Replacement Exhaust Suggestions

Putting aside the fact that my engine will probably need a rebuild, I'd like to look an another issue my truck has: Rotted out exhaust system.

Half the exhaust is in good shape (cats and manifold)... the injection pipe had a hole, but I muffler taped it up today and so far (fingers crossed) the patch is working (a new injection pipe is $100, no thanks)

What I'd like advice on is the rear half of the exhaust. My tail pipe is toast (held up with bailing wire, full of holes), as is the muffler (full of holes, inlet and outlet pipes rattling loose). The intermediate pipe is not failed, but it's a lot rustier than the cats (clearly made from a different steel) and the mediocre welding job to the cats and generally poor fit-up (pipe too small and crooked) tells me it isn't stock and likely is about to fail as well.

The good news is it looks like I can saw the weld bead off the back of the cats and still have enough flange to clamp on a new properly sized pipe (doesn't look like there was a lot of penetration). My question is on exhaust manufacturers; on ebay I can get aluminized Walker parts to replace it all for about $125 (cross-referenced from rockauto). However, some of the listings are marking these as "economy" grade, which turns me off given how poorly the likely "economy" grade parts I'm looking to replace have held up (at least compared to the cats and front pipe). I do know that at least some alumininzed exhausts were known to fail early and often (my 1995 Chevy Astro went had 3 mufflers in 6 years )

I should know more on this considering I work for Toyota's #1 exhaust OEM (albeit I don't work in the exhaust department, and all we make is stainless these days), but as far as aftermarket exhaust brands go, I'm lost.

I wasn't planning on putting on a performance cat-back... but if that's what I have to do to get something that won't rot out in 5 years, so be it?

Also, which is better, welding or clamps? I don't have a good welder (POS 90A Harbor Freight Flux Core machine), so I'm thinking clamps are the way to go.

Suggestions?

I don't know any answers, but I would like to know as well.

On Big Blue I'm going with headers, and my old horrible exhaust system with cherry bomb mufflers will bolt back on to break in the engine and then get the truck to an exhaust shop - which hasn't been selected yet.  There I'll have a mandrel-bent system put on, and it will include Magnaflow mufflers.

Pull any favors and have the exhaust department put something together for you in stainless and then clamp them on? Even if it means the $125 ebay ones need purchased for measurements.
I don't know the specific parts but when I had mine put on a few months ago they used these v-clamps that hold the two pieces tight up against each other but still make it easy to split them if needed.

I wish... we do have scraps of stainless pipe for days (all sold and recycled), but there's no way (my former manager tried several times, lol). I can't post anything more than than publicly though.

My question, perhaps, was more of a "are Walker Aluminized exhausts complete dog poo?" question more than anything. I don't want to replace poorly fitting rusty crap with more poorly fitting soon-to-rust crap.

The factory "stainless steel" exhaust systems are 400 series which will turn brown but last for ever. My 1986 F350 still has the original factory muffler and tailpipe after 34 years.

I didn't think the originals were stainless? News to me, the stock parts have surface rust but not the flaky "I'm about to rot away" kind that the non-stock parts have.

Looked at CARiD... $50 there for such walker parts... but $48 in shipping, ugh. Still looking around.

My personal experience (here in the northeast) says the crinkle bends don't last through two hard winters.

I bought a (now discontinued) Magnaflow mandrel bent 3" stainless universal tailpipe.
Mated it to a substantial welded muffler from Walkers medium duty catalog.
Welded on my own hangers and flanges so it all bolts together.
I had to replace a muffler clamp last year. Used stainless this time.
Other than that, it's been good for eight years

The only mandrel-bent kits I'm seeing are from Summit Racing... and the reviews are mixed. $205 + shipping for the kit. Still not stainless though...  Edit- I'm reading that the main issues are cheap clamps and hangers; the tubing itself isn't bad. Might be an OK option then?

I was hoping to avoid custom work (as that gets pricey since I don't have good tooling at the moment)... seems like I need to think on it some more.

Kit from Summit:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-684012/year/1984/make/ford/model/f-150

They also have twin tip kits... but that would be overkill for what I'm doing (not to mention I'd like to get my spare tire carrier working again, such a kit precludes such.

If I want stainless, custom/piecemeal seems to be the way one must go... and what I have now is undersized and beyond dead.

If I can talk my wife into it, I might see about getting said kit. (I'm kinda in the doghouse for blowing $200 of our tax refund on shocks and some other things for myself).  

