How After-Market Exhaust Systems Can Disrupt Your Car’s Power Curve
Sometimes, an exhaust system is a perfect fit for your vehicle’s power band. When that happens, your car, truck, or SUV feels faster and more responsive. Other times…you feel like you’ve wasted your money on a performance part that didn’t improve performance. Usually, when an exhaust system disrupts your engine’s power curve, it’s because you’ve made one of the mistakes below.
How to Make Sure You Buy The Right Exhaust System or Muffler
1. Don’t go too big. A lot of vehicle owners make a mistake when they upgrade their exhaust system by purchasing exhaust pipes that are much larger than the factory set. With the exception of diesel trucks (which can sometimes benefit from really large pipe diameters), most vehicles leave the factory with the correct size exhaust pipes.
While the factory muffler might be cheap and restrictive, the engineers tend to do a pretty good job choosing the right pipe size. Therefore, stick close to the original factory pipe diameter – don’t add more than a half an inch in pipe diameter unless you’re driving a diesel or you’ve made some major performance upgrades (like adding a supercharger, for example).
Note: Exhaust tip size doesn’t matter when it comes to performance. As long as your exhaust tip isn’t some sort of muffler-tip combo, go as big as you can stand. The size of the pipe between the catalytic converter and the exhaust tip is what matters.
>> If you want to know how big your exhaust pipes should be, check out this table of suggested exhaust pipe sizes.
2. Don’t go cheap. The cheapest mufflers on the market are essentially straight pipes filled with cheap fiberglass sound deadening materials. You can probably buy a set with the cash you’ve got in your wallet right now, and honestly they don’t sound too bad when they’re brand new. Unfortunately, they’re cheap for a reason. When these mufflers get hot (like on a long road trip or a few runs at the track), the fiberglass stuffing inside the muffler starts to melt. Eventually, the stuffing breaks free and becomes an obstruction…and your cheap mufflers get plugged up and start robbing power from your ride. Invest in a good set of mufflers from a brand-name manufacturer (see our list of exhaust system manufacturers).
3. Think about sticking with the factory exit configuration. Are you thinking about adding a dual exhaust system to a vehicle that currently has a single exhaust pipe? If so, you might want to consider the fact that converting a single exhaust system to a dual system isn’t always a good idea.
- If you’re driving a 4 cylinder, adding a dual exhaust system is usually a very bad idea because there’s only one exhaust manifold exit on your engine. Unless you’ve got a very powerful 4 cylinder, there’s not enough exhaust gases coming out of your engine to necessitate a dual exhaust…and even then you probably don’t need a dual.
- Dual exhaust exits only makes sense if you’ve got dual exhaust paths coming out of the motor. If your engine doesn’t have two exhaust manifolds and two sets of catalytic converters (one for each side), then it probably doesn’t make sense to go with a dual exhaust.
4. Building your own system without doing your homework. If you want to avoid paying big money for an exhaust kit, you can definitely build your own. Here’s what you need to do:
- Use mandrel-bent pipes. Mandrel bends are smoother and more aerodynamic than press bends. If the pipes aren’t mandrel-bent, any changes in direction will result in a restriction. The good news is that you can buy mandrel-bent pipes online.
- Choose a muffler made for your vehicle. Mufflers should be chosen by looking at flow rates. Basically, you figure out where your engine makes the most usable power, and then you optimize everything for that point (f you’re a math wizard, you can check out this article on how to calculate muffler and exhaust pipe size). Fortunately, the muffler manufacturers have done the math and testing for us, so all you have to do is buy a muffler that was designed for your vehicle.
- Stick close to the factory pipe diameter. A 2″ dual exhaust system has enough capacity for a 300 hp system. Adding 1/4 of an inch to each pipe adds capacity for nearly 400hp. Going any bigger than 2 1/4 inch pipe diameter is usually overkill (and will often cause your engine to lose power).
I was wondering if a dual exhaust on a 2001 volvo s40 would be bad or good. I want to get the most power out of my car as possible. Any suggestions that dont cost a furtune?
Jon – As I understand it Volvo only offered a 4 cylinder in a 2001 S40. While you can definitely add a dual exhaust, the pipe diameter would have to be fairly small to maintain the appropriate back pressure. I’d advise against it.
Just picked up a 1989 Lincoln Town Car with 95K miles. Original everything, etc.
Exhaust is 2 cat. converters at base of head pipes with a “Y” joint aft and a single muffler/exhaust out the back.
I want to delete the “Y” joint and install dual exhausts all the way aft of the cat converters with proper Flowmaster mufflers.
My objective is smooth and efficient highway performance at the best possible MPG I can squeeze from the 300 cid V8 up front.
Suggestions, recommendations or comments anyone?
Ray – Y-pipes are good for balancing exhaust notes and can even be used to reduce noise. However, getting rid of it probably won’t hurt you at all and might even help. Most V8s perform just fine with or without a y-pipe.
I have a 97 ford f 150. I want to cut the Y pipe to run dual straight pipes back behind the cab. Will this effect my truck in any way? I cut my muffler off and ran one straight pipe back and sounds good but want duals to top off the way it sounds. Thanks!
Nelson – It certainly good effect power if the new duals are larger than each side of the “y” – as exhaust leaves your engine, it starts to cool. The gas cools faster in a larger pipe, which means a pipe that’s too large can cause you to loose low-end power. SO, my recommendation is to go with a dual setup that mirrors the size of your Y-pipes (i.e., if each y-pipe is 2″ – or whatever – go with a 2″ dual).
Jason-
So would my truck be fine if i cut the Y pipe a little bit so i could run two straight pipes from it? I just wanna know that my truck wont run bad if i do cut that pipe. Some people told me if i did it that my truck would start to run bad. I was also told i would have to run pipe so far back so there was a right amount of compression…?
Nelson – Compression isn’t effected by exhaust tubing, so I’m not sure what that person is referring to. If you cut the y-pipe and run two separate pipes all the way back, you only need to try to match the diameter of the y-pipes to the duals. Unless you strap two 3″ pipes onto two 1.5″ y-pipes (you want to go 1.5 to 1.5, or 2 to 2, etc.) you won’t notice much of a change in performance either way.
I have a 07 Silverado 5.3L Ext LT. I had a K and N CAI put on with a dynomax ultra-flow cat-back system. 3″ in and 2 2.5 out. both pipes exit right behind the rear tires. one to the left. other to the right. I now have a flutter sound or like a chopper behind me when i let off the throttle and 4 a brief second when accelerating. idles great. if i put it in 1-2 or 3rd it never happens but only when in drive and at low rpm. could this be from my exhaust?
Miles – I’d bet the flutter is coming from your air intake. This is a common complaint. Can you test it by switching it out for the stock airbox?
Jason I am having the same issue, I have a 2009 Sieera w/ AirAid cool air intake and dual 2.5 exhaust that sound you hear is called Scavening. The air mixture from the cold air and dual exhaust fight each other. Im loosing power from it. Im going to a single performace muffler with 3″ exhaust.
Btw it’s not the exhaust or the cold air intake it’s because after both intake and /or exhaust is changed the engine should be retuned as its getting either more intake flow or exhaust flow
Dakota – That’s somewhat true, but keep in mind that the shape and arrangement of the exhaust manifold largely dictates the backpressure requirement. If your headers/exhaust manifold are designed for 2psi of backpressure (for example), no amount of engine tuning will compensate for a total loss of that pressure.
As for the intake, the engine is supposed to be able to tune itself for the additional airflow, only I agree tuning can sometimes give you a boost above and beyond what the engine does automatically…depends on the vehicle.
I’ve got a 2009 Volvo C30R – 2.5 w/turbo. The car has one manifold, the exhaust pipe leads to a single muffler that has dual tips out, seems unnecssary to me. I’d like better sound, so I thought of replacing the OEM muffler with two Ducati (Remus) mufflers. It looks like the two duc mufflers have more capacity than my OEM inlet pipe. Comments?
Thanks
BK – I don’t like the idea of adding two mufflers to a 4 cylinder…I think it’s probably OK in terms of performance (I doubt it would effect backpressure too much) but it seems completely unnecessary to buy two mufflers when one will do the job. Generally speaking, 4 cylinders never need more than one muffler (and one exit pipe).
Hey i have a 2007 2500hd silverdao with a single exhaust i really don’t know to much about these systems but i like the look and sound of a truck with dual exhaust so i wanna know if its possible and a good idea to change mine or leave it how it is?
Edwin – For a bigger truck like yours, it’s rarely a bad idea to add an after-market exhaust. Big pickups have big motors, and big motors are less susceptible to lost power due to reduced backpressure than smaller engines. My only suggestion is to match the size of the exit pipes to the size of your engine. Unless you have a diesel, 2.5″ dual exhaust pipes are probably spot on and 3″ duals are probably too much…we have a sizing chart here: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/#easy
Ok thanks now i keep hearing that in doing so it will save me gas and others say it will only waste more?
Edwin – They will save gas, but only if you keep your foot out of it.
I have a 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS, and i would like to know what would be the best exhaust system for my Eclipse?
John – That’s a question that has a lot of different answers…not one that I’d really recommend over the other.
I just X-Piped my 03′ X5 4.4, with no muffler or resonator just straight X Pipe. it is too loud and was wondering if I could get something to quiet it down that’s cheap. Is that possible?
Eric – A muffler is the only answer…straight pipes are almost always way too loud. Some universal mufflers are inexpensive, and you might look up SuperTrapp mufflers too. They’re attached to the end of your exhaust system and they’re really easy to tune – just add or subtract discs.
If you go with a muffler, you can get the straight pipe sounds by going with a muffler bypass kit like this one from QTP: http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/blog/2010/06/16/qtp-electric-exhaust-cutouts/
I have a 2001 Lincoln Town Car. The driver side catalytic converter rattled really bad. I went to a small muffler shop and he replaced it brand new for $300. No more rattle, but when I press the gas to go faster, it’s loud now, almost like a muscle car loud. I almost prefer the rattle over this sound. Do you think its the wrong C.V. or just cheap?
Jeremy – It’s hard to know what happened without looking, but if I had to guess I’d say that your mechanic didn’t reconnect the exhaust system to the catalytic…or perhaps the connection didn’t hold. With the engine off and the exhaust system cool, you can slide under the your car just below the front part of the passenger compartment and look for an obvious hole. You can also ask the mechanic to double-check his work. However, $300 for a catalytic sounds about right, so I don’t think they went cheap.
i have a 1993 toyota pickup 4×4, and want to uprgrade the exhaust, was thinking of putting Pacesetter headers, and a flowmaster 50 series exhaust, would you advise a high flow catalytic converter on keeping the stock one? and the flowmaster in size is 2.50″, will that cause a drop in power gain?
is a duel exhaust a good idea on a 85 toyota supra and does duel exhaust increase or decrease hp
Hi I purchased a exhaust system all the way thru with extractors 2 inche piping and a tanabe 3 ince muffler my car is a Daihatsu charade g200 1996 1.3 efi engine
i did not put the catalyc flow in so i was wondering ive lost power driving off its kinda slow but then picks up but it doesnt feel the same im new to all this and ive read about back preassure which ive definetly lost, was wondering if yous could help me out alwso got a ratling noise when i take off like a tin can or something but is there anyway i can get the back pressure back or would i have to change my whole exhaust system?
guy – If I had to guess, I’d say that the exhaust system is too big for your mighty 1.3L.
If you look at this post, you’ll see that 1 5/8″ probably would have been best: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/
My suggestion is to swap out the muffler for something stock. That will also address the tin can noise you’re hearing (probably the muffler). If that doesn’t fix it, however, than you’ve got a loose part somewhere (might check exhaust manifold heat shield).
Jason, I have 15 year old son who is beginning to work on autos. We would like to get some more hp/ gas from our 1994 ranger 4cy, 60k miles. I thought we could add either a dual exhaust with y pipe or even add a second manifold. Your thought on this or what to do to get a little more hp/gas?
i have a 2006 jeep grand cherokee laredo 4.7l v8 dose putting dual exhaust sound like a good idea or a bad idea?
cameron – As long as you don’t go with a massive 3″ dual system, it sounds like a great idea to me!
I have a 2001 S60 T5 with mods. Per the tunning Company I’m running 315hp-320hp out of a 5 cylinder with boost pressures to 20-23psi max. Right now I have a 3″ downpipe with a 200 cpi metal cat. I do have a aftermarket exhaust system but I think it might be to small.
My question is what should the exhaust size be after the downpipe so I can compare to what I have to see if I need to mod it or not??
Paul – See this post: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/
I have a 2011 Mazda 2 Sport 1.5L Automatic. I am looking at two axle-back exhausts and you appear to be very knowledgeable on this stuff. The two axle backs are specific to my car (direct fit) Racing Beat Power Pulse and HKS Silent Hi Power (bigger tip). What do you think? I want to hear a nice throaty growl, but don’t want it to look foolish or be too quiet/lose power.
Mike – I’ve never heard of Racing Beat, but HKS stuff is good. In truth, they’re probably both just fine. However, “throaty growl” is a moving target…might try finding some videos for that one (I’ll get it added to the site soon).
Jason,
Thanks for the site and for the previous feedback. Just in case anyone else is looking for my configuration I figured I would provide an update.
I did get the Racing Beat Power Pulse axle back exhaust. I absolutely love the sound! It’s got a kind of European sports car sound… A nice low purr and does makes good noise (non-intrusive) when you get on it. It also looks terrific — not like a massive coffee can sticking out. looks very well fitted to the car (and way better than the tiny straw that came stock). I never dyno’d, so I cannot claim true power gains… But it feels and sounds faster. Fuel economy remains unchanged — except when I’m loving the sound and getting on it! Absolutely happy with this choice. Thanks again for your insight.
Mike – Sounds awesome. Glad I could help.
I have a 300hp 375 ft lbs of torque 360 magnum crate engine in my 1991 dodge power ram 150 four wheel drive truck. When i purchased the truck it had no engine but it had brand new dual exhaust on it with hedder collectors, so when i put my engine in the truck i bolted my heedders up to the excisting exhaust. My concern is the exhaust is only 2 inch exhaust pipe and it has an h pipe right before the mufflers wich are 24 inch glass packs. Is 2 inch exhaust pipe enough for this engine? my friend has this exct smae engine with same carburetor and intake and hedders and the same mopar electronic ignition and he got his dynoed and it is accually putting out 319hp and 424 ft lbs of torque. I’m just wondering if 2 inch exhaust pipe is enough or if i would see an increase in power if i went to 2 1/4 inch exhaust pipe? Or would it benefit me better to geta better flowing muffler such as a flowmaster rather then to worry about increasing the exhaust pipe size 1/4 of an inch?
