" My Magnaflow Journey " 4.0 V6 Tundra AC

[USAFTUNDRA]

I've noticed it's hard to find a lot about V6 tundra 4.0 exhaust sounds on the net. I can find some Tacoma 4.0 clips and I've heard them in real life, but they sound different stock than a Tundra with the same engine IMO.

My goal is to get a low rumble at idle, a deep slow growl on excelleration, and a nice Pavarotti scream at WOT (wide open throttle...took me a while to catch on to that one)

After reading for a good bit and talking to folks at work I've come up with a game plan for my exhaust zen! I am going to a post from time to time in this thread to update how things are going so others will learn from what I experience in the world of V6 sound. This post is long, but I really was wanting to find information like this in one place but had to read a lot of post to come to my answers. So here goes.

First the decision:

Cat back or not:
Bottom line, I think Cat backs are great! But I don't have the bucks for one and I'm OK with gaining sound and some performance. So for me I'm just doing a straight chop and swap on the muffler and adding a tip. Also, the jury is out on back pressure on a V6. From what I've read, I don't want to drop low end torque and I'm in the camp that believes that these engines can use a little back pressure. I said a little, you open flow guys don't start hurling insults

Mufflers:
Flowmasters:
I really like the way Flowmasters sound on an American V8, but after reading posts on Tundrasolutions I realized that many times on Japanese trucks they can sound "ricey". (for the uninitiated, "ricey" is the sound that those "to-fast-furious" wanttobe cars sound like. They have a big peace of crap on the back of the exhaust and it sounds like a bee farting in a tin can) I got to hear a Flowmaster 40 on a 4.0 Tacoma and it sounds like a BAJA Racer. Some people like that sound...I don't. Also there are way too many posts about the high level of interior resonance with some of the Flowmasters. You could probably go with a Flowmaster 50 SUV or Delta and avoid the resonance but those mufflers are not straight through designs and are actually not rated as well for performance. So as it's been stated on TS Flowmasters are more of a musical instrument rather than a performance exhaust. I'm not anti-Flowmaster and if I had a Z-71 4X4 I'd have dual flows and circle the Sonic most Friday nights. (picture Wooderson on Dazed and Confused) I just decided that for a V6 Tundra it was not the best application.

Other Stuff:
Borla, Banks, Dynomax, Bassani, Gibson etc. All great products for sure but not enough info out there on my truck for me to make a decision. Also, price became a factor.

Magnaflow:
There is an overwhelming number of folks on this site who say something like this, "the sound on my Magnaflow is perfect...just what I wanted". I started looking at the polished stainless 14586 until I realized that you could get satin stainless for less.I don't need to use my muffler as a shaving mirror. So I started looking at the 12586 which is the same 22" muffler in the satin stainless. But as I read TS and some other forums I found that replacing the stock 22" muffler with a 22" performance muffler was not going to get me as much sound as I wanted. So I locked in on the 18" Magnaflow 12256. This post was very helpful:
Magnaflow 12586 or 12256 My mom called right after I made this decision and asked what I wanted for Christmas, so I sent her a site with the 12256 Magnaflow and got it shipped for $60. My mom can't believe she is getting her grown son a muffler. From what I have read, the 18" Magnaflow will give me the sound I'm looking for with less interior resonance than other brands or sizes.


Polished Stainless Tip:
I didn't do a lot of research on this one. I just decided to stay close to stock and add a 12" tip out the side, keeping as much of the stock pipe as possible. I went outside with a tape measure and noted that a 12" tip would fit well leaving enough pipe to cut before the bend without sticking out like the 18" would possibly burning a small child's or anti-exhaust wife's leg. I went on www.Magnaflow.com looked at what I think would look good, would drain a little moisture and reach far enough back under the bed so that it would not look like a clamp on. I settled on the Magnaflow 35204.

It's got a 15 degree slant, rolled end, polished stainless, 12" long, 2.5" in with 3" out. I mainly got it for looks and because I found it on the net for $26 shipped, but I'm in hopes that it will help with the sound a little. I should get a little deeper tone, but if I don't, no big deal. It will still look nice. I thought about dumping the pipe behind the axle, but decided that may be too loud and I like a little bling next to my chrome bumper.


Bottom line:
I'm keeping everything stock except an 18" Magnaflow 12256 satin stainless muffler and a 12" Magnaflow 35204 polished SS tip. I got the parts for $86 free shipping. I'll have a local shop install and let you know how things go.

UPDATE: I swapped out for a glasspack decided it was too loud and went back with the Magnaflow, but in the process added dual pipes after the muffler. Click here to see pics

UPDATE: Sound Clip Listen with headphones or good speakers

[Jetes03tundra]

i have a 18" magnaflow muffler sitting in my garage.....PM me if interested

[osmandius]

Let me know how if turns out man.......it seems like NO ONE has the 4.0l The V8 is nice but i'm very happy with my V6.

[Cygnusx51]

How do you think this would work on the 3.4????

[USAFTUNDRA]

Originally Posted by osmandius

Let me know how if turns out man.......it seems like NO ONE has the 4.0l The V8 is nice but i'm very happy with my V6.

I agree. Not much info on the 4.0. But it's a great engine and really all I need. So I'll let you know how it comes out.
Called about labor
Local Muffler Shop said ballpark they would do the muffler and tip labor for around $40. So I'm guessing $40 is the low side and I'm prepared to go up to $60.

[USAFTUNDRA]

Originally Posted by Cygnusx51

How do you think this would work on the 3.4????

I'm not the expert...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night and I would say you would want to ask a lot of questions in the Tacoma forum here or at customtacos about sounds on the 3.4. You might want to look at a good turbo muffler, but now I'm just saying stuff I've heard not from my own experience.

[USAFTUNDRA]

Got the tip in yesterday. Performance Daddy store on amazon.com Great price and shipped fast. I had it shipped to the office. Nothing says I'm a badboy like sporting your polished SS exhaust tip around the office so people can drool over it.

On a side note: I called Magnaflow yesterday with a technical question for a Sgt in my shop. They answered on the first ring and put me through to a technician within 10 sec. He answered my questions and said to please call back anytime if I had need any help. What a great company!

[Anarcy21]

Originally Posted by USAFTUNDRA

Flowmasters:
I really like the way Flowmasters sound on an American V8, but after reading posts on Tundrasolutions I realized that many times on Japanese trucks they can sound "ricey". (for the uninitiated, "ricey" is the sound that those "to-fast-furious" wanttobe cars sound like. They have a big peace of crap on the back of the exhaust and it sounds like a bee farting in a tin can) I got to hear a Flowmaster 40 on a 4.0 Tacoma and it sounds like a BAJA Racer. Some people like that sound...I don't. Also there are way too many posts about the high level of interior resonance with some of the Flowmasters. You could probably go with a Flowmaster 50 SUV or Delta and avoid the resonance but those mufflers are not straight through designs and are actually not rated as well for performance. So as it's been stated on TS Flowmasters are more of a musical instrument rather than a performance exhaust. I'm not anti-Flowmaster and if I had a Z-71 4X4 I'd have dual flows and circle the Sonic most Friday nights. (picture Wooderson on Dazed and Confused) I just decided that for a V6 Tundra it was not the best application.

I have flowmaster 40 series on my v6 and it is a beast. I mean the sound is deep, and amazing. Honestly. It sounds good, and not very "ricey". That's just my experience.

[DigitalFusion]

I know this doesnt help much at all, but I had a magnaflow 40 or 50 on my jeep with teh straight 6 4.0L... I hated it... Horrible drone at just about all speeds.

[USAFTUNDRA]

Originally Posted by DigitalFusion

I know this doesnt help much at all, but I had a magnaflow 40 or 50 on my jeep with teh straight 6 4.0L... I hated it... Horrible drone at just about all speeds.

