Anyone Put A Larger Exhaust System On?

[motobueno]

I have been thinking of putting on a 3" exhaust system with a larger Cat (or two)and a larger muffler.Has anyone on the planet done this and if so Please share your results.
Thanks Tom
"If it ain't bkoke-Lets upgrade!"

 

[BaywoodBill]

I don't recall any mention of it.

 

[SprinterUSA1]

Tom,


Arne here, from Germany is the only one I know of who has done a custom exhaust.

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=961&highlight=arne&page=3


Cheers SprinterUSA1

 

[motobueno]

Well,Heres my plan-3" tube from the turbo back,Two new larger cats and a larger muffler.Don't want it to sound any louder but it should respond to less back pressure and better flow.I will post pics as the project comes together.

"If it ain't broke-Lets upgrade!"Tom

 

[Nate]

Tom, I don't think you need to put 2 Cats and a muffler on it to keep the sound down.

Diesels of this size are not extremely loud without the muffler due, i believe, to the smaller displacement compared to a domestic diesel. Also too the turbo keeps alot of the sound down.

My VW TDI has no muffler or on it only the stock Cat and an aftermarket resonator and it isn't loud at all. I think there is more engine clatter than exhaust noise.

 

[motobueno]

Nate 'Thank for the feedback.At this point it's all in my head.Your info is just the stuff i'm looking for.I'm sure that there are more opinions about this and I look for more inputfrom this great comunity.

With all of my mods and me and the wife pushing we should be able to crack the 50 mpg mark!!
Tom

Honey-It isn't broken,Stop futzin with it!
"As I shifted into 5th...........I couldn't remember a word she said :

 

[Micky]

Hi. all, have not been around for a while i have just completed my new straight through exhaust. been workin on it for a while, 60mm tube from the front to the rear with a split for twin exhaust pipes. no box no cat and it is not exesivly loud at all, i am very surprised. i will monitor mpg and power . will post pictures when i cam Micky.

 

[Altered Sprinter]

Hi Micky
Where did you start the pipe run from..rear of turbo! Or from exhaust muffler?
Richard

 

[cedarsanctum]

This probably doesn't apply at all, but i remember years ago with one of the first turbo's out there on the Corvair, the muffler actually had to have back-pressure or the turbo would spin too fast. That's what waste-gates were for, i believe. Does this make a difference on these fancy computer run engines? Or am i just gettin' old and obsolete.

 

[dzmiller]

Exhaust change won't improve mpg.

 

[motobueno]

Exhaust change won't improve mpg.

Why not?

 

[maxextz]

hi all
i extended mine a while ago, over here the 316/416 models have short pipes about 2 feet after the box, for a time exhaust fumes where entering the cab and cargo area still a mystery "my face clothe changed from orange to near black", there was also a black film covering the whole inside you could write your name on it,"this is turning into a long story" anyway brought it to merc and they replaced the cabin filter of course that didn't work, so i bought a length of pipe belong to the 313 models "its a 2.1 engine with the longer pipe that goes right to the back door. hard to believe but merc wanted €500 euro for the extra pipe so i paid 40 euro instead at a local breakers,. so now no smoke in your face first start in the morning and also none inside, as for noise its no different.
max....

 

[maxzoom]

This probably doesn't apply at all, but i remember years ago with one of the first turbo's out there on the Corvair, the muffler actually had to have back-pressure or the turbo would spin too fast. That's what waste-gates were for, i believe. Does this make a difference on these fancy computer run engines? Or am i just gettin' old and obsolete.

I have been warned by a mechanic not to remove the catalytic converter on the Sprinter because it will cause the computer and vehicle malfunction.

 

[dzmiller]

Why not?

The engine system is highly complex. The engineers who designed the system would have reduced back pressure if it improved mpg. Higher mpg is highly valued by the million buyers of this vehicle. Driving style and weight are the user controllable factors that will improve mpg. Messing around with the fundamental engineering is just going to cost money.

 

[svaric2]

The engine system is highly complex. The engineers who designed the system would have reduced back pressure if it improved mpg. Higher mpg is highly valued by the million buyers of this vehicle. Driving style and weight are the user controllable factors that will improve mpg. Messing around with the fundamental engineering is just going to cost money.

They wouldn't have reduced the backpressure if it meant a louder car. Things don't always come the way you want to from the factory, you need to lose that mentality.
Engineers put comfort usually in first place, at the cost (if slight) of power/mpgs/handling/ etc...

