RECENTLY WE HAVE ALL FOUND OURSELVES STUCK AND BORED AT HOME MORE OFTEN THAN WE’RE USED TO. The pandemic has forced us to find new ways to pass the time and keep our hands busy. Most major project trucks are in a holding pattern due to expensive parts or valuable shop time, but that daily driver you have sitting out front could be a good place to focus some time and attention without massive expenses or days of downtime. The most common trucks on the road have tame and tone factory exhaust systems that can be easily unbolted and replaced in a few hours. Sure, it’s nice to have a lift on hand to speed the process up, but a few jack stands and some proper tools will get the job done in a single afternoon.
PPE Diesel is known worldwide for its high-quality diesel exhaust products, so when the company released a line of fully polished Cat-back exhaust systems for Chevy and Ford gas trucks, we had to bolt one on to see how it sounded. The pipes came fully polished, which is impressive to say the least, and the packaging was designed very well to prevent damage during travel. We decided to bolt this kit to our ’17 Ford F-150, and we are very pleased with the results. The flashy finish is nice to show off, and the sound is deep and solid like most truck owners like. Check out PPE’S full line of exhaust systems online and be sure to head over to our Youtube page to hear the before and after. Now let’s get to the install!
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With the truck on the lift, you can clearly see how used and worn the factory exhaust is currently. Even being only a few years old, the pipes already prove they will not last forever.
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The subject for today’s learning lesson is this ’17 quad-cab Ford F-150. The truck currently uses the factory exhaust system to send the 5.0-liter fumes out of the back of the truck. It’s boring, quiet and stock. We don’t like stock.
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This Ford F-150 Cat-back exhaust system from PPE Diesel offers a mellow interior tone with an aggressive sound on the exterior.
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The difference between the original sheet metal covered exhaust and this new polished stainless muffler is dramatic. Which would you rather see under your daily driver?
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These easy-to-install 304 stainless steel exhaust kits use the factory hangers and clear your factory-mounted spare tire. A single 3-inch inlet pipe splits into two 2.5-inch over-axle tailpipes after the 304 stainless steel muffler containing reinforced internal baffles. Exhaust then exits the two large-diameter stainless steel tips.
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Removing a bunch of bolts is all it takes to slide the old exhaust out. Common sizes and no power tools necessary. Be sure to spray some WD-40 on those rubber exhaust hangers before you get started so they are easier to remove.
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Next we can slip the rubber hanger over the frame location before installing the driver side Pipe, and slipping the hook through the installed rubber hangers.
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Tips are available in a ceramic coated black or polished finish. We ordered a fully polished kit with brightly polished tubes. These kits come complete with hanger hardware, 304 stainless steel clamps and fasteners.
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With the old exhaust removed, we slid a 3-inch clamp over the open end of the inlet pipe. Since this was a crew cab, we also slid the adapter pipe over the inlet. We tightened it to make it secure but left it loose for now.
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Next we installed a 2.5-inch clamp on the passenger side pipe and slid it into the passenger side muffler exhaust flange. Again, we tightened to secure but slightly loose for now.
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This kit from PPE comes TIG welded with perfection. You can tell quality is important to this manufacturer.
13 The split dual exhaust design looks clean and cool when it’s complete. This kit is designed for
•’09-’14 F-150 V-8 4.6L, 5.0L, 5.4L and 3.5L Ecoboost 2WD/4WD
•’15-’20 F-150 V-8 5.0L V6 3.5L and 2.7L/3.5L Ecoboost gas 2WD/4WD
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Before we were able to hear it for the first time, we tightened all the exhaust components beginning with the inlet pipe and working our way towards the exit pipes. *Adjust for clearance as needed.