Diesel Exhaust - worth it or not?

[MyKH3LL]

Hey everyone,

As the title suggests, is it worth getting an exhaust upgrade on a diesel engine? I've never performed a mod on a diesel vehicle before so this is all uncharted territory for me.

I am buying a Passat wagon which has the EA288 2.0L turbo diesel which produces 140kw/400nm at stock. I've already started enquiring on a remap and DSG tune to push it a bit further and improve throttle response, but I wonder whether, even from an aesthetic (does an auditory equivalent exist for this word?) perspective, if an exhaust upgrade could take the typical diesel rattle and turn it into a more aggressive sounding rumble?

Also, without derailing my own thread too much; if you do have any suggestions on worthwhile tunes I would be more than open to hearing them. I'm new to the mod-world and not very mechanically minded so I need all the help I can get! I'll be adding some coilovers to improve the height and stance but I feel like these engines could really unleash some good performance with the right mods. I just don't know where to start!

Cheers,
Michael

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

IMO the best and first mod to any turbo powered vehicle is to install a big bore MUCH FREER FLOWING MANDREL BENT exhaust system all the way from the TURBO OUTLET incorporating proper straight thru mufflers as turbos need ZERO BACK PRESSURE to give the best power and that will allow the turbo to respond faster and build boost pressure sooner.

My previous road & track car had this upgrade and was dyno tested before and after on the same dyno the same day and picked up more than 12% increase n power and torque.

NOTE the performance increase can vary depending on how restrictive the factory system is.

 

[obi_waynne]

Diesel engines are low RPM, and the exhausts are usually much larger than required so generally flow really well, they also don't sound all that great even with a sports exhaust.

Personally I'd avoid exhaust mods on a diesel, any power gain is minimal you'd be so much better off going with a remap instead.

Turbo upgrades are worth looking into, it will set you back a grand or two, but can make very large power gains possible, but I'd do this mod before you get a remap done, or you'll be remapping twice.

 

[Aaron113]

Most people just do a slight remap on a diesel and thats all you can do without mods, the other thing is blanking the EGR and DPF delete + remap which gives a lot of power for the simplicity of the modification (most likely not legal and wouldnt pass inspection/emission test but i've seen people pass them all anyway for some reason).

What i've learned is that the exhaust upgrade isnt as fun with diesel as it is with petrol engines, you're better off keeping things and doing the above stuff i've mentioned.

 

[Kippaxblue]

I was thinking of a cat/dpf(as Lexus uses both for some reason) back exhaust but reading this has sparked my interest in a turbo upgrade. I know people with mx5s can use a turbo from the Subaru Forester so was wondering if there is an upgrade I could utilise on the Lexus 220d. Would this require a remap as Lexus isn't the easiest car to remap, I already have a piggyback ecu running. Any help or advise would be much appreciated as never messed with turbos before.

 

[Orlok]

Hey everyone,

As the title suggests, is it worth getting an exhaust upgrade on a diesel engine? I've never performed a mod on a diesel vehicle before so this is all uncharted territory for me.

I am buying a Passat wagon which has the EA288 2.0L turbo diesel which produces 140kw/400nm at stock. I've already started enquiring on a remap and DSG tune to push it a bit further and improve throttle response, but I wonder whether, even from an aesthetic (does an auditory equivalent exist for this word?) perspective, if an exhaust upgrade could take the typical diesel rattle and turn it into a more aggressive sounding rumble?

Also, without derailing my own thread too much; if you do have any suggestions on worthwhile tunes I would be more than open to hearing them. I'm new to the mod-world and not very mechanically minded so I need all the help I can get! I'll be adding some coilovers to improve the height and stance but I feel like these engines could really unleash some good performance with the right mods. I just don't know where to start!

Cheers,
Michael

For my 2005 Mazda Bounty SDX 2.5 Litre diesel, I got a full 3" stainless steel exhaust installed and it made a huge difference to the sound; giving it a deeper more throaty sound in conjunction with getting an aftermarket intercooler installed and perfomance filter. It was well worth it. Initially, there might have been some contamination so damage was done to my exhaust, however, they fixed it straightaway and its never had a problem since and they said they guarantee their work and reputation. The sound is pretty deep and meaaan!