High Performance Exhaust Systems - How They Can Help Your Vehicle Get More Power and Better Gas Mileage Fast - Autos

Quick, what's one of the best ways to get the automotive equivalent of a free lunch, and get not only more power, but improved fuel economy at the same time? If you answered "Adding a high performance exhaust system.", move to the head of the class, pronto!

As fuel prices spiral ever higher, you can scarcely let a day pass without thinking about how to wring another mpg or two out of your vehicle. Installing a new exhaust system is a simple way to achieve that fuel economy goal, while grabbing a few more horsepower to boot. If you enjoy the sound of a real motor, instead of the "whoosh" you hear from most tail pipes these days, you have yet another reason to consider this addition.

If it seems too good to be true! Can a single modification, such as an exhaust system really deliver so many benefits? In a word, yes. Even better is that so many of the benefits of a well designed performance exhaust system, such as better performance and gas mileage, are usually mutually exclusive. Not the case here, though. Examining exactly why a new exhaust system gives you such a powerful combination will make it easier to believe that a simple mod can yield such powerful results.

It all comes down to the compromises made by the auto manufacturers. They have to balance many things when designing a vehicle; cost, weight, noise, performance, gas mileage, and a myriad of other things such as supplier relationships. In short, they can't give you the best exhaust system available because it would raise the price of the vehicle too much. In addition, they have to abide by EPA noise restrictions and build a vehicle for the broadest number of car buyers. That alone requires compromise. The car, or any of its parts, simply can't be perfect in every respect, for every car buyer.

Once it's your car or truck, on the other hand, you're free to make any improvements you see fit. If a nice, low rumble doesn't bother you, a performance exhaust could be just the answer you're looking for. Like may performance enhancing modifications, the quality of available systems run the gamut from truly pathetic to finely engineered works of automotive art. Where on the spectrum you want to be is determined by your requirements and budget.

It matters not whether you have a gas powered car, or a diesel truck, either. You can definitely see advantages either way. In fact, in some ways you'll see even better fuel economy improvements by installing a diesel performance exhaust system, than on a gas vehicle, because modern diesels are virtually all turbocharged, and turbocharged engines respond very well to improved exhaust flow.

Keep in mind that correctly designing a high performance exhaust system requires specialized knowledge, equipment, and experience. Poor design will result in increased noise, and unfortunately little else. In fact, due to the high level of factory engineered systems these days, you may even hurt your vehicle's performance with a poorly designed exhaust.

Because they are relatively inexpensive, offer decent performance gains, and is easy to install, most people opt for a system that comprises only the system from the rear of the catalytic converter to the exhaust tip. This is known as a "cat back" system. More performance can be had by installing a complete system from the exhaust manifold to the tip, however. You can even install a high performance catalytic converter to maximize performance and fuel economy.

There are some features you should look for when selecting an aftermarket exhaust system. The first is the type of material it's made of. Any of the better systems will be either coated steel or stainless steel. The standard stainless steel alloy for a high quality exhaust system is T-304, steel alloyed with about 10% nickel and 20% chromium for strength and corrosion resistance.

You may also find exhaust components made from T-409 stainless. While this is a good material, it doesn't have the strength or corrosion resistance of T-304, so it will exhibit discoloration over time and won't last as long as a system fabricated from T-304. T-304 is harder to work with and more expensive to procure, so be prepared to pay a premium to buy a system made from it. As with many things in life, if you want high quality, be aware it costs more.

To get the best quality system, look for one constructed in T-316 stainless steel alloy . This has even lower carbon content than T-304, and is is often used for marine exhaust products, due to its superior corrosion resistance. The absolute best stainless steel material for an exhaust system is T-321 stainless, steel alloyed with the wonder metal titanium. As you might expect, T-321 is extremely expensive, and fairly rare in street exhaust systems, although common in race units, such as IRL and F-1. You'll also find T-321 used in aircraft construction, where the margin for error is small indeed. If you're after a price no object exhaust system, you can have one custom fabricated from Inconel 625, a nickel alloy used in construction of the X-15 rocket research plane. No, unless you're driving a Ferrari, you probably can't afford it.

Another advantage of stainless steel as an exhaust material is that it conducts heat less readily than does mild steel. This serves as a thermal barrier, keeping exhaust heat inside the exhaust tubes. If you are investing in headers or exhaust manifolds made form stainless, the benefit of the lower thermal conductivity will be better exhaust velocity. The higher velocity will give better scavenging, so you'll get more complete exhaust flow out of your cylinders. This means more efficient engine operation, increased power and better gas mileage.

If you're not prepared to pony up for a stainless exhaust system, you can find fine products made from varieties of coated steel, such as aluminized steel or ceramic coated steel. These have some of the properties of stainless, such as corrosion resistance, or, in the case of ceramic coated products, low thermal conductivity.

The next thing to look for in a high performance exhaust is mandrel bending. Mandrel bending ensures the tubes are bent without reducing the diameter, and thus adding restriction. This restriction will hurt exhaust flow, power and efficiency. With mandrel bending, there is actually a piece of tooling (the mandrel) placed inside the tube as it is being bent to prevent the exhaust tube from being reduced in interior diameter.

While the best method of forming bends in exhaust tubing, it is quite expensive, and most low priced systems don't use this method. The performance of the finished system will suffer, however. Some estimates are that for a system with 5 bends, mandrel bending reduces exhaust back pressure by up to 30%.

A new high performance exhaust system is one of the fastest, most cost effective performance enhancements you can make to your vehicle. In addition, you'll reduce weight, save gas, increase longevity, make it look better, and oh, that sound!

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