I think you mean flowmaster 40 or 50

[DigitalFusion]

yeah, i had the two confused there for a bit

[USAFTUNDRA]

Update: A buddy of mine at work has a 2004 4.7 V8 DC and he put an 18 inch magnaflow on yesterday. All stock except a K&N drop in. It sounds really nice. Mellow. Sounds stock at idle. Take off was great! Low rumble but a solid sound.

Can't wait to see what it will be like on my V6.

[USAFTUNDRA]

My dad and I got it put on today and all I can say is
WOW!
Perfect. Sounds like my old Chevy 350, but tighter.
Perfect Combo for 4.0 V6 $124.00 installed

Edit:
OK... took it out for a little run and I still love the sound. The truck def. has to warm up before you get a deep tone. But once it's warm man is it a nice mellow rumble. I notice drone at 1200 RPMs and at 3100 RPMs. But at 2100 which is a nice cruising speed, It fades away and all I hear is my tires on the road.

As far as power, I think I feel a little in the top end. between 3000 RPMs and 4500 RPMs, but I'm not sure. My dad said he def. felt it in that range. I did notice a little loss in the low RPM. But that is easily fixed by turning off the overdrive.

I'm in hopes to get out tomorrow and get some audio clips. I tried this morning with my camera, but it picked up so much "high freq" noise that it missed any meaningful sound. I'm going to try with the Mac because it has a better microphone.

Hey, thanks to everyone on this site. This is a great place to learn and I def. made the right choice for me because of what was posted here.

[USAFTUNDRA]

This recording is best if heard through headphones or PC speakers that a have good bass response. It sounds ricey on my laptop speakers and that's not how they sound in person. It's hard to get a good recording but my Apple laptop did not do too badly.

Enjoy:
YouTube - 18" Magnaflow 4.0 V6 Tundra

And Some pics of the $40 install. Not show quality, but worth every dime.

[USAFTUNDRA]

So I've really enjoyed this muffler. I've had it nine months and I have no complaints and it sounds better now than ever. However, I've gotten used to it and I'd really like noise coming out of both sides of the truck, so I'm going to pull the mag for a while and put a glasspack and y-connect some faux duals out the back. It'll be a couple of weeks till I get parts and time to go to the shop. I'm keeping the 18" mag just in case it sounds like crap.

here's the the plan, it's a bit of a rough schematic, but I'm not an artist:


I got an 18" Red Hot Flowtech pipe shipped from amazon for $16 bucks and another tip just like my first setup


Installed:
The glasspack has even less restriction than the maggie. I think I lost a little low end. It takes some more right foot to get rolling but once on the move it's very responsive. I have not had time to check it out a lot and look at the scangauge for info.

It's a lot louder but not unpleasant. I really like the sound. I have not had it up to highway speed yet. Just around 50MPH on the way home. MPG has not suffered. It's the same on instant readout as before. I need to get on the highway and test for resonance and MPH at speeds over 55MPH. It's got more resonance than the maggie at 35-45MPH, but that was expected.

Right now it has everything I wanted. The 4.0 is not a loud engine to begin with. My exhaust guy as done several with a straight pipe. But that sounds to raspy to me. Mine has a Deep Sound--not raspy--really good "glug" "glug" "glug" on take off and sounds every bit like the good parts of a glasspack at WOT, but without the blatts when you let off throttle. I really like having sound coming out of both sides of the truck. It sounds more like a true dual set up. My boss calls them "Foolies", but he was really surprised by the sound. My magnaflow never turned heads. This set up did.

Pictures and Sound to follow when the freak'n wind dies down in OK

Update: I didn't tell my wife about this mod on purpose because she always ragged me about the fact that my I paid good money for a muffler that she could here. Today she asked "what did you do to your exhaust?" I woke her up when I fired the Tundra this morning.

Sound Update: The pipe obviously hasn't seasoned and broken in, but right now it sounds like a borla catback. It's got a really nice sports car sound. My boss said it sounds just like a Corvette. I'll buy that.

Sep 22 Update: Man do I like this setup. I've noticed the shifting under acceleration is much smoother!