Install Guide: 2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Kit on our 2012 FX4 Project Truck!

The Borla S-Type – more commonly known as the "Stinger" – cat-back kit, is one of the most legendary exhaust systems of all time, and is by far and away Borla's most popular system across all of their vehicle offerings. Their S-Type kit for the 2011 to 2014 F150 5.0Ls maintains the system's flawless reputation and is the perfect middle ground between a hyper-aggressive and loud exhaust kit and a mellow, low tone. The Borla S-Type dual exhaust kit is practically silent at idle and quiet at cruising, but also give you an awesome and throaty roar as soon as step on the gas pedal. Even though the system has a dual-rear exit configuration, it's surprisingly easy to install, and our 2012 F150 5.0L FX4 Project Truck was ready to go make some noise in practically no time.

Step one of our Borla S-Type Cat-Back install was to head down to Extreme Performance out in Goodyear, Arizona, where Kris was ready and waiting to help us get our S-Type kit installed. Kris was fighting a chest cold, but he managed to tough it out through the installation of this exhaust kit, a Borla ATAK kit, and a Stainless Works Dual-Exit Cat-Back system. More on those later. We parked our truck on Extreme's lift, and Kris got right to work with our Borla Kit.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Install

The stock cat-back kit is built to keep your truck quiet and features both a forward resonator and mid-mounted muffler. The first step of our cat-back installation was to hit all the piping connections with penetrating oil to help make Kris's life much easier.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Install

After letting the penetrating oil do some work, Kris removed the bolts holding the resonator pipe to both the muffler's pipe and our F150's mid-pipe, before completely removing the whole assembly.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Install

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With the resonator pipe out, Kris maneuvered the muffler tube and over-axle pipe out of its hangars, over the axle, and out of our truck.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Install

With the stock exhaust system completely removed, Kris attached the S-Type's connection tube to our FX4's factory mid-pipe using Borla's supplied (and very high-quality) bolts.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Kit Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Kit Install

Once the mid-pipe connection tube was securely in place, Kris took Borla's hanger pipe and fit it through our truck's forward exhaust hangar and connected it into the mid-pipe connector. He then grabbed a clamp and let it hang for later. With dual exhaust kits, it's so much easier to get the tailpipes aligned with the exhaust system still loose.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

Kris then grabbed the heart and soul of this kit for installation: the S-Type muffler. The muffler and kick-over tubes are actually welded together, so you need to maneuver the dual outlets up and over the axle first before attaching the muffler to the hangar pipe.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

After the muffler and over-axle tubes are situated, it's time to install the 90° bend that kicks the driver's side exit around your spare tire, meaning that the tire itself doesn't need to be removed for installation, unless you have an oversized spare or aftermarket spare wheel and tire combination.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

Now that your Borla S-Type is actually looking like an exhaust system, it's time to put together the rear hangars for the dual rear exit tips. Borla's solution is a steel hangar with an OE-Style mount attached to the end that easily lets slide the rear exit pipe hangars right through. The hangars install off of your truck's leaf spring perch without any drilling or cutting.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

And then the other side.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

With both of the hangars in place, Kris installed our tailpipes by pushing their hangars through Borla's rear mounts and then connecting them to the 90° pipe on the driver's side and the over-axle tube on the passenger side.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

Our Borla S-Type Exhaust Kit was pretty much in place at this point. Now all Kris had to do was go through and tighten all the clamps, connections, and hangars. We recommend tightening each clamp one at a time and checking exhaust tip alignment after every single one. There is some "give" in some of the piping connections that can throw the tips out of alignment as you go along.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

After Kris was done tightening everything down and lining up the exhaust tips, our Borla S-Type install was complete.

2011-2014 F150 5.0L Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust Install

1 Comments

Kevin Long

Date 2/11/2014

very nice write up and picture use to document the install; how long did it take? How long do you picture an average / backyard mechanic taking to do this? Well Done! Kevin

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