3126 Dang Loud

I have had 3 versions of the FL series. My current one is my favorite. It is an FL80 which is the thicker, heavy duty chasis, air ride, bigger rear shocks and I have a sleeper. When the truck was new it rode like a Cadillac. A few years ago I changed the shocks, air springs and 4 of the 6 tires and I got it very close to how it was. Overall I find the truck comfortable and for a 40 foot straight job it's pretty nimble. I just wish it was insulated better. I'm buying an International 4300 that will be ready to pick up in a week mm or two. From what I can tell from driving it so far is that it handles more like a big SUV where the Freightliner still feels like a truck.

 

Just made a run from Mt. Pocono to Peru, NY to pick up a mini Excavator; 5 1/2 hours one way,
turned right around and came back - just fuel stops and no nonsense. I was 40 miles from Montreal.
Was wearing earplugs the whole way. I crank the CD player so you can just hear it. Gotta be loud outside.
Bet people wonder what's up with that? They don't know I have earplugs in.

 

Didn't look at your photo attachment before; is that 4"pipe?
Putting it that far back should have cut the racket in the cab some, No?
I got a new Caterpillar catalytic muffler that I am putting on when the weather breaks.
New flex, new elbow, and gonna try to re-use the turbo flange.
Mine drops on a flex-pipe right under the rear of the cab, then a 90 deg. elbow into muffler,
Whole thing can't be but 6 feet back. Downhill, and backing off the throttle, sounds sweet.

 

You see soot - it leaks.
My 30 something kid put turbo together and had turbo flange ####eyed and it didn't seal right.
Redid it myself to get a square seal, and no soot and quieter.
I got two of these mufflers(#1000911) surplus on Government Liquidation.com.
Don't think I spent 250 for both - yes, C7, brand new in the Caterpillar box.

 

You don't know loud until the muffler falls off, which has happened to me twice. Wow.

 

I wear ear plugs religiously.
I take them out just before I stop so I don't look wacko.
I can't hear well now so I am preserving what little is left.