Aftermarket replacement parts for a pickup truck? (1 Viewer)

[DavidY]

Today, I priced out a Flowmaster 50 Series muffler, 2" in/out, at ~CDN$140 (US$90). They also carried another brand that I wasn't familar with. I am also considering a Magnaflow or possibly Dynomax. Sport Truck magazine appears to favour the Flowmaster and the Magnaflow brands....no mention of Dynomax. What's good, bad or all hype?
Yesterday, I replaced my OEM air filter with a K&N high performance brand....CDN$65 (US$40). It's reusable and washable with a kit....so it should be the last air filter that I will ever buy for my pickup truck.
Once a new muffler is in, a new chip would likely be next. The downside for a new chip is that I would have to use premium gasoline for best results. That's my main concern for not buying a new chip.
Vehicle is a 1996 Mazda B3000 4x2 Cab Plus pickup with auto transmission (3.0L V6). Goal is to add a bit of horsepower/torque and more importantly, increased gas mileage. Except for the K&N air filter, everything else is stock.
Any comments on how I can improve performance for not too much $$$ would be appreciated. TIA.
Dave

 

[Allen W]

I added a K&N Filter and a Flowmaster muffler (love the sound) to my '90 Chevrolet Pickup. Both are still working fine after 12 years and 162,000 miles of use. I have had the exhaust pipe replaced twice but the Flowmaster has held up great. So if you want a durability report on the flowmaster I will vouch for it. Of course I live in a climate where cars seem to last a long time if taken care of.

 

[Henry Carmona]

David, I have no experience with Mazda performance. I suggest finding a Mazda truck forum.
All the mufflers you listed are great. The 50 series Flow will be quite loud IMO, but is awesome for freeing up HP out of your little engine
Please check into the HyperTech Power Programmer III(HPPIII) as mine lets me adjust performance for 87 octane as well as 93 octane. It also has let me adjust for larger gears, tires size, tranny shift firmness, shift points, Rev Limiter, Top Speed Limiter, lower temp thermostat, uhh i think thats it
Allen,
If you have time, stop by www.fullsizechevy.com for more on Chevy/GMC trucks

 

[DavidY]

Allen and Henry,
Thanks for the info. They are much appreciated. A few more questions?
When I do decide to upgrade the muffler, should I just get a straight replacement (Flowmaster, Magnaflow, Dynomax, etc.) and use the same exhaust pipes (assuming they are in good condition)? Or do I increase to larger inlet/outlet pipes and upgrade the entire exhaust system (e.g. to stainless steel - $$$ )? The first option is much less $$$. Is the second option worth the performance enhancements?
Dave

 

[Henry Carmona]

Depends. On the most part, the aftermarket name brands usually do some R&D and the whoel "Cat-Back System" does allow for an increase in horse power.

Do some reading at the various websites and like i said, look up a forum for your make truck.

There will probably be a brand that most recommend. For my new style Chevy, the most used companies are Gibson and Flowmaster, mostly becuase they are affordable.

Brands like Borla are great too, but very expensive IMO.

So yes, a cat-back replacement system can be great for you.

They are usually "mandrel bent" which maintains a constant diameter inside with no loss of diameter at the bends.

Stainless is great and wont rust also.

On the downside, some engines, will lose low end torque if too large, or too much of a "free flowing" exhaust is used, but i usually only hear about that happening when do it yourselfers fab up a dual exhuast themselves.

Some engines just dont perform well with large exhaust pipes at low rpms.

 

[DavidY]

Thanks again, Henry.

Dave

 

[Allen W]

I didn't replace the stock pipes just the muffler on my truck. But I have had them replaced twice (in 12 years)due to rusting out. So if I had to do it over again I would have started out with stainless from durability factor as well as a performance factor. As Henry said if you increase the diameter too much on an aftermarket exhaust you can lose low end power. I have also learned a few things from Link Removed although it seems to be heavy on the chevy fans, sort of like paradigm or svs fans on this board.