I already asked this under the Exhaust thread but wasn't sure if I would get a faster reply here.

Hey, I'm new to the board and am not sure if this has been discussed already. I have read through those that have said their gas mileage and power have increased with an added exhaust system. I know that these results will vary from make and also model of truck.

I was wondering if anybody has any first hand experience or knowledge about one of these systems helping a 96 Bronco Eddie Bauer with a 351 in it gas mileage and power wise. Also which exhaust system would be best for this truck. I have also been told that the K&N filters will also add a few miles to the gallon and am wondering if this is true. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks
Casey

 

welcome to the board.

to get the most bang for your buck look into replaceing the manifolds with a set of shorty headers, get a bassini Y pipe with hiflow cat then have a muffler shop complete the rest of the exhaust from there back running the 2.5 into your muffler of choice then going 3" out in the stock location. A single exhaust setup will perform better then a dual setup will in your application.

Now a K&N Drop in filter is a good starting point and will add some gains but wont be huge by any means. the only thing stoping good mpg after doing this mod will be your right foot because it will sound and respond so well.

also try a search, this has been discussed alot
good luck

 

I have the same setup as you, 96 w/ 351. I added a Borla catback and didn't notice any MPG increase but the ***-dyno said I gained a little more power. I really noticed the difference when I added my K&N FIPK, way better power and I think better milage, although I haven't verified that. I don't think the exhaust really helped much until I added the intake kit. Headers, Y-Pipe, and hi-flow cat are next on the list. Well, after the ARB and maybe a lift. Order will be determined by size of paycheck

 

a cat back does nothing because the bottle neck is the manifolds,y pipe and cat. so changing the muffler and tail pipe just empties your wallet.
the fipk is a waste of money. its overpriced and the kit allows for hot air created by the motor to be drawn in. hot air doesnt create power, Cold air does thats why the drop in is a better solution because its not drawing in hot air from the engine bay.

 

Kemical, thanks for the response. I guess I'm going to have to wait for the next paycheck as well. For the modification that you stated, what do you think is a ballpark figure for it. I'm just curious. Thanks again

 

well it depends. a good set of headers will cost 250, you can have an exhaust shop do the everything else for 300-400. otherwise the bassini Y pipe is also 250 then you would still need the exhaust finished from that point back. I suggest you call around and get some quotes. if you install the headers yourself that will save ya some cash then just have a shop fab up the rest.

 

Ok, whatever. Sure, A catback does nothing but empty your wallet. If you're going to start upgrading your exhaust, you've got to start somewhere, most people choose a catback system and go from there. Doom on me for not dropping a thousand bucks on headers, y pipe, a hi-flow cat, and a cat back system all at once. What was I thinking?

Sure, the FIPK was expensive, but it also was a major improvement over the K&N drop in filter. Granted I installed it this winter and its just been sucking cold air, its not that hard to get cold air to that area of the engine bay. I live in Maine, most of the year its cold, so for me, it really wasn't a waste of money. Thats your opinion, not a fact. Lots of people think dental hygene is a waste of money.

Headers and a Y pipe will run you 800+ dollars for Bassani. Plus 200+ for a new cat, muffler and labor to have it done, probably more.

KB, You state your opinion like its an absolute truth. I've found you to be an incredible resource on this site but don't see why its necessary to make statements in that manner.

 

Whoa, folks. lets keep our eye on the ball here. Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinions. I don't know that anyone was insulting anyone or their personal preferences. Lets remember that posting isn't personal, its just a method of communication.

Kem has valid points in that the real exhaust bottleneck is at the OEM manifolds and keeping cool air entering the intake will produce better fuel efficiency and performance. These are simply facts that many of us have come to realize after much trial and error and many hours reading and posting right here. Obviously, the opinons expressed about usefulness of a particular product are just that and others reading can glean what information they will, and make their own decisions. Opposing viewpoints are welcome and encouraged. This gives the person asking the question the pros and cons with a little feedback from someone who has already "been there".

The cost factor is up to the end user. The cost is worth it in the long run to many of us because the project is done and the equipment will last. There are no "correct" answers here. Only answers based on experience and facts. Some answers will yield better results than others, its just that simple.

 

Good, well my opinion is that his response to my post (where I was just trying to help someone) was offensive and confrontational, which seems to be the opposite of the attitude this site usually promotes. In the future I'll keep to myself and just lurk around the site. Like I said, I've gained a huge amount of information from this site but if asking for someone to respond with the same respect and decency that I'd hope they'd provide if we were face to face is too daunting of a task, I'll just stick to reading.

