Thinking about upgrading your exhaust system? Whether you drive a truck, car, SUV, ATV, or snowmobile, an aftermarket exhaust is one of the smartest upgrades you can make. But with so many options, how do you choose the right one? This comprehensive exhaust buyer’s guide will teach you everything you need to make the right decision. This guide will walk you through the different types of aftermarket exhaust systems, the benefits they offer, and how to pick the perfect setup for your driving style and goals. And when you're ready to upgrade, MBRP has a system built specifically for your vehicle and lifestyle.
Upgrading your exhaust system is about more than just making noise. It's about unlocking your vehicle’s full personality and best performance. Today we expect our sleds to handle greater loads, go farther, go faster and sound awesome at the same time. In selecting the right snowmobile exhaust product for your sled there are a number of things to keep in mind. One would be the local regulations regarding sound levels with many jurisdictions prohibiting sleds generating greater than 88 dB. Other considerations would be the elevation and terrain you will be traveling in, the load levels and type of sledding you will be doing.
With this comprehensive exhaust buyer’s guide, our exhaust product expert will teach you everything you need to make the right decision. This guide will walk you through the different types of aftermarket exhaust systems, the benefits they offer, and how to pick the perfect setup for your driving style and goals. And when you're ready to upgrade, MBRP has a system built specifically for your vehicle and lifestyle.
Why Upgrade Your Exhaust?
Before diving into types and configurations, let’s look at why aftermarket exhaust systems are worth it:
- Better Sound - From subtle rumble to race-inspired roar
- More Power - Improve horsepower and torque with better airflow
- Improved Fuel Economy - Reduced backpressure helps your engine run more efficiently
- Custom Style - Choose your exhaust tip and exit style to match your build
- Durability - High-grade materials like stainless steel outperform factory setups
- Weight Reduction - Shed pounds with lighter materials and simplified designs
Whether you’re after performance, personality-or both-an aftermarket exhaust transforms how your vehicle drives, sounds, and feels!
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Types of Aftermarket Exhaust Systems
The right system for you depends on how much of your factory exhaust you want to replace, and what your goals are.
1. Axle-Back Exhaust
- Best For: Drivers who want improved sound and style
- Replaces: Mufflers, tailpipes, exhaust tips
- Ideal For: Easy DIY upgrades with a noticeable tone boost
Axle-back systems are the go-to for those who want more volume and a cleaner look without diving into a full exhaust replacement. They’re budget-friendly and great for weekend installs.
2. Cat-Back Exhaust
- Best For: Performance, sound, and efficiency
- Replaces: Everything from the catalytic converter back
- Ideal For: Everyday drivers, enthusiasts, and light towing/off-road use
Cat-back systems offer a perfect balance between power gains, fuel economy improvements, and aggressive sound. MBRP’s cat-backs are mandrel-bent for optimal flow and come in multiple sound profiles.
3. DPF-Back & Turbo-Back Exhaust
- Best For: Diesel trucks looking for power and sound
- DPF-Back: Replaces system from Diesel Particulate Filter to the tip
- Turbo-Back: Replaces everything from the turbo to the tip (race/off-road use only)
MBRP’s DPF-back and turbo-back systems unlock diesel performance, improving towing, lowering EGTs, and enhancing fuel economy.
4. Muffler-Delete/Resonator-Delete
- Best For: Easy-to-get volume
- Replaces: Just the muffler or resonator with straight pipe
- Ideal For: When you want all the sound without all the work
MBRP muffler-delete and resonator-delete kits deliver pure, unfiltered sound. They're not for everyone! But for those who crave volume, they're hard to beat.
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Choosing the Right Sound Profile
Exhaust isn’t just about performance. It’s about how your vehicle feels when you drive it! MBRP offers a range of Sound Profiles to match every personality:
- 🔇 Tour Profile - Deep and mellow. Perfect for highway driving and daily use
- 🔊 Street Profile - A balanced growl with a sporty edge and minimal drone
- 🔥 Race Profile - Loud, aggressive, and attention-grabbing. Built for the bold!
- 🎚 Active Profile - Electronically adjustable systems let you control sound levels on demand
Ask yourself: Do I want a subtle tone or all-out roar? With MBRP, you can tailor your exhaust to your comfort level and driving environment.
Choosing the Right Exit Style
How your exhaust exits your vehicle matters. Your exhaust system affects the look, clearance, and sound projection of your vehicle. MBRP offers:
- Single Rear Exit: Clean and simple
- Dual Rear Exit: Classic performance look
- Quad Rear Exit: Aggressive and modern
- Single Side Exit: Functional and sporty
- Dual Side Exit: Symmetrical and bold
- Turndown Exit: Compact and high clearance
- Dual Pre-Axle Exit: Retro and race-inspired
Your choice comes down to visual appeal, clearance needs, and personal preference. With MBRP, you get to be the one to choose!
Materials Matter: Steel Grades Explained
When investing in an exhaust system, material quality determines how long it lasts:
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- T304 Stainless Steel: Top-tier corrosion resistance. Great for harsh climates and long-term durability
- T409 Stainless Steel: Affordable, tough, and perfect for daily drivers
- Aluminized Steel: Budget-friendly option for dry, mild climates
MBRP offers options in all three, so you can choose based on budget and longevity needs.
What Kind of Driver Are You?
Still not sure what exhaust is right for you? Here’s a quick guide based on your driving style:
Two-Stroke Exhaust Power Valves
All engines draw air into the cylinder for combustion and expel the spent gases through an exhaust system. Small exhaust ports increase air velocity, which translates into improved power and throttle response at low rpm. However, small ports cannot move enough air as engine speeds increase, leading to reduced high-rpm performance. In other words, a narrow exhaust port will be more powerful launching the machine from a stop but lack top-end power.
To solve this problem, engineers designed variable valves for two-stroke exhaust ports that change size relative to operating conditions. Adjustable exhaust power valves were introduced more than 50 years ago. Early examples included the Yamaha Power Valve System (YPVS) and Rotax Adjustable Variable Exhaust (RAVE). Two-stroke exhaust power valves are designed to dynamically adjust the exhaust port size in response to varying engine speeds.
At low engine speeds, the power valve covers a portion of the exhaust port, creating better low-rpm performance. Older mechanical exhaust power valves relied on air and spring pressures to open and close depending on operating conditions. Though not as tunable as modern technology, they were extremely reliable.
Minimal force is used to activate power valves, so even moderate restriction can render the valve inoperable and periodic maintenance becomes necessary to maintain peak performance. Because the power valves are located within the exhaust stream they are exposed to high temperatures and a constant flow of contaminates. Two-stroke engines burn oil during combustion and the exhaust gases can reach 1,000ºF (538ºC), making them extremely sensitive to oil quality.
Low-quality oil doesn’t burn cleanly, causing excessive deposits to accumulate on the power valves. Eