From what I've gathered, the stock exhaust piping is 2". I'm trying to figure out what size I should get when I decide to upgrade, which will hopefully be soon. I'm looking at a Magnaflow catback system, but I see people with 2", 2.25", and 2.5" mainly. Are there any performance differences between them?
The size of the pipe will give you very different results. On smaller displacement engines, having smaller tubes will help with low rpm torque (which small engines tend to lack) due to the the speed at which the exhaust will travel. Give that same small tubing at high rpm and you will create a bottleneck as the exhaust cannot evacuate fast enough.
If all else stock, just the exhaust piping diameter changing:
2" (stock) good low end torque but alright upper end power
2.25" (Magnaflow etc) low end torque drops ever so slightly but gain much more in mid and upper rpm power range
2.5" (other) low end torque hurts a bit but expect even better upper rpm power.
From what I've read, larger diameter exhaust piping will move your power band up.
Read up on Exhaust Gas Velocity and disregard the what people babble on about engines needing backpressure.
In all cases you will net a bit more HP and TQ, just don't think having a 3" on this N/A engine will give you the best high rpm power lol
Duratecs make the best power on 2.5" to 3" Maximum exhaust size. I went from 2.5" to 3" header back and bumped me up from 176 to 183whp, tq only increased very slightly but the torque was still a table top 140-157wtq from 2500 and up.
If you are going to spend the money get a 2.5" system period. trust me.
I agree with focusboy, and check the dyno thread to see numbers. Myself I am running a 2.5 and noticed no low end TQ loss if anything I gain some low end tq
I certainly felt no torque loss on my 2.5" exhaust.
To me it sounded like companies that chose to go with 2.25" exhausts were doing so for better sound quality (at least in their opinion) and sound level.
I'm on the fence with exhaust but I'd be more keen (yes, keen) on the 2.5 as 2.25 just isn't that much of an increase but $$$ For now, I've been enjoying a very quiet ride!
I had a quasi 3" exhaust for my Mazdaspeed6 when I first bought it used. It was loud but it did have a very nice low note and actually helped spool up compared to stock mufflers with a 3" downpipe.
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