First a bit of tech. The catalytic converter is a major restriction in the factory exhaust system. The short of it is a catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that reduces toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction (an oxidation and a reduction reaction).
It is hard for the turbine in a turbo charged vehicle to push all that hot combusted gasses through the catalytic converter. Adding to the restriction is the exhaust diameter. Adding a 3" or 76mm exhaust frees up the system and allows the exhaust gasses to flow more freely.
We have provided a lot of Exhaust systems for Nissan GT-R R35, Subaru WRX and STI, Ford Focus RS, Ford Focus ST, Ford Mustang, Mitsubishi Evo X and numerous other cars.
Definition:
Cat-Back: The section from the back of the vehicle that connects to the factory downpipes on turbo charged vehicles
Turbo-Back: The full exhaust system, on a turbo charged vehicle it will be from the turbo to the back of the vehicle. Downpipe including cat-back
Here is some tips for choosing your next turbo or cat-back exhaust:
Here is a great video from the COBB Tuning video series that explains the exhaust components.
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DISCLAIMER: We are a COBB Dealer and COBB Certified Pro-Tuner
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We do get a lot of customers phoning and us and are not aware of how staged performance packages work and how it could benefit them and save $$$ at the end of the day.
Here it goes..
As the name implies a staged package is a package that you can buy in stages. You can see and feel the benefits of the packages straight away. For example, you can buy a Stage 1 package and load the relevant OTS or packaged tune that was provided by the manufacturer. Add additional hardware and you can then load the relevant Stage 1+ or Stage 2 tune depending on the upgrade path provided.
But there is a catch. You have to follow the manufacturers upgrade path and generally, these paths include using that manufacturers hardware as they have spent many hours testing and developing these combinations of tunes and hardware testing. Using any other hardware might have negative effects and could even blow your engine. So its very important to keep that in mind unless the manufacturer is kind enough to provide tunes for other hardware that they have tested.
Another consideration you want to keep in mind is the cost, while it might be suitable for your budget at the time you will spend a bit more because of shipping and the discounts provided by the manufacturer. For example, if you buy a stage 1 package that includes a handheld tuner and a cold air intake, you will only pay for those items. Want to go to stage 2? If the upgrade path stipulates an intercooler you will have to buy that separate load the relevant OTS map, Then Stage 3 requires a Turbo back exhaust and again load the OTS map. Get where this is going? As and example if you bought all the items as a stage 3 package you might pay $5000 but buying them separate might cost you $5500. We totally understand that some enthusiasts can wait and go down the latter path.
Here is where you can get a custom remote or dyno tune. While the staged OTS maps are great the manufacturers have to account for all variances in altitude, temperature and fuels octane, and RON. As such they will create different tunes that are conservative and take into account all the environmental variances that could be encountered.
Well, that entirely depends on the vehicle, the mileage and how well it has been maintained, the quality of the engineering of the aftermarket parts the quality of the fuel. etc.. And then, of course, the tuner.
To conclude you don't always have to follow the manufacturers' recommendations and upgrade paths and you can get a custom tune at any stage to extract the most power from your vehicle. But generally, vehicle owners have some idea of power they are looking for and it's entirely up to the owner which path he or she takes.
Thanks for reading. Any questions or comments please email us at info@kwdealer.com.au
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Are you overwhelmed and confused with all the tuning solutions in the market for your Ford Focus Ecoboost RS or ST vehicle?
Can't be bothered to read through all the websites and forums and correlate the relevant information to make an informed decision on what tuning solution is right for you? Well, you are in luck! Read on...
We do often get asked which tuning solution is better for my car? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question and often it is personal preference. When it comes to these solutions most tuning solution manufacturers provide the basic tables available for the professional tuner to modify and some others have done some extra work and provide custom features.
Some of these custom features include launch control, flat foot shifting and others. Some features enhance the capability of the tuner to control aspects of the car better for example how the fuelling works and ignition timing changes to name a few. Although the customer doesn't see the benefits ate first sight there are some benefits to the customer especially pricing, An example of this is real-time tuning. This allows the tuner to make changes to the Engine Control Unit(ECU, DMU) in real-time meaning the tuner doesn't have to ignition cycle the car and flash between every change, they can simply make the changes to the relevant tables, test and make some more changes without cycling the ignition start/off and off/start. This is very similar to what an aftermarket standalone ECU such as a HALTECH, SYVECS or MOTEC ECUs are capable of.
Often it also comes down to the tuners preference and which solution they are most comfortable with and which solution is right for their business and the customer market available to him.
We have created a little guide on the features available of different tuning solutions.
CLICK HERE for our Ford tuning platform comparison guide.
*** Disclaimer: This guide is relevant as of the date of publication. As new features are added and products improve we will update the guide accordingly. This is our un-biased review, if you feel we have made a error please contact us at info@kwdealer.com.au
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