How much power will I get from a new exhaust system?Updated 2 years ago

A catback exhaust system is a relatively simple power modification that will free up your exhaust gas flow and produce an engine note that is louder than your stock system. A catback exhaust is usually made up of a rear-pipe, a resonator and a muffler, but depending on the make and model, it can also include a mid-pipe, X-pipe, H-pipe or a Y-pipe. 

Adding an aftermarket catback exhaust provides several benefits, the first of which is more power. Aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to be freer flowing than your stock exhaust, usually incorporating larger diameter piping and higher-grade mandrel bent tubing for a more laminar flow. These changes can result in a reduced level of back pressure at the engine manifold, which means the engine can breathe a little easier and release more horsepower and torque. How much horsepower is gained depends highly on the design of your factory exhaust system and the quality of the catalytic converters in front of it. If the stock catalytic converters are fairly restrictive, then less power can be gained from a cat back exhaust system. If the stock cat’s can flow a large amount of exhaust gas with creating too much restriction, then a cat back exhaust system should offer a nice increase in power. 

An increase in fuel economy can often be experienced after installing a cat back exhaust system. This is the result of the engine not have to work as hard pushing exhaust gases through the piping.