Maganflow Exhaust System Install - Boosting Efficiency

We have to admit that it's become pretty difficult to make much power these days with an exhaust system on a new model truck. The OEMs have gotten more proficient with their exhausts, and the power gains that you were able to achieve on 1990s-and-older trucks can be almost sliced in half on new trucks. This isn't to say that you can't still make power with an exhaust system on a new truck, but the cash you're spending will likely be more justified with a quality exhaust note rather than a seat-of-the-pants feel.

But on older trucks, say vehicles designed in the mid 1990s or earlier, you can still make some power by swapping on a high-quality exhaust system. In fact, we wanted to prove just that. We went to the only team out right now that can sell you a complete exhaust system from the exhaust manifolds to the tailpipe.

At the time of this article's inception, Car Sound, which you might better know by its muffler line, Magnaflow, is the only legal supplier of CA legal catalytic converters sold after January 1, 2009. You can still go directly back to the OEM, but get ready to pay more money for a piece not specifically designed for performance.

Besides being the only supplier of cat-included systems, Magnaflow has OEM-replacement systems that offer a nice, subtle rumble that we've really grown to like. They don't give the deafening tone that wakes up the neighbors two blocks away when you start up at night. It's usually around the ages of 22-25 that you start losing the yearning to be heard a mile away, and the entire staff of this magazine is more than a few years past that.

Something to note is that most Magnaflow exhaust systems are done to mimic factory systems -- they follow factory routing and don't go "overkill" with tubing diameter. A common misconception with exhaust is that you will increase efficiency (freeing up power) by moving to a larger exhaust tubing diameter. Well, there are a few common misunderstandings about this:

Let's deal directly with the "bigger is better" fallacy first. OEM exhaust suppliers usually make exhaust systems out of tubing that is optimal for the power a stock engine puts out. If you start increasing the power with aftermarket mods (we're talking more than 20hp worth), then you can perhaps free-up some potential power by moving to a larger tubing diameter.

The next thing we want you to understand is that exhaust is only as free-flowing as its most restrictive point. That's where many aftermarket exhausts make power -- by smoothing out abrupt turns in pipes and mufflers. This is also something you should remember about increasing exhaust tubing diameters: if you are going to a larger tubing size behind the cats but still have tiny tubes from the headers, then you really haven't freed up much power with the larger pipes.

Lastly, we'd like you to know that you can actually lose power by going to too large of a tubing diameter with your exhaust. You commonly hear backpressure touted as a "bad thing," and bigger pipes are a good way to lessen it. But you need some backpressure for a properly working exhaust system. Too much and it will stifle your exhaust, but too little and you'll be throwing power away.

We tried adding a complete Magnaflow exhaust -- catalytic converters and cat-back exhaust system -- to our 1990s -era ride to see what kind of power we could make. Magnaflow had a Dynojet dynamometer on-site, so we could easily get results of just how much a new exhaust helped our workhorse Durango.

How About the Results?
We were really happy with the new exhaust system. It wasn't just some spliced-in muffler-- it was a complete new system that purred of subtle performance. We were a little worried about swapping an aftermarket muffler onto our daily driver, as silence can be golden when you spend too much time in trucks, but the stainless Magnaflow system gave a smoother but not much louder tone that was pleasant.

The dyno showed a peak improvement of almost 19hp and 20 lb-ft of torque. Driving around, we felt a little more kick off the line and were able to use a little less pedal when cruising around, so there was a noticeable difference.

We actually noticed fuel economy increase slightly as well (about 20 more miles per tank). Besides being "greener" by using less fuel to go the same distance, we are sleeping better at night knowing that one of our older rides is running cleaner than required with the most current and effective catalytic converters available right now.

When we arrived at Magnaflow,...        read full caption When we arrived at Magnaflow, the SUV went on the dyno for a stock run, and then quickly onto the service bay rack at Magnaflow. They not only build the exhausts, but they can also install them in-house if you live in the Southern California area.	The factory exhaust never...        read full caption The factory exhaust never comes out as easily as we'd like. After the exhaust clamp bolts snapped off, Justin Hise just got out a torch.	With the factory breather...        read full caption With the factory breather out, it was time to start installing the new exhaust. Car Sound had a complete direct bolt-on catalytic converter system for our model Dodge. Unfortunately the suspension lift parts required that Magnaflow techs Chris Chapman and Justin Hise drop the transmission crossmember to fit the new cats in.
The new Car Sound cat system...        read full caption The new Car Sound cat system is a bolt-on unit with high-quality clamps that give the system some adjustment for things like slightly-larger tranny pans.	The new Car Sound CA legal...        read full caption The new Car Sound CA legal replacement cats are the only legal aftermarket units available for sale at the time of writing this article. Not only does our new cat system flow a little more freely, but we've also moved to a 2009 spec legal cat which means that we're running more emissions-friendly than our Dodge was from the factory.	The cat system may clean our...        read full caption The cat system may clean our exhaust better, but we are also still making more power thanks to smoother bends in the pipes that follow the factory exhaust routing.
Beside the obvious stainless...        read full caption Beside the obvious stainless steel materials that the Magnaflow cat-back system is made out of, also notice the smoother bends and only slightly-increased tubing size in the new exhaust.	The Magnaflow/Car Sound equipment...        read full caption The Magnaflow/Car Sound equipment hangs directly from the stock exhaust hangers without any modification.	Unless you're somehow trying...        read full caption Unless you're somehow trying to modify the Magnaflow exhaust kit, you could technically do this at your house, since the system is completely bolt-on.
When tightening all the clamps...        read full caption When tightening all the clamps together, you might find the exhaust starting to move from the place you originally placed it. If that's the case, a friend is handy to hold a pipe in place while bolts are tightened.	Magnaflow provides a nice...        read full caption Magnaflow provides a nice polished stainless tip for their exhaust systems. Ours sat directly in the dimple under the bumper where it was supposed to, but we had to get the clamp-tightening order just right to keep it from moving over as we cinched down the bolts.