Exhaust SS or aluminized???

LouieIV · 04-18-2005, 11:38 PM

I live the S.F. Bay area and spend at best 10-15 days per year in the snow. What kind of life expectancy can I expect to get out of an aluminized exhaust vs. a stainless exhaust.

Thanks,
Louie

smoketitan · 04-19-2005, 12:56 AM

if you have the cash SS, is waay better

but if it is not high grade SS it wont really matter

an aluminized muffler will last longer than you have the car most likely

NOLA TITAN · 04-19-2005, 07:25 AM

I have aluminized. I live in Louisiana where it rains all the time. I went to a custom muffler shop, and he said go with the aluminized. I wanted a Borla system, so he built a true dual with Borla mufflers. It sounds awesome, and cost about 400.00. The ss Borla kit is around 800.00. I can afford 2 aluminized systems for 1 ss kit. IMO, not worth it. I agree with the above, probably and aluminized system will out live how long you have the truck. Here, an aluminzed system will last about 5-6 yrs.

dragonhead08 · 04-19-2005, 08:37 AM

Just go aluminized. I once had an 89 integra with an HKS aluminized exhaust. It lasted 13 years. The only reason I had to replace it was because my car was lowered and the muffler use to scrap speedbumps. After 13 years it finally ground down to where it had a hole in it. Also I only had to replace the muffler as ther pipes were still in great condition. I'm also in the bay area too. The only time I would be concerned is if you live near the sunset area as it has a tendency to eat up metal due to the salt content of the air from ocean beach.

rdfeatherstone · 04-19-2005, 12:27 PM

There is a little known fact that Stainless Steel is not the best material to use in a salty environment. In the US Navy, the submarines and surface ships that use stainless steel in the piping for Nuclear Power Plants have experienced problems with stress cracking in stainless steel piping that is hot and is exposed to salt.
The Washington State Ferry system had to rip out and replace firemain piping because it failed due to salt water being used in the system for fire fighting. Want to rot out your stainless steel thermos? Use ordinary household bleach to clean out the coffee stains. It will eat out the stainless liner and cause pin-hole leaks. Bleach is nothing more than super concentrated salt solution.

Moral of this story, if your roads are salted, choose aluminized piping. Also, it is lighter, costs less, and face it how many of you are going to look under your truck just to admire the gleaming stainless piping??

MO Titan · 04-19-2005, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdfeatherstone

There is a little known fact that Stainless Steel is not the best material to use in a salty environment. In the US Navy, the submarines and surface ships that use stainless steel in the piping for Nuclear Power Plants have experienced problems with stress cracking in stainless steel piping that is hot and is exposed to salt.
The Washington State Ferry system had to rip out and replace firemain piping because it failed due to salt water being used in the system for fire fighting. Want to rot out your stainless steel thermos? Use ordinary household bleach to clean out the coffee stains. It will eat out the stainless liner and cause pin-hole leaks. Bleach is nothing more than super concentrated salt solution.

Moral of this story, if your roads are salted, choose aluminized piping. Also, it is lighter, costs less, and face it how many of you are going to look under your truck just to admire the gleaming stainless piping??

Scientifically sound and I couldn't agree more!

QShip · 04-19-2005, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdfeatherstone

and face it how many of you are going to look under your truck just to admire the gleaming stainless piping??

Uuuhhhmm...I do.

jcdunn · 04-19-2005, 06:03 PM

Chlorine Bleach(with a low Ph) may cause harm to stainless, but check out what mercury does to aluminum!

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/ar...693558,00.html

**gr8titan** · 04-19-2005, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QShip

Uuuhhhmm...I do.

.... and the Ram owner at the Dunkin Donuts... and the Ford owner at Pep Boys... and the mechanics at my local Nissan service center... and the owner/manager of the "Oil Changing Station" who were all speechless to find out I only paid $620 for my custom fab T-304 SS exhaust installed.

If you shop around, you may get better deals on SS. I'm personally partial to T-304 stainless steel.

It will be your first and last system.

titanwild · 04-19-2005, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr8titan

.... and the Ram owner at the Dunkin Donuts... and the Ford owner at Pep Boys... and the mechanics at my local Nissan service center... and the owner/manager of the "Oil Changing Station" who were all speechless to find out I only paid $620 for my custom fab T-304 SS exhaust installed.

If you shop around, you may get better deals on SS. I'm personally partial to T-304 stainless steel.

It will be your first and last system.

My shop concurs with the aluminized recommendation, however my SS exhaust system parts carry a lifetime warranty, aluminized only 3-year.

Not to hijack this thread, but the gr8 dual ractive system is great! Probably should be in the performance section vs general discusssion. I looked for about 2 hours tonight before relocating it for reference.
Thanks for the great post!
Dale

vyper340 · 04-19-2005, 09:47 PM

T304 is the "cheap" stainless while T316 is the real long lasting stainless but no one uses 316 in their exhaust that know of. In the boating world anything with 304 will rust out.

Statisically most owners will never own the vehicle at a point when the exhaust will fail if it's aluminized. Go alum IMHO.

HavockWK · 04-19-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vyper340

T304 is the "cheap" stainless while T316 is the real long lasting stainless but no one uses 316 in their exhaust that know of. In the boating world anything with 304 will rust out.

Statisically most owners will never own the vehicle at a point when the exhaust will fail if it's aluminized. Go alum IMHO.

I have heard of 409 (the really cheap stuff from the factory) and 304 (the expensive stuff with a lifetime warranty, but never 316.

**gr8titan** · 04-20-2005, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HavockWK

I have heard of 409 (the really cheap stuff from the factory) and 304 (the expensive stuff with a lifetime warranty, but never 316.

Absolutely true!! I've never heard of a 316 stainless steel either.

My 1st dual used aluminized (click my exhaust links or here) pipe and used "Magnaflow" 409 stainless steel X-pipe and I only had it in my truck for 3 months and the SS X-pipe lost its color and shine while the aluminized pipe still looks new.

The 2nd system is all T-304 (much better than 409) and it is still has the original shine after 3 months. The shop would have charged me $350 for using 409 SS but I opted for the $620 T-304 instead for a lifetime without a headache.

jcdunn · 04-20-2005, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr8titan

Absolutely true!! I've never heard of a 316 stainless steel either.

My 1st dual used aluminized (click my exhaust links or here) pipe and used "Magnaflow" 409 stainless steel X-pipe and I only had it in my truck for 3 months and the SS X-pipe lost its color and shine while the aluminized pipe still looks new.

The 2nd system is all T-304 (much better than 409) and it is still has the original shine after 3 months. The shop would have charged me $350 for using 409 SS but I opted for the $620 T-304 instead for a lifetime without a headache.

The main difference is that 316 is designed for high salt environments. That is why it is marine grade stainless. I think the tradeoff is that it doesnt do well in higher temp environments like the 304 would. For exhaust systems the 304 is best you can use.