 

[Danemobile]

Hi guys- here's a newbie who is going to do some mouth-shooting. I'm new to the Sprinter, but have been messing with the 5.9L Cummins Ram combo. I have to disagree with svaric- Our friendly engineers are most confined by emissions. Then come the Noise, Vibration, Harshness, etc. This was gleaned from the engineer who designed the Cummins in the 2004.5 (300hp, 600 ft-lb.), Dennis Hurst. Sorry, but it's from the horses mouth. From my experiences, the only real need for a larger exhaust is if you're adding fuel. If you're adding fuel, you're and idiot if you don't have an egt gauge to see when to pull your foot out of the firewall because the aluminum pistons are about to be recycled. That sounded pretty harsh, but... egt= exhaust temperature gauge... Add fuel until the egt gauge gets too high, then do "something" to lower it, such as different computer settings for boost, timing etc. A stock engine has all that stuff designed into it without the need for an egt gauge. CederS- the corvair was a gasser- on a diesel, the only reason for an exhaust pipe is to "choose where the soot comes out" from Jerry Jardine of Jardine Headders. Go to 6 inches if you want to... but if the exhaust pipe isn't causing a rise in egt (restrictive backpressure making the engine work harder) don't change it. Ceder- you're right about a gasser needing backpressure for efficiency.
Hope my first post didn't sound like a rant. This forum medium is probably the best method us "end users" have to find out what to expect from our purchases, or pre-purchases, down the road. Thanks to the folks who put the Sprinter-Forum together!
Greg

 

[rlent]

If you're adding fuel, you're and idiot if you don't have an egt gauge to see when to pull your foot out of the firewall because the aluminum pistons are about to be recycled. That sounded pretty harsh, but... egt= exhaust temperature gauge... Add fuel until the egt gauge gets too high, then do "something" to lower it, such as different computer settings for boost, timing etc. A stock engine has all that stuff designed into it without the need for an egt gauge.

I'd have to agree (hopefully it does) ........ I've known about this generally for some time ....... but having recently installed an EGT gauge really brought it home .....

Running a several mile grade (Jellico Mountain in Tennesse) I saw my EGT's climb to around 1150°+ (that's at the top of the yellow "Caution" zone, just before the red "Danger" zone, on the gauge) for the several minutes it took to climb the hill ...... the melting point of aluminum is 1228° ......

I can only imagine what it might be like if the ambient air temps had been hotter, the grade steeper ..... or longer.

I doubt that the OM647 comes from the factory with any way to measure EGT's ...... however I'd imagine that the ECU is programmed in an indirect way as to limit the possibility of exceeding safe EGT's.

...... still, one wonders ........

 

[KL2BE]

The real benefit of after-market intake or exhaust systems applies to non-turbocharged engines where you are trying to get a shock-wave and gas inertia to assist in charging the cylinder during valve overlap. Not really applicable to Turbocharged engines where you force-feed the intake; and where the exhaust is doing work spinning a wheel. On both sides you loose the shock-wave and gas inertia. But the power gain from supercharging is much greater than any loss from what you loose with the absence of intake-exhaust tuning.
There is no question that a modified exhaust system downstream of the Turbo will change temperatures and operating parameters in the Turbo (though it may be very minor); thats just a mater of the law of physics. What impact it will have is the $64 question. My own guess is that it would cause the Turbo to spin easier and give more boost; but that you'll realize no gain because the computer will simply give the comand to reduce blower output sooner. Personally, I think the issue is too complex to take the risks.

 

[cedarsanctum]

Hi guys- here's a newbie who is going to do some mouth-shooting. I'm new to the Sprinter, but have been messing with the 5.9L Cummins Ram combo. I have to disagree with svaric- Our friendly engineers are most confined by emissions. Then come the Noise, Vibration, Harshness, etc. This was gleaned from the engineer who designed the Cummins in the 2004.5 (300hp, 600 ft-lb.), Dennis Hurst. Sorry, but it's from the horses mouth. From my experiences, the only real need for a larger exhaust is if you're adding fuel. If you're adding fuel, you're and idiot if you don't have an egt gauge to see when to pull your foot out of the firewall because the aluminum pistons are about to be recycled. That sounded pretty harsh, but... egt= exhaust temperature gauge... Add fuel until the egt gauge gets too high, then do "something" to lower it, such as different computer settings for boost, timing etc. A stock engine has all that stuff designed into it without the need for an egt gauge. CederS- the corvair was a gasser- on a diesel, the only reason for an exhaust pipe is to "choose where the soot comes out" from Jerry Jardine of Jardine Headders. Go to 6 inches if you want to... but if the exhaust pipe isn't causing a rise in egt (restrictive backpressure making the engine work harder) don't change it. Ceder- you're right about a gasser needing backpressure for efficiency.
Hope my first post didn't sound like a rant. This forum medium is probably the best method us "end users" have to find out what to expect from our purchases, or pre-purchases, down the road. Thanks to the folks who put the Sprinter-Forum together!
Greg

Thanks for all this info, Greg.
You sound like you've done some research. I'm learning every day how these diesels work, and you have made some great points. I haven't had any turbo vehicles since my Corvair days, and have never had a diesel before, so it's all education for me.
Jef

 

[scubanw3]

Two years ago I designed a high flow exhaust system with 2 particle converters that emulates the factory system. I never brought it to market for cost reasons. Your real gain is in replacing the particle converters, which is expensive and the only way I can sell a system. I will be revisiting this project this winter. The mpg’s went up slightly (about 3%) and the added power was noticeable (about 10-12hp). The EGT’s remained unaffected. A free flow system will make a difference without any adverse side effects. Going to big is useless but 3” on the Sprinter is about right.

Thank you, John
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