• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


MagnaFlow Muffler/Resonator Swap and Stock Muffler Delete

Messages
51
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
#1
I couldn’t bear the thought of shelling out $1200 for shiny pipe, so I had a local shop help me out. They swapped the stock resonator for a comparably sized dual-in/dual-out MagnaFlow muffler. Then they ripped out the stock mufflers and added some pipe to fill in the gaps, and finished with some matte-black Y-tips. It has a deeper tone at idle and really opens up under acceleration! It has a small drone at random speeds in sport mode, when other modes would have swapped gears at speed/rpm (like 45-50ish in 6th). Above 85 the drone kicks in again, even in 10th...
1F44A3F5-119E-4BE8-8827-7C9FDA0ED4A0.jpeg
7E446CE9-1A03-4925-8556-F54CD12D80E3.jpeg
 

Attachments

Last edited:

808st

New Member
Messages
10
Reactions
8
Points
2
Location
Honolulu, HI, USA
#2
Very nice! I just removed the resonators yesterday, but left the oem muffler. It sounds similar. I was debating swapping out the muffler as well. I’ll live with the oem muffler for a little while and if I want more sound, will do the muffler swap. Do you have the oem muffler still? If so, I am curious as to if it’s a straight through design or what It looks like inside. Any insight will help. Thanks for the comparison. Nice color ST btw.
 

OP
bonediggitty
Messages
51
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Thread Starter #4
Thanks!

The OEM resonator is a straight through design, but it looks to have a weird bit of baffling and ridges for air to get caught up and bounced around. They are also slightly different from side to side, and I’m not sure which way it was mounted in the vehicle. Also, taking a picture through a dark tube during the day probably didn’t help...

I think the dual-wall tips are 3”, but I can measure tomorrow morning. I dint want to wake anyone up by turning on and off the alarm at 1am. (Edit = They are 3.5”)

To be honest, it didn’t make a ton of volume with just the resonator swapped out for the MagnaFlow, before deleting the mufflers. However the tone was definitely more deep/rich. I’ve only used Flowmaster and aFe on other vehicles before this, so I was pleasantly surprised that it has tone, without a ton more volume. It gets a bit louder when you give it the beans. That’s all I really wanted. I’ve only had the the ST for a few weeks, but was already tired of it being compared to a Dyson or a Hoover by buddies...

I’m also not taking her out to any track days, but the weight reduction of 20-30 pounds was another benefit.

F2434663-07A2-42A0-BFD4-4C0AAC653F0C.jpeg
5E46338C-3D39-4848-BC94-8525BC9FBD7A.jpeg
20C40994-C74F-4D8F-93D8-C654B14971F0.jpeg
 

Last edited:
Messages
220
Reactions
181
Points
37
Location
Columbus, OH, USA
#5
I'd say the tips are 3.5 or 4 inch....the factory pea shooters are 3 inch lol.

Only reason I ask is I'm having different tips put on tommorow and I have two sets sitting here, 3.5 and 4 inch and I'm torn lol.
 

808st

New Member
Messages
10
Reactions
8
Points
2
Location
Honolulu, HI, USA
#6
Thanks for the details on the oem muffler. I’m very happy I removed the resonators. It is 10x more enjoyable driving the vehicle now. Still debating, but a replacement borla or magnaflow may be an option on the future.
 

Messages
191
Reactions
93
Points
27
Location
Secaucus, NJ, USA
#7
you guys are brave.. i still have my stock exhaust intact.. you never know.. but after having a 3” straight pipe, i doubt i’ll ever go back to stock.. just waiting for some catless downpipes to appear on the market. :whistle:
 

Messages
34
Reactions
11
Points
2
Location
Richmond, VA, USA
#8
you guys are brave.. i still have my stock exhaust intact.. you never know.. but after having a 3” straight pipe, i doubt i’ll ever go back to stock.. just waiting for some catless downpipes to appear on the market. :whistle:
Ha, now we are aligned.
 

Messages
308
Reactions
201
Points
37
Location
Punta Gorda, FL, USA
#9
Thanks!

The OEM muffler is a straight through design, but it looks to have a weird bit of baffling and ridges for air to get caught up and bounced around. They are also slightly different from side to side, and I’m not sure which way it was mounted in the vehicle. Also, taking a picture through a dark tube during the day probably didn’t help...

I think the dual-wall tips are 3”, but I can measure tomorrow morning. I dint want to wake anyone up by turning on and off the alarm at 1am.

To be honest, it didn’t make a ton of volume with just the muffler swapped, before deleting the resonators. However the tone was definitely more deep/rich. I’ve only used Flowmaster and aFe before this, so I was pleasantly surprised that it has tone, without a ton more volume (until you give it the beans). That’s all I really wanted. I’ve only had the the ST for a few weeks, but was already tired of it being compared to a Dyson or a Hoover by buddies...

I’m also not taking her out to any track days, but the weight reduction of 20-30 pounds was another benefit.

View attachment 659
View attachment 661
View attachment 660
So are you saying you replaced just the muffler first and it did give you a little more sound. Then you replaced the resonators with the strait pipes? Sorry but kinda lost. Lol. Thanks!
 

