Install Guide: 2011-2014 F150 5.0L Solo Performance MR400 Cat-Back Kit on our 2012 FX4 Project Truck

Getting the 2011 to 2014 F150 5.0L trucks to sound amazing is easy. All you need is a cat-back exhaust kit of some sort. It's finding a cat-back that manages to balance an excellent sound with amazing quality and perfect fitment that becomes a huge problem. The good news is that new kids on the block Solo Performance have come up with one of the most impressive F150 5.0L cat-back kits on the market with their awesome MR400 4" Cat-Back Exhaust Kit. We couldn't wait to get this kit onto our truck, and we were even more giddy because there's no cutting involved. Solo manufactures two separate kits for 145" wheelbases and 157" wheelbases. All you have to do is order the correct kit and bolt them up to your truck, just like we did on our 2012 F150 5.0L FX4 Project Truck.

To get the ball rolling on our Solo Performance cat-back install, we headed down to Extreme Performance out in Goodyear, Arizona, where Kris was waiting to help us out. We got the truck on the lift and Kris went to work.

The first step of our MR400 cat-back install was to remove the factory cat-back kit from our truck. Funny story: our truck's stock cat-back was already removed for our earlier aFe Mach Force XP install, which we then used for a couple of dyno runs and sound testing on some vacant roads. When we came back for the Solo kit install, the aFe system was still piping hot, which is why Kris is wearing very thick work gloves for the install of our Solo kit.

Anyway, here's the procedures for removing the stock cat-back, though honestly, the process won't be that different from taking off an an aftermarket cat-back kit, if one is installed. First, hit all of the connections and factory clamps with penetrating oil to make your life much easier.

After letting the oil soak for a few minutes, remove the bolts on either end of the stock resonator pipe and remove it from your truck.

With the resonator pipe gone, work the muffler pipe and over-axle tube out of their hangars and maneuver them out from under your truck.

Now take Solo's J-pipe and attach it to your truck's factory mid-pipe. Kris supported our system with an axle stand to make sure everything lined up. The J-pipe itself tucks up wonderfully right where the factory resonator used to be.

Next came Solo's muffler, which features a perforated, reversible design that allows you choose how loud you want your truck. We chose to face the holes against the incoming exhaust flow for a lower volume, just to be on the safe side.

With the muffler in place, Kris slid the over-axle pipe through the rear exhaust hangar and into the muffler's outlet.

Solo's kit comes with high-quality band clamps that Kris fit into place on either side of the muffler to connect the whole system together. Fitment is fairly tight between the muffler and hangars, but with some adjusting back and forth, they fit perfectly.

The kit's tip is welded on and didn't require a separate install, making our Solo MR400 Cat-Back Installation totally complete.