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Maintenance & Repair All About Exhaust Systems
90 messages, Last post on Jun 17, 2009 at 1:11 PM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
A reporter would like to talk with anyone who recently have used aftermarket products that provide better fuel economy, such as the Tornado Fuel Saver and fuel-line modifications like air bleeders and magnets. The reporter would also like to hear from people who have tried oil and fuel additives or exhaust-system modifications as well. Please respond to ctalati edmunds.com with your daytime contact information and what you used no later than Tuesday, June 3rd.
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I have a 12 year old Chrysler with 105K miles on the original exhaust system. To say that I'm pleased would be an understatement. At some point these components have to wear out. Does any one know what Chrysler used to get such longevity out of their system? I'd like to replace it with something as good if I can.
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Aug 29, 2008 10:18 am) If you're happy with the results from the oem system I'd go back and install the same. That way you'll get a system that will last at least another 12+ years. Twenty five years on two systems is impressive. 
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I'm in the middle of replacing the head gaskets on a 1994 Toyota 4 runner and the manual tells me to remove the exhaust crossover manifold. I cannot see how they expect me to get access since it is between the engine and firewall? Does anyone have any experience removing this manifold or whether it is actually necessary to remove to get the heads off? Thanks for any advice.
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Replying to: jspiro (Sep 24, 2008 2:38 pm) Well that's what the book says: "Remove the 6 nuts, crossover pipe and 2 gaskets." Have you removed the intake manifold and stripped everything else off the top that you need to? Maybe that's how you gain access. |
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Aug 29, 2008 10:18 am) I never had to touch any of the exhaust components (pipes, muffler, cat, hangars) on my '94 Dodge Caravan. That was in something like 174,00o miles of driving over 11 years (got rid of it back in 2005). |
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I have an 02 GMC sierra 4x4 with a 5.3. It has two catalytics, one per pipe, then the pipes Y together into the muffler. I, being a carpenter, took my sawzall and cut the muffler off and replaced it with a 30" section of straight pipe. The truck sounds fantastic, and of course it feels like it has more horsepower. But I'm getting 16.5 mpg on the interstate. My neighbor has a 99 silverado all factory and he gets 20. So, I am trying to sort this exhaust business out. I do not need more horsepower than the truck comes with from the factory. What I am interested in is sound and mpg. What is a 'tuned' exhaust? Does it do something that I can't by merely buying 2 mufflers and having my mechanic make true dual exhaust? Am I gaining anything other than sound with true duals vs. single muffler? Does one flowmaster perform better than one factory muffler, or is it just the sound factor? What if I bought a chip and left the exhaust as is? Would the chip compensate for the loss of back-pressure and re-tune the engine in a way that recovers mpg? There are so many options and variables, I don't even know what to base a decision on. Again, what I want is best mpg, best setup for the longevity of the engine, and some sound. Oh yeah, and I don't want to spend more $ than I'm going to get back over the life of the truck. Simple right? Thanks, Gabriel
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Replying to: gabrieltelling (Nov 06, 2008 10:07 am) You don't state what your mileage was before hacking the exhaust. Plus your neighbor's version of the 5.3 produces less hp than the '02. One thing I can pretty much guarantee is that there is virtually no hp gain nor significant mileage increase over stock with a catback "tuned" for your truck. Forget the flowmasters. They will crap out within 4-5 years forcing you do buy another. Plus they will get you less mpg than you're getting now. Corsa and Borla make the best exhaust systems. They will outlive your truck. Install one of those and forget about it if what you're looking for is a loud but no resonance exhaust. Am I gaining anything other than sound with true duals vs. single muffler? Does one flowmaster perform better than one factory muffler, or is it just the sound factor? True duals will lose low end torque and lower mpg. Flowmasters will create more problems than you would want. What if I bought a chip and left the exhaust as is? Would the chip compensate for the loss of back-pressure and re-tune the engine in a way that recovers mpg? A chip may give you an increase in HP depending on which one you get. It will not increase mpg nor compensate for your sawzall job. Oh yeah, and I don't want to spend more $ than I'm going to get back over the life of the truck. Simple right? Yes and no. The cheapest route and perhaps the most effective at this point would be to install a Borla or Corsa muffler. Might not be tuned specifically for your truck but some of them will make your truck sound like it has a big block. Assuming that's what you want. Check out some of the online sellers for the muffler and if you have a mig welder you can do the install yourself. Wait. Sorry you're a carpenter not a welder. Well take it to a muffler shop and they can weld it on for you. I'm surprised that your truck doesn't give you any problems since it lacks a muffler. |
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Replying to: jspiro (Sep 24, 2008 2:38 pm) |
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