Exhaust Mods
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
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From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Got the Flowmaster installed this morning. Good news....there is no resonator on a 1999 ML430. Not sure what the ML320 has but that must be an ML320 in the picture I posted above. I went with the 70 series. It has a nice deep, mellow tone. Not too loud. If anyone is looking for muscle car sound that is loud then the 70 series is not for you. The 50 series would be better for more aggressive sound. I didn't get a chance to hear the exhaust note under full load outside the ML. Inside it sounds nice. I'm glad I did it. The Flowmaster cost about $178. I pauid $235 out the door. Well worth it.
Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 116
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From: NJ
2004 ML 500
Got the Flowmaster installed this morning. Good news....there is no resonator on a 1999 ML430. Not sure what the ML320 has but that must be an ML320 in the picture I posted above. I went with the 70 series. It has a nice deep, mellow tone. Not too loud. If anyone is looking for muscle car sound that is loud then the 70 series is not for you. The 50 series would be better for more aggressive sound. I didn't get a chance to hear the exhaust note under full load outside the ML. Inside it sounds nice. I'm glad I did it. The Flowmaster cost about $178. I pauid $235 out the door. Well worth it.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Here's the pics. Sorry they are blurry. I was using a crappy old camera with a broken flash.
Here she goes!
Underneath the ML430:
Notice no resonator...I labeled all the parts in this pic:
Old Muffler cut out:
Old Muffler...big *****:
Flowmaster 70 series:
Flowmaster installed - Inlets:
Flowmaster installed:
Flowmaster installed - Outlet:
Part number:
Kind of a mess up. The guy ordered one inlet, one outlet Flowmaster instead of two inlet and one outlet. He said he didn't think the two inlet one was spaced apart properly for the pipes. He was ablet to cut another hole for the other inlet. He had to do some finagling but it all worked out.
Here she goes!
Underneath the ML430:
Notice no resonator...I labeled all the parts in this pic:
Old Muffler cut out:
Old Muffler...big *****:
Flowmaster 70 series:
Flowmaster installed - Inlets:
Flowmaster installed:
Flowmaster installed - Outlet:
Part number:
Kind of a mess up. The guy ordered one inlet, one outlet Flowmaster instead of two inlet and one outlet. He said he didn't think the two inlet one was spaced apart properly for the pipes. He was ablet to cut another hole for the other inlet. He had to do some finagling but it all worked out.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 172
Likes: 1
From: Victoria, Canada
10' GLK
when the shop inserted that new pipe into the muffler, does it go all the way in or simply welded on to the shell? Cause most of the flow master have internal blocking plates, it may alter the flow of the flowmaster muffler...
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Not sure. I don't think it goes all the way in. The guy works with Flowmasters so I think he knew what he was doing.
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Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Ok, here are the vids! I hope they work.
In park:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHdQXTY8DI
Here's one with a shameless plug at the end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua1xq85sZq4
Here it is accelerating away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlqyVq5UOXc
In park:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHdQXTY8DI
Here's one with a shameless plug at the end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua1xq85sZq4
Here it is accelerating away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlqyVq5UOXc
Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 172
Likes: 1
From: Victoria, Canada
10' GLK
nice vid, but it's a bit on the quiet side eh...
I wonder if I delete the entire muffler, how much torque would I lose even if i retain both catalytic converter. I don't wanna drive a torqueless V8. Anyone thought of using a Y-pipe in place of the muffler?
I wonder if I delete the entire muffler, how much torque would I lose even if i retain both catalytic converter. I don't wanna drive a torqueless V8. Anyone thought of using a Y-pipe in place of the muffler?
Last edited by bwco; Mar 12, 2009 at 04:19 PM.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 172
Likes: 1
From: Victoria, Canada
10' GLK
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
From: NJ
2004 ML 500
sounds good man . Id prob go louder, but thats just the 19 year old in me who wants as much attention as possible 
. Oh hey just figured id share, my car was on the lift the other day and when I looked at my exhaust setup, theres no resonator either! Maybe it was a v8 thing, and the 320/350's had the extra one? not sure 
. Id prob go louder, but thats just the 19 year old in me who wants as much attention as possible . Oh hey just figured id share, my car was on the lift the other day and when I looked at my exhaust setup, theres no resonator either! Maybe it was a v8 thing, and the 320/350's had the extra one? not sure
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
sounds good man . Id prob go louder, but thats just the 19 year old in me who wants as much attention as possible . Oh hey just figured id share, my car was on the lift the other day and when I looked at my exhaust setup, theres no resonator either! Maybe it was a v8 thing, and the 320/350's had the extra one? not sure
. Id prob go louder, but thats just the 19 year old in me who wants as much attention as possible . Oh hey just figured id share, my car was on the lift the other day and when I looked at my exhaust setup, theres no resonator either! Maybe it was a v8 thing, and the 320/350's had the extra one? not sure 
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Digging up this old thread for some advice again.
Its been about four years with the Flowmaster 70 series. The salty New England roads have taken their toll. The Flowmaster has rusted at the seams where the muffler shop had to do some welding and the back of the muffler blew out. Now on the bright side the 70 series has never sounded better. lol This muffler wasn't as aggressive sounding as I liked.
Now the local shop can't find a replacement muffler because of the dual inlet and single outlet. Same problem I had back in the day. When I go online to Flowmaster I see all their dual inlet/single outlet mufflers have no part numbers. I don't feel like getting another single inlet/single outlet Flowmaster and having the shop cut it up like the last guy did. So, I'm thinking about cutting out the muffler completely and putting in a Y-pipe + straight pipe all the way to the back end. Some of my buddies are telling me I don't want to do that. They say it wouldn't sound good or it would be too loud/droning.
Has anyone here done a straight pipe all the way back from the cats?
Interested to see if there are any sound clips of this. How is the drone inside the cabin?
I could just leave my muffler the way it is with the back blown out but I'm worried about fumes getting inside the truck and I can hear metal rattling when idle and it sounds crappy.
Opinions are appreciated.
Thanks
Its been about four years with the Flowmaster 70 series. The salty New England roads have taken their toll. The Flowmaster has rusted at the seams where the muffler shop had to do some welding and the back of the muffler blew out. Now on the bright side the 70 series has never sounded better. lol This muffler wasn't as aggressive sounding as I liked.
Now the local shop can't find a replacement muffler because of the dual inlet and single outlet. Same problem I had back in the day. When I go online to Flowmaster I see all their dual inlet/single outlet mufflers have no part numbers. I don't feel like getting another single inlet/single outlet Flowmaster and having the shop cut it up like the last guy did. So, I'm thinking about cutting out the muffler completely and putting in a Y-pipe + straight pipe all the way to the back end. Some of my buddies are telling me I don't want to do that. They say it wouldn't sound good or it would be too loud/droning.
Has anyone here done a straight pipe all the way back from the cats?
Interested to see if there are any sound clips of this. How is the drone inside the cabin?
I could just leave my muffler the way it is with the back blown out but I'm worried about fumes getting inside the truck and I can hear metal rattling when idle and it sounds crappy.
Opinions are appreciated.
Thanks
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
Likes: 8
From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Another question....does cutting out the muffler make you lose power? I assume you lose some torque due to less back pressure but do you gain horsepower because its more free flowing?
