Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance exhaust decision?

Originally posted by DemonSVT:

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Originally posted by speasle:

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I'm running 2.5" pipe off factory manifolds, precats,and y-pipe. Cherry Bomb for a resonator and a Hooker Aerochamber muffler. It flows like crazy and isn't super loud. It almost sounds like a V8 .

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Except...

1. 2.5" downpipes (Y-pipe off the manifolds) is KILLING velocity as it is serious overkill. Major power losses there.
2. Cherry bombs have louvered cores
3. Aerochamber mufflers sacrifice performance and velocity for sound quality by splitting the airflow and then re-merging it

That's the proverbial 3 deadly strikes in exhaust inefficiency.
Definitely NOT flowing like crazy!

PLEASE do not pretend the Duratec sounds anything like a V8. It is "physically" impossible and I love the way the Duratec sounds.

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Couldn't have said it better myself.

Best flowing SVT exhaust, while keeping the exhaust velocity up is to retain the stock piping. It's all mandrel bent and actually well designed. A BAT or SHO Shop Y-pipe or simply swapping out the y-collector and cat for a dual inlet single outlet cat is the way to go. Then swap the stock resonator for a Magnaflow res and then replace the two aft mufflers for Magnaflow Mirror Finish Race mufflers (my opreference for looks and sound) or plain Magnaflow straight-throughs.

Stay away from Dynomax Turbo and Magnaflow XL's (also "turbo" style) as they have an internal "S" shaped diverters which really hurt flow and in any case are no different to the stock resonator and mufflers which share the same design.

For seriously modded 2.5's or 3.0's the only change would be to swap out the center 2.25" section for a 2.5" pipe and leave the aft section alone...