[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by pmw2tua

I just bought a boat and after reading the increasing low end torque problems associated with an after market larger diameter cat back exhaust system, I want to replace the magnaflow 3" exhaust. I was thinking about going with JBA headers with either a gibson 2-1/2" cat back (since the old stock sytem is long gone), or a JBA 2-1/2" cat back system. The headers I have pretty much decided on, but I am having trouble picking between the gibson or the JBA exhaust. Any preferences between the two? Any experiences? Will this set up work well towing?

Thanks for any input?

Oh ya- 2001 Tundra TRD Excab 4X4

Both the Gibson and JBA will probably be roughly equal for peak torque, though I (and several others) have found the peak torque RPM with a Gibson seems to be lower than the published numbers for JBA's Evol catback...and reaching peak torque at a lower RPM is better. Specifically, JBA's published numbers for the combo of their headers and exhaust show a peak torque around 3800 RPM (400 RPM higher than stock); with JBA headers and a Gibson muffler installed in the stock exhaust pipe, my peak torque is around 3200 RPM (200 RPM below stock) and I get noticeable torque onset as low as 2500 RPM. My headers/muffler combo has essentially made my truck perform more like a turbo diesel than a typical gas powered truck...so it's really great for towing.

The JBA system uses a traditional design glasspack muffler; the Gibson muffler has a pair of parallel perforated pipes (one on the inlet side, one on the outlet side). The Gibson's design flows very freely yet leads to it becoming increasingly quieter the more you open the the throttle (and wide throttle openings are common in towing); the JBA will become increasingly louder the more you open the throttle.

So it boils down to how much noise and drone you can stand for extended periods. I personally have no tolerance for sustained noise because I find it very fatiguing after an hour or so. Therefore I chose a Gibson because it provides excellent torque at low RPM for towing but no added noise.