Payden – Truck sounds awesome! A dual 2″ pipe setup is probably too small…see this post: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/
I asked for 2 1/4 inch pipe and the guy that did my exhaust had his own plans obviously because i got 2 inch exhuast pipe, i wasnt to pleased but i am trying to decide if that extra 1/4 inch of size would make much more of a difference to compensate for the 300 plus bucks it would cost me to do it all over again with 2 1/4 inch pipe.
I dont know how true this is but i have been told by a few people and have read tha a little smaller pipe is better then too much pipe and that generally a little smaller will increase low to mid range torque and throttle response, any truth to this? i guess there re just alot of different opinions out there when it comes to exhaust pipe size and mufflers.
Payden – There’s absolutely truth to the idea that a smaller pipe can be better – that’s pretty much the point of the article, in fact.
If you look here – http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/ – you can see how much pipe you really need for your engine based on horsepower. If you don’t mind some math, you can use our simple formula instead and get a good estimate.
According to the chart you provided i need at least 2 1/4 inch pipe wich is what i asked for. Just was wondering if there are exceptions to that chart. 2 inch vs 2 1/4 inch we are talking an extra 1/4 of an inch. And i have been told running a little bit smaller pipe will increase low end torque as well as throttle response. What do you think? I am eventually going to get this whole exhaust sytem of mine replaced with 2 1/4 inch pipe and if possible going to have an x pipe put in the exhaust instead of an h pipe. I have seen dyno results proven the x pipe helps with power more then an h pipe. I just never have gotten into the accual size of the exhaust pipe. Didnt think there would be that much of a difference between 2 inch vs 2 1/4 inch.
Payden – As the article states, a slightly smaller pipe gives you better low-end torque but costs you some top-end power. It’s not a massive difference, however, so I wouldn’t worry about it. As your installer says, there’s not much difference between the two sizes.
I read all the posts here but do not see anything about diesel trucks..
I have a 1990 F450 7.3 manual diesel with Auto overdrive,and it is in need of exhaust… I would like to know what is the best system to use single or dual and a pipe diameter???
Bill – You are correct about the lack of diesel exhaust info, and that’s a big oversight on my part. Diesels can benefit greatly from larger exhaust systems, and unlike gas motors, it’s hard to go “too big.” I will work to fix this soon.
In the meantime, a good place to look for diesel performance inspiration is Banks. I’m not saying you have to buy the Banks kit, but if they’re selling a dual exhaust for your 7.3L, that’s what I’d add to my truck. If they’re selling a single, that would be my pick.
Hope that helps. A lot of what you do on that older diesel has to do with how aggressive you want to be. There are a ton of diesel performance parts out there for these trucks.
I have a 2000 V6 Mercury Cougar, and i was wondering would it be possible to go into a dual exhaust from the stock single. I have been looking around on flowmaster, borla, magnaflow, etc. I have not seen any specific parts for my car. Is there anything you may know that could help me out. Thank You for your time.
Aaron – Your local muffler shop can craft something for you, but my question is, why? The smaller V6 you have will breath just fine with a single exit exhaust – all you need is a less restrictive muffler. Duals look cool (and I’m a sucker for them no doubt), but I’d rather spend my money on a new muffler and put the rest towards a programmer or air intake.
I also think there are some Cosworth top-end kits out there for that V6 (only you’ll have to dig around as I don’t have that at my fingertips). That might be a great place to spend money!
i used to have a 2001 cougar v6, straight piped with TKS N1 exhaust tip 4′in, it sounded like like a 400 hp car driving down the road haha it was awesome
Cody – Hopefully Aaron subscribed to the comments and is listening. Thanks for sharing!
I have a 1983 v6 3.8L mustang GLX, i was wondering if i could go duel exhaust and if it would hurt my engine or even improve its flow. thank you.
Thomas – I don’t see a dual exhaust hurting a V6, provided the pipes are sized correctly.
I have an 88 k1500 with a crate 350 TBI, mild RV cam, econoaid tb enhancer, custom cold air intake, K&N filter, and a Magnaflow XL turbo muffler. Awhile back, my step dad did my exhaust for me and put on a stock GM muffler, the usual 3 in 2.5 out. A couple days ago, I finally got the time and money to install the Magnaflow XL which is a 3in 2.25 dual outs. When installing it, I noticed my step dad cheaped out, and went with a 3 inch pipe off the y pipe, bypass the cat, and then he did a 2.5 curved pipe welded to the 3 inch pipe, that then goes to muffler, and welded the end of the 2.5 to a 3 inch pipe that then goes to the muffler. Is what my step dad did with the whole, clustercrap job he did going to affect my engines performance? PS. I tig welded the magnaflows 2.25 duals to the pipes itself.
Mike – First of all, I’m going to steal the word “clustercrap” from you. I like it.
Second, catalytic converters really aren’t restrictive on a normally aspirated motor. I’d venture a guess that just running the exhaust through the cat will give you a boost, mostly because curves and welds inevitably create restrictions.
BTW – I’ve seen data to suggest that a catalytic converter flows as well as a hunk of empty pipe at lower RPMs. For a truck owner with a normally aspirated engine (no turbo or S/C), there’s no good reason to bypass the cat IMHO.
Thanks for liking the “clustercrap” saying, its nicer to say than others I could think of. The only reason I bypassed the cat was because it was clogged, and didn’t feel like paying for a new one. I would have actually preferred it because it helps prevent the majority of the exhaust from rusting out since it gets so hot. I haven’t had any major problems since I’ve removed it, so its all good. But here’s where I could use a little help, I like the Magnaflow muffler I have on now, it gives it a bit of a deep tone, but I want a little deeper. What else can be done for a deep tone?
Mike – A bigger muffler might do it…I’ve also seen x-pipes help with tone. However, my best suggestion is to consult with your local muffler shop or on your favorite GM truck forum, because now we’re getting into nitty-gritty details that are often engine specific.
Im planning on gettin a 03 dodge ram 1500 2wd with a 4.7l v8 magnum. Ive got friends that have put straight pipes on their trucks and they sound amazing, but im worried about the fuel mileage going down hill, and with the riseing fuel prices im just a little concered with this. I was just wondering if its an okay idea to put on a y pipe out of the cat the 2″ 5″ pipes all the way out, along with the muffler deletion? I am aware its illegal to delete the muffler, but im just looking at different exaust combinations. Any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks.
Austin – I don’t know that a straight pipe is certain to hurt gas mileage, but it could.
Did you read how most engines are designed for a system with some back pressure? If you go straight pipe, you’ll lose some low-end torque. Do yourself a favor – go with an aggressive muffler rather than a muffler delete. You won’t risk any legal problems, the truck will still sound awesome, and neither performance or gas mileage will suffer.
I have a 2001 dodge ram v8 5.9 with a 360 in it. I had a flowmaster 44 dual on it, but i just took the muffler off today, i want it louder. I heard that if you put a glass pack on backwards it would be the closest sound to a straight pipe i was just wondering if this was true or not? What exhaust would you recommend for this truck? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Ty – Definitely not true. Putting on a glasspack backwards would restrict flow more than putting it on the right way. Also, glasspacks are essentially straight pipe packed with fiberglass…the strands of fiberglass absorb the really high frequency sound waves, which makes your truck sound deeper and meaner without being quite as loud as a straight pipe.
If you want lots of sound, a couple of glasspack mufflers are perfect. Don’t flip them around backwards – that won’t make your truck sound better, nor will it improve performance…they’re designed to flow in one direction.
Now my truck wont sound like one of those crappy import things flyin down my road right? Im a mechanic but the exhaust portion just isnt my thing, im still learning about them.
Ty – No sir – no way you’re going to make a big V8 sound like an import racer. The cool part about a V8 is that you’ll get deep tones you just can’t get with a 6 or a 4.
However, a quieter muffler might actually sound deeper than a glass pack. Glass packs don’t do as much to mute the high frequencies as a larger, slightly more restrictive muffler (emphasis on slightly).
I have a 2008 Mazda3 hatchback. Its completely stock under the hood, but I am just trying to get a better sound. Any suggestions on what i should do?
Tyler – Listen to some exhaust videos my man.
Hey ….. I was wondering a friend of mine crashed his 2008
5.7 Chrysler 300c with aftermarket dual flow master exhaust .
I have a 2011 3.5 Chrysler 300 touring . So I purchased his exhaust.
I would like to use just one muffler from the two and replace it with
My factory exhaust or must I use both exaust mufflers . I just don’t wanna hurt anything in the car!
Tylereberle – You probably wouldn’t hurt anything by just using one of the mufflers from your buddy’s system, but my concern would be that a single muffler wouldn’t flow quite enough exhaust gases at higher speeds…but it’s easy enough to figure out it. Just look up the muffler’s specs on the muffler manufacturer’s website (or call) and then compare that flow rate to our chart and your stated max HP.
I have a 2009 Chevy Silverado 4X4 Z71 LT with a 3′ single pipe. I was wanting your in put on putting duel 2′ out the back after the muffler. I am thinking about taking off the muffler and going to the flow master 10 series muffler. do you think this would be a good idea? Eventual I am going to get the K&N cold air intake for it.
hoagie – I think I had this setup once, but it’s a perfectly legit way to go and it definitely saves money over a true dual system. My only comment would be that running another pipe and adding another muffler really isn’t going to add much expense…and then you’ve got a true dual system.
What would be the best exhaust for a ls400 1996. it has a v8 4l engine.
I have a 95 acura legend coupe. I wanted a dual exhaust (one on each side) system. Would that be ok for the performance? My car is a v6, 230hp. Thanks.
I have a 2000 4.6 (281 Cubic Inch V8) Northstar out of a Cadillac Eldorado. It has 1 CAT and a couple of bends 90 degree and a 45 degree. i have it straight piped I do notice gas mileage does go down but that could be because im on the throttle more because it sounds SWEET! This engine has such small exhaust cam lift that it doesn’t pop and its not very loud. It has 32 valve (DOHC V8) Very deep sounding V8 I have Flow-master supper 44s, the stock exhaust is 2.25 inches single pipe to a y pipe that goes down to 2 inches i upgraded to 2.25 on both sides of the y pipe all stainless. It outta sound good. I think the back pressure is a must on MPG and performance. I DIDNT how ever notice any performance taken away but i did notice a little bit more performance as it burns the tires pretty good from a roll!
I have a 2006 rx-8 and Im looking for a good exhaust system that doesn’t sound like its whining bcz of the rotary engine. Any sugesstions?
Brandon – Nothing I can think of. You can go with the standard mufflers from all the import tuning companies, but they’re all going to sound a bit buzzy I think.
I have a 2005 rx-8 with straights, cats, 4″tips, and the resonator… it sounds Awesome… the only question i have is will that hurt my motor or will i lose hp because there isnt much backpresure on the motor… i also though about putting my muffler back on and cutting out the resonator… i just need some help or feed back.
Daimen – You’re not going to hurt anything with these changes, and you may find that removing backpressure on your RX is a good thing, as the rules are a bit different for rotary motors.
Ideally, you can do a before and after dyno test to see what the improvement is and where it comes in the torque curve.
I have a 95 GMC G2500 conversion. The exhuast was 3″ to muffler
and 2.75 out to a single( no cat). I was getting about 14 mpg. i changed to a 3″ to magnaflow, split muffler to 2.25 out dual. I now get about 11 to 12 mpg. Where did I go wrong?
Terry – When you’re talking about a decrease in fuel economy that’s greater than 10%, you’re probably not talking about something that happened because of your exhaust system (at least not exclusively).
However, you likely reduced backpressure in the system, so it could be that a portion of the fuel economy loss was due to your change. However, my suggestion would be to look elsewhere first. Usually when you monkey with the exhaust, the fuel economy doesn’t change much (good or bad).
Thanks, I feel better. i changed the air filter, new distributor cap and rotor, new plugs and wires. I have noticed it smells very rich, and there is a flex pipe that runs from the air cleaner to the manifold that was loose. There is also a butterfly flap in the breather that connects to that hose. I think that heat from the exhaust runs from that hose to a heat sensitive spring that connects to that flap. it may have gone bad keeping the flap closed and running to rich.I’ll start there next, maybe get a cold air intake.
I am SUPER confused when it comes to exhaust. I’ve been told I should decide between Gibson, Borla, and Magnaflow. I drive a 2004 Ram 1500 with a V8 Hemi Magnum. The exhaust currently is a single pipe exiting out the right rear. I’m not huge into performance modifications and I don’t really know a whole lot about it to begin with. I might play around with a chip but I’m not looking to drop a whole lot of cash, just up to I’d say..700 on exhaust. I’ve always liked dual exhaust so asthetically, I pefer it. I heard that dual exhaust (and gibson in general) detracts from the low end performance and adds hp and torque but top end performance isn’t my deal, I’d prefer having better acceleration like from a stop light. I want my truck to be loud but not Red Neck/obnoxious. Its a beautiful, big black truck, with a big engine and it should sound like one, right now it sounds like my mom’s camry. I want people to notice if I’m next to them idling but I’ve seen some rediculous set ups where guys have to turn off their trucks to order at a drive thru. When I step on that gas pedal and take off past someone, I want them to really hear me. I’m not looking for some cheap glass pack sound, I hate the tone. Is there such an exhaust for me? and is it true dual? or a Y pipe? or what? Also, can I get what I want without breaking the bank? Do I hate to buy an exhaust system for like 600 dollars and have it installed or can I just buy a muffler, tips, and have the installers of the products bend pipes for me?
Dan – Check out Borla’s kits in addition to Gibson. They offer great tone, but unlike the kits from Magnaflow or Flowmaster (and to a lesser degree Gibson), they’re not super load.
As for exhaust systems hurting your truck’s low end performance, that’s only true if the kit you buy isn’t sized for your truck. If you buy a cat-back kit from Borla or Gibson (or anyone else, really), that cat-back kit will be tuned to add power to your truck across the board.
