MPG GAINS HP GAINS not!

First, I like to say that yes, I recently add a cat back upgrade with a increase to mandrel bend 2.5” stainless tubing with a magnaflow 18” muffler and tip. Yes it sounds beefer. Increase HP? Increase MPG? Am I going to get upgrade the the intake as well?

Yes I am going for the intake. Just like someday I’m upgrading and getting some subs. For BETTER SOUND on both.

I think IF there are two identical Tacoma’s going up a steep grade ( like the cajon pass) with a very heavy load with the ac on and smashing the gas, then the one with upgrades would slowly pull away. At the same speed MAYBE the upgraded one would get 1or 2 MPG better.
For everyday driving the differences are minimal, and I’m THAT GUY that puts his head in the sand and says no,no it’s gotta be giving me more for my money.
The reality, and I’ve be doing upgrades like this for almost 20 years on every vehicle I’ve owned. It’s for sound and for wide open throttle at top speeds and that’s it.

Look, it WILL make a difference if your going 100mph+ and the 100 mph winds are blowing into a better designed intake. But driving in southern cal daily traffic it won’t do shit.

I understand the scale in the engineering dept. It’s HP on one and MPG on the other. Increase either side and the other suffers. So they try to give you the best of both worlds. One thing ppl leave out here though is they also try to give you a quieter vehicle to enjoy and with sound dampening there will be SOME restrictions as far as intake and exhaust.

I had a 2014 Honda Accord sport which had 189hp 4 cylinder vs the 185hp standard. The HONDA specs said an increase (4hp) was due to a less restrictive exhaust (which was dual output and the end). So I’m thinking ok this is an admission to intentional restriction probably for sound purposes. This was from HONDA themselves. So a less restricted intake and exhaust could possibly give you an increase of 4-10 Hp total. MAYBE. Just understand that the cost of maybe 10hp which is the difference between having head wind or tail wind the cost is very high. You’ll be paying around $50-100 per 1 HP if you broke it down.
Now comes the question?
If “upgrade” exhaust gives you more, then why does the TRD pro cat back upgrade give you the same mpg and hp and torque vs stock?


https://www.toyota.com/tacoma/features/options_packages/

 

Are you asking and answering your own questions?

 

Maybe in response to https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-exhaust-better-mpg.597823/

 

I guess I am. It’s just funny that this is only one right answer. It has to be scientific. We need a dump. Is a dyno run expensive. Does NOBODY on this forum own a shop with a dyno who could do a before and after? We can’t compare one members experience to another because we all have differences in driving habits and Habitats. But I was serious about if the TRD pro cat back is an “upgrade” then why do the specs remain the same.
Do get me wrong I had the money at the time I would’ve bought the pro but.... gimme something for my money. Like 330hp! Wow

 

I’d prefer more torque than hp

 

There have been many dyno runs documented here. One guy did three, stick, aftermarket CAI and no restriction at all. The worst was no air filter at all. Best was stock.

In your first post you are comparing apples and oranges. You think that because a Honda Accord can get you 4 hp with different exhaust that a Toyota Tacoma will too. You cannot make those extrapolations unless you have the same engine and same ECU tune.

 

Maybe I didn’t explain my point right. The dual output on my honda was factory
With the same engine ECU tune etc. I did change out later to magna flow. The point I was trying to get at and understand is the factory has the same engine, trans etc but on the sport it was dual output and the spec changed 4HP. SO I was wondering why the pro cat back didn’t change at all.
And I agree with SpeySquatch.. I’d rather have torque over HP. I know what I bought and I happy. Everybody dresses and wears shoes to their liking.. same with vehicles.
And you said someone dyno and the best was stock? Do you have the link to the post? I’d like to read. It seems a dyno would put the hype to rest. Sound can be a placebo affect. Watch a movie with no sound and then on a bad ass sound system and see if you “feel” the difference. Like new shoes. I’m running faster now. My truck is louder therefore it MUST be faster and better right. Wrong

 

“Upgrade” doesn’t necessarily mean more hp. I think the stock and pro exhausts are the same size. It could just be that the internals of the mufflers are the only differences. Which would change the sound; even changing the pipping route will change the sound. Even if it only open up the top end, to the average user it’s negligible.

Could also just be a matter of marketing. Reading that an item adds +2 hp is not a lot, but reading the word “upgrade” gives the impression that it will add more hp.

 

Cat back does nothing to change the exhaust before the Cat and that is where all the restriction is. Now, if you could put a header on this engine, then you might see some difference.

 

Honda has a different engine and tune from Toyota, maybe the regular stock exhaust is plugged up on the Honda.

 

So why sell or offer the TRD cat back to these guys? Snake oil?

 

Maybe the sound, the fancy exhaust tip, something different, to run the price up.

 

They also sell a TRD Air Filter set up, it gains absolutely nothing in HP or MPGs.

 

I KNOW I KNOW it’s a different engine. Geez I get that! It’s a different company my point was different exhaust system CAN and does make very small gains depending on the set up. In the pics the accord 9th gen 2013-2018 base I4 engine (not (278 v6) 185hp and the sport had 189 (gain of 4HP) and the ONLY DIFFERENCE was a split at the dump and it Y’d into a dual pipe/muffler output.
So after cat CAN make a difference. Trust me they weren’t upselling a measly 4HP that’s like a trunk full of groceries or a fat side kick.

 

I agree with shakerhood, as much as I wouldn’t like too he is right. To jack up the price. If there were say “4HP” like the accord I’m sure the spec would say so. Love our trucks. Hate the greed

 

Again, it is totally dependant on the vehicle. Maybe the people at Toyota in their infinite wisdom decided to engineer the stock exhaust to maximize power and mileage.

 

And this thread is mild sometimes this topic gets out of hand and ppl get rude , obnoxious but in the end we’re all Tacoma brothers and I gets lots of helpful info from ppl and I try to offer the same.

I wish I could do headers

And besides extremely strict gun laws extremely high gas and vehicle registration prices we also have the strictest smog regulations in the country I’m actually surprised the TRD CAI is California legal it’s funny how if you look at any exhaust system or intake on the web they all say 50 state legal Asterix with a exempt in California so it’s really 49th state legal

 

Years ago they didn't pay much attention to efficiency and there were alot of gains to be had thru the intake and exhaust but today with strict EPA rules there really isn't any there to gain.

 

Ha ha ha. (Big fucking grin on my face) I’m waxing my truck and posting. That’s some funny shit. I went there for info back in the day

 

Yea! It’s gonna rain again Monday. Nothing like dirty southern ca rain on a wax job