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Review 3 of 74
Price Paid:
$259.00
from Jegs.com - they ROCK Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 Ford Expedition XLT 4x4 5.4L 130K Strengths:
Dynamax 17355 has true ease of installation.
It is a nice direct fit bolt on replacement kit for the Expedition's OEM exhaust. The supplied instructions could be better. I have a computer geeks unkempt improperly respected collection of tools needed, and did not use lifts at all. Craftsman mechanics ea get set, Ryobi LI-ON drill and sawzall. Jegs Antiseize. Prybar, hammer, wd40. Chilled Skyy. . Safety glasses - dirty nasty stuff - dint risk getting this rusty crap in your eyes! Sawzall vibration during cut will definitely send it flying into your face. Weaknesses:
Directions and some harsh resonance into cabin at some rpms.
Directions are a sparse one page. They cover it. But you won't get guidance on removal of rusty old system. I used a Ryobi Saws-All with metal blade, and cut just after the Cat pipe and after the muffler to ease removal. Ford has a small "key" nub on the cat pipe which literally locks the next pipe on. I used a Dremel (yes, that macGyver WTF do I do now moment) to even reach and then cut the old pipe off the cat pipe. Then used drill to grind that stupid pipe locking nub off so old pipe could fully connect. Didn't want the nub making old pipe leave a gap and create a CO leak.
Mostly good tone, but in the Expedition you can get some undesirable drone/resonance transfer into rear cabin at some RPMS and can be sustained if on a hill climb at that RPM level. Summary:
Decent kit for $250 an a $75 visa debit give back card. So for $175, my Expedition "sounds" like it's got bawz, but I'm not drag racin. I'm just roaring around loving the 5.4L sound.
Resulting sound: It starts with a growl, settles down to a rumble. No sound on coasting. Burble /pop in a second gear glide down hills. You can hit certain uphill climbs where resonance in cabin is annoying. It's real annoying if you are in the rear passenger spot over the muffler at that point. Hard Acell wide open sounds great - the 5.4L has a nice harmonic snarl somewhere up around 2700-3500 rpm.
And yes, the wife. Long suffering wife. She test drove with everyone on board today for a Sunday dinner run.. And she once 'danica patrick crushed it' (oh yeah) to the firewall checking out the sound that came out - immediately three generations of us (children to grandparents) bust out with howls of approval and laughter, so %^*£ yeah... It was a fun Sunday afternoon ride. She has to live with it too, so I will check with Jegs - their catalog has all kidns of sound dampening hi temp friendy wraps etc. maybe put some on and block that drone tone that penetrates too much, and I'm good to go.
You'd probably be hard pressed to find better sound for $175 cat back and a 2 hour remove/install for the do it yourself guy/gal. Similar Products Used:
Dynomax on a 92 Explorer 4.0L V6, years ago. Stop with the "my V6 sounds like a V8". It doesn't and it will not sound like it. I've had both, and this 17355 kit on the Expedition 5.4 will have you making up excuses to go out on errands and taking the long way home again.
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