A Tale of 4 Exhausts on a 6.4 Hemi

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Stampederfan

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There's always a lot of folks asking exhaust questions about the 6.4 so I figured I'd chime in with what I've had and experienced on my truck.

Exhaust note and drone are pretty subjective but my personal preference is I want little to no drone as I tow and a low rumble outside the truck which wakes up when you get on it. I like the noise outside the truck not bouncing around the cab. I do a lot of city driving which leads to some lugging at times which makes the drone worse than if you're doing mostly highway driving. I want just a bit more sound than stock provides.

The exhausts:
1) Stock - We all know what this one sounds like and that is has the flapper valve.

2) Mufflex Magnaflow with stock resonator - A deeper tone than stock and a fair bit louder outside the truck. Has a noticeable though not overpowering drone from 1500 - 1800 rpm (my truck has 4.10s) when the engine might be lugging a bit. You will hear it inside the truck whenever you get on it. Once you get up to 120 KM/H or so cruising on the highway you barely know it's there. Was OK towing a 7200lb travel trailer as well. Didn't mind it but thought I'd try something else to try to drop the drone a bit. Got a little better mileage than stock with this one too (1.5 - 2.0 L/100km better than stock via lie-o-meter).

3) Flowmaster American Thunder #817709 Cat Back Kit- As I was laying down the plastic for this one (impulse buy - they had one in stock) I was thinking maybe I was making a mistake. For my tastes, I should've listened to my gut. Sounded really kickass on the Flowmaster site so I took the chance but I admit I've never had a chambered exhaust before. The kit is really well made and went in nicely, even the hanger for the driver side tailpipe worked well. Sounds great outside the truck (idle is maybe just a touch louder than the Mufflex unit) and when up to speed cruising on the highway you can hear it's there, a bit louder than the Mufflex when cruising, and I'd call it a deep rumble. Sounds really good. I might've kept it if I was doing mostly highway driving. For my tastes, it had a heavy drone at about 1500 rpm in city 'stop and go'. I had my shop weld in a 12" resonator before the muffler and it helped a lot with the drone but still too much for me so it came off. I was manually shifting the truck to get it out of the 1500 rpm range which is a pain in the ass. If you don't mind loud drone inside the truck while city driving this will work well for you. The Flowmaster website calls this exhaust 'Moderate' sounding and then in the description mentions it perfect for people who like an 'Aggressive' tone inside and outside the truck. I would lean more towards aggressive than moderate if I was describing it. If you floor it merging onto the freeway it will bring a smile to your face though. Back when I was 25 - 30, this would be my exhaust or if I was driving almost exclusively highway miles it would be a possibility. Never towed with it so I can't comment there. Didn't have it on long but saw about a 2.0 L/100km decrease from stock via the lie-o-meter.

4) Magnaflow #12909 with the stock resonator - After I pulled the Flowmaster I went back to stock for about a month and then picked up one of these. Left the resonator in place as it obviously manages the drone well. This muffler is 22" compared to the stocker 28" and is 3.5" inlet and outlet. It's not a bolt in like the Mufflex Magnaflow but any good shop with 3.5" pipe will set you up. Just a touch louder than stock inside the cab with no drone. Outside the truck sounds like the Mufflex Magnaflow if you reduced the volume by about 1/3. If you get on it, it sounds good, definitely a deeper rumble than stock provides but nowhere near the roar the Flowmaster will crank out. I will be keeping this one on there as it's the best compromise for me. Hoping the straight-through design of the muffler will get me some better mileage as well after the winter-blend gas disappears.

Again guys, exhausts are pretty subjective but hopefully this might help somebody before they drop a ton of dough on something they won't like.

Bottom line is you'll never know if you're going to like it 'till you drop the cash and put it on. YouTube videos may or may not tell the tale.

But damn, that Flowmaster sure sounded good on the truck and on YouTube....oh well, live and learn.
 

MADDOG

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Excellent write up. Thanks for sharing your observations with the various systems.
 

Jake2544

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I've been in the same boat as you many times, and with many trucks. Always liked a little more sound but couldn't take the drone. Tried three different systems on one of my Rams then ended up buying a complete factory system that I already had thrown in the dump. Absolutely hated the way the resonator looked through the wheel well of my 2016 Ram 2500 6.4 so decided it had to go. Purchased the Magnaflow 19200 system that includes the resonator. Fit and finish is beautiful, and I'm very happy with the sound. Downfall is when MDS kicks in, slight drone and of course sounds ******. Now I always keep it in tow / haul around town to take care of that.
 
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Stampederfan

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I've been in the same boat as you many times, and with many trucks. Always liked a little more sound but couldn't take the drone. Tried three different systems on one of my Rams then ended up buying a complete factory system that I already had thrown in the dump. Absolutely hated the way the resonator looked through the wheel well of my 2016 Ram 2500 6.4 so decided it had to go. Purchased the Magnaflow 19200 system that includes the resonator. Fit and finish is beautiful, and I'm very happy with the sound. Downfall is when MDS kicks in, slight drone and of course sounds ******. Now I always keep it in tow / haul around town to take care of that.

I initially looked at the Magnaflow set-up and thought it was just a bit too expensive. Was also worried that the jump to 4" pipe would cause me to lose some low end torque. Of course, with all the dough I dumped into the Flowmaster cat back plus labour for installing and pulling mufflers, I could've easily bought it. Did you lose any low end with the 19200 system?

I've chucked a few stock systems myself prematurely in the past - didn't make that mistake this time.
 

MADDOG

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I have a Magnaflow with a resonator delete on mine. I turned off MDS via a custom tune by Hemifever.

I have just the slightest hint of resonance around 1500 RPM. I generally don't spend too much time there as I'm usually passing through to higher RPM's so it doesn't bother me at all. No drone at highway speeds.
 

reloaderguy

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I really just want a low profile resonator that doesn't look like a hemorrhoid hanging off the back of the truck.
 

moonshinexxx

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Thanks for the comparo, Stampederfan! I'm considering the Mufflex system or having a Magnaflow or flowmaster 50 installed on my 6.4. I too like a bit less sound as I once did, so thanks again for the review!

What I'd really like is something similar to my wife's old 2009 XL Denali - that thing always made me smile at startup and had just the right amount of rumble. In your opinion, which of the systems you have tried would replicate the tone of the Denali's GM 6.2?
 

Jake2544

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I initially looked at the Magnaflow set-up and thought it was just a bit too expensive. Was also worried that the jump to 4" pipe would cause me to lose some low end torque. Of course, with all the dough I dumped into the Flowmaster cat back plus labour for installing and pulling mufflers, I could've easily bought it. Did you lose any low end with the 19200 system?

I've chucked a few stock systems myself prematurely in the past - didn't make that mistake this time.
Did not loose anything on the low end, actually feels like I gained if anything! It seeems to of woke up the 6.4 by getting rid of the restrictive factory system.
 

bobbo7915

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where in MA are you? would like to hear the magnaflow cat back in person before i spend the change on it....wife says it CAN NOT be as loud as the magnaflow catback on my last truck - 5.7 1500 with the dual exhaust magnaflow cat back. it was too loud at idle for her tastes
 

Jake2544

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where in MA are you? would like to hear the magnaflow cat back in person before i spend the change on it....wife says it CAN NOT be as loud as the magnaflow catback on my last truck - 5.7 1500 with the dual exhaust magnaflow cat back. it was too loud at idle for her tastes

I'm in Ayer!
 
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Stampederfan

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Thanks for the comparo, Stampederfan! I'm considering the Mufflex system or having a Magnaflow or flowmaster 50 installed on my 6.4. I too like a bit less sound as I once did, so thanks again for the review!

What I'd really like is something similar to my wife's old 2009 XL Denali - that thing always made me smile at startup and had just the right amount of rumble. In your opinion, which of the systems you have tried would replicate the tone of the Denali's GM 6.2?

I'm not real familiar with what the 6.2s sound like but the Magnaflow 12909 is 3.5 in and out which I think the GM 6.2s and Ford 6.0s use for pipe diameter along with our 6.4s. The Magnaflow website shows it's compatible with the 6.2s but no idea if it will make your 6.4 sound like a GM 6.2.
 

Iron Outlaw

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What series muffler did the flowmaster come with?
 

Squirrel6.4

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Just put a straight 3.5" pipe in place of the stock muffler and leave the stock resonator on. SOUND AWESOME! LOUD! Almost no in cab drone at any rpm or speed. But put the loud peddle down and the ppl in the cars next to you **** their pants.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

JLEONARD

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I ended up going with the 12909 putting the resonator back on. Its exactly what i was looking for. I tow a 30 ft toy hauler and hated the droning from the mf si/do with no resonator.

Thank you stampederfan for the write up!
 

bobbo7915

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i have a magnaflow cat back single exit with the magnaflow resonator on my truck, i believe the catback may come with the 12909 muffler. was about ready to pull it off because of the drone from 1500-1800rpm...

got a good deal on a K&N intake a couple of weeks ago and the drone is now GONE from 1500-1800rpm, now there is an ever so slight drone at 1400rpm but it goes away quickly.

i am really surprised the intake change the exhaust sound
 

G. Mcpherson

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I have the Magnaflow 19200 on my 2500. When first installed I had the same drone at the RPM's you listed. After some looking I tried putting the shifter into manual shift at 6th gear. No more drone. You can tell it has a louder exhaust but that's all.
 

Jake2544

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I have the Magnaflow 19200 on my 2500. When first installed I had the same drone at the RPM's you listed. After some looking I tried putting the shifter into manual shift at 6th gear. No more drone. You can tell it has a louder exhaust but that's all.
I have the the same system, I just leave mine in tow/haul all the time and no drone. Otherwise I get some drone when MDS kicks in.
 

bobbo7915

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it must have been something with just my truck or the exhaust then, i had horrible drone even with MDS turned off by shifting it.
 
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