Corsa Turbo-Back Exhaust Upgrade

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SOUND INVESTMENT

Corsa’s 4” turbo-back system enhances diesel engine performance without over-powering the ear drums

by Larry Walton / Editorial Services West LLC

Most diesel truck owners are aware of the benefits of a larger exhaust diameter – lower back pressure, lower egts, higher boost, more horse power and more torque.  These benefits are even greater when combined with an electronic power upgrade package.  After all, what good does it do to pour more diesel on the system if the exhaust can’t get rid of it?

According to Paul Lehman, CEO of Edge Products, which is a leader in electronic upgrades, “As you add more fuel, which is essentially what the electronics do, you have to think about ways to remove heat and an exhaust is a very good way to do that.  An exhaust is often needed to really be able to handle that additional fuel that a module gives.”

DIESEL EXHAUST COMPARISON SOUND TEST RESULTS We compared the four-inch Corsa turbo-back exhaust’s sound readings against the stock exhaust and a generic “aftermarket” replacement system of the same size as the Corsa. Each test was done three times on each exhaust system using a digital sound meter to recod the results.  Our sound meter was set to record an average reading and a maximum reading for each sampling. We took sound readings inside the cab at idle, at 35mph, at 60mph, and during a 0-60 acceleration run. Here’re the results: Idle: The Corsa system was 1dB quieter than the generic turbo-back system and .3dB quieter than the stock system.  The peak reading at idle was 4dB less than the generic and 1.3dB less than the stock system. 35 mph:  The Corsa turbo back was 5.7dB quieter than generic turbo-back.  Corsa was only .3dB louder than the stock exhaust at 35mph. 60 mph:  Cruising at 60 the Corsa system was 2.3dB quieter than the other aftermarket pipe while the stock reading was 1.6dB lower than the Corsa. 0-60 mph:  During the acceleration testing, the Corsa was 3dB louder than the generic and 7.3dB louder than the stock system.

We hear that, but we wanted to know if we could hear anything at all with a wide-open four-inch exhaust system.

The Corsa exhaust people said they were up to the challenge so we lined up a test truck and ordered a Corsa Performance Duramax Diesel Exhaust System.

The owner of our test truck had already enjoyed some of the benefits of a bigger exhaust with a four-inch turbo-back system from another company.

While he really liked the sound during acceleration,  he didn’t like the in-cab drone at cruising speeds.  He was missing some of the nuances of his favorite CDs.

When I suggested he try a four-inch turbo-back system by Corsa he was a bit skeptical.  After, I was suggesting replacing the stock down-pipe this time which would really open it up.

“Dude, it’s all about the RSC,” I told him, “the reflective sound cancellation technology” – only half believing it myself.

Our conclusion:  Considering that the Corsa diesel performance exhaust is basically a straight-pipe from turbo to tip, it was amazingly quiet where it counts – inside the cab at idle and cruising.

Happily, it’s not all that tame when the turbo is spooled up and things are really cooking.  Others will know that your exhaust is open for business as you pull away from them.

We found the installation to be simple and straight forward.  Here’s how to make the change: