Next to buying new wheels, upgrading the exhaust is the most common alteration done to a mustang. Either exchanging the mid-pipes, or redoing the entire system a common theme among mustang owners is they want exhaust systems that sound great and last. You can achieve this by improving the parts of your exhaust. Now you ask yourself, what are the different parts of the mustang exhaust?

There is more to the mustang exhaust system than just pieces of metal bolted together. Your mustang exhaust performs many functions, the most important ones are the following. They move the hot exhaust gases coming from your engine out of the car. They limit the noise output and reduce exhaust emissions. The faster you are able increase the air flow through the engine the better overall performance you will have and the exhaust is integral this.

How does the exhaust system do these things? It is done by pushing the gases from your engine, through the pipes and mufflers, and out of your car. There are three main components to the mustang exhaust system. All Mustangs have the same set-up, regardless of the year of making. I highly recommend upgrading both the headers and going with cat-back exhaust. Not only will you improve performance, you will improve the sound and fuel efficiency in some cases.

The manifolds are first of the components and are attached to the exhaust ports of the engine. Manifolds funnel exhaust gases from the cylinders to an exhaust passage mid-pipe. The manifolds are occasionally referred to as mustang headers, and although they perform the same functions, are not exactly the same thing. While a manifold usually has many holes coming together into a common chamber, headers generally have tubes that curve and join the exhaust ports to the exhaust pipe. This allows gases to easily glide into the pipe as opposed to smashing through the ports.

The next part is the mid-pipe, which is a component of every mustang exhaust system. This is the place where the gases arrive after they leave the manifold, with the main purpose being to equalize the exhaust pulses. These are the exhaust bursts from the engine to the pipe, which creates a more efficient working of the system, and allow the engine to produce greater power.

The mustang catback is the third component. The catback is bolted on at the rear of the catalytic converters. Assembly is made up of the mufflers and tailpipes and is the last stop along the line for the vicious gases coming from your engine. Multiple aftermarket performance upgrades relating to headers, exhaust and intake are available. Clicking the links within this article or resource box is where your best sources can be found.