Opinions needed;

I'm trying to find facts or testing about the 1997 5.2L 4x4 Dakota on rather dualing the exhaust out will cause a decrease or gain in performance.

These trucks are already lacking in the power dept vs how much fuel they burn... and the 4x4 has a really low 1st gear.. so.. with that said.. if loosing back pressure ging duals would this cause the truck to have slower get up and go.. being I think the duals would help the higher end or mid range?

 

So what's your goal, better fuel mileage or more power? They don't go together. And you've apparently already done a bunch of exhaust system modification.

I put a dual exhaust on an old F250 with a 400M engine. I couldn't see any change in the throttle response or mileage. Still crappy and crappy.

My opinion is that if your system is in good shape, don't mess with it. If it needs replacing, what the hell, go for the duals.

 

Are you talking about true duals, or just after the muffler? If you do it after the muffler, I doubt it will make any difference either way. If you run duals the whole way, I'd expect a boost in high-RPM power (which the 5.2 has *******ly none of in stock form), with a corresponding loss in low-end and gas mileage. But that's all really just a WAG.

 

dual outlets coming off of a y-pipe will probably be no gains,but,with that being said,id still definatly go dual tailpipes...

 

I have dual out of the muffler. Looks good. Performance? Doubt it helps. But the Magnaflow sounds good and dual exits look good. A single just looks lopsided.

 

If i did anything it would eliminate the y pipe and go true duals all the way back. Nothing wrong with my current system.. Magnaflow cat followed by a 40 series Flowmaster.. but i do recall according to my butt-o-meter that after my truck got the flow-master put on replacing the big bulky factory muffler i swear there was a very slight but minutely noticeable change in low end throttle response as if the flowmaster was too small or created too much back pressure over the bigger factory exhaust.

So i was considering changing up just because ive had the flow master for 3 years now on the truck sounds great and all but maybe time for a change just to do it for something new. ??


truck has a nice tune to the exhaust almost like a mild cam (Probally something fubar in teh motor) lol has decent enough power upper range but i was really wanting more get up from a stop... and what i suspected just like back in the day dual for the mid to higher end and HO motors but for the little stockers probably not so much

I'm soon about to do the intake fix as I just passed 155K and i figure time to get it done before it becomes an issue.

REalistically im trying to justify keeping the truck... rather paid for or not;; for the amount of fuel it burns; lack of power.. there is better to be had. truck payment aside.

 

I had a 3 inch single in/out. I then removed the muffler, kept the 3 inch pipe, an dumped it under the passanger side rear seat. Sounds great, and noticed better performance than with the muffler

 

I didn't know you were on here. I would go with duals just for the look.

 

Just retinroduced myself on here. Other places are dead, and I need to keep things going since Im expanding my knowledge on the Dodge to keep my certifications and knowledge going.

Duals look cool. I love the look of duals, and the look of dumped. Both are clean, depends on how they are put though

 

At the expense of HP? Etc etc.
Any PERFORMANCE exhaust I've seen tested, on Dynos and such, all show significant gains from having a cross over.
Purchase a Performance system like TTI, etc and it will come with a X pipe or H pipe of some sort.
Yes, you can go "true dual" but why rob yourself of flow and performance?
We are running small blocks. A set of headers, 2 1/2" X pipe to the mufflers, 2 1/2" out is plenty.
Or headers and 3" Y to the muffler then dual 2 1/2" out.