Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/105105
BUYER'S GUIDE GO FLOW FOR ADDING AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN HELP INCREASE FUEL ECONOMY AND RELEASE HIDDEN HORSEPOWER A WIN/WIN FOR THE FLEET OWNER By Peter D. DuPre T raditionally, one of the time-honored ways to improve the power and performance of a car or truck has been to open up the breathing of the engine by adding a performance manifold, custom headers and a wide-open exhaust system. This is all well and good if you are building a '67 Camaro SS or a custom F-150 for drag racing; after all, spending big bucks for minimal gains is common in the competition world. In the construction business world, however, hot-rod modifications are generally frowned upon because they are expensive and deliver a diminishing return of gains for number of dollars spent. Such upgrades just don't pencil out. Adding expensive engine performance modifications to a business vehicle that is rarely kept more than a few years is just not a practical consideration. But what if by making only one minor and cost-effective modification you could reap increases in both horsepower and fuel economy? THE BENEFITS OF CAT-BACK 34 PROPICKUP Buyer's Guide 2012 Simply by swapping out the exhaust system behind a gas pickup's catalytic converter with a performance aftermarket exhaust or diesel's DPF, it is possible to gain up to 20 percent "lost" horsepower and increase fuel economy up to 5 percent depending upon vehicle and exhaust. Although the swap-out is relatively easy (it can be done in less than an hour on most gas-powered pickups), this simple modification works because most exhaust systems are restrictive at the back end, which makes the engine work harder. Generally, the cat-back system consists of the rear exhaust pipe from the catalytic converter, the muffler, reso-