Finally, if you’re adding an exhaust system to a pickup, consider side exits rather than rear exits. That way your hot exhaust doesn’t blow over whatever you might tow.
Forgive me father for I have sinned. My truck does not have a towing hitch. Granted I have two trucks. One has about 156k miles all towing, ford f150 flareside with a 351 windsor and a thrush exhaust. The thrush is okay…I would have liked it to be a considerable amount louder and wish it had a nicer tone. Still louder and meaner than my Ram’s exhaust, thats for damn sure.
I do mean to go for loud, deep, and aggressive tone, but not obnoxious like those ricer cars or some redneck rig, you know?
So do you recommend (sound, cost, and performance wise) true dual, y pipe dual, or single pipe exhaust?
Dan – I like true dual setups with a cross pipe. Great way to balance the tone and get the deep rumble. As for brand, I think Borla has the market cornered on “moderate” sound, as most systems are designed to be loud.
hello there, I have a 2003 chevy silverado 4.8 all stock & im looking into putting a flowmaster 40 series muffler on it but im very confused on what piping i need to go with! Im reading that going too big will cause a decrease in power & fuel economy & with gas prices how they are right now, thats the last thing i need. would a single 3′ in /3′ be too much? i believe the stock piping is right around 2.5′ on these chevys. What piping would you recomend i go with?
I have an 318i that i swapped completely to an m3 95 (engine and everything) and I put in a double piped exhaust instead of the single that was already there. My pipes are 2″ and it seems as my sound just got way too deep, it resounds in my car and is uncomfortable to drive with and was wondering if I might have also lost power at the same time.
Hello. I have a 2005 gmc 1500 Sierra crew cab with a 4.8L v8 engine. I am looking to put an exhaust system on it with dual outputs, but I’m afraid that since it is a smaller v8 engine, that it won’t sound good (will sound kind of weak)
What are your thoughts?
Colton – V8′s almost always sound great – the worst case is that the tone won’t be as deep as some other V8s, but your engine will still sound better than most V6s and not noticeably different than a 5.3L (which I know sounds excellent). Go for it.
Hey Jason, I have a 2006 Chrysler 300C with a 5.7 HEMI. It currently sounds like a dead old cadillac sedan and I want it to sound like the hemi v8 it is. What would you say about cutting out the stock resonators and running straight pipes with 4″ tips? Will that give the engine some rumble? It comes with stock dual exhaust.
Tyler – It’s all about the muffler. If you need to modify your exhaust on the cheap, you could cut out the stock system and go with straight pipes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you can’t go with a cat-back system, just pickup a set of generic mufflers and swap them out with the stock units. You’ll get a nice boost in sound and perhaps even a little boost in performance.
I’m not a fan of straight pipes. They’re illegal and they’re really, really loud…a good set of mufflers will get you the sound you’re looking for without breaking the law or annoying your neighbors.
i have a 1998 volvo v70r. i have stock exhaust. its 2.25″ single pipe back to two mufflers, and it exhausts a single outlet off the passenger side. these cars have an additional cutout on the driver side with a dummy cover on it. plenty of guys want the look of the dual exhaust tips coming off the back. i like the look too, but i care more about performance than aesthetics.
my desire is to get an 18t turbo (stock is a 16t) and an IPD downpipe, which is 3″ off the turbo to 2.5″ after the cat. i am thinking of having a custom 2.5″ pipe all the way back to a single muffler and perhaps a resonator and port the single exhaust out the driver side only. this is the straightest exit. what do you think of this idea? is this going to be real noisy? i like the sound of nice pipes, but am not crazy about the ricer boy sound. does it make a difference to remove the cat? your thoughts?
whats going to give me optimal performance? should i stick with dual exhaust and have dual exits? i like the idea of saving some weight & cost and having a simpler more sleeper like look.
Austen – You’re running a turbocharged engine, which means exhaust system performance is a lot more critical for you than it is for someone with a normally aspirated vehicle.
One of the keys to maximizing turbocharged exhaust systems is to provide plenty of “extra” capacity for times when the engine is at WOT, as your engine (a 2.5L 5 cylinder I believe) will generate as much exhaust as a V8. Therefore, I would *not* recommend going with a single exit. Dual exhaust systems provide more throughput, and the additional tubing isn’t a negative.
I’m replacing the exhaust system on my 96 civic, I have the header and catalytic converter. The outlet pipe size for both is 2″, the rest of the system that I’m looking to get has 2.5″ piping to the muffler. Can I connect the 2″ cat. with the 2.5″ pipe. I don’t know if the answer is an obvious no or if what I’ve been told by others (that it can work) is true. Any advice or thoughts are appreciated. Thanks a lot.
Michael – It can definitely work, but if you’re adding a header, you might as well add a performance cat to go with it…they can be pretty affordable.
Check this page out: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/catalytic-converter-replacement/
I just bought a 2010 Dodge Charger SXT 3.5L, I want to put a dual exhaust system on it. I was planning to buy an exhaust system from MagnaFlow but i want the loudest Exhaust System I can get. Its a dual cat back exhaust built for the car but can I make it louder than what it already is??
Jonathan – There’s no easy way to make an exhaust louder, but a Magnaflow exhaust has never been accused of being too quiet. If you’re really trying to make some noise, you might look at a custom system from your local shop…just consider the fact that a custom system is more likely to sound like a V6 than a cat-back system (which might sound more like a V8).
what do you recommend for a 2012 charger rt max.v8 dual exaust
Ruben – I have two thoughts:
1. If you’ve got a cool new car like that, I’d go with either a system from MOPAR or a cat-back system from Borla. No point in going cheap!
2. Don’t mess with it. The factory exhaust is pretty excellent.
I drive a 1993 oldsmobile Bravada and i was wondering what kind of muffler i should use to give it a loud deep sound?
Nate – If your SUV has a V8, any after-market muffler will give you the type of sound you’re looking for. If you want something really loud, you want to look into generic mufflers from Magnaflow or Flowmaster.
If your SUV has a V6, the only chance you’ve got at a loud and deep exhaust note is a custom cat-back system. Fortunately, there are a few systems available for Blazers with the V6, and the Blazer’s exhaust system is almost certainly identical to what you have on your rig. Good luck.
Hey. I have a 2007 v8 5.3L chevy. Right now I have single exhaust with a flowmaster. I want to convert my truck to duel exhaust and put another flowmaster on. Is this a good idea for my truck? How will it effect my pulling power for pulling horse trailer and how will it effect my gas mileage? I’ve heard that it kills pulling power and gas but then I heard it doesn’t hurt anythin.
I think “kill” is a bit of an overstatement, but more exhaust system isn’t always better.
However, in this case, a dual exhaust is likely OK, provided you don’t go with mufflers that are too big.
My advice would be to invest in a cat-back system designed for your truck, as that will ensure you add power and still get great sound. Magnaflow, Flowmaster, Borla, and a few others offer kits for your truck, so you should be able to find something you like.
hey. i have a 06 300c hemi and was wondering if i could put an electric exhaust cutout, what effects would it have on the car.
thanks
jasonv – Cutouts have no effect until they’re activated. At that point, I think the performance benefits are a bit dubious. However, they sound cool, so if you have the money and the interest go for it.
Very informative article! One thing I was wondering though, as I am not very mechanically inclined: Will a dual exhaust setup rob my 2007 Mustang V6 of power? I was quoted by my local shop for $350 to tap into the original single pipe to make the second exhaust. Thanks in advance for your help!
Brandon – It won’t rob power, but it won’t add much either. However, it will look good and give you a more even sound.
I just bought a 2004 tahoe and it has 3” tubing on single exhaust with the stock muffler if i take the muffler out and put a straight piece in will it take my power away
John – It probably won’t take away power, but it might reduce low-end torque.
More the to the point, a cheap performance muffler is less than $150. Why are you messing with a straight pipe? All you need is one noise ordinance ticket and you’ll wish you’d spent the money on a muffler…
i had true duals on my last one it was a 99 i like a little sound and whats on it now puts off a little i really want y’d offs just dont want to pay for it
I understand. I’m not a fan of straight pipes, mostly because they don’t add power and they often result in noise tickets. If it was me, I’d wait.
i think i am im really just looking for anything that gives me more power
Gotcha. Cat-back is best, especially if paired with an air intake and a performance programmer…and a supercharger! LOL.
i have a bully dog power pup set on high performance and it makes a differance can i put the same cold air intake that was in my 99 tahoe on this one
I have a 96 Silverado 305 Vortec with looks like 2″ dual into 3″ right before single cat which has been gutted and 3″ out down to 2 1/2″ split dropping back down into 2″ duals which drops off right behind the rear axle. Does it need to be 2 1/2″ all the way out from the cat. Just seems like to much dropping down in size.
Layton – I’m not sure what you mean when you say the cat has been gutted, but my recommendation would be
1) Catalytic converters do not negatively effect performance unless you have forced induction. The cat does, however, reduce pollution and carbon monoxide (which is lethal to inhale in even small amounts). So first I would make sure your cats are operating as required by law.
2) Pipe size changes aren’t inherently bad, but the connectors used to neck up and neck down can be a choke point. If they’re sloppy connections, they can create turbulence in the exhaust stream and increased backpressure. Unless all those sizing joints are factory (and that doesn’t sound correct), I would recommend minimizing connectors and being as consistent in pipe size as you can be.
3) Finally, having said all of this, none of the issues caused by connectors, sizing, etc. effect truck owners too much. You want your truck to make power at low RPMs, and most exhaust systems are more than adequate at these lower engine speeds. It’s only when you get to higher RPMs that these little issues start to have a measurable effect.
Jason,
I haven’t done anything with my exhaust yet except replace the donut gaskets and while I was doing that I noticed the cat had come loose so I welded it back. While I had it off I noticed it had been cleaned out, (Gutted), nothing but an empty shell. Will have money in a few weeks to replace the whole exhaust system. The cat looks like 3″ out so thinking maybe a muffler with 3″ in dual 2 1/2″ out all the way back and drop it just over the rear axle. Of course I will have to do something bout the cat as well or just leave it even tho there’s nothing in it????
Layton – You definitely want to do something about those empty cats (at least if you have to pass emissions at some point) but as far as going from a single to a dual, I like going dual all the way back…can you get a cat-back kit specifically for your vehicle? That’s always the best way to go in terms of performance.
I ended up going with a Thrush welded 3″ inlet with dual 2 1/2″ outlet all the way back. I have used thrush before and always liked them. Right now I don’t have my tailpipes turned down yet and they are loud on acceleration by quieten down on highway. Pretty loud inside the cab. I have 8 ft. of 2 1/2″ pipe from the muffler back. The pipe is 2 ft. sections. Do I need to take out the last 4 feet and drop down to a 2 1/4″ or can I can quieten it down somehow at the tips or the turn down. I will be turning it down just over the rear axle. It seems like I’ve lost some of my power, too.
Thanx
Layton – A reduction in pipe size isn’t likely to reduce volume, at least not much. The muffler is the best place to look if the system is too loud.
Having said that, using side exits with the tips pointed down seems to help reduce sound levels.
In the last 1 yr and 1/2 after reading up on and studying aerodynamics and engine performance I have managed to bring 305 vortec up from 16 1/2 mpg to 23.2 mpg but since I’ve added my new exhaust I have some of that mpg. Haven’t checked it lately but can tell I’ve lost some of my mpg. Not much, tho. I don’t have a lot of money so everything I have done has been the poor man’s way.
Cold air intake made out of 3″ pvc pipe. Routed to right behind radiator on driver’s side.
Relocated mass air flow sensor to the right side of the radiator fan and mounted it to my alt. which is where it seemed to draw the most air and the hottest air. Supposedly the hotter the air the less gas used. By doing this, supposedly it tricks the computer into to thinking the air is hotter than what is actually coming in. Believe it or not it actually worked. MPG went up.
Lowered the front end by going with smaller tires. Better highway MPG.
You will have to see this one. So far everyone likes it but I made my own hood scoop out of an old riding lawn mower hood.
It has the vents in the top but I also vent it through the end next to the windshield.
After testing it I have never seen a hood scoop do like this one.
When I take off it pushes air out the end but sucks it in at the top and I have a divider between the two blocking one from the other. Anyway, once the truck has shifted out and at a steady speed the air flow reverses itself. Blows out the top and sucks in thru the end. But hey, it works.
Also, removed the rear O2 sensor from the exhaust and strapped it to the top of the frame underneath the truck. Theory I read was it picks up outside fresh air and even tho the cat has been cleaned, removed, etc. it trickes the computer into thinking the cat is stil there and fuctioning properly.
All in all with all these little tricks I can they do work cause I have seen it in my MPG and performance.
Cool – thanks for sharing all that info. Neat to see someone working on their ride this way.
With the air intake behind the radiator/grille sucking in hot air and the MAF relocated detecting air from the fan tricking the computer into thinking more air is coming than actually is I’m sure it’s runing pretty lean. But hey, at 24 mpg I’m not complaining. When I can punch it in the curve getting on the onramp to the freeway fish tailing the rear that’s a little more performance than I wanted at 51 yrs. old but hey, live it up while I can. lol
Another trick I learned that does work I got from a forum I was reading, if you take out the rear O2 sensor and strap it to the top of the frame somewhere underneath it will detect the fresh outside air and trick the computer into thinking the cat is working properly. It seems to be working anyway.
Also, and you’ve may have seen discussions on this, but a quart of transmission fluid into your gas tank does work and will increase mpg enough you will see a difference. I saw an engine that was tore down with 200,000 plus miles and it look almost like it had just been rebuilt. I knew the man and always wondered why he did that but he swore by the transmission fluid in the gas bout once a month. He said he bought the truck brand new in 76 and it was 2 or 3 yrs ago when he had it rebuilt and only then cause his son took it out of state, ran it out of water and kept driving til he blew the motor. As far as my truck, it’s not the fastest in the world but it’s certainly faster than it was designed to be and great mpg for 230,000 miles. It’s taken me almost 2 yrs to get mine where it is today as far as perfomance and mpg but maybe it will help someone lese improve their vehicle.
Layton – The lean condition is risky if you’re hearing knocks or pings, but if not than it’s probably OK…but based on everything you’ve said, I’d be worried about it a little bit.
