I was wondering why my old farm truck was sounding more and more like a farm truck all the time... Over the weekend I discovered my 2002 Chevy 3500 8.1L has developed a leak in somewhere in the muffler! Seems like sixteen years is all you can get out of them...Got any recommendations for a cat-back exhaust system for the 8.1L?

The cat fell off my buddy's Ram 3500 ctd so it got a 4" pipe and muffler from the turbo back. That and a high capacity air filter did wonders for it, we no longer have to endure annual inspections.

See my post HERE from last year.Seems that nobody makes a muffler for our trucks anymore. After extensive searching, the only thing I could find was the Magnaflow stainless cat-back system. The best price for the stainless kit was from Planet Magnaflow. Sign up for the coupon, I got mine for close to $500 shipped, and it cost me another $175 to have it installed. I'm a DIY guy, but you really need a lift to work on this exhaust....the muffler alone is the size of a garbage can.

Anyone ever heard of "TIME Auto Parts?" Google brought them up and it looks like they have OEM style mufflers.

I'd go with a Magnaflow SS cat back system if I ever have to replace mine.

Looks like that kit is for the Suburban. I've got a 3500 DRW pickup, and when I search for that they only list options for the duramax.

Cat-back exhaust system for Chevy 8.1L | Good Sam Community

romore
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2018
The cat fell off my buddy's Ram 3500 ctd so it got a 4" pipe and muffler from the turbo back. That and a high capacity air filter did wonders for it, we no longer have to endure annual inspections.
BurbMan
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2018
See my post HERE from last year.

Seems that nobody makes a muffler for our trucks anymore. After extensive searching, the only thing I could find was the Magnaflow stainless cat-back system. The best price for the stainless kit was from Planet Magnaflow. Sign up for the coupon, I got mine for close to $500 shipped, and it cost me another $175 to have it installed. I'm a DIY guy, but you really need a lift to work on this exhaust....the muffler alone is the size of a garbage can.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jul 23, 2018
Anyone ever heard of "TIME Auto Parts?" Google brought them up and it looks like they have OEM style mufflers.
APT
Explorer
Jul 24, 2018
I'd go with a Magnaflow SS cat back system if I ever have to replace mine.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jul 24, 2018
Looks like that kit is for the Suburban. I've got a 3500 DRW pickup, and when I search for that they only list options for the duramax.
BurbMan
Explorer II
Jul 24, 2018
Yes you're right, and my challenge is that the exhaust for the burb is different than for the trucks. Looks like Time Auto has a replacement muffler, I would go that route personally. The Magnaflow sounds badass in the Home Depot parking lot, but is too loud in the big cabin of the burb with 3 rows.
Cameo_Phil
Explorer
Jul 24, 2018
There are lots of after market distributors that sell cat back exhaust systems for the 2002 3500 chevy with a 8.1l engine. Here is 1 vendor:
Summit Racing
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jul 25, 2018
My neighbor has a '02 2500 chevy crew cab 4.10 gears 4wd 8.1 with a 3 chamber Flowmaster big block series. Its rumbles at idle but not loud at all in the cab unlike some of the single and two chamber Flowmasters.

I had the same Flowmaster 3 chamber big block series on a '90 chevy 2500 5.7 smallblock. It had a nice deep rumble at idle or low rpms and also had no cab noise at speed.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jul 25, 2018
The Flowmaster kit is for Extended and Crew cab trucks. It will not fit my regular cab truck. Flowmaster says so.
Ozlander
Explorer
Jul 25, 2018
mkirsch wrote:
The Flowmaster kit is for Extended and Crew cab trucks. It will not fit my regular cab truck. Flowmaster says so.

Are you saying Flowmaster does not have a kit that fits your truck?