OP
bonediggitty
Messages
51
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Thread Starter #10
So are you saying you replaced just the muffler first and it did give you a little more sound. Then you replaced the resonators with the strait pipes? Sorry but kinda lost. Lol. Thanks!
The guys working on the ST happened to start with the resonator. I asked them if I could start it up with just the magnaflow swapped into the stock resonator’s location. They obliged. I just popped the remote start, and didn’t get a chance to rip it, because it was still on the rack, in the air. However, it had about the same volume but a slightly deeper tone.
 

Last edited:
OP
bonediggitty
Messages
51
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Thread Starter #11
I'd say the tips are 3.5 or 4 inch....the factory pea shooters are 3 inch lol.

Only reason I ask is I'm having different tips put on tommorow and I have two sets sitting here, 3.5 and 4 inch and I'm torn lol.
3.5”

Forgot to mention that the tips are equal length, and I had the inboard tip even vertically with the bumper. Because of the curve of the bumper, it makes the outboard tip stick out just enough...

A52F1478-BCE9-4EFF-927B-C5E12052A500.jpeg
DD369B07-4AD4-4EF4-8FAC-2FD391EBF991.jpeg
7CDBFF49-6879-4DB7-89DC-16ECF56F5AC2.jpeg View attachment 664
 

Last edited:
Messages
91
Reactions
46
Points
17
Location
Kelowna, BC, Canada
#12
I saw the price of the Borla system and shook my head, glad there are others that have tried some different ideas rather than shelling out that kind of money for what looks like a fairly routine exhaust system.
 

Messages
349
Reactions
288
Points
67
Location
The midwest
#13
Thinking of leaving the mufflers in place and either replacing the resonator with an X-pipe or using the Dynomax Ultra-Flow muffler (which may not fit in to the stock location due to the offset of the OE resonator). Either way, should wake up the sound just a hair, but keep it in line with what Ford used on the previous generation Sport model. That one had a very pleasant rumble.

DynoMax UltraFlow.jpg
 

OP
bonediggitty
Messages
51
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Thread Starter #14
Thinking of leaving the mufflers in place and either replacing the resonator with an X-pipe or using the Dynomax Ultra-Flow muffler (which may not fit in to the stock location due to the offset of the OE resonator). Either way, should wake up the sound just a hair, but keep it in line with what Ford used on the previous generation Sport model. That one had a very pleasant rumble.

View attachment 813
The OEM resonator is a straight through design. You may hear a small difference in tone, but you will not hear a difference in volume by solely replacing the resonator. Your volume will come from removing the twin mufflers. I think if you want noise, without the drone of straight-pipes, a quality dual-in/dual-out and muffler delete is where it’s at. You’ll add tone and volume, and get rid of the fake tips...
 

Last edited:
Messages
349
Reactions
288
Points
67
Location
The midwest
#15
You're getting terminology all mixed around here: the forward "muffler" is the resonator, the other two at the tail pipes are the mufflers. The resonator itself is there to change the sound in whatever way the engineers tune it. Even being "straight through", all the perforations in the tubing will deflect the exhaust waves through the inside of the casing before it flows out to the mufflers. I'm sure that removing it and replacing with an actual 'X' or the DynoMax version (if one fits) will definitely make a difference. Whether or not I want to be the one that experiments with it is a different story since I'm hoping Magnaflow will come out with a system that sounds better than Borla.

ST exhaust components.jpg
 

Messages
42
Reactions
19
Points
2
Location
Massachusetts
#16
That system sounds great, I can't see shelling out 1200, or the 1600 for Corsa, yeah, they are nice, but there isn't that much to the Explorer exhaust to be worth that much. I am considering going your exact same route, as the Corsa is setup the same way. How much was your system all said and done? Even 500-600 is worth it for that.
 

OP
bonediggitty
Messages
51
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Thread Starter #17
The shop charged me $450. That included the new muffler, black dual tips, pipe, hangers, and labor.
 

Messages
42
Reactions
19
Points
2
Location
Massachusetts
#19
I got quoted $500, to install a Magnaflow dual in dual out, I dont know the part # of the muffler that they have, but I think I'm going to buy Magnaflow 11385, which is a dual in dual out 2.25" resonator muffler that features a internal x-pipe built in. Im also going to purchase dual staggered black 4" tips. So, basically, setup will be similar to Corsa's system, where the only muffler is the front, and straight pipe from there, with dual tips. I also read somewhere that Magnaflow is working on a catback system. Once my system is installed, I'll post video amd sound clips from different perspectives.
 

Messages
114
Reactions
39
Points
27
Location
Calgary, AB, Canada
#20
This is the thread I've been looking for!

I like the borla type s, but it's the same diameter as stock, and corsa would be $2600 by the time I pay the exchange and duty fees to have it shipped to Canada.

I'm going to see what a local exhaust shop can do for a full 2.5-2.75" system, my only concern is that a genetic magnaflow muffler/resonator will drone.

Sent from my SM-G975W using Tapatalk
 



Top