Also, while the transmission fluid in the gas tank is a good trick for keeping an engine clean, it’s also corrosive to your seals and gaskets. Therefore, I’d limit the number of times you do that to once every year or so. Too often and you’ll start blowing oil.
Never mind on making my exhaust quiter. I used my old stock 45′s for the drop downs but I turned them out the side. I think the are 2 1/4″ and probly 2 each at the bends. I cut them down to fit and cut 2 of down to 6″ length overall cause being 45′s I needed to turn them just enough to shoot them out the side. Then I extended them on out with the longer ones. Sounds great with just a little rumble on acceleration and at steady speeds you can’t hardly hear them at all. Performance is even better. Guess it created just enough back pressure to get my power back. It took away all the roaring noise in the cab. I have close to 100 miles city driving so won’t know what my highway mileage is til I run this tank out and fill it back up then I will check it on all highway driving. Hoping it’s back up to 23 mpg. As far as my hood scoop, I tell everyone I have a 305 Vortec with a Murray 18 hp hood induction. lol
I forgot to mention also, I learned that if you remove the rubber seal between the hood and the wipers it will give you better and faster throttle response which also gives you better mpg. It helps get rid of some of the air resistance under the hood. In my case I had to leave part of it since my distributor is in the center on the back of the motor. I left just enough of it to keep the distr. from getting wet when it rains. The results will shock you, tho, promise.
96 Silverado / 305 vortec
A few months ago I had to replace the head gaskets. Putting the distributor in and setting timing by the mechanic couldn’t get the computer to trim it back to 0TDC where it’s supposed to be. It was
-44. After several attempts he line everything up, pulled the
distributor, advanced it one tooth which advanced to to 11 over. The specs calls for + or – 2. We had to leave it. So, it’s only 9 degrees over the specs. Look at it this way, like having a power chip without buying one.
Went back and changed my exhaust. Went with single 3″ pipe just behind the cab, Mufler with single 3″ in 2 1/2″ duals out stopping above the rear axle then out the sides with 2 1/4″ with 2 1/2″ tips. Sounds great.
The 2 1/2″ tips is all the pipe I had left so I thought why not. lol
Relocated MAF closer to radiator fan
Cold air intake right behind grill next to radiator
Hood scoop (removed the baffle I built between the top vents and end vents) seemed to help
Removed all the rubber seal at the back of the hood (releasing some of the resistance under the hood)
Lowered front end 1″ using smaller tires (235/75R/15 down to 215/70R/15)
Final Results; 24.3 mpg
Layton – Very interesting. Are you running lean?
Don’t know how lean I’m running if any. It’s not pinging or clattering. It does however have 10 times the throttle response and it used to have. From a dead stop at the bottom of an overpass I can punch it and will hit 60-65 by the time I top the overpass. It’s never done that before. And that’s on an uphill climb. I ran it through the 1/4 but only made it 3/4 the way through cause the computer shuts it down at 95. It’s never had the air dam under the front bumper since I’ve owned the truck but the bolts are there and I’m thinking bout installing one. Don’t know how much that will help the mpg but maybe it’ll be enough to push it on up to 25 mpg. At last check it was getting 23.9. I get anywhere from 23.6 to 24+.
Great and informative article! Do you have any opinions about placing a set of dual mufflers at the end of the exhaust near the tips vs. in the middle as far as sound?
I was told that placing them close to the end of the exhaust takes all the rumble/power sound away since it doesn’t have as far to travel. They even suggested replacing the dual mufflers with a single muffler that has dual inlets and dual outlets to give it more “exhaust swirl” and thus it adds to the power sound.
My car has dual resonators and dual mufflers so I can put them in either place. I’m looking for a deep rumble but as little interior resonance and drone as possible.
Thanks!
Journey – I’ve never heard anything to suggest the sound quality of the exhaust system varies greatly as a result of muffler placement. Motorcycles, for example, have very short exhaust runs, but their mufflers can be tuned to offer a variety of sounds.
As for dual in-dual out vs a true dual sounding better, it depends on the size of your motor. If you’re driving a V6, my opinion is that a single muffler is best, as combustion in a V6 is unbalanced and a cross-pipe or shared muffler can improve sound.
In terms of performance, sharing a muffler may or may not be better…it really depends on the mufflers, the size of your pipes, etc. To say that dual in-dual out mufflers are always more powerful than a true dual setup is incorrect.
As for my recommendation, it would be to purchase a cat-back system designed for your vehicle. All catback systms are tuned to your specific application and tend to sound better than systems that are assembled piecemeal.
I have a scion fr-s it has a flat 4 boxer motor and i want to delete the muffler and resonator to give it some sound right now its to quiet will this make the car more efficient? and will i gain anything from this? and also will this hurt the car in any way?
matt – It won’t hurt the car at all to add an after-market exhaust system, provided that you add one which is designed for the FR-S. My advice would be to look at systems available from TRD as well as the after-market…and rest assured, if you don’t see a lot of systems now, you will. That car is hot and the after-market companies are working feverishly to get exhaust systems ready.
hey i have an 01 motorhome with a 454 7.4 liter engine. cats started to plug up so i took them off…since then the mileage dropped 1.5 mpg’s…..oxygen sencors are forward of the cats so that is not a problem….has 2 inch in to the cats and 3 out….that is stock…should i put large headers on this to balance it out?? i just don’t get it
jim – Cats create backpressure that aids in cylinder scavenging. When you remove them, you can make your vehicle less efficient, as the designer accounted for them when they tuned the vehicle.
I would reinstall them – check out http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/catalytic-converter-replacement/ for some deals.
Hi, on my 2005 Police Interceptor, the 2v 4.6L v8, i deleted 2 of the 4 cats on this baby, and switched to Flowmaster Delta Thunders, while retaining the factory SS 2″ exhaust pipes, and 2 SS 12″ long 3″ diameter tips out the back. Sounds amazing.
However, it has a factory H pipe, would i be better off replacing that with a X pipe instead?
And possibly moving up to 2 1/4″ pipe? Got some modifications done to the motor so it isn’t stock, but its not some garage queen, its still my DD.
Not too worried about top end, as i don’t see over 100 very often ( unless i am out at the track ) but coming off of lights, and accelerating from say 30mph, or passing someone on the highway, is there a specific exhaust set up that is proven to provide more ambitious gains of low end performance increase instead of the top end? This car is 4025lbs of steel. When coming off a red light, or making a turn, or exiting a corner at the track, it seems the “power” doesn’t kick in until 2000rpm, then you can feel it push you back in your seat, i’m hoping to make this “butter zone” happen at lower rpm’s, is this something exhaust can help me with? Or do i need to go shell out 400 smackaroons for a SCT tuner?
Dave – As far as I know, an H pipe and an X pipe are the same in all respects.
As for off-the-line performance, stock exhaust pipe diameters are typically a little better…the bigger pipes are only necessary at higher RPMs and/or when you’ve dramatically added power (like adding a supercharger).
Finally, the RPM where the power seems to kick in can be adjusted with a programmer.
I need some help I bought a f-150 v-6 2012 fx-2 ford and looking to upgrade the exhaust system can u tell me what I should go with. Not looking for loud noise just something that sounds good and u cant hardly here it in the cabin. Looking at mbrp with magnaflow # 12588 and a resinator # 14719 . I dont know if i should go with dual or single as of know its single from factory and wasnt going to change to true dual.
Rusk – Sticking with a single exhaust is a good idea on a V6, but there aren’t a lot of options for V6 exhaust system that don’t sound tinny (at least to my ear). My suggestion? Go to your local muffler shop and ask them to put on a replacement that’s a little louder than stock. They’ll set you up with a generic brand muffler that sounds better than stock for less than $200.
If you go with a muffler and resonator you pick out of the catalog, you’re taking a bit of risk…if the mufflers are too loud, your V6 will sound more like a 4cylinder.
Hi I have a 99 silverado z71 with the 5.3 (70000) Kim’s on motor it has true dual exhaust a 3 inch lift 285/75/16 tires the mufflers are bottles more or less jus thrush glass packs and it has 2″ piping from headers back I need a decent muffler that dual in dual out..as the pipes are up close and personal and no I don’t want a kit a I have a cold air intake throttle body spacer and more for the truck and light speed innovations in red deer Alberta Canada it gonna tune the motor for power and fuel economy (tune the power curve)
Dakota – Any generic use muffler will work. They’re all pretty similar in terms of performance.
i have an 03 gmc sierra z71 5.3…its single exhaust and im wanting to make it dual with 2 borla s type mufflers…good idea or bad?..and should i cancel the cats our or leave it? thanks
Zeb – Modern catalytic converters have very little impact on performance, especially on a stock motor. The only time they hurt performance, in fact, is when they’re clogged and need to be replaced.
As for going from single to dual, the key is to go with the right size. See http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/ for info on choosing the proper pipe diameter.
I currently have a 2008 Dodge ram 1500 5.7L Hemi 2WD, and I have a K&N CAI, and a single in and single out Flowmaster 50 series muffler on with the stock resonator on my truck. I truly have been thinking about spending the money at a welding shop to have a Y pipe put on my muffler and put dual exhaust coming out the back end. Would that be a waste of money? If not, any idea a general price range to get that done? I have not looked up prices yet…
John – I can’t say for sure, but my guess is that it’s cheaper to just buy a new muffler than it is to cut and weld one.
More to the point, if you start cutting into a muffler, you’re probably going to screw up whatever performance tuning it has…I’d suggest getting a new single in dual out muffler if you really want duals, but to be honest it won’t make much difference over what you have now in terms of performance or fuel economy.
I’d stick with what you’ve got!
have a small block jasper chevy engine 5.7 with a holley weiland 171 super charger pushing at least 500 hp i also have a 12 bolt chevy moser rearend and a 6 speed richmond transmission i have dual exhaust no cats but have two cherry bomb mufflers and have hedders my pipes are 2 1/4 thick pipes not sure if i should go bigger or not takes off all like a bullet dont wanna screw up performance but think my pipes are to small what do u think i should do?
William – See the chart on this page: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/
If you’ve got a 500hp engine, you need 2 1/2″ exhaust tubing or perhaps 2 3/4″. If you want to preserve low end and don’t care as much about top end, than I’d go with the 2.5″ pipes. If you’re looking for better overall performance in the quarter mile, my guess is 2 3/4″ is best.
I have a 2001 f150 4.6l v8, with its original single exhaust. I am looking for a cheap way to make it sound throatier with added performance with duels. Any suggestions?
Hunter – You can probably get more performance and better sound WITHOUT installing a dual exhaust. The biggest restriction in an exhaust system is the muffler. If you replace the stock muffler with an inexpensive aftermarket muffler, you’ll get more sound and a little more power.
Also, since your vehicle is more than 8 years of age, it’s a good idea to check the catalytic converter and make sure it’s not clogged.
Ok, that helps but I really like the look of duals. What do you have to say about glass packs?
Glass packs are fine, provided you get them from a reputable company. If you go really cheap (you can get them for as little as $20 each) they can blow out on you.
Magnaflow makes some universals that cost less than $50 a piece, and they’ll make your truck loud like a race car. As far as power, you’ll see a slight bump…the best way to add power is to go with a tuned cat-back exhaust system. However, I’m not sure that there are a lot of tuned systems for the 4.6L and I’m not convinced they’re worth the cost. Might be better to go with an inexpensive pair of mufflers and invest in a tuner instead.
I don’t want “race car” loud, but people keep tellin me glass packs are the cheap way to go for a deep tone.
Hunter – Glass packs are cheap for a reason…they’re pretty loud. But it’s all relative of course. At my current age (I’m 33), I might say they’re a little too loud. Ten years ago I would have loved them and said they were perfect.
My advice is to go with a decent quality muffler from Magnaflow or Flowmaster – you’ll get good tone without spending a lot, but you won’t have to worry about it being too loud. The mufflers cost $150-$200.
I have a 1997 K1500 with a 350vortec. It has factory 2″ true duals all the way to the muffler and 3″ out the back. Each bank has a Cat. today I put on a flowmaster 50 series delta dual 2-1/4″ in/out and it is dumped right after the muffler. I noticed a huge difference in my low end torque after and bow it seems sluggish and doesnt make it through the hills around here anymore without down shifting. Would it help to put a 2-14″ – 3″ Y-pipe after the muffler and finish the exhaust out the back or what? Any ideas would help
The difference I meant was a decrease in low end torque.
John – The “butt dyno” is inherently unreliable…my only advice is to do a before and after dyno test.
Also, use caution when dumping your exhaust after the muffler. See this page for more details: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/dump-exhaust-system-early-after-the-muffler/
I have an infiniti i30 1996 and i need help on my exhaust system. One of my freinds told me to get a y pipe. What do you reccamend for my car and do you sell any products for it? thanks for your help
-joe
Joe – No idea, and unfortunately we do not sell mufflers either. As for a y-pipe, I’m a fan of adding them to any V6.
I have a 1999 mercury cougar v6 and my car had 2 mufflers on it. I thought it was too quiet so I called a muffler shop and he told me to bring the car in and he would take off both mufflers and put pipe in it’s place. He said it was the best and cheapest way to make my car louder. A couple days ago I have been noticing a loss in low end torque it’s a lot slower off the line. Do u think getting rid of the mufflers made this happen or what?
Aaron – That’s certainly possible, but a loss of power would have been noticed right after this modification was made. If you’re feeling a power loss now – and it’s been some time since the mufflers were deleted – the problem is elsewhere.
Generally, however, deleting your mufflers is a bad idea. It rarely boosts performance, and it increases the chances you’ll get a ticket for noise violations.
I had the torque loss right after he did the muffler delete. I love the sound of the exhaust it’s not very loud but has a nice low growl. I would like to have my torque back but I don’t know how to go about doing it without spending a ton of money.
Aaron – Got it. You don’t need to spend much…just get the shop to add a couple of glasspacks (or other inexpensive muffler they have) and then a y-pipe to give you the best tone. It should cost $150-250 including parts and labor, and you’ll get the low-end power back.
i have a 05 chevy 1500 and looking at getting duals i dont want too loud or too quiet a nice deep tone but not sure what to get put on.
dylan – Borla is known for producing top-quality exhaust systems that are neither too loud nor too quiet, and don’t have a lot of drone either.
TR6, I have a MONZA free flow exhaust on my 69 TR6, looks nice but way too loud, would adding a resonator closer to the front help mellow down this sound? thanks
Rob – No idea.
