Does a Performance Exhaust Increase Horsepower? (How to Install an Exhaust System)

Dropping the factory exhaust in place of a higher flowing and better sounding aftermarket setup is often the first modification made to any car. Who doesn’t want their car to have a little more power and sound different from the masses?

However, a lot of guys seem to think this has to be professionally done because a lift and specialized tools are required, but our friend Chris Fix has a great video proving that you can actually swap a fully exhaust system in your driveway using tools that most of us should have on hand. I was a bit skeptical about the premise, especially looking at the new exhaust laying beside the car on the ground before Chris yanked the old piping out. It just doesn’t look like it can be done quite so easily, but as usual, Mr. Fix knows what he’s doing, and proves that not only can it be done, but it’s actually reasonably easy.

Before the new can go in, the old has to come out. As pointed out in the video, hitting all the fasteners in the exhaust system with some penetrating fluid a couple of days before the install will help loosen things up and keep you from having to deal with broken or stripped bolts and nuts. The removal is pretty straight forward, you unbolt everything, cut the rear section to remove it from over the axle, and yank it all out.

Installing the new stuff is not much more difficult, especially when the aftermarket setup is in multiple pieces that you connect as you go from front to back. With everything installed, you can simply tighten it all down and bolt on the hangers and you’re good to go.

Not only does the new system look and sound better, it adds a noticeable increase in horsepower, which was backed up by the dyno pull that showed increases of two horsepower and fifteen ft/lbs of torque. As always, Chris is informative and thorough without being too technical, which is why his channel is one of our favorites!