 

To clarify after all said, i have to agree with the Cold / hot air intake. I too installed a KN fipk and it has made a small improvement . Wish it could of made the mpg increase i wanted but honestly its only .75-1 mpg gain.This gain is a year round southern states driving .My truck is a 1992 351 w .and to be honest after all the work ive done , it actually stays at this increase _+.5mpg. I actually installed the Eldelbrock upper/lower(fuel inj) for this bronco,msd 6a box flowmaster muff, a superchip, msd billet distributor and a msd blaster coil,56mm throttle body. ,run stock plugs and a set of accel wires.No i havent had time to install my bassani headers but will soon. So to sum it up cold winter driving-1 mabey 1.5 more mpgs in my application.I wouldnt look for a sizeable increase at all in mpgs.After all $$ spent ive increased my horsepower get a clean throttle response.The end project will be my bassani headers . The reason for this. i remember too well working on my stock manifolds.What a NIGHTMARE ---mods will have to be done to accomodate the bigger bolts that were drilled retapped and installed. Most racing and performance enthusiasts state Cold fresh air for my engine please TR

 

I sat here for awhile and did a few searches and am amazed at how much info I found. Definitely glad I found this forum.

Alright back to the questions. I really appreciate the responses that I'm receiving. Chem, I checked on proficientperformance.com and the Bassani ceramic coated (is ceramic really needed) headers were $465. Also I was reading further and saw all the problems people were having after installing headers but I guess using the copper gaskets may alleviate that problem. If I make all those mods and still have those problems that have been discussed, I'm starting to ask myself is it worth it. Greystreak, you say that the money is worth it in the long run because the equipment will last but then I read about all the leaking problems with the headers, the starter getting too hot, etc. Given, I do not know near as much as yall about these trucks but I'm not trying to put money into the bronco to inevitably cause me more problems.

I don't want yall to get the wrong impression because I'm not knocking yalls advice because that's exactly what I want. I guess I'm trying to talk myself into.

Casey

 

bassini is the best and most expensive as you have discoverd. whats nice about the ceramic coated headers is they reduce heat big time. so you would not have any starter issues , infact you can almost touch the exhaust manifold. thats how cool they are. as for the leaking headers, this has to do with proper torqing and proper gaskets used. I alwasy suggest using 1" long bolts, copper gaskets. torq them down starting from the middle out in a cross pattern. then after 500-1000 miles you retighten. alot of guys like the allen type bolts. Grey can comment further

 

BroncoCasey,

Check your information a little closer and you will find that there are a LOT of header manufacturers out there and many are just slapping them together and shipping them without a lot of regard for fit or tuning. As with ANY product, you get what you pay for. The flange plates on a good set of headers are heavy at least 3/8" thick to prevent warping under the heat and pressure associated with exhaust temps and changes in metal temp. Many (cheaper) headers aren't made this way and many are not designed around actually fitting IN the vehicle they are listed to fit in. Yeah, you can make a set of 302 or 351 headers but if they are just desinged to fit the engine and not enough care is taken to make certain that clearances and tolerances are met for the vehicle it is in, then you are going to have fit and leak probelms. Bassani and a few other higher quality headers are manufactured by actually fabricating the headers to fit in the engine bay of the vehicle they are designed to be run in. This is one of the reasons you will pay more for these products. I'm not sitting here to be an info-mercial for Bassani but like any other aftermarket product, you have to be very careful about who you buy from and take the time to learn just how much developement goes into the product before its marketed. Bassani is one of the few aftermarket manufacturer's that Ford OEM dealers will stock parts from. (i.e. Tommy Vaughn Ford, Houston TX sells/installs Bassani as upgrade aftermarket equipment) Thats one helluva selling point for me if a Ford dealer trusts the product enough to sell it themselves.

You mentioned fit and leak problems especially in the area of the gaskets. Keep this in mind. Bassani includes their own custom gasket setup that utilizes compressed graphite seals around each exhaust port and a stainless steel frame to hold them in place between the header anf the cylinder head. Other header manufacturers may use pre-assembled gasket kits developed by a different manufacturer. Not that these outside manufacturers aren't making quality gaskets but they are not necessarily making a gasket specificaly for the headers in question. Again this kind of committment to fit and quality not only puts Bassani and a few others ahead of the game but it does mean that they can command a bit more money for the quality that is already built into the merchandise.

On a personal note, I have had Bassani's complete system (headers are only chromed not ceramic coated) and run it on two Bronco's and installed the system three times (twice on the first truck due to an engine change). I can tell you from experience that there is no leak problem with these headers. They do require a retorque of the header-to-cylinder head bolts once after about 50-75 miles and periodic checks (usually at each oil change). I even got around the periodic checks this last time by installing star-type lockwashers with the bolts. I retorqued after 50-75 miles and haven't had the need to touch them since. The Bassani system only has these gaskets. No donuts at the Y-pipe.

You can always find someone who has had problems with headers or problems with lift kits, or problems with cold air unduction systems, etc. You have to be willing to ask the next logical question after you get that answer. "Oh, really, well who's exhaust (lift/intake) kit did you buy?" This will yield some insight as to which aftermarket products to steer clear of.

 

Hey kemical and greystreak, I appreciate the information.

 

A problem I have run into is finding a set of headers, shorties or long tubes for a 96 F250HD with a 351w that are emissions legal, i ordered a set of hookers but they arent legal so now im stuck with them, once the warmer weather gets here im gonna try to "make then work" so we'll see, if anyone has any suggestions Id greatly appreciate it, thanks--Dinty