How To Install Exhaust Pipe

Something is missing in your life. And it'due south probably not a heavier workload on the chore. Nope, you need something fun for your car--similar the snorty growl from dual exhaust pipes. Okay, it'south not like everyone really wants an exhaust system that makes car alarms become manic or requires the girlfriend to wear earplugs. Only upgrading an frazzle lets yous hear the magic nether the hood. And to us gear heads--that's music, homo. You tin legally upgrade your exhaust to gain some power and efficiency. Only federal emissions regulations won't permit just whatever mod. One upgrade that'southward almost universally permissible is in the frazzle organisation downstream of the second oxygen sensor. Because that sensor is always located right afterward the catalytic converter, we refer to these systems as "cat-back." So let's hear what we've been missing.

Max Menstruation

We went to Ophidian Pit Performance in West Babylon, N.Y., to install a Corsa cat-back arrangement on a 2007 Contrivance Magnum SRT8. If ever in that location were an engine that begged to be heard, it is the 6.i-liter V8 in Dodge'south SRT8 Magnum. Our system wasn't cheap. The total approached $2000, including labor. But the Corsa system is well-engineered and fabricated from 304 stainless steel. Best of all, it fit like the stock exhaust. The installation procedure took 6 hours, including a few dyno runs. In your garage, with the car upward on jackstands, the job might take an hour or 2.

How Exhaust Works

The frazzle system is basically a long funnel to expel spent gases from the combustion process. The gases dump from individual cylinders into the exhaust manifold. On cars with a V-blazon or boxer engine, there are two manifolds, one on either side of the engine cake. Inline engines have only i manifold. The manifold's snakelike tubes collect the gases and, on newer cars, send them down a pipe (or ii if it'due south a dual exhaust) and into the catalytic converters. The catalytic converter is a major component responsible for reducing emissions. At the front half of the cat is a reduction catalyst which uses platinum and rhodium to remove NOx emissions. In the second half, the cat burns carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. The result? Upwardly to 90 percentage of these dissentious gases never attain the sky. Simply cats won't scavenge this stuff until they accomplish operating temperature. And then automakers mount them as close to the exhaust manifold as possible to capture engine oestrus speedily.

After the cat, the frazzle travels on to the resonators and mufflers to abolish audio. Without mufflers, your car would exist as loud every bit a Sprint Cup Auto. True cat-back systems often include new middle pipes, resonators and mufflers--and are often less restrictive (less backpressure) and then they can build more ability and make meliorate noises, likewise.

What's Legal

In the good but smoggy old days before emissions standards, y'all could freely change your exhaust, equally long as the local constabulary didn't object to the noise. A tuned frazzle, along with a bigger carburetor, high-flow intake manifold and high-lift, long-duration camshaft, increased the corporeality of air and fuel available to the engine--voilà, more ability. Times have inverse. And California's strict smog regulations have influenced the nation. Aftermarket speed parts built for newer vehicles are almost all 49-state-compliant. In the Golden Land, they must laissez passer stricter California Air Resource Board (CARB) standards. So, unless you ain a smog-exempt car (1975 or older in California), it'due south verboten to modify anything that might change the emissions profile. And that'south why the most mutual exhaust modification is a cat-back system.

Getting Dirty

Our gleaming Corsa system looked great. Simply unless you're going to install information technology immediately, put the parts back in the protective foam. Because odds are yous'll scratch them. One time our Magnum was on the lift, we removed the stock exhaust system behind the cat. That's not e'er easy. First, douse all of the mounting hardware with penetrating oil, and let it soak in. Start removing nuts, bolts and clamps. Got a stubborn commodities? Try tightening it starting time instead of loosening. This hardware is heat-cycled constantly, which adds up to corroded, heat-tempered parts. Chances are if you lot tighten them too much, they'll but snap off. I have a rule: Never reuse whatsoever exhaust arrangement bolt, nut or clamp.

Ditto for rubber frazzle hangers--splurge on some new ones, dude. The new system should come with all-new fasteners, only probably won't include hangers or their hardware. At the factory, some exhaust systems are installed earlier the rear intermission is bolted into the chassis. Ever try to serpent an 8-ft. exhaust pipe out from to a higher place the axle? To avoid removing the rear suspension, just cutting the erstwhile pipe. Acetylene torches brand lots of dramatic sparks, simply a hacksaw will exercise the job. Check the original output piping for roundness and burrs; information technology may prove difficult to slip the new pipes over them. A grinder, file or even some coarse sandpaper might help.

Hands On

Now y'all can finally hang those bulky pipes and mufflers from the new prophylactic hangers. Sideslip-fit everything and install all the clamps, only don't tighten annihilation nonetheless. Slide everything around until information technology fits. Keep the clamps indexed on the pipage and so you tin get a socket on the nuts or bolts. Start at the front; milkshake, rotate and tap the pipes into identify. Remember, the pipes are hung from prophylactic--they'll need some clearance to account for normal motility. Ane very important thing: Exist sure the tips eye on the exhaust cutouts, and that each i sticks out the same altitude. At present tighten all the clamps and hangers with a torque wrench. Advisedly smear a thin coat of antiseize compound on the overlap in the pipes--information technology'll make disassembly years later much simpler. Apply some on the clamp's nuts and bolts, also. Be careful, though--information technology will stain all that shiny stainless yous only paid top dollar for.

Media Platforms Design Team

[i] Conscientious TORQUING of the clamps joining the new organisation to the old cat is necessary to prevent leaks, rattles and crimped pipes. [2] A Straight-THROUGH MUFFLER tin can nonetheless exist surprisingly civilized at moderate throttle settings and in traffic. Our system is optimized for low dissonance around town and drone-free expressway cruising, while fattening upwards a V8 engine'southward already porky torque curve. [three] CORSA uses an sectional design to cancel noise without calculation backpressure. Other mufflers use fiberglass packing and simple systems of baffles and perforated pipes to achieve the same finish. [4] THE STOCK Arrangement (top) from our Dodge Magnum has minimally smaller pipes, just the mufflers and resonators are more restrictive than in the Corsa--and the stock system is quieter. The new arrangement is a powerful allure on our muscular SRT8.

Dyno Test Results

Media Platforms Pattern Team

We ran our Magnum on a chassis dyno before and later the new system was installed. This Dynojet has a large, heavy flywheel spun past the automobile'southward wheels, all monitored by a computer. The machine's ability to accelerate the flywheel is recorded, giving us an first-class graphic representation of how much power nosotros're making at whatsoever rpm. Aside from hearing the sugariness sounds as we ran through the gears, we saw increased power. That'due south smashing, simply not when it comes at the expense of midrange torque on a street-driven vehicle. The Corsa system increased acme power by only five hp, merely fattened the torque curve throughout rev range past nearly 20 lb.-ft. And it'south torque that makes a motorcar accelerate, particularly at moderate speeds, not horsepower. A less well-designed system might have increased power and torque at some revs, but left a hole in the power bend elsewhere. That makes a car harder to drive and slower coming off corners. The increased torque likewise provides better fuel economy--it takes less throttle to maintain any given speed, and that means less fuel is burned.