I bought the Summit kit (single pipe) for our trucks. Does not fit correctly. When all put together the tailpipe is about three inches from the ground. You will be money and time ahead having someone build a system for you. You’ll spend the same if not more money trying to make it work using exhaust kits. I went and had my buying mistake fixed at the exhaust shop. Needless to say the Summit kit is in the scrap pile and I have a 2.5 inch single exhaust from the y pipe back with an off brand (made in the same factory) Magnaflow muffler. Cost me about $50 more than the kit and no issues whatsoever.

What's the issue? Hanger placement, or is there just too much "hump" in the pipe?

I do have a local exhaust shop I've used before- I had  him do some work on a 2004 Saab 9-5 that ultimately my F150 replaced (car was totaled about a week later )... so maybe I'll pay him a visit.

Off-topic side-note: he (or somebody) also sells used cars from the looks of things... and has had a white bullnose sitting out front for the past year. Not that I have the means for a 3rd pickup, but it has had me curious.

Right.

That's why I thought the 3" mandrel bent Magnaflow pipe for under $50 *delivered* by Amazon was too good to pass up.

As my stock exhaust hangers were already removed I can’t tell you about the hangers because I had to come up with my own. The biggest issue was the hump, as the pipe came back down there was too much length going down. I tucked the exhaust as high as I could get it and it still didn’t help. Also turned the over axle pipe around but then the hump went up so high the bed was in the way. And like everyone has said, the *clamps are junk and every connection will leak a little no matter how tight they are. I’ll try to post a picture of what it looked like.

If the kit fit I would’ve loved to have it welded up and hung properly. It is a nice looking kit and many shops don’t have the ability to do mandrel bends. Just a shame it doesn’t fit.

I have no personal experience with the Summit mandrel bent kits.

I DO know I'll never buy another rolled seam steel muffler.

Bear River Converters do seem to have lots of pieces (mufflers, flanges, pipes) in 409 stainless that are worth taking a look at.

As many people are saying that it DID fit, makes me think they have a QC issue... at work, all bent pipes go through a gauge (as to all finished exhaust assemblies)... but that's $$$ OE Parts. These, "close enough, ship them!"

I assume you're running a stock ride height? The other possibility is they intentionally made it that way for lifted trucks?

I am running a stock ride height, 31 inch tires, 4x4. It would’ve looked goofy and hit stuff even on a lifted truck. I’m leaning towards a quality control issue. Which surprises me, Summit is usually a pretty decent brand in my experience. The rest of the kit was nice, no real complaints other than that.

If you decide to get it, test fit the pipes after the muffler just to be sure. I didn’t do that because it looked correct and everyone said it would fit and you know the experience I had. But I wouldn’t blame you for giving it a shot, hopefully it would work out for you.

But my vote is still to just take it to someone who is reputable. I bought the kit because I don’t trust a lot of people to work on my truck and the only exhaust shop that I knew of did very poor work. Luckily, after I mangled the Summit kit, I found a very good shop on the other side of town. They did such a good job you would think it was factory and I got exactly what I wanted with quality I couldn’t match.  

My buddy says the guy is good. However, the one job he did for me ended up as a crumpled ball of metal a week later:



(I sure got my money's worth out of the $600 I had invested in replacing the missing/broken catback, NOT )

In that case I had off-the-shelf parts (imported from a Saab performance maker in Sweden no less) but due to a busted flex-pipe on the cat/center pipe assembly (and a PO sawing off the entire center section), I needed the muffler/tail kit adapted to the existing half of the system. Real shame, I had pretty much fixed all the mechanical issues with it (and was $500+ under KBB invested) before some dipwad in a new F150 turned in front of me one night and took her out (yes, the F150 parked to the left of her). Fast and nimble, especially for a full size car... and great fuel economy. Oh well, enough on that failed project...

I'm split... maybe I better order before summit shuts down due to corona . Or not. Dunno.

It sounds like you drive your vehicles often, and have salty roads to deal with?
Otherwise, i cant see an aluminized exhaust lasting so short term. When i grew up in NY, you were lucky to get 2-3 years out of an exhaust.
Now that im here in AZ, they last forever!
Stainless is your best bet. But it’ll cost you about 650. For a bolt on. (Give or take).
But it’ll be the last one you buy.
I like clamping my exhaust together in at least 1 or 2 places (depending on vehicle)
This lets future service easier in case exhaust removal is required.
Good luck with your dilemma!

My truck still has the original exhaust - from the manifolds to the tailpipe.  It was mentioned that a replacement kit hung low.  I'm providing a photo of mine for reference.

How many miles?

Amazingly my truck is still sporting the original headpipes at 457,000 miles.

I did weld on new flanges.
I like having a gasket surface for my connections at the muffler.