| ford F250 Power Stroke side View
While it's obvious from the title of our magazine that we're all about performance, this term can mean different things. Sure, you can get a tuner to tweak that Power Stroke for blistering acceleration, but a diesel's strong suit is less about hauling ass and more about hauling stuff up a hill, whether it's a car trailer, boat trailer, or bales of hay.
Given that mission, what's the quickest and simplest way to increase the power output? By opening up the exhaust, of course. Not only that, a free-flowing exhaust system becomes the foundation for any further engine enhancements. After all, you can't shoot the flow of a fire hose through a drinking straw.
To put it another way, think of that stock muffler as the weakest link in a chain. Your exhaust-and, thus, power-output is only as good as the smallest opening in the system. But the innards of a factory muffler typically consist of a maze of baffles and a small orifice that squeezes down to a smaller diameter. So even if the rest of the system has 3.5-inch tubing, the spent gasses still have to be forced through a little mouse hole.
In contrast, check out Borla's smooth, 4-inch, mandrel-bent tubing that flows nicely into the company's Multi-Core XR-1 muffler. This unit features a combination of freer-flowing perforated tubes along with insulation to cancel out noise, so the muffler's mellow sound is still within legal limits, with no annoying drone.
| For ease of installation, the Borla exhaust system uses the factory hangers.
Designed specifically to fit the later-model Ford Super Duty (with kits for both the 6.0 and 7.3L Power Stroke), Borla's system precisely fits the different flanges after the cat and also features interlocking joints. Made of 304 stainless steel, the system is guaranteed to last one million miles. It should take you less than half a day to replace the stock system with this kit.
What kind of benefits can you expect? We've seen increases of as much as 15 hp and 25 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels, depending on the model and mileage on the truck. In addition, you can expect lower exhaust gas temperatures as well, so you'll be able to keep in the throttle more when you're pulling up a hill. That way you can stay longer in the safe EGT zone and enjoy improved fuel economy, thanks to the better breathing allowed by the bigger exhaust.
Returning to our initial point about different types of performance, if acceleration is also your thing, a bigger exhaust is also a necessity for more power adders because the stock system only flows as well as the smallest diameter. So whatever your definition of performance, the bottom line of this Borla system is you get more bang for your diesel buck. Check out these photos, and you'll be ready to install your exhaust when it's time to upgrade (if you're still running the stock exhaust-it's time).
