The aluminized lasted me about 3 winters now with no rusting at all. I'm in the northern Canada winters so we see really cold and lots of salt. Hope this helps

 

Wow, three years with no rust. Thanks, that is good to hear.

 

We're in Utah and the aluminzed kits we install seem to last just fine...they get ugly looking after the continuous salt baths, but haven't had any issues with them rusting or rotting through.

 

How long was it before the aluminized started getting ugly? I had a MBRP T409 kit on my '99 and it had quite a bit of surface rust after just a few years.

 

I have aluminized and painted it flat black and it still looks new yet

 

My aluminized took one winter in Pa to get nasty looking.

07 stroke I'm taking it you used high temp paint? Holding up ok?

 

It was bbq flat black paint it worked great i can take pics

 

Aluminized can rust within 2 years around here.. Rust through and fall apart in less than 5, but PA is the salt capital of the world.
If penndot can't fix it with salt, it ain't gettin fixed.

 

It depends on the manufacturer. I have seen cheap off-brand kits rust quickly and fall apart in less than 5 years. If you get a good quality kit like Diamond Eye or MBRP, it will last 5+ years without a problem even in the harshest environments. Truth be told, they will also look much better than T409 in a few years time in those climates since T409 will get surface rust rather quickly. The MBRP T409 kits come with a lifetime warranty though so if you plan on keeping the truck a long time, that might be your best bet.

 

I think it has alot to do with where you live too. I am from eastern Canada originally (north of New York state) and aluminized exhausts there wont last due to a more damp climate. I live in westerm Canada now and I notice alot less corrosion. Its alot drier here.

 

aluminized stays looking better longer than 409 from what I have seen. MA/CT/VT winters. 409 may last longer than aluminized in the long run. I have not had a truck, or the same exhaust on one truck long enough to figure it out. The exhaust on my 6.0 is 5" aluminized and at least 4 years old. Truck plows a good 12-20+ hours per snow storm. It has some slight surface rust in a few spots.

 

So, does T409 just develop surface rust and then never rust through or will it rust out just like aluminized?

 

Yes, that's typical of 409 stainless. It developes a surface layer of oxidization which protects the metal underneath. It should take a long time to rust completely through.
How long depends on the environment it's in and the quality of the alloy. For the money it's a good choice and should outlast aluminized in the same conditions.

It's hard to compare the two because there are a few different grades of 409 tubing used in exhaust systems and even more aluminized.

Anecdotal evidence is probably the best your going to find.

I have a Magnaflow system on my 6.4 but it hasn't been through a winter yet. A friends Jeep has a 409 system from Bassani which is 8 years old, not pretty but rock solid.

BBQ paint isn't a bad idea, cheap and looks good.

Like mentioned above, buy from a quality manufacturer.

 

From what I understand the factory exhaust is 409?