Well i think im going to get the pmt i have done some research and talked to a few peeps on here and the good winner is Bully Dog . thanks for helping out

 

Well, I guess I should have searched the postings before asking the question! I was just a little miffed at shelling out the cash to have it rust within 2 weeks of installation. Performance (not looks) is what I am after, so I will still be happy in the end.

 

The 409 system is the one I got. I am not worried about it rusting through in the years I'll need it, but it looks bad and was a surprise. If I had known I would have picked the 304 system.

Rusting has nothing to do with the country of origin. It's not about Chinese vs American stainless. It's the alloy. 304 is much more corrosion resistant than 409 because it has more nickel and chromium. The systems are offered in both 409 and 304. No deception, just lower corrosion resistance. I've never heard of a 316 system and that would be over the top with much higher corrosion resistance than needed and much higher cost. And rusting at the welds should not be a problem if the welds were passivated or were done with the proper tools and methods as expected in a factory setting. Still, some crevice corrosion can happen with any stainless. It shows up around clamps and in welding porrosity, or where the metal is under water. MBRB is a very good manufacturer, it would just be nice to warn about the 409.


John

 

I just installed a turbo back 304 system and couldn't be happier with it. Fits great and sounds awesome. Both the 304 and the 409 systems have lifetime warrantees so any corrosion would be cosmetic. The stock 409 SS system had rust on it when it rolled off the dealers lot.

 

First off I just wanted to state that I wasnt trying to start a war here about chinese metals or anything I was just stating the facts.

I work in the stainless industry everyday and I have recently installed 7, 5500 gallon tanks in gonzales TX at an egg breaking facility in which the tanks, contracted by Heritage Stainless and manufactured with chinese 304 stainless in china and shipped to us to install and pipe. The tanks are all in the process of being replaced as the stainless is rusting. Not to mention the tanks were some of the poorest quality I have ever seen. Im not sure what is wrong with their process but it does serve to be problematic. I also did a recent install very similar to this last year at a Gatorade plant in PA, and the results were the same. If you work with stainless much you would be able to see the difference first hand, grainy, pitted, sheet stock of 304, 316, or 409 will give you a poor quality product. Ive never had that from any American suppliers. These are just my experiences talking here. Who knows where MBRP gets there raw materials. On a side note being constantly under water will not cause corrosion or rust and most of the time the reason it will rust is because of the material the clamps are made of.

Tristan

 

I was told that MBRP gets there metals from Canada.I cannot verify this though.coobie

 

not only do mbrp systems rust, but they also dont fit properly on 04.5 and newer trucks. i have a 304ss single sitting in my shed because it doesnt even come close to fitting, i had to re-install my factory exhaust after spending all that time getting it apart in the first place. plenty others have had this same problem, and i would urge anyone who ownes a newer truck to stay away from mbrp and save yourself a giant headache. i guess one day i will find the time to cut and re-weld everything to make it fit, but i will be sure not to use the mbrp tip or i will at least polish their name off of it and put my own name on their since i will have to spend more time re-designing the exhaust to fit then they did.


btw, heres the link to the other thread https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...light=mbrp+fit

 

Tristan,


I wonder if the problems are because of a poor surface? I have worked with stainless a bit too. Welding cryogenic and high pressure systems, and around yachts. The corrosion I was referring to is called crevis corrosion and occurs where there is a lack of oxygen, I see it a lot around brackets and with weld porosity. The other thing, as you mentioned, is the use of carbon steel tooling or grinding tools that have ground mild steel. And if a surface is really smooth it tends to corrode much less.

I'm just wondering as corrosion is a major issue with stainless in many applications. It would be interesting to know if the stainless that you had, that was advertised as 304, really met those specs as far as the ingredients were concerned or not. In other words did you get cheated and really got 18-8 or something else or was it simply a matter of surface quality. There has been a lot of grumbling about Chinese stainless and I have never found out if it was advertised as an alloy that it was not, or what. Either way, the surface has a lot to do with it. Finely buffed parts corrode much less and pitting leads to corrosion. Water, especially salt water has a huge affect on it. If hand rails, for instance, are buffed to a mirror finish they will stay bright for years. But if they get bent and are welded, and those welds are not buffed as before, they willl corrode right away. Even if welded with 316. Crevis corrosion.

As far as the 409 stainless exhaust goes, the surface was not buffed shiny, but it was smooth. The corrosion occurs all over as pitting and as a general brown discoloration of the whole pipe. A pimpled brown surface. Ugly, but nothing like a mild steel pipe exposed to the weather would become. The fancy, buffed, 304, 5" tip hides the brown pipe where it exits.


John

 

Can't remember who told me but they said that the 304 will crack from the heat? and the 409 is better? just my.02

 

Tristan,

By the way, I did not mean to snap at you about Chinese vs American. I just find it interesting that so many products are so poor quality from there. And not only that but they are the same "poorness" as always and across the board. Their quality seems to always be lower by a certain amount. Why? Interesting question.

So, I've studied the problem for a few years. Been there five times doing my own research. Gone to manufacturers, met people from the US that build there, met Chinese that build there. Looked at the motives and the realities of business and manufacturing. Looked at the country's industrial base, history, political system, etc. In my own small way "checked it out". I do know the people there are very good, hard working and creative.

As with most things, a little knowledge just begins to uncover what I don't know. And there are so many reasons for things. So I sometimes spring into action when someone generalizes about Chinese goods. It's a statement that tends to be true but has nothing you can grab and point to as the cause. And it is certainly not always true. Or when it is, it might be because the American that set up the plant there designed it that way. Oh well. Is it lack of ability, corruption, material problems, honest mistakes, different standards, profit motive, a language barrier or a mix of these?


John

 

Tristain,
I have to agree and disagree. We actually have our tanks made in the USA, however we will only buy and use German and Italian grade 316L stainless due to the fact they have stronger guidelines on the materials in it. Where the US has a 1-10 content of this, they have a 1-2 range, so much more quality. That's all we use in our bioreactors here at work. Most of the USA specd stuff dosen't meet the requirements. Sad