Forum Discussion

mkirsch's avatar
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jul 23, 2018

Cat-back exhaust system for Chevy 8.1L

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?

18 Replies

  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • I'd go with a Magnaflow SS cat back system if I ever have to replace mine.
  • Anyone ever heard of "TIME Auto Parts?" Google brought them up and it looks like they have OEM style mufflers.
  • 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.
  • 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.