Rob – it doesn’t matter where the resonator is cause the exhaust is still gonna flow through it maybe put 2 resonators on it 1 right after the cats and on about 6″ before the muffler if you can
I have a 2011 F250 with a 6.2L. I recently had a duel exhaust system installed with (2) flow master 40s and 3″ pipe. Is there any foreseen issues I may have?
NellyMorse – No issues, but you might find that you lost a little bit of low-end torque if you dyno’d it.
I have a 99 chev z71 new body style with true duals 5.3l engine and I need to temporarily hold my exhaust tips on till I weld them on, on Monday today is Friday please help (not using clamps or I’ll never be able to remove the tips)
Dakota – This probably isn’t the answer you’re looking for, but I’d wait until Monday. If one of the tips falls off while you’re on the highway, it’s as good as gone.
Hi, I have a ford edge, with a 3.5L V6, I already have a K&N intake with an SCT custom tune, But I was looking at upgrading the exhaust to a magnaflow cat-back system to increase the flow, but my main question is should I replace the whole system or just put better mufflers on? I would want to stay very close to the stock pipe diameter so I wont lose low end power, and I know doing this will make it louder, but how much?
Kelton – The cat-back systems offer more power, but the difference between just replacing the mufflers and going with a full cat-back isn’t huge. I’ve never seen any real data to suggest a full cat-back is good for more than 10hp (with testing on my own to match), and I’ve seen evidence that a muffler can add 3-5 hp all by itself.
Therefore, the difference between a full cat-back and a muffler is a few HP (single digits in all likelihood).
Having said that, cat-back systems are also tuned for sound. If you go with an off-the-shelf muffler, you might not be as happy about the exhaust note.
Decisions, decisions…good luck.
Have a 99 Ford Taurus with a 3.0L V-6. Ok, now that your done laughing, I want this car to be unique. Unfortuantely since I don’t have 12 grand to sink into it to turn it into a race car, I have opted (for now) to just swap mufflers (catback to come hopefully). Need ideas since I have no idea what type of muffler to throw on. Everyone has a v8 which is hard to mess up exhaust notes on or a 4 cylinder which just ends up droning. Droning is my biggest fear and I have no idea how a little v6 will sound. Suggestions??
Oh, I might add that I have a cold air intake and I have also removed the intake silencer on my Taurus.
Adam – No laughing on my end. It’s far better to modify that car than to leave it as-is. My only advice is to add a cross pipe. V6 combustion is inherently unbalanced, so you get a better exhaust note when you connect both sides of the exhaust system to one another. Provided you go with a muffler that’s only moderately loud you’ll get a decent sound (don’t got with the big performance muffler or you’ll be sorry).
For inspiration, check out V6 Mustang exhaust systems on the 99-05 model. They don’t sound too bad.
cross pipe as in an H or X pipe right?
Right.
ok, where would a cross pipe go on a single exhaust though?
I thought that the purpose of a cross pipe was to build an exhuast
system that looks like a dual but isn’t actually one….
Adam – My bad. I assumed you were adding a dual. If you’re going to stick with the single exhaust, I’d recommend a performance exhaust system that advertises itself as “quiet”. Not sure what fits a 99 Taurus, so you’ll have to look around to find it. But I know that DynoMax has some Walker quiet-flow mufflers that offer good sound and good performance.
I have a 54 chevy wagon with a weld on port for dual or single y flow exhaust…old exhaust original and falling down…would a dual system be ok for it? orignal 235 engine
Ray – Single will probably have better performance, but I’m not sure it will be noticeable on an old 235. Follow your heart!
I have a 2007 chevy with a flowmaster, I recently noticed my truck has a flex pipe, will a flex pipe effect the loudness of my flowmaster and what are some pros and cons of a flex pipe and is it necessary ?, no one around here has rarely ever seen one and I’ve heard they wear out to easy
mick – As far as I know, flexpipe has no (or almost no) impact on sound. As for pros and cons, flex pipe is likely to leak sooner than regular tubing, and it’s also creating a little more drag in the exhaust system, so it may be effecting power in an oh-so-small way. I’m not sure that I’d recommend replacing it right away or anything, but next time you’re upgrading the exhaust system it’s a good idea to get rid of it.
i have 1998 chevy tahoe with no catylic converters and no mufflers true duals and it has 5 by 18 inch tips what would happen if i put 1 1/2 inch pipe from the manifold back?
Just bought a 2012 300c with 5.7 liter engine. What exhaust system would you recommend? Will adding a new exhaust void my warrenty?
Flow master 70 series axle back sounds nice alone with a magnaflow street series both are throaty and nice deep and rumble tones but if you buy the kit and get it installed at a by aechamic it will not I repeat NOT void your warranty but if you do it your self or by anyone who not a mechanic or welder it will void it
I have a 2004 Camry 3liter v6. Stock the car has about 210hp.. If I went with a catback system I know I won’t pick up too much hp but what system would sound the nicest? A little throatier but not with a constant ricey drone at cruising speeds is what I’m looking for.
im thinking of buying a new exhaust for my 2007 vw polo gti 1.8 turbo, are the backpressures different for turbo cars and n/a cars?
I have a 2010 Challenger with a V6 3.5 litre engine,single exhaust.Can I put a stock 2010 R/T Challenger (with manual trans) dual exhaust system on the V6 without having a negative effect on throttle response,low end torque or performance?
The single exhaust is a 2.5 inch system with a large mid-muffler and the usual resonator at the rear.The dual system is the same diameter pipes,I believe,but has mufflers and resonators on each side.There is an “H” pipe at the front of the system.The mid-mufflers are small compared to the original single exhaust muffler.
I am more after the dual exhaust look out the back and prefer factory parts but do not want to hinder any stock performance.
I note that the 2011 and up V6 Challengers have a similar true dual exhaust system.
Thanks for any help and suggestions.
Hi,
I’m shopping around for an after-market exhaust system for my 98 Dodge Ram 1500 5.2L. I want a nice, low rumble. The volume isn’t much of a concern, but I know that going with an after-market exhaust will increase the volume. What would you recommend?
I’ve got some thoughts about the exhaust system for a diesel. First of all I must give you credits for your knowledge and helpfulness, Jason. I’ve read everything on this page thoroughly, and virtually every comment and every response. There’s still some things I wonder though.
It’s regarding a 4.0 V8 diesel twin turbo.
As stock it came with true dual exhaust system with dual catalytic converters(1 on each downpipe ofc), after that both pipes joined into one large particulate filter(which aswell works as a resonator?), after that the pipes split up again into 1 muffler on each side.
I have removed the particulate filter and replaced it with straight pipes, dual pipes from one end to the other. Thus the exhaust system does no longer have a crossover section there, as it had before. The mufflers after the particulate filter where replaced with straight pipes aswell. The replacing pipes has the same diameter as the stock pipes has otherwise.
How important is “back-pressure” for a turbocharged(twinturbo) diesel engine?
Does NOT having a crossover section affect performance? (Would I gain more from having a crossover X- or H-pipe?)
Does removing the mufflers affect performance? (Some say I lose back pressure which in turn makes me lose both throttle response and power/torque.)
To which extent can I increase the size of the pipes in order to gain performance? (They are quite large even stock, I think the downpipes are dual 3″(or 2.5″) and then the pipes narrows to dual 2.5″(or 2″).)
Will I be able to gain any performance by removing the stock cats?(By replacing with either sports/race cats or straight pipes)
My goal is to optimize the exhaust system for performance.
Erik – Your question inspired a blog post – see http://www.exhaustvideos.com/2186/diesel-exhaust-system-performance-questions/
i have a 99 infiniti q45 V8, my car has a single exhaust system with 2 pipes, i was looking to put a dual exhaust but i have to customize it by taking off the stock muffler, i was told at a muffler shop that since my car has 2 cats in the front and 2 resonators in the middle that they could run 2 pipes from where they cut the muffler out and weld pipes out to make it dual exhaust, would this hurt my performance? would it sound loud?
Manny – I don’t like straight pipes (they’re very loud and a great way to get a noise ordinance ticket) and they do hurt power, just like the article above says. If your muffler shop adds a couple of decent performance mufflers, you’ll be OK…just remember, exhaust mods aren’t worth more than a few HP. Don’t spend big-bucks on mufflers if you’re hoping for a big increase in power.
hey, I have a Toyota Celica 91, it has aftermarket extractors which attach to my cannon exhaust. i was wondering if it would sound or be worth it to cut off a part of the extractors so it has 2 pipes, then run straights or dual exhausts off that?
thanks
Kurt – See my comments above regarding the low-end torque implications of straight pipes. I don’t know what it would sound like.
i have a 2001 integra gs, stock exhaust. I just wanted to know something..if my inlet is 2.25, is it okay if i buy an aftermarket muffler with an inlet of 2.5 or does it have to be exactly 2.25?
Hussein – Doesn’t have to be the same size. Just bear in mind that you’ll have to do more work to make it fit.
I have a 2000 Mitsubishi eclipse 5-speed 4-cylinder. I want to make it sound deeper and more like a truck I guess is there anything you could recommend?
Zach – Short of swapping out that 4-cylinder for a V8, I don’t have any ideas…it’s impossible to make a 4 sound like an 8.
Hey Jason, I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4.7 H.O. . The stock single exhaust is 2.5 inches in diameter and about 5 months ago I had a Magnaflow muffler installed. It made a pretty big difference in power output because the stock muffler was very restrictive. I also have a performace chip plugged into the ODB-2 sensor port that advances the engines timing for 50+ hp and a K&N air filter. I was wondering if I have the shop install 3 inch pipe from the dual cat’s back to a 3 inch Magnaflow and out the rear. Would a half inch increase in the single exhaust degrade my Jeep’s performance?
Albert – Short answer? Probably. If you’ve removed the factory muffler, you’ve fixed 90% of the problem. If I were you, I’d spend money on something else, like suspension, brakes, or tunes. Buying a new set of pipes *might* gain you 2 or 3 hp if you do it just right. Therefore, it’s not worth it.
I have a 2006 mazda 3, with an after market 3inch intake. Headers are coming this week. What size muffler should i put on it so my overall speed and torque are in ballance? Im just looking for a basic upgrade. Thanks.
brent – If you can buy a kit that’s tuned, that would be ideal. Otherwise, I’d stick with a basic upgraded muffler and go from there.
In all honesty, when you’re building your own system like this, finding a good muffler shop is important. Check with your local Miata racing club to see who they recommend.
I have a 2010 VE commodore omega with the stock exhaust, but i have the rear baffles of a VE SSV redline. it sounds a lot different but i can feel the car has lost power when it comes to acceleration. the pipes are the same size. I was wondering if you could tell me if the rear mufflers should be changed back to stock standard in case its damaging my engine.
Jacob – Damaging your engine? Very unlikely. Diminishing low-end torque? Could be. I’m sorry, but I don’t even know what a VE Commodore Omega is (is it an Aussie car?), so that’s all I’ve got for you.
First off, thanks for answering all our questions. I have an 04 Audi S4 with a 4.2L v8. I upgraded the factory 2″ piping to 2 1/4″, removed the factory resonator, removed the precat, added an x-pipe, and installed cherry bomb extreme mufflers. The sound is pretty good, but I’m looking for a slightly higher pitch, potentially louder as well. What happens to my tone if I increase my pipe diameter to 2.5″? What happens to my tone if I add in a second x-pipe? I had an H pipe prior to the x-pipe, and I got a higher pitched tone with the X vs the H. Along with that, Im thinking if I go with a spintech sportsman pro (non chambered like I have now) that I may get a higher pitch as well. I basically want to accentuate my 7500 rpm redline as much as possible. Thank you!
Matt – Cross-pipes balance output and generally emphasize lower frequencies. So if you’re looking for a raw sound, you might try removing the cross-pipe.
Also, the highest frequency sounds are absorbed inside the mufflers. If you’re looking for more noise, cheaper mufflers might get you where you want to go…only Cherry Bomb Extremes are probably as good as you’re going go do if you’re looking for noise.
Finally, I don’t think pipe diameter has much of an impact on sound.
we are about to build my chevy 350 to around 400 horsepower..it will have performance headers…and i want to put 3 inch duals with flowmasters..could my engine handle it?
Damien – Sure! Can you handle losing some low-end power? Check out this table of ideal exhaust pipe diameters.
http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/#easy
You’ll see the optimal size for a 350-400hp engine is 2.25″ to 2.5″ pipes on a dual system, or one single 3″ pipe. If you go with dual 3″ pipes, you’re going to lose torque off the line.
we decided were going to build it to 500 horsepower. im sure 3 inch duals wont affect me to much?
Damien a 3″ exhaust won’t affect you much my factory Chevy has 3″ I know also as my dads s-10 is running 4″ exhaust with a 383 striker pushin only 425hp so 3″ will be ok and what mufflers do you want? What type of tone are you looking for???
Lookn at cherry bombs..either vortex or extremes…were buildin motor some…be round 400 maybe more..my friend had 3 inch duals and his chevy to. but his motor was built when bought it..we dont know how much built…my truck is dual str8 piped..and his has mufflers..and its louder than mine…cause of his built motor…idk i just want 3 inch duals off my headers but everybody says ull lose back pressure
At 500hp, 3″ is close to optimal.
i just talked to my mechanic..hes gettin price on new 350..1000 dollar headers. and whtever else thts necessary…doin 3 inch duals. lol
Hey i just bought a big hmong like muffler dont know diamater but i plan on putting it on my 2000 alero 4 cylinder what would the effects be?
Did you read the article?
I have a 1983 Chevy c30 Dually with a 7.4 liter 454 and my father in law as a dodge ram exhaust would it be okay to put that on my truck mine is completely shot and back fires alot till warm
I have an 04 Mustang V6 3.8L, have a dual 2 1/2″ pipe w/ 2 Spintec mufflers installed. The muffler shop didn’t have the 2 1/4″ mandrel bent pipe so they suggested & I went along with the 2 1/2″. After driving it for awhile, I had noticed the low end torque wasn’t great so I went back to the shop & asked them to converted back to a single exhaust system. They cut & capped the 2nd exhaust about 2″ after the x-pipe. Would you please let me know if this is ok as I’m a bit concern about air flow restriction as it’s not really a true y-pipe configuration. My gas mileage is also not that great. I’m only getting around 20 mpg mostly freeway driving but short distance (7 miles ea way). Should I have them replace the x to a y-pipe now that I’m running single exhaust & also reduce the pipe size to 2″ or 2 1/4″? Please advice.
John – Technically, cutting and capping the pipe should result in no ill effect on your exhaust gas flow. However, gases that sit inside that section of pipe will eventually cool, and at that time there will be some sort of flow inside that small section of pipe…but in all likelihood it will not explain your power loss.
Keep in mind that 1) the “butt dyno” is notoriously inaccurate, 2) a small increase in pipe size won’t have a huge effect. I don’t know that I would go back to 2.25 inch if you’re going to stick with a single exit.
However, a dual exit 2.25″ exhaust is quite a bit for a 200hp V6, so you’re wise to get rid of that.
Hey I have a 2002 volvo s80 and I was thinking about cutting after the resonator and installing a flowmaster 44 muffler single in and dual out. Do i need to get a smaller or larger diameter to fit on the muffler both inlet and outlet?
Alex – No idea. Crawl under and take some measurements.
Wanting to put dual exhaust on a 4 cylinder. I have seen your comments on not doing this. I have a 1973 fiat spider 1800 engine. Doing a restoration and rebuild on the engine. Dual plane intake with 2 2 brl carbs 37.5 mm exhaust 43mm intake with a high perfomance cam. It has a 4 to 2 exhaust manifold with 2 drop pipes that converge into collecter then to a single pipe to a muffler. I want to cut the pipes at the collector they appear to be 2 inch. Can I run 2 2 inch pipes to 2 cherry bombs and exit on each side before the rear tires. Unable to run out the back do to the gas tank location and height. Or do I need to reduce them to a smaller pipe. Is this worth the work or is it a waste of time. not a exhaust guy or much of a 4 cylinder person.
Zail – Waste of time and money, mostly because there’s only one cylinder pumping out exhaust gases at any given time. Running a dual exhaust has no real benefits provided the single system is properly sized.
What’s more, running a dual could hurt performance by reducing low-end torque and adding weight.
I say skip it.
Dual exhaust on a 98 Camry v6 good or bad idea all stock for now. ( Jeremy M )
Jeremy – I’m not a huge fan of the idea, but it’s definitely not a bad notion.
My opinion is that a good muffler on the stock system will give you 80-90% of the performance benefits at less than half the cost.
I want to put dual exhaust on my evo 8, but heres the catch. i want to do a turbo back system, then off of the turbo back system with High flow cat, ( after the cat) put butterfly valve and a pipe that stem off to the other muffler. this makes it so i can have a car that is quiet, but also can have the option of more power and that wonderful sound, any thoughts?
Check out QTP exhaust cut-outs. Might be what you’re looking for. http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/blog/2010/06/16/qtp-electric-exhaust-cutouts/
HOWDY
2 DIFFERENT CARS I WOULD LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, A 2008 HONDA RIDGELINE…….WHATS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THIS V-6 BREATH EASIER, OR IS IT ALREADY DOING IT’S BEST.
2006 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS V-8 AND ONLY 27,000 MILES…..I WANTED TO HEAR THE V-8 A TAD MORE AS WELL AS GIVE IT SOME NEEDED BREATHING. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE
DENNIS
Dennis – For the Ridgeline, I think you’re going to have trouble getting much more out of it. Intake, exhaust, and computer programmers are the three best things you can add, but unfortunately there aren’t a lot of those available for the Ridgeline (at least not to my knowledge).
The options on the Grand Marquis, however, are numerous. Ford Racing makes all *kinds* of parts for that 4.6L motor, as does the aftermarket. As I said above, intake, exhaust and programmers are your first options, but new heads and intake manifolds are reasonably priced, as are supercharger kits.
i drive a 2005 ford focus zx3 2.0L and i cut most of my exghaust off, well i cut the resonator box off then my muffler, now theres just header, coming off from that my cat, then a silencer, and now my car is experiencing huge power loss, its dam loud and my car is really slower in mid to high rpms, i thought the silencer and cat would work for the meantime, but there a huge power loss, why is that, and what can i do. please help me
Jonathan – Classic example of how making your exhaust less restrictive ultimately screwed up your torque curve. The cause, specifically, is that you’ve made the exhaust system effectively a lot “bigger”, and this has slowed down your exhaust gas, which has reduced scavenging in the cylinders.
My advice? Restore your system to stock, then just replace the OEM muffler with a good after-market unit.
Hey Jason! I drive a 96 Chevy Lumina. K&N filter! ( plan on intake real soon). Deleted resonator and muffler! It sounds alright for themot part, but I want it louder! Could you please direct me into the right direction. It has the 3100 V6….I’m thinking of the super 10 series muffler but after reading this whole blog, I’m considering glass packs! So, that would make it LOUDER??
Glass packs or anything really cheap should do the trick.
Bahahaha like this one
Just fitted NXTSTEP S/Steel axil back boxes for a 2013 GT Mustang. The system looks great,seen on ebay, but I have an issue at the cruising speed of 60/70 with rpm at 2000 the drone 100rpm ither side is very loud.I am looking for a fix as the rest of the range is Ok. What could be done to move this up or down the rev range? Air Box,H pipe very small in line additional mufflers,help.
Regards
Gordon
Gordon – It’s a common problem, and I don’t have a solution. I will tell you that a mustang owner on Corral.net eliminated drone by adding a tuned stovepipe to his exhaust system. You can read about it here: http://forums.corral.net/forums/general-mustang-tech/496793-exhaust-drone-completely-gone.html
Bear in mind that these types of modifications can effect performance, if only just a little.
Thank you Jason, the site you gave me is full of the same issue, but as I thought a fix is out there.
Best Regards
Gordon
i just putted a 40 series on a 2011 silverado but the inlet is 3inch and i have dual and they are both 2.5 inch i was wondering is my motor in long terms lose any power that it aready has
fernando – See sizing charts here: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/
So I just bought a 2004 g35 sedan I have added to it a stillen z tube and a jwt pop air filter with a magnaflow exhaust I am not all that familiar with newer car systems do I need to have my car tuned for it or will this perform just fine? Thank you
Ivan – You don’t *need* a tune – but you’ll find that a tune at a good dyno shop (or a remote tune) – will get you some more power.
Thanks for the info Jason I think I will do it when I put a hi flow cat thank you again for the info
I have a 1993 Chevy k1500 and when i bought the truck, it had headers, gutted (empty) Cats, Thrush Welded mufflers, and dual tips. Both left and right side pipes were completely separate and never connected.
However, the pipes rotted and now im going back to Original factory exhaust. Would the stock muffler be any different with 1 pipe coming out rather than 2? Because every parts store is giving me different information on the 1993 exhaust year. Thank you
James – I’m all but certain a stock 1993 GM 1500 had a single exit exhaust (well, maybe the SS trucks had duals) from the factory. SO, there’s absolutely no problem with using a dual in single out exhaust.
However, if you’re looking for performance, you may find that a tuned dual exhaust system (check out cat-back systems from flowmaster, magnaflow, or gibson) will give you more power.
Hey, my friend just put a new exhaust on my Lancer coupe.
And now the back wheel won’t turn after the hand break has been put on. If you don’t have the hand break on it drives but smokes really bad. This only happen after he had put this on.. Can you help me?
Tash – First, prevent further damage. Don’t drive the car if doing so causes something to smoke.
Next, if I had to guess, I’d say the handbrake cable got pinched during the exhaust system install. I’d trace it back and figure out where the problem is.
Okay thanks. Ill have a look when I get home. We thought it may have been caused from the sparks off the welder on the line but couldn’t get under to have a good look.
Did did connect the ground on your battery to stop it from causing harm to any electronically controlled piece in your car????
i have a 03 F-150 5 speed 4.2 V6 single cab, and had it Y’d off with 2.5 inch pipes, but i hate the way it sounds! its not loud enough, should i get it “true dualed” or have a single pipe running our infront of the rear right tire? i cant decide. please respond!!
i have a 4.2 03 f-150 5 speed Y’d off, and i dont think its loud enough, i like my trucks LOUD, should i have it true dualed, or on pipe running out in front of the rear passenger side tire? i cant decide! please help i dont know much about this stuff!
True dual with 2.5″ exhaust with no cats and bottles or reauthorized would suffice for a loud truck as mine is true dual with 2.5 piping.and bottles and she’s loud and I still got my cats in but I would prefer straight piped but be aware to tune your engine for ths amount of back pressure your getting!!! Otherwise the relist of revving it too high could be blowing up your too end
Hi I have a dodge dakota 01 4×4 the cat s are in the y pipe thay are roted off. can i change y pipe and put 1 cat and if so what to do with cencers .thank you
I don’t understand what you wrote. Spelling and proper grammar aren’t required to comment here, but they sure make it easier for me to help you.
i have a 96 eclipse with cold air intake. non turbo and i am doing dual exhaust. would a 2.25 id pipe be the best result ?
I have a 2000 Volvo S 40 with a stock exhaust right now the pipe is 2 1/4 inch if i where to put a 3 inch pipe would i need to get a new turbo charger to fit the pipe or could i just use an adapter to make it fit?
David – You can use a new pipe and an adapter. However, you might look for a downpipe kit first.
Hey, I just read this thread and i learned many valuable tips. I have a question concerning my 08 nissan 350z. My car has a y pipe coming from the dual cats measuring about 2.25 merging to 2.5 inch to a single exhaust measuring around 2.36inch.
I was thinking of getting a magnaflow single exhaust system designed for my 350z. However, the pipe size is 2.5 inches. I know that getting a tune for the exhaust would help but i am trying to avoid getting a tune. I rather get the exhaust system to change the exhaust noise. My concern deals with the change of pipe size from 2.36 to 2.5 that might affect the low end torque power. Will this change lower my low end torque if i were to increase the pipe size?
Thanks,
Angel
Angel – I’d be very surprised if going from 2.36″ to 2.5″ tubing would make a noticeable difference, especially on a powerful car like the 350Z. I say go for it.
If your looking for sound don’t just go with a muffler get a cat-back system there tuned for sound and maximum torque gain as the back pressure is tuned for a factory engine and if your really wanting sound than also get a couple of magnaflow high flow cats because with the less distortion from a factory style cat you get better exhaust flow which means more power and also more sound because the sound is carried through the air flow and my friend put a flo pro cat back system on his 350z and it sounds amazing I would highly recommend a flo pro cat back system over a magnaflow
True Dakota but I would rather not mess with the emission problems by changing the cats for HFC or TP. I rather get the magnaflow direct fit cat since its emissionable and says can free some of the restrictions. The two magnaflow cats cost about 1200 for both sides.
I am not about having the fastest car in the world but enough to get by people,
Thanks
Thanks Jason. Yeah I was just making sure because I notice on your thread that you mentioned car manufactures designed the exhaust pipe size based on what they believe the car is capable of performing at its best. If they created 2.3 inches for the exhaust why did they not create 2.5inches on a 350z instead? Thats what concerns me of changing pipe sizes.
I understand. Keep in mind the size chart is a rough estimate, rounded to the nearest common pipe size available.
Hey Jason, i was thinking of going to a another direction where the exhaust tanabe is 2.75 inches from 2.36 stock. Will this 2.9inch increase have an impact on the low end torque since it much bigger?
Angel – It’s more likely, as this is a 35% increase in cross-sectional area. However, if you’re making other performance improvements – or if this is part of a tuned cat-back system – there’s a good chance that it will help.
In all honesty, it’s impossible for you to make this decision without testing. Therefore, I would either a) try both or b) invest in a tuned system that someone else has already designed to fit your car.
Hey I’m fixing to have new tips put ony new exhaust kit, should I get weld on tips or stick with the clamp on ones? I’m kinda afraid the clamps will eventually give out.
Dylan – If you weld them, there’s no chance they’ll fall off. If you clamp them, there’s a small chance the clamps will loosen and fall off.
SO, I’d weld them and be done with it. Your local muffler shop won’t charge much to take care of it.
Thanks Jason, should I have my exhaust Y’d off from the Cat converter back? Or true dual it? It’s a 4.2 V6 motor
Dylan – I would do a cat-back. A true dual isn’t really necessary on a V6 since the left and right banks of the motor aren’t balanced anyways…
If it was me, I’d go with a single inlet dual outlet performance muffler and call it a day. That will be the most affordable option and it will also be good for a few HP.
I tried that before I put this Y’d off Dual set on there, and it didnt sound that great, plus it looked kinda dumb lol, but now I have a 3.25 inch pipe converting into a 2.5 inch dual pipe, is that good or bad? I’m also about to put tips on that’r 4 inch outlet if that matters at all
Dylan – If you’ve got some 3.25″ pipe on there and the factory pipe was only 2.5″, you’re probably going to see performance fall off. I would go with a factory-like setup until you get to the cat. After the cat, I would do either 1) a factory sized pipe + after-market muffler or 2) a quality after-market cat-back system.
Bottom line: There’s no need to stray too far from the factory setup. A good after-market muffler is going to add power and sound without screwing up performance or fuel economy.
Hi, I have a ’97 Honda Accord LX and it runs great. A few months ago I had the tail pipe replaced and I noticed that it’s much smaller than my old one and other small cars that I see on the road. Suddenly my car has completely shut off twice while I was driving – but the radio and lights and everything was still working. It’s never done this before I had the work done. I was wondering if the small tail pipe can cause this to happen?
Tracy – It’s possible, but I’d look for codes being set in the engine before I swapped out the tailpipe.
Also, it’s good to remember that 16 year old cars can die for no apparent reason without anything being wrong.
Thank you!
Just added supercharger to a 4.6 ford should I change anything from the exhause manifold back if so what should I change for best performance must stay quite sleeper
Mike – Awesome! The best way to milk all the power of a supercharged engine is to re-do the system with headers, a high-flow cat, and then a good mandrel-bent performance system.
However, if that’s not in the budget, I’d suggest swapping out the muffler for an after-market unit. It will be louder, but it will be less restrictive…and my guess is that the factory muffler is the bottleneck in your system right now.
I have an ’01 Nissan Maxima GLE. My muffler and intermediate pipe were replaced at Meineke. The muffler is smaller than the OEM by Nissan.
Should I be concerned about this? Will it affect engine performance or cause damage?
Steve – The physical size of the muffler doesn’t matter too much – it’s more about the design. In fact, a smaller muffler could be less restrictive. However, if you went with an OEM replacement, it’s likely Meineke strapped on a less expensive version of what you had. It likely won’t last as long as the OEM unit, but it was probably a lot less expensive too.
I have a 2010 subaru Impreza Rs (sedan). I don’t know much about exhaust systems, local muffler shop suggested a catback system which isnt loud but has a nice tone. What should i keep an eye out for and the type of questions i should ask? In order to have performance, a nice soft idle and a nice yet not too loud tone on acceleration.
Im a new to this and want to have fun with my car without annoying nieghbors and police. Hope you can help.
Thanks
nathan – First, check out this post about how much exhaust systems should cost – lots of good background info: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-much-exhaust-system-cost/
Next, as far as figuring out if you’re working with the right shop…
- Good muffler shops are always busy, and they’re never national chains like Meineke (or similar)
- Local racing clubs are a great place to find the best exhaust system shops, as is the local drag strip. Call them up and ask them for a recommendation.
- Be sure to ask whatever shops you might want to work with if they guarantee their work, and for how long
- You also want to ask them if they think a tuned cat-back system from someone like Borla is better than a custom system they build in the shop. If they say they’re better, ask them if they mandrel bend or not…if they don’t, I’d be hesitant to work with them without a strong recommendation from someone in the community
As a general rule, I believe tuned cat-back systems offered by major exhaust system manufacturers are the way to go. They’re a little more costly than the locally built systems, but they’re guaranteed to improve performance. With a poorly built local system, you could see a reduction in power and more noise than you like…only some local shops are as good as the national companies, so it just depends on who you have in your town.
Hi Jason,
I have a 5.7L Jeep GC (cam/heads/LT headers/stock SRT catback) that is just too damn loud. It was cool at first, but is wearing on me and I need to quiet it down some. The stock muffler is a funky design (baffled), for I get hot exhaust out of one pipe and cold out of the other. I have done some research and I was wondering if I went with smaller pipe (2.25″ from 2.75″) and the magnaflo x-pipe muffler (same diameter as stock, dual in/out), if that would quiet it down enough. Would going with two single turbo style mufflers and an h-pipe be better in reducing the sound?
If you like the exhaust but it’s,too loud just throw s couple resonators in with the exhaust as there designed to quieten the exhaust that way my 2010 challenger had out of the factory was 2 resonators and 4 cats
Aaron – If you’re getting hot exhaust out of one pipe and cold exhaust out of the other, something isn’t working. My guess is that the pipes are too big…a dual 2.75inch system is big enough for a 550+ hp engine, and I’m guessing you’re closer to 350hp. Dropping down to 2.25″ pipes will probably improve performance.
That aside, the best way to change the sound is go swap out the muffler. If you go with something a little less aggressive – you might check out Flowmaster’s Force II mufflers, which are quieter than average (or something similar).
Adding resonators or changing pipe sizes might have a small impact, but if you’re looking for something that’s more than a little bit quieter, you’ll need a new muffler.
Jason he has the arts which has the Hemi (395 HP Stock) he’s easily pushing 450 with his mods
Srt8 damn auto correct
O.K.,
Would I get more sound attenuation by using a single large suitcase muffler or two turbo mufflers? The stock system has a single suitcase after the cats and resonators at the tailpipes. I’m guessing the Flowmaster is a chambered/baffled design, which from my research, an h-pipe is better suited for, as opposed to an x-pipe. If I go with dual mufflers, I will definately need a cross-over of some sort.
Thanks.
Hey Jason,
I just bought a 2012 F-150 with the 5.0L engine. I was thinking about putting a Corsa exhaust on it (that’s what I put on our Suburban, and it sounds great). Do you have any comments or suggestions? They offer the 14393 Sport system (about $820) and the 24393 dB Sport system (about $510). Is there enough of a difference in these two systems to warrant a $300+ price difference?
BTW, I am looking for something that will not produce a noticeable difference in sound while idling or cruising, but will let you know I am there when I get on it.
Brian – If you have a Corsa system that you like already, I say go for it.
As for the difference between the two systems, dB exhausts look like they’re made from 409 stainless (only the tips are 304), while the entire Corsa system is made from 304…but I can’t prove that to you, as the Corsa and dB product info I’m finding is cryptic.
To learn more about 304 vs 409 stainless, see this page: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/stainless-vs-aluminized-steel-exhaust-system/
Doing a little research, it seems like the cheaper option is loud just to be loud. It sounds like the more expensive system is what I am looking for (not noticeable at idle or cruising, only when I get on it).
Thanks for the help.
Hey Jason, im biulding a 1987 swb c10, and I see you have a great deal of knowledge here that I’m lacking( im 18 know a bunche just exhaust/ proper back pressure has me lost)I have built my self a sbc 383 (350 stroked) and I’m running air gap intake and 906 vortec heads that had the 1.94 s seats and throats cut to 2.02, 64cc chambers And stock runners which I believe are 215 cc idk. The cam is a comp 280H .280 duration and .480/.480 lift with 1.6 roller rocker. I’m telling you all this because I’m not sure what is needed to determine the exhaust system. I’m lost on headers all the way back. I’ve herd from more expeirenced people that this should be a fairly powerful engine and it can run like a turd with out the right exhaust. The closest I’ve herd is a mandrel bent x pipe 2.5 pipe and flowmaster super 44s. So, therefore, what is your opinion?
Christopher – I can’t guess as to horsepower with all those specs, mostly because everything depends on tuning. However, a really nicely tuned 383 is going to put out 350-400hp, and according to this page – http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/ – a dual 2.5″ system is more than enough.
In fact, I’d probably go with a true dual 2.25″ inch if it’s a street car, as that should give you better performance on the low end (only it depends on a lot of factors…). What does your header manufacturer recommend?
Well I haven’t order any, because I’m not sure what to buy.
Hey Guys, rather than replace the whole exhaust system with a 2.5 inch that’s greater than the oem size and since the 2.5 exhaust system has no resisinator I decided to change the muffler instead so the change wont be that loud. The muffler is straight through and has the exact same size pipe connected to the muffler. The muffler has great sound and power however I notice a problem. I am looking at my gas mileage reader and I gained nearly 6 to 10 mpg, I am thinking great however I notice that I am killing more gas. I have read threads that says people are stepping on the gas to much but I am not since I have learned the hard way. How is it that I gain mpg but I am killing gas than unusual? I mean the piping is the same except its straight through muffler only.
Angel
Angel – There are a lot of items that effect fuel economy. I’d say it’s hard to know if the muffler is the only reason your gas mileage is up…it’s rare to see that big of an increase (1-2mpg is more likley).
Hello Jason. I have a 1998 Nissan Pathfinder and would like to upgrade my exhaust but I’m having trouble deciding on a set up. Its a v6 so would a dual exhaust be ok or should I stick with the dual in single out set up?
Alister – I’d stick with the factory setup. A dual isn’t going to do a whole lot to wake that engine up…better to spend your funds elsewhere in my opinion.
Hi, Jason. I am new to this exhaust thing so, your expertise is much appreciated. I have a Toyota Vios 2010 AT. I haven’t done any modification yet. Is it possible to change to dual exhaust and with what size and accessories? If it is not recommended, then what modification is best to bring out some performance? Thanks in advance.
OnNets – There isn’t much you can do to wake up the engine in the Vios – if I were you, I’d probably just swap out the muffler for something that’s a little louder, then invest in a performance after-market air cleaner, and then save my pennies for something with a bigger motor.
i have an 1984 pick up my muffler is broken and i wanting to just cut and weld a 82 muffler from a Camaro to my Toyota
will this swap have any affect on my car ?
Luis – Is buying a new muffler really out of the question? They’re pretty cheap, and if you buy new, you’ll get one that’s actually designed for the vehicle, so you won’t have to wonder if it’s a good idea or not…
Hello Jason. Seems like your the person to talk to about this seeing the crazy amount of questions you answer. My question is in regards to 2000 Jeep Cherokee I just purchased. She came with a “Dual” exhaust on her and was wondering if it would restrict the power of the vehicle. It is a 4.0 L I6 and the exhaust is actually just another pipe welded to another, making it a “Y” pipe. I don’t think it is necessary anyways and want to get it replaced, eventually… Would I also have to replace the muffler or any other component replacing the tail pipe? Thanks, Alex
Alex – A poorly tacked on dual exhaust pipe isn’t a huge hindrance. It’s not ideal – it’s extra weight and likely has some effect on exhaust flow – but it’s marginal. If you decide to replace things and money is no object, there are a lot of great 4.0L Jeep exhaust systems out there that will add power. Otherwise, I’d go to my local muffler shop and exhaust them to install a cat-back system. Just make sure they use mandrel-bent tubing (that’s pretty important, contrary to what most muffler shops will tell you).
Jason,
I have a 2003 nissan xterra, 3.3L V6 engine. As far as exhaust goes, I have deleted the stock muffler and replaced it with a aluminum thrush welded single in single out muffler.I have had it installed for a year, and I have noticed a tone change, its now deeper. Im not complaining, I just want more. The stock pipe size is 2.25″, I would like your opinion on changing to a custom cat back system. From the cat I want to jump to a 2.5″ pipe (from the 2.25″ stock pipe), single in dual out thrush welded muffler, 2.5″ out the muffler to the back. And finishing it with a 3.5″ tip. Now I have heard that the size tip can make a slight change. What do you think and suggest about my scheme of things? Thanks.
Justin – The section of the tubing before the muffler is what matters, and I’m not sure I’d suggest making that tubing bigger. Your truck is probably at or very close to 200hp, and going from 2.25″ to 2.5″ is going to make that tube just a bit too big…could hurt your power off the line.
the only reason I say 2.5 is that magnaflow has a cat back kit that is 2.5, but only single in single out. That kit is made for my year vehicle. I was unsure that by going dual if that would be too much air flow. Oh, I don’t know if this helps any with your opinion, but I’m not running the stock air box any more either. I now have a short ram intake system.
Justin – It’s hard to say. However, as a general rule, larger tubing on smaller displacement motors hurts low-end torque. This is mostly because the exhaust gases cool a little faster in a larger tube, which makes them more dense and “heavier,” which increases backpressure at lower RPMs.
So, unless you’re building a race vehicle, it’s generally better to be a little under-sized than a little over-sized, as most street drivers prefer low-end grunt to max power at high RPMs.
I have a 1997 grand marquis 4.6. I want to run true dual exhaust on it. What is a good pipe size? I know factory is 2″ and on this same car factory duals are 2″. I removed 4 cats and installed 2 new ones. Whats your input?
Jesse – See this page for the answer to your question: http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/
Off the top of my head, your plan to go with dual 2″ pipes sounds good.
hi jason i was just wondering iv got a 2005 1.4 twinport vauxaul corsa with a single pipe but i have just added a muffler backbox thats a foot and a half long 9 inch wide box with a 6 inch tip..it has seemed to improved the performance by alot but im worried at the fact that the engine is chain driven and it might not be good for it..good or bad?
Robert – As a general rule, changing your exhaust system configuration has no effect on the reliability of your engine. Until you start mounting turbos or flame-throwing exhaust systems, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
My son wants to convert the manufacturer exhaust system on his 2001 Tundra to a one to two exhaust with 4″ diameter pipes. I want to make a knowledgeable decision and want to avoid damaging the truck. Please direct me
Laura – You won’t damage anything provided the installation is completed by someone who knows what they’re doing (or who follows instructions very closely). However, dual 4″ tubes for a Tundra are far too big…tubes that big could reduce low-end torque and dampen the truck’s acceleration (which, now that I think about it, might not be so bad if your son is a young driver).
Also, I’m not quite clear on the one-to-two, but my guess is that the plan is to replace the single entry-single exit factory muffler with a single entry-dual exit muffler, then bolt some really big pipes to that. I like that basic idea just fine, it’s just the 4″ pipes I’m not understanding. 2.5″ tubing would be more logical.
Hi Jason i have a 98 c5 Corvette and i swich my exhaust to a slp loudmouth exhaust and i fill like i have lost horsepower Can this happen by swiching to a aftermarket exhaust ..??
jeremiah – Unless the exhaust you installed was clogged or something, the odds of losing horsepower (top-end speed) are low. What can happen, however, is that an over-sized system can rob some low-end torque.
Still, if the exhaust system you installed was designed specifically for your vehicle, I’d check the rest of the car.
I have an 08 Silverado single cab with a V6 I had true duels run on it at the sugestion of the muffler shop and it seemed to lose power rather than gain it I disconnected the negitive batter cable to reset the computer and it didn’t seem to help. I do have a chip ordered for it and will be putting a cold air system on it as well. I guess my question is should I put a “Y” on it or maybe go back to single exaust?
Freddy – Unless that true dual system is on the small side (see this page for advice on how big your tubes should be – http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/ – my guess is about 1.75″ per pipe), it’s likely that it’s hurting performance. When tubing gets too big, you lose low-end torque. My advice is to stick with the dual setup, but go with an appropriately sized set of tubes.
Hi Jason. They put 2 1/2 inch on it and from what I could tell just by looking that’s what can out of the cats. Maybe it’s just me I’m going to check the gas mileage tonight when I fill up. It seemed to do better last night it didn’t seem to down shift on some of the hills and seemed to up shift sooner.
Thanks for the help
Freddy
Hey, I have a 1977 Ford F250 custom that im almost done restoring. And I want to buy headers for it, and I was wondering what brand to chose. Also I was wondering if I could got with 1inch something piping? I want it to crackle and pop and scream. If you could help me, that would be great!
And I will also add on that it is a 351wid V8, and I don’t want to mess anything up with back pressure or anything. Get to the point it’s a crate motor and I don’t want to blow it up.
Paul – I don’t think you can blow it up unless you do something crazy. There are a lot of fine options for headers on your 351 – I don’t have a specific recommendation.
Hi I just bought a brand new 2013 mercedes c250 coupe with the AMG sports package and i regret not buying a c350 as the single exhaust really annoys me and makes it look like a girls car. How would I go about on making it dual exhaust? Will I lose power at all as it is currently a 4 cylinder 1.8L engine.
Taghipour – I don’t think a C250 is a girl’s car at all – sounds like a fun commuter car to me. In any case, I don’t recommend adding a second exhaust outlet. If you do, I’d add a single-entry dual-exit muffler, then run two smallish tubes (1.75″ each) to the back. You could also just hang a piece of tubing and leave it unconnected…the effect would be the same (a 4cylinder engine does NOT need a dual exhaust).
Thanks for the response Jason that was very fast haha. I appreciate the response and it sounds like you know what you are talking about so I’m going ahead and trusting your opinion on this one. My main concern however is that “if” I decided to just go ahead and do it will I be losing horse power at all? You also mention tubing, I was going to do that in the first place but the fact that no smoke will be coming out of it also bothers me haha.
Taghipour – If you just hang a pipe off the back and don’t connect it to the rest of the system, the only people who will know are you and your mechanic. The exhaust system on your C250 isn’t supposed to generating any visible smoke, except perhaps when you first start-up on a very cold day.
Hello Taghipour,
I accidentally read your post and wanted to give you my personal thoughts. The biggest difference you come to think of between a C250 and a C350 is the fact that the C250 has got a rather dull in-line 4-cyl engine, while the C350 has a V6 engine with alot more exciting exhaust note(as well as alot more power).
Adding the extra tip with a Y-pipe for the C250 would sure make it look much better, I agree, but no matter what you do with the exhaust system you won’t be able get that wonderful raspy V6 sound that the C350 is able to produce. Then again as Jason says, adding a dual exhaust for the C250 could possibly compromise with low-end torque and power. He undoubtedly has alot more knowledge about exhaust systems than I do, but I totally dislike the idea with hanging a second fake exhaust pipe that won’t be connected to the exhaust system. For several reasons.
First of all, it doesn’t have to be that cold outside to make the exhaust gases visible, imagine having 2 exhaust tips and smoke coming from only 1 of them. Second, my girlfriend has a 2011 C180 4-cyl with the single-sided exhaust setup and despite the small petrol engine, the exhaust tip gets quite dirty and almost black over time, which will make it even more visible that the other not connected exhaust tip is fake if you have one, also when the car is parked. And then again, just the other engine you get in the C350 makes that choice much more interesting in the first place. And you wouldn’t have to feel distressed about not having a dual exhaust system.
So if I were you, I would really consider the C350. If that’s not relevant for you anymore now, I would however not try and solve your issue by hanging a second pipe that’s not connected. Either do it with a Y-pipe to small inch pipes, or leave it as it is. Even though dual exhaust tips looks very hot, the single exhaust tip isn’t at all bad looking after all.
If you from the beginning contemplated between the two cars and the C350 was a choice within reach, I would personally still trade-in the C250 and get a C350. Much more joy!
Hey Erik! I get exactly what you mean and the thing is that when I went to get a car from the benz dealer ship, I had no idea what I wanted. I walked in and looked around and picked up the c250 3 hours later so it is basically my fault for not being patient and considering the two cars. On the other hand, the reason why I picked out the c250 coupe was because of the amg package they had with the red interior, body kit, and amg rims which makes the car look really nice.
I had no idea that the 350 came with the same package otherwise I would have picked that instead and the sales person did not inform me of this. 2 months later I realized that the car isn’t powerful enough and I went to the dealership 3 days ago to see if I can trade it for a 350 and they said that the price of my car already dropped 25% which is $15,000 so I’m a little disappointed as I don’t know what to do at this point.
Hm, I guess your C250 Coupe was brand new from factory when you bought it? Yup, they do lose alot of value as soon as you start it up and drive it out of the dealership. Anyhow, if I were you, I would not trade it in for a brand new C350 Coupe, but perhaps a used C350 Coupe, or even a 2008-2011 W204 C350 Sedan which one can find relatively speaking cheap, but it’s up to you if it has to be the latest Coupe. You could aswell put away money for saving for a year or so before getting a new car. But the thing with brand new cars is that they lose value very quick..
I have a 2013 Kia Sorrento lx 3.5L v-6. It was getting about 22+/- mpg so I figured if I add an flowmaster with single and duals out I could get better but I am getting worse mpg and it doesn’t right. I have put on exhaust on every car truck or suv I have ever had and always got good or great results. So I was wondering if anyone on here could give me their thoughts on why the gas mpg went down on it? Also if the muffler shop put it on backwards could that be the problem? please let me know what you thanks to anyone with help.
Mike – How much of a drop in fuel economy are we talking about? 1-2mpg *could* be a result of changing the exhaust system (something could be clogged or improperly installed), but a change of that magnitude could also be explained by cold weather, more aggressive driving (that’s something that often happens when exhaust systems are switched out), or even winter fuel mixtures (which are less efficient).
It could also be a result of the engine reprogramming itself. My suggestion: 1. Verify that everything is installed correctly and 2. Reset the engine computer by disconnecting your car battery for 30 minutes. Then, we you start over, drive easy so the engine can re-learn.
Hi Erik,
I recently bought a 2011 Mazda 6 i (4 cyl automatic). Love the car, great gas mileage and it’s fun to drive. However, I would love to add some power. Do you have any suggestions that wouldn’t make the car unbearably loud?
Christopher – I’d suggest an after-market air intake – that will add power without making your vehicle much louder (it will make your engine louder at wide open throttle, but most people like that).
Exhaust systems on 4-cylinders are frequently “unbearably loud”, as that’s what the typical buyer wants (I guess).
i have a 2011 SAAB 9-3 2.0L turbo. can i add a dual exhaust system on my car?
ok – You can, but it would be pointless. 4-cyl engines don’t need dual exhaust systems.
oh ok. well i do see alot of newer 2.0L turbo cars have dual exhaust but thanks for letting me know. what modifications can i do to increase power or air flow? remove resonator? any suggestions?
ok – It’s definitely popular to put dual exhausts on all cars, but I don’t think it’s logical to do it on any 4-cylinder. In terms of making more power:
- Invest in an after-market downpipe
- Invest in a tuned cat-back system for your vehicle
- Invest in a cold air intake kit
All told, these add-ons could boost HP as much as 20%. Depending on what you’re driving, you may be able to use a programmer or tuner as well.
thanks! do you think adding an after market intercooler would help too?
ok – Absolutely.
thanks! ill be sure to look into a downpipe..i dont know the diameter of the one already in my car. what size generally would i need its a 2.0Turbo engine with 210 hp. any other cooling methods i could do?
ok – I don’t know what size – you want to find one designed for your specific vehicle. The company that designs them will choose the correct size. As for other performance tips, programmers are great.
Hello, I have a 2009 Ford Mustang with a 4.0 V6. I currently have a dynomax catback which replaces the y-pipe with a x-pipe that goes from 2.25″ and expands to 2.5″ all the way back to the mufflers. I am not happy with the fitment or quality of this system and plan on replacing it with a Flowmaster stainless catback. Now the Flowmaster is 2.25″ all the way back to the 60 series chambered mufflers. When doing this I am also planning to add stainless shorty headers with 17/8″ runners to 2.25″ collectors.
My question is would this be more optimal for my daily driver and help give back some low end performance, and would it suit a supercharger down the road rated to make 300 rwhp? For the time being it would only get a air intake and a tune on it.
Thanks for your time and advice!
I forgot to add the Flowmaster also uses a x-pipe setup as well as the dynomax.
Larry – If you’re going to add a supercharger someday, the cat-back is a bit on the small side. However, between now and then, I’d say it’s just about perfect. Not too big, and because it’s a cat-back system, it’s going to be tuned for performance.
However, I’d recommend contacting the header manufacturer and seeing what they say about their shorty headers in terms of 1) low-end torque and 2) best exhaust system. While I don’t think they’ll have any strong feelings on exhaust systems (they might), the shorty headers can offer rob low-end power. If they have some long-tube headers you might have more fun driving to work every day.
Thank you for your advice and help it’s greatly appreciated Jason!
Hey there!
I have a question regarding exhaust pipe diameter as it relates to a car’s HP.
My 09 Mazda 6 2.5L is advertised to have 170HP at stock. Of course when dyno’d this number is closer to 160whp (with slight modifications).
I’m installing a custom axle-back exhaust with Borla dual-tip mufflers. The stock exhaust runs on a single 2.25″ pipe.
Now according to the chart included in the link below, a 2.5″ exhaust pipe allows for a maximum of 232 HP. Since I’m looking for future gains of >180HP, this would be the way to go.
Now here’s my question: If I do upgrade to a 2.5″ exhaust, would I have to change all the piping from the catbox? I.e. would I have to essentially make a cat-back exhaust? Or would it be okay to just change the piping from the rear axle?
http://www.exhaustvideos.com/faq/how-to-calculate-muffler-size-pipe-diameter/
George – Increasing exhaust system size 1/4 of an inch won’t make a huge difference either way, so the first thing to know is that it’s OK to go with any size between 2 and 2.5″. However, I’d be inclined to stick with the stock size because smaller engines need low end torque more than they need free breathing at higher RPMs. If you go with a 2.5″ setup from the cat back, your setup could be a bit restrictive near idle…this is because exhaust gases can expand and cool more quickly in a larger pipe, and cooler gases are heavier and harder to “push.” As RPM increases, the gases don’t cool as quickly, so it becomes less of a concern.
Now having said that, if your future upgrade plans include a turbo or supercharger, than I’d look at a custom exhaust from the head back (i.e. new header, new racing cat, and new exhaust pipes all the way back). Otherwise, I think I’d just upgrade the stock muffler to something louder and call it good…your Mazda 6 probably has a somewhat restrictive factory muffler.
I’ve got a 04 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 5.7L Hemi in it. I don’t plan to upgrade the engine other then a cold air intake and the exhaust. As far as the exhaust do I have to replace the entire stock system or can I get the same results just going from the cat back? And should I go for dual or single?
Nick – Catback is fine, and many truck owners prefer single exhausts, as the dual setups can sometimes trade a reduction in low-end torque for an improvement in top-end performance. Since top-end isn’t nearly as important on pickups as pulling torque, a single makes a lot of sense.
Great thanks for the info I was kinda hoping single was the way I should go but would I see better results going from the manifold back or would they be the same as going from the cats back
Nick – Cat-back systems aren’t quite as awesome as head back systems, which include headers, high-flo cats, and then the rest of a performance exhaust system. However, there’s a point of diminishing returns…unless we’re building a high-powered race car, our best bang for the buck is muffler replacement, as modern catalytic converters aren’t that restrictive, and modern exhaust manifolds work pretty well from the factory.
Having said that, if your catalytic converter is old and potentially clogged, replacing it can be good.
yeah I didn’t plan on getting headers there too expensive and I don’t think the gains would be worth it since I’m really only after the MPG’s but thanks for the advice I don’t believe my cats are clogged so I’m just gonna take your advice and go from the cats back I’ll let you know the results once I decide what to get and get it installed
Jason, this thread is exactly the type discussion I’ve been looking for.
I would greatly appreciate your help. I’ve got a 92 F150, 5 liter, 4 spd auto transmission, x cab, 8′ bed. It’s now a farm truck. Lots of short on farm uses.
It needs a new tailpipe and muffler. I would like to minimize gas consumption. It has a single exhaust pipe. I’m thinking of a Thrush glass pack. Good idea?
Other options?
I will need to keep it street legal, but its my understanding that vehicles over 20 years old do not have to pass emissions tests.
Many thanks.
Mac
Mac – I think your idea of a glass pack muffler is a good one – they’re cheap, they’re not restrictive, and I’m guessing no one will care about the loud exhaust on the farm. It’s probably not going to make much of a difference in terms of fuel economy, but you never know…
when it comes to emissions it really comes down to the county you live in most counties from what I have seen don’t do emissions on cars that are 20 years others don’t do emissions at all the easiest way to find out is to look it up through the Department of Transportation (DOT) but should be fine if its over twenty years old
Hi there, i have a 2006 Honda Accord V6 3.0Litre with genuine twin exhausts due to twin manifolds outlets on the V6. i recently just changed both muffler boxes at the back to narrower resonated muffler tubes and also removed the 3rd (middle) muffler box and put a tube instead to improve and deepen the note/sound of the car. All of these changes were done at a professional muffler shop who said that all of these changes wont compromise performance and if anything will increase performance due to less restrictions. But when i drive it after the modifications, the car seems to accelerate less quickly and have slightly less power. Its just a tiny feeling which im not even sure is true or not. Is loss of power possible? Or is it because now my car sounds much louder that it has a placebo effect causing an illusion that the engines working harder with not much acceleration? My car is 246HP stock if that helps. Looking forward to hearing an explanation thanks:)
I noticed the same thing on my 2011 Camaro and did pretty much what you did and that is the exact same thing I’m experiencing with my and I’m anxious to find out if this is true
yea me too…hope Jason can help us here. The bullet mufflers i put on were supposed to greatly increase airflow and thus lift restrictions so should put up greater performance….and i hope that is the case.
By the way Tim bilyeu, did the fact that the cabin noise due to your louder exhaust seem to make your stereo sound less punchy. Seems to be cancelling some of my music frequencies so that the music seem of less quality..
Alex – A loss of power is always possible, but the “butt dyno” is notoriously unreliable. Based on everything you’ve said, I’d guess that performance is the same or better.
I recently put new flowmaster mufflers on my 2000 Camaro SS they said I should take off what they called my resnerl out of it and the butterfly flaps on existing pipes and that it would make it a lot louder and said it wouldn’t hurt it or impact future smog.is this is true?
Hello. Read all the threads. And you have great advice. My ?. I have 99 olds aurora 4.0 v8. 1, 2″ pipe then Y’s to 1 1/4 to two mufflers. I cut the mufflers off. And it lost power I think. Takes longer to shift in to gears then before the cut off. I just went and purchased two thrush welded. Mufflers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Mike – First, thank you. Second, mufflers are a bit of a restriction, and restrictions can be a good thing at low RPMs, as the pipes are too big for your engine when you’re at those lower RPMs.
However, it’s never a good idea to make decisions like this based purely on the old “butt dyno.” I’d recommend going to the dyno shop now, testing, adding your new mufflers, testing again, and then making an adjustment.
Having said that, you need mufflers to be street legal in most areas…so maybe you should just put those Thrush mufflers on and call it good.
It’s fantastic that you are getting ideas from this paragraph as well as from our discussion made here.