Thermal Exhaust Installation

This is my first post on this forum, though I have been part of online auto forums for almost 20 years - GTO, G8, Corvette, Raptor, etc... In fact, the Raptor is actually the reason I am here. I bought a new Raptor last year, and I actually made a TON of money trading it in just a few weeks ago, so the ST was my replacement for now. I have a '21 Carbonized Gray with every option except the Pano.

I spent a couple of weeks researching exhaust options because I couldn't deal with the silence of the stock system. I have had nearly every brand of exhaust throughout the years on various cars (mostly heads, cam, longtubes), so I have had some LOUD cars. That is not what I wanted for the Explorer, so after much debate, I ended up choosing the Thermal R&D from Ron at Whoosh Motorsports. I was very impressed with the fit, finish, and quality of materials. I did the installation in my garage just using ramps, and it was a breeze. It look less than 2 hours. Unfortunately the box was damaged by UPS, so one of the exhaust tips was missing, so I don't have a picture yet. I have reached out to Ron to see about a replacement.

As for the sound, I am impressed! Again, it is likely the quietest exhaust option, but for a daily driver, that is what I wanted. There is no discernible drone when cruising at highway speeds. But you can definitely hear the exhaust during normal acceleration - just slightly louder than the FENG, and obviously a much better tone. It also really comes to life under hard acceleration. As for the tone itself, it is very refined. It sounds like the type of note you would expect from a V6 performance vehicle - I may get roasted for this comparison, but think Porsche exhaust... It's a true and honest and refined V6 sound. It's not one of the systems that I feel like is trying to create (or fake) the impression that you have a V8. All that being said, I am really enjoying the system! If you want something a bit more subtle, I think the Thermal is an excellent option. If you want loud, go Borla!

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Nice review!

Any crackles or pops with the thermal? Wish someone was local to me with thermal so I could hear it. From the sounds of it it would be good for a daily driver.

As others have noted, I have not noticed any crackles or pops, though personally, I wish it would! It does seem to be a good selection for a DD. It has gotten slightly louder as it has broken in over the past week.

However, I cannot give a full review on the interior volume level as I still do not have the exhaust tips that were not in my shipment - so the exhaust is all coming out about 8-10" short of the rear bumper and resonating underneath.

I am not sure exactly what I am going to do. I have reached out to Ron at Whoosh Motorsports multiple times and have not even received a response - not a single word. I even reached out to Thermal directly - they indicated they would ship a replacement no later than last Thursday, but I have not heard from them either.

I hear something that sounds like overrun on my full thermal exhaust randomly, definitely not as consistent as what I am use to for cars that have it tuned/programmed in.

UPDATE - I did receive the correct tips in good condition, and I did get them installed. I took a picture, but the car is a little dirty - my apologies.

I will agree with THNX SVT in that this exhaust is how the ST should have sounded stock. It’s quiet when you want it to be, and it makes a very, very nice sound under acceleration. I will say that it is not LOUD, but in my opinion, it’s loud enough. This was the perfect option for me, and I am extremely pleased with how it turned out.