Are all exhausts created equal?

[Drewboyaus]

Hi folks,
Looking at upgrading the stock exhaust on the TB42e to a set of extractors and a decent breathing exhaust system.
Are all created equal? For example, looking at eBay there is quite a variance in the price of different brands of extractors.....is there that much difference or will I be splitting hairs in relation to performance?
Any suggestions?
What are you running?
I want to improve performance (that is of course relative) and economy.
What I don't want is for it to sound like one of the "fast an furious" rice burners. It's a truck and it needs to sound like such....
Cheers,
Drew

[DieselSmart]

You pay more for build quality than performance when it comes to things like that. For example, you could possibly buy a set of extractors for $200 less than a well known brand extractors, but they're likely to split or crack and cause you grief.

In today's world, you "pay for what you get" so if you want to purchase a cheaper system, while yes they may perform similar they simply won't last as long. That can play a big role, especially if you're paying someone to fit them, you don't want to be replacing them after a year or two.

My brothers car is a 99GU with a TB42 in it. I set him up with a set of pacemaker extractors then got a custom straight pipe made and put a rear muffler on it for him. It's not overly loud, certainly doesn't sound like a rice rocket haha. It made a noticeable increase in performance. Unfortunately it's done a head gasket at 298,000 k's so once I get time to get the head back on (this weekend hopefully) I will take a video of it for you so you can see what it sounds like.

[BearGUST]

Not all exhausts are created equal.

The difference between a good set of extractors and a bad set is huge. Different size primaries and secondaries, different lengths, even which cylinders are 'tied' together. Interference (or tri-y) headers tie opposing cylinders together so that while one is on exhaust stroke the opposite cylinder is on compression stroke, this creates a vacuum to help pull the exhaust gasses out. Cheap extractors often just tie whichever cylinders together are easiest to do so. Good extractors therefore sometimes look quite messy. You also want all primary pipes to be of similar length (which also can make them look messy).

So look for something with similar length primaries, mandrel bends (press bends aren't as bad for flow as people believe), nice long secondaries (normally better for torque). Also cheap extractors can have thinner flange plates (to the head) which are more likely to warp, thinner than 10mm is best to avoid.

Have I confused you?

[threedogs]

I ceramic coated a set of block huggers for my 350 chev dual fuel 4x4 well known brand too, Gas got them that hot they cracked big time, Stainless if you're going to keep truck' plus good point when selling as will last forever. Aluminised pipe also ok, as above make sure flange plates are laser cut from minimum 10mm material.. Just cause the guy can mig weld does not really mean he's a welder, my dog can mig weld. Do your home work look at other 4x4s he's done, Ask for numbers of previous customers and ring them. your shelling out $1500 plus so make sure it done right. how long is his warranty,

[Robo]

Don't forget mufflers, same problem not all equal.

Just because it's larger means nothing.
its the design, build and materials used that matters.
I'm no expert so someone chime in pls.

[Drewboyaus]

Great advice guys, thanks. I'm looking forward to checking out that vid and hearing what the exhaust sounds like too.
I assume I'm better off finding a decent exhaust joint nearby and doing the business with them.
At what point am I overcapitalising on the system for minimal performance gains (assuming there is a general baseline of performance/economy improvement with any exhaust system)?
Cheers,
Drew.

[Robo]

All good.
make sure that you tell them your after a good flowing system.
not something that restricts.
I had a repco repair franchise owner sell/fit a crap flowing muffler that hobbled my Mav by at least 10-20 % drop in torque.
Thats why I chimed in on the muffler being important also.
It had a lukey system and that worked fairly well, even with miss matched dia pipes, certainly compared to the sh#t repco muffler.

[Drewboyaus]

So does anyone have suggestions for decent exhaust shops for me to go and talk to?...Perhaps with a track record of 4bies...,petrol of course.


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[Drewboyaus]

Sorry in Northwest of Melbourne but happy to go anywhere good within 50km or so....


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[BearGUST]

Give Glenroy Exhausts a try, I used to rep to them a few years ago and they seemed pretty good.