Have you been thinking of straight piping your car and you are thinking of getting a straight pipe exhaust kit? Well, if that is that is the case, then you are at the right place because there will be a lot to cover on this topic where we will learn everything about straight piping a car.
- Exhaust System
- Parts Of This System
- Straight Piping
- Pros
- Cons
- Kits To Buy
- Cost
- Tune?
- Conclusion
- F.A.Q
Having a straight piped car nowadays is trendy, a ton of people are looking for this mod and want to make their car sound really mean and obnoxious. Which is quite good, even though using a car like this as a daily driver can be somewhat challenging.
Especially if you are running a big V8 engine that is really loud. Also, it depends on what straight pipe kit you get. Full straight pipe kits from nose to tail are toned down and can sound really good. Unlike some of the kits that are out there that are up to the middle part of the car only. These kits can be extremely loud to tolerate on a daily basis. But you shouldn’t worry because we are going to explain everything.
First, we are going to learn what is the exhaust system and from what parts it consists of. Then we will cover what is straight piping and the pros and cons of running straight pipes on your car. After that, we will cover the straight pipe exhaust kit and learn more about the kits that are available. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.
What Is An Exhaust System?
So, what is an exhaust system? This is important when it comes to understanding what is a straight pipe kit and how it works. Knowing how the exhaust system works will give you that extra edge when it comes to deciding whether you want to go full straight pipe or half the route. So, if you are a beginner who is just starting, you don’t want to miss this.
An exhaust system in simple words is the system that your car uses to release the gases that were produced by burning the fuel. This system is essential and is one of the most irreplaceable components of a car.
This system helps combustion. Whenever you have combustion, the gases need to flow in order so the engine does not end up choking and losing power.
Let’s say that you have an exhaust manifold leak, with this type of leak, you will lose power because the gases are not flowing smoothly and have obstructions.
Not to mention these gases are highly poisonous and there are components inside the exhaust to make sure that the car pollute less. These are known as emissions devices or catalytic converters.
On the exhaust, there are also two O2 sensors with help adjust the air to fuel ratio on the vehicle in order to achieve maximum efficiency. So, you get the point.
And the last role that we are going to cover is that the exhaust is keeping your health in check by not allowing you to smell these harmful fumes that are released from the exhaust pipe. But what about the straight pipe exhaust kit? More on that in a bit.
Parts Of An Exhaust System
Now as we cleared the basics of the exhaust system and learned more about its role in the automobile. Before we cover the straight pipe exhaust kit, let’s cover another interesting topic which is concerned with the parts of the exhaust system. Knowing the parts of this system will greatly help on what type of upgrades you want to perform.
The first component in every exhaust system is the exhaust manifold. This exhaust manifold in 99% of the cases is made out of cast iron and is really heavy. And frankly, even though it does its job well. It doesn’t do much for the performance of the car. It basically chokes the engine.
So, a lot of people decide to install aftermarket headers which allow a good flow of gases and with this upgrade, people get a few horsepowers more along with an improved exhaust note.
Then there is the catalytic converter which is mounted right after the exhaust manifold. The catalytic converter is an emissions device that has a special role in converting exhaust fumes into something less toxic.
Before and after the catalytic converter, there are O2 sensors. The one before the converter is known as an upstream sensor, while the latter one is a downstream sensor. These sensors help the engine adjust the air to fuel ratio.
After the catalytic converter, there is a long tube that goes to the midsection of the exhaust. And here the first muffler is located. The muffler is the component that tones down the sound a little bit.
And then there is another long pipe that goes to the rear muffler. Another muffler to tone down the sounds even more. But what about the straight pipe exhaust kit? More on that in a bit.
Straight Pipe Exhaust
Now let’s get to business and before we learn more about the straight pipe exhaust kit, let’s first cover something more about what is a straight pipe in general. I bet that there are people reading this who are not into cars and want to learn some of the basics when it comes to this mod? So, what is a straight pipe in general?
Well, straight piping is a popular mod in the car community that has the sole goal to make a car sound a lot better than stock. This mod involves installing straight pipes and deleting all the catalytic equipment from the car, which includes the catalytic converter and the mufflers. Also, some owners delete the manifolds and install headers as well.
But why all this trouble? Well, stock cars sound really boring and we, the car folks want to have something that sounds really mean.
Something which sounds like a proper race car and as we all know sound means performance. But is that actually true in our case?
Well, technically yes. By installing straight pipes, the exhaust gases will have an extremely good flow. This not only will improve the sound and will give you that sharp sound, but it will also improve your performance.
The faster you push out the gases from the exhaust the better the car will perform and the more horsepower it will make, simple as that. So, if you have a goal to race this car. Then getting rid of all the catalytic converters and mufflers is one of the best things that you can do in order to get the performance you desire on the racetrack and make your car the best. But what about the straight pipe exhaust kit? More in a bit.
Pros And Cons Of Running Straight Pipes
Now before we start discussing the straight pipe exhaust kit and what are the kits that you can purchase out there right now. Let’s first learn more about the pros and cons of running a straight pipe exhaust.
As you probably know, everything has its pros and cons. And so is the straight pipe exhaust. It might have some benefits but also a ton of drawbacks that are worth being covered. This is why in the next chapters before we learn more about the straight pipe exhaust kit we will go through the pros and cons of running these mods on your car. So, let’s get into it.
Straight Pipe Kit Pros
Now in the next few chapters let’s first cover the main pros of installing a straight pipe exhaust kit on your car. Knowing the pros will make your life easier and you will be able to determine if you need this mod or not, so let’s begin.
1. More Performance
The first in our list of pros of installing an aftermarket straight pipe kit is the performance gains that you will get when adding this mod to your car. And by performance, I mean really huge performance gains when compared to the stock exhaust. But why is this the case?
Well, this is the case mainly because with a straight pipe exhaust kit, your car will simply start to breathe a lot better and will perform a lot better.
The gas flow will be completely unrestricted and the gases will flow extremely well. This means that the engine could get more air into the intake and more air, means more combustion. Thus, more power.
Good aftermarket headers plus the straight pipe exhaust can easily get you 30 to 50 horsepower more than stock. And frankly, these are not small numbers. Now let’s cover the next pro.
2. Improved Sound
The next pro that we would like to cover when it comes to installing an aftermarket straight pipe exhaust kit is the improved sound.
With this kit, your car will sound extremely good. Especially if you have a V8 engine. That rumble will be more pronounced with a straight pipe exhaust and your car will sound mean.
You will get a ton of good attention from people who love cars but also some negative attention as well. So, this is why you shouldn’t be extremely throttle-happy since you might get some unwanted attention and get fined in some cases.
3. Weight Reduction
The next pro of installing a straight pipe exhaust kit is weight reduction. A stock exhaust weighs a ton more than a straight pipe exhaust.
Especially if you are running it with stock manifolds. This is not good for performance. The heavier the car, the slower it will be. So, if you are one of those folks who want to race their cars on the weekend, this is a really good mod to have.
Not only that you will get the performance that you need. But you will also improve the speed by reducing the weight of the car. This will shave off a few seconds per lap, that’s for sure. So, whenever trying to install a straight pipe exhaust kit for the track, you should never think twice. Just go and install this kit.
4. Love From The Car Community
And the last in our list of pros of running a straight pipe exhaust kit is the approval from the car community. And this is also another important aspect since we car folks want to hang out and admire our cars.
When people notice this car of yours with that straight pipe exhaust that sounds mean. They will immediately like to take a ton of pictures and clips. That’s how things go. Frankly, I got a ton of friends while going on car shows.
This is why if you are one of these folks who want to go on shows and want people to admire their car, this mod is the perfect one for you. Now let’s move on to the cons of running a straight pipe exhaust kit.
Straight Pipe Kit Cons
As you probably know, everything has its pros and cons and so is the straight pipe exhaust kit. So, whenever you install a mod like this you might have some troubles later on down the line.
They are not big of an issue but some can be annoying and can annoy you. So, let’s cover them briefly before we start discussing the straight pipe exhaust kit.
1. Check Engine Light
The first and biggest con of having a straight pipe exhaust kit installed will be the check engine light. The check engine light will be triggered if you delete the catalytic converters and other exhaust components like the mufflers. So, why is this the case?
Well, this is the case because the car is tuned to work with these components. So, when you delete them, the O2 sensor will get some weird readings that will confuse the car.
This is why tuning is essential if you want these mods to perform the best on your car. But more on this, we are going to cover at the end of the article. Now let’s cover the next con of having a straight pipe exhaust kit.
2. Failing Emissions Test
The next con that we are going to cover when it comes to the straight pipe exhaust kit is the failure of emissions testing.
Yes, that’s right, your car will fail the emissions if you remove the catalytic converter and the mufflers. When you take your car to the DMV they will check the car exhaust and see if it pollutes.
If it does pollute more than the recommended setting for this engine, then you will fail the test. Luckily, this isn’t the case in every state. But if you live in New York or California, then good luck registering a straight piped car.
You will for sure fail on the emissions and not be able to pass. But still, inform more on this with your friends if they have a straight pipe exhaust kit installed and see what’s their opinion.
3. Getting Too Much Negative Attention
The con that we are going to cover is the attention that you will get with the straight pipe exhaust kit. And trust me, there will be a lot of negative attention.
People are just really annoyed when a car sounds really obnoxious and they could report you or even in some cases scratch your car.
So, you need to be aware of these situations and don’t floor your car all the time. Even if you have this mod, try to make it tasteful and respect other people. This way you will not annoy anyone and you will enjoy driving your car with a straight pipe exhaust kit.
4. Poor Fuel Economy
And the last con of installing a straight pipe exhaust kit is the poor fuel economy that you will have with this mod.
You can expect that the fuel economy will worsen quite a bit with running a mod like this. The car will become more thirsty because this is an unrestricted exhaust and this means more air will get into the intake. And the more air the greater combustion and horsepower.
All this will take a toll on the MPG ratings of your car. And you can expect them to drop significantly. More than 5 MPG to be more exact. Which is quite a lot. So, beware of this downside of installing a straight pipe exhaust kit. But what about the kits that are available on the market right now? Let’s learn what you can get for your money.
Straight Pipe Exhaust Kit
Now let’s cover the straight pipe kit and learn more about the types and sizes that you can get. Because not all kits are the same out there. Some of them are bigger and cost a ton more money than others.
We will focus primarily on universal straight pipe kits since these kits fit most of the cars and trucks out there. This means that these kits consist of many different types of pipes.
In each of these kits, there are straight pipes and bend kits. There are 4 straight pipes, 4 90-degree angle pipes, 4 45-degree pipes, and 4 180-degree pipes.
There are also different sizes. Starting from 2.25 inches, 2.5 inches, and 3 inches. The 3-inch kit is the biggest pipe size. In the process, we will share Amazon links from the best-selling products out there.
- Krator 2.25″ Mild Steel DIY Custom Mandrel Exhaust Pipe Straight & Bend Kit
- Universal 2.5 Inch Custom Exhaust Tubing Mandrel Bend Pipe Straight & U-Bend Kit
- JY Performance 3” Custom Exhaust Kit 16 Pieces (2 BOX) Mild Steel Tubing Mandrel Bend Pipe Straight & U-Bend Universal 3 Inch OD
Straight Pipe Cost
But what about the cost of these straight pipe exhaust kits? How much the overall cost is? Well, it is worth saying that they are affordable.
You can snatch one from Amazon from $180 to $220. The kit itself is not expensive but the installation could be expensive.
The labor could cost you between $200 and $300. Or if you do it by yourself at home it will cost you zero dollars. It depends on your budget and skills.
Do I Need A Tune?
Will you need a tune when installing a straight pipe exhaust kit? Well, the answer to this question, if you drive a modern car, is yes. You will need to custom tune it in order to make sure that this exhaust works with your car well.
If you don’t tune it, you will have the check engine light as well as other symptoms such as misfires, and rough idle. So, whenever you install a kit, you need to be aware of this.
Conclusion To Straight Pipe Exhaust Kit
In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to the straight pipe exhaust kit. First, we learned what is the exhaust system and what components it consists of.
Then we learned what is straight piping and why it is popular. After that, we covered the pros and cons of using a straight pipe exhaust on your car and what you can expect. Lastly, we learned which are the most popular kits out there for purchase.
F.A.Qs On Straight Pipe Exhaust Kit
Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
What Is A Straight Pipe
Straight piping is a mod where you delete the mufflers and catalytic converter and instead of these mufflers, you install straight pipes. These pipes can be of different diameters. Starting from 2.25 inches and up to 3 inches.
Does Straight Piping Increase HP
Yes, this process of straight piping will increase horsepower by a good margin. Some higher performance engines will really benefit from this process and could easily get 20, 30, or even more horsepower from this mod. So, if you look for horsepower, this mod is one of the best.
How To Straight Pipe A Car
Straight piping a car is really simple. You only need to get a kit. There are a ton of universal kits out there that will completely transform your car and make it perform like no other out there. Installing this kit is like assembling a lego. It is a really easy job. But you will need a lift to jack up the car in the air and a few friends to help you out with the removal of the stock exhaust.
Is Straight Piping Legal
This really depends on where you live. Different states have different laws. Some states are stricter while some states are looser when it comes to this mod. So, you need to study your local laws and learn more about this mod and see if it complies with the legislature.
How Much Does It Cost To Straight Pipe A Car
On average a universal straight pipe exhaust kit is about $180. Which means that it is cheap. But what is not that cheap is the labor involved. And the labor will cost you between $200 to $300 to get this exhaust mounted on the car.
How Much Does A Custom Exhaust Cost
On average, a custom exhaust costs between $1,000 to $3,000. Custom exhausts are really expensive and are not something like a straight pipe exhaust kit. Custom exhaust requires a lot of work and skill from the welder to create a good exhaust system.
