 Our factory exhaust although only 4 years old appears to be much more dated. The factory muffler is developing a small leak and surface rust is apparent everywhere. |  The factory tip-although functional-is far from eye appealing. The stock exhaust has a single outlet on the passenger side. |  Starting at the front of the truck we loosen the V-band clamp on the down-pipe. Our turbo back kit will attach here leaving only a small section of pipe that mounts to the turbo in its stock condition. Loosening this clamp but leaving it on the turbo pipe will help in the installation. |
 This four-bolt flange, located just behind the transmission cross-member, will allow us to separate the rear of the exhaust from the front. |  We sprayed our flange bolts with lubricant in hopes of an easy removal, but the rust was set in. We broke not only one but all four of the flange bolts. If you plan to store your stock exhaust for reuse some med heat with a torch might help in the removal. Once complete, the only thing holding the exhaust is some small rubber hangers. With a light mist of spray lube you can pry these off easily. |  It is an obvious size difference when you compare the two down-pipes. Our new Flowtech exhaust is 4 inches throughout. The stock mounting flange is the smallest point of the exhaust but can not be altered due to the turbo pipe. |
 Our new muffler is a straight-through design that should bring out the tone in our diesel engine. The stock muffler uses a single outlet versus our dual out Flowtech muffler. |  This makes for an obvious comparison between the sizes of the pipe. The larger pipe will allow the exhaust to run cooler, especially while towing. |  We start with our down pipe again as we slip it in the turbo pipe clamp. Remember when we said not to take it all the way off? This pipe is very large to handle by yourself so slipping it in the clamp will allow it to hang while you snug it up. Don't tighten any clamps fully though until the installation is fully fit. |
Inside every car enthusiast is a sweet spot for a cool truck. The start of any cool truck is the rumble of performance. Can a diesel truck really sound cool though? You bet it can. The explosion of diesel truck sales has brought on a vast selection of diesel performance parts for all makes and models. Whether you want to blow smoke on the truck in the slow lane or simply roar past showing him who is boss, you can have it all. But where do you start? If you read the instructions on any diesel programmer, one of the major warnings is exhaust temperature. The added fuel these programmers provide can increase exhaust temperatures to a critical stage, especially when towing. This is why you have to limit the tune to a mild horsepower when you plan to tow heavy loads or drive on continuous inclines, such as in the mountains. The easiest way to help get these exhaust temperatures down is to increase the size of the exhaust and the restriction of the muffler. You do have to be a bit cautious though as just running straight pipes can affect low end torque, and although may help peak power it hurts power in the lower rpm band. So choose your exhaust wisely keeping in mind the end goal and what the truck is being used for.
