretty cool if you are standing outside but they are to loud inside while you drive. The guys at the shop I had do a cat back 3" exhaust used a muffler from a bus. They claimed it had similar flow charistrics as the Flow Master but wasn't prone to drone. It sounds like a healthy muffler at idle it's just a little quiter at speed.
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Old 03-18-2012, 02:09 PM   #4
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Cat-back Mods

That sounds pretty cool. Do you know if it was hard to find the bus muffler? And what kind?
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Old 03-19-2012, 08:18 PM   #5
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Re: Cat-back Mods

I just killed the kitty and replaced it with straight 3.5" pipe and a high flow IMCO diesel muffler. Not much change, if any, in sound. Perhaps a little turbo whistle.
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Old 03-19-2012, 09:00 PM   #6
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Re: Cat-back Mods

Check out the link "6.8L V-10 exhaust & intake" where I have posted photos of my exhaust modifications. I had a resonator installed downstream of my Flowmaster 70 and it sound fine.
Or go to my album. I also installed JBA headers.
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Old 03-20-2012, 12:41 AM   #7
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Re: Cat-back Mods

Thanks for the input but I forgot to mention that my rig has the 6.0 diesel. I was hoping that by installing a cat-back I could get a little more HP &MPG. Has anyone done this to the 6.0 ?
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Old 03-20-2012, 03:34 PM   #8
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Re: Cat-back Mods

Quote:
Originally Posted by rawdawg
Thanks for the input but I forgot to mention that my rig has the 6.0 diesel. I was hoping that by installing a cat-back I could get a little more HP &MPG. Has anyone done this to the 6.0 ?
What cat back system are you referring to? As I understand this term can imply a straight pipe, high flow muffler, or dual exhaust after the cat. The stock Ford muffler is a bulky, highly chambered unit so replacing it with anything that will free up exhaust flow will help. The most benefit will be gained by also deleting the cat but this of course won't meet legally mandated emissions for some states. As I understand it the main gain is decreased EGTs and turbo backpressure. It may also help with HP gain but from reading various forums not that much.

The real benefit to an exhaust mod for the 6.0, which has already been detuned by Ford to have less HP, is getting away with using an SCT Tuner with a custom program to adjust both PCM and TCM, and also turn off egr flow for less heat and firm up the shifts. Some report a 5 to 10% mileage increase without sacrificing HP by going this route. The belief is also that turning up the hp slightly will help the mileage on the vans. The other paradigm is don't chip the vans because they can't get rid of the heat but these mods will help.

That's pretty much the gist of it from what I've been reading on the diesel forums and from what others have done with their SMBs. I've been researching it but haven't pulled the trigger yet because I want to install a coolant filter first.
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Old 03-20-2012, 10:59 PM   #9
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Re: Cat-back Mods

Thanks for that info.I will check out changing the muffler first to se if that makes a difference. I really do not want to mes with the computer as I am still under a factory warranty for another year. I have Been down this road before when I messed around with my vette's computer it was a bear to get it to pass a CA. Smog test.
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Old 03-21-2012, 05:14 AM   #10
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Re: Cat-back Mods

When I was shopping for a van a year ago, I drove a 2006 6.0 that was owned by a man who was the owner of a large auto mechanic shop. He had replaced from the downpipe back with 4" pipe, deleted the cat and had some non-stock muffler with the hope of increasing his MPGs. He had no tuner on the vehicle. He told me that he thought it had helped maybe 1mpg, but that he didn't really think it was worth doing.

I've looked in to doing it to the van I eventually bought, and have learned that it's nearly impossible to go to 4" from the turbo back due to the downpipe's interference with the doghouse....in the 6.0. I think it's doable in the 7.3.

In terms of violating the law, I'm pretty sure it's a federal law requiring the catalytic converter, and the EGR as well. Of course, the enforcement exists (or doesn't) at the state level in the form of emissions testing...if that matters at all.
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