2004 xterra muffler swap

[joey78]

hey guys, this is my first post and am new to the xterra world. i am no expert and may sound like a joke but i need some answers.
I bought an 04 xterra a few months ago and absolutely love it. eventually i want the entire truck mod out, but need to start small. ive been searching around and reading on muffler swaps, along with watching vids but cant seem to get a solid answer as the best way to go. its a 04 Xterra SE 2 wheel drive (wish i had a 4 wheel drive but whatever). i mainly use it because i can hall my small trailer and my dirtbike around, get some clearance above ground and go riding all over Washington when needed. So, now that i have bored you with my life story, i want to install a cat-back that isn't going to sound like a rice rocket. after looking under neath i can see it is a two in, one out piping. replacing the entire system seems expensive and being in college puts a struggle on it. i basically want to swap the muffler and end pipe, or at least put a new tip on it. i believe the diameter is 2.5 in'. so my question for all of you is what is the best/ most affordable way to go. ive seen vids on magnflow, flowmaster, Dynomax ULTRA FLO SS ( which i thought sounded great!!). could i swap the muffler and put a new tip on, and leave the middle piping the same, or is it better to do a full swap out? what series seems to be the best of flow master or compatible. and with the cat still installed, would i get any check engine lights on?

i hope that what i have explained made sense. like i said i am no expert but i learn quick, and am open to all ideas. any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[Cameron23]

Just as a quick answer I know some members have installed super 44s or super 40s but the inlet and outlet has to be right someone else would be more experienced than me.


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[Cameron23]

I do like the straight pipe sound though and it's cheap! But you have to be in a state without emissions testing and with lenient cops like Kansas


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[joey78]

I do like the straight pipe sound though and it's cheap! But you have to be in a state without emissions testing and with lenient cops like Kansas


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my original idea was to straight pipe, but being close to California (emissions in Cali are crazy) and traveling there from time to time it would be hard to get away with it.

 

[Cameron23]

If your state of residence doesn't have emissions I wouldn't worry. Worse comes to worse and a cop pulls you over just say you bought the truck and the original owner just told you he had an aftermarket legal exhaust. I have found that ignorance is bliss when it comes to getting pulled over for mods. In my experience I got a warning for doing that with window tint license plate tint and tail light tint with my Mazda


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[Dbrown016]

I have a glass pack, and all i did to install it was cut out the stock muffler, left all the stock piping where is was and put a glasspack in its place. IDK if thats waht you were asking about, but thats my best answer.

 

[joey78]

If your state of residence doesn't have emissions I wouldn't worry. Worse comes to worse and a cop pulls you over just say you bought the truck and the original owner just told you he had an aftermarket legal exhaust. I have found that ignorance is bliss when it comes to getting pulled over for mods. In my experience I got a warning for doing that with window tint license plate tint and tail light tint with my Mazda


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another question, if i were to just straight pipe it, is it hard to go around the sensor. i know there is a sensor on the cat, i believe 2 sensors on the 4 wheel models. the sensor i think im talking about is the oxygen sensor. :erm:

 

[joey78]

thanks for the response. i have thought about glass packs/cherry bombs. i have also read and heard there is a tome span on them. like they wear off after a certain amount of time. but on the plus side they are cheap. if i were to spend a little more and buy a flowmaster 44, could i essentially do the same process. ( cutting off the muffler and just popping it in?)

 

[Prime]

Flowmasters should be out automatically. The 3.3 doesn't move anywhere near enough air to make those sound good. I've always like DynoMax mufflers. So I'd go that way. Or Borla. My suggestion would be to buy a muffler (2.5" Center in/Center out) and find a reputable exhaust shop that will replace everything from the Y-Pipe back w/ 2.5" pipe and custom bend the tubing the way you want it run. The factory muffler is HUGE and since the new ones are so small, you won't need to run it exactly the same way.

As far as emissions, FEDERAL law says you have to have at least one catalytic converter a certain distance from the exhaust ports on each bank of the exhaust. On our trucks that means two. Because of that, you can get long tube headers that eliminate the primary cats, and then replace the middle cats w/ something that moves a little more air. That combined w/ a full 2.5" catback will yield some good power gains. And sounds.

 

[yellowx16]

I have a flowmaster super 44 I love the sound of it. To me they all pretty much sound the same anyway. it's throaty and louder than stock so I'm happy.

 

[joey78]

Flowmasters should be out automatically. The 3.3 doesn't move anywhere near enough air to make those sound good. I've always like DynoMax mufflers. So I'd go that way. Or Borla. My suggestion would be to buy a muffler (2.5" Center in/Center out) and find a reputable exhaust shop that will replace everything from the Y-Pipe back w/ 2.5" pipe and custom bend the tubing the way you want it run. The factory muffler is HUGE and since the new ones are so small, you won't need to run it exactly the same way.

As far as emissions, FEDERAL law says you have to have at least one catalytic converter a certain distance from the exhaust ports on each bank of the exhaust. On our trucks that means two. Because of that, you can get long tube headers that eliminate the primary cats, and then replace the middle cats w/ something that moves a little more air. That combined w/ a full 2.5" catback will yield some good power gains. And sounds.

-thanks for the input, and being desrciptive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65st0CHcpw8 ...this was the vid that got me interested in Dynomax, obviously a new model and doesn't specify if its 3.3, im assuming its a 4.0L. the Y-Pipe back custom seems like the best idea so far. is there any particular model of the Dynomax that you would recommend?( while looking online, theres seems to be a few that will fit the 04 xterra)
-i will be sure to post a complete Video(sound when all done) and under the truck process, for anyone that it may help in the future.

 

[joey78]

I have a flowmaster super 44 I love the sound of it. To me they all pretty much sound the same anyway. it's throaty and louder than stock so I'm happy.

thanks for the link, the flowmaster does seem to have a nice rumble to it. :kewl::kewl:

 

[robcarync]

I went magnaflow... 2 pipes in (2" diameter) and one 2.5" pipe out. I replaced the stock cross over with each side going into the muffler. Essentially, the muffler is the new "Y-pipe"

I paid $112 for the muffler from Amazon and paid a shop $120 to custom bend the pipe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzJM-z0JGS4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUWbp-fd6EaRH2bU4XDZtQzA


Also, be aware of mufflers that are engineered for sound and not air flow. We all know that performance gains aren't really there unless you replace the exhaust manifolds with headers...but replacing the stock baffled muffler with another big baffled muffler that sounds louder, to me, is a waste. I would stick to the straight through design...

but...to each their own.

 

[XTorrey]

Such a timely post with my much needed exhaust work. Any particular brand of headers that anyone has had good experience with on the 1st Gen?

Sent from the wastelands of Tatooine

 

[Cameron23]

Such a timely post with my much needed exhaust work. Any particular brand of headers that anyone has had good experience with on the 1st Gen?

Sent from the wastelands of Tatooine

Anyone on here will say Doug Thorley headers


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[Prime]

Anyone on here will say Doug Thorley headers


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This is a true story. Extremely well made, one piece flange, fantastic headers.

 

[XTorrey]

Thanks guys!

Sent from the wastelands of Tatooine

 

[MichaelS75]

I have a flowmaster super 44 I love the sound of it. To me they all pretty much sound the same anyway. it's throaty and louder than stock so I'm happy.

X2 on this. I'm a money challenged college student as well so I went to my local Advance and got a Super 44 and stuck in right where the big tin can was. After about 1,500 miles I think it's finally "broken in" and sounds great. Throaty, deep and certainly noticeable on acceleration but at cruising speeds you really wouldn't notice it's there.

 

[joey78]

X2 on this. I'm a money challenged college student as well so I went to my local Advance and got a Super 44 and stuck in right where the big tin can was. After about 1,500 miles I think it's finally "broken in" and sounds great. Throaty, deep and certainly noticeable on acceleration but at cruising speeds you really wouldn't notice it's there.

Thanks for the post. Super 44 seems like the way to go and not spend a ton.