> hey guys,
> For those of you that have installed aftermarket mufflers ----Do you have
> to worry about providing a drain hole for condensation like the stock
one??
> I just got around to installing my Gibson from the group buy and noticed
> that it is fully welded. Cool, but ..... my stock one used to drain
> quite a bit on cold mornings.
Ken,
I pull the muffler drain plug and as part of the recommended maintenance on
my Flowmaster every other oil change, just to keep moisture within the
muffler to a minimum. Just joking of course. My stock muffler was on my
truck for 110,000 miles or so, and still was in ok condition externally. It
did have the 'weep' hole at the bottom for condensation I guess. One of the
reasons I went with the Flowmaster is because of its very heavy duty
construction. I mean just pick one up and compare it to a Gibson muffler,
the Flowmaster will seem like a beast. I live in NW Indiana, very close to
Chicago. Most municipalities arounf here use salt, and alot of it during the
winter months. So rust is a factor we all must deal with. I did alot, I mean
alot of resreach before buying a muffer. I just read too much online about
Dynomax Super Turbo and Gibson mufflers rusting out and the muffler's shell
actually cracking and peeling back within a year, due to possibly the 100%
all aluminum construction of the mufflers. Even though they carry a lifetime
warranty, I didnt want to mess with the muffer again.
You can however get a stainless steel version of the Gibson muffler, but I
didnt like the price it carried, nor really did I care for the sound they
produced on V6 engines. I think they do sound fine on V8 applications, but
once again for me I didnt like Gibson. Flowmaster, on the other hand, uses
16 guage aluminized steel. While I am no expert on metals, I do know how
much heavier and better built the Flowmaster seemed to me when I actually
did order both mufflers through Summit, and after inspecting both for an
entire weekend, I went with the Flowmaster hands down. After looking at a
Super Turbo at a local speed shop, I was glad I went with the FLow once
again, as the Super Turbo weighed less than a pop can and did appear to be
built 'lightly' and seemed it wouldnt hold up here in Indiana too long.
I could care less which flows better or who likes Flowmaster's tone over
Gibson's tone, or vice versa, and I am not trying to start a war here on
what muffler is the best, but for my truck and the area I live in,
Flowmaster was the best choice. Hopefully the Flowmaster will hold up and
the internal condensation wont be a problem. Then again, I did shorten my
exhaust some 30", so that is probably why I get some drips coming out of the
turn down style tip, since it doesnt have long to travel. Mine dumps about
12" past the axle.
Kyle
93 Dakota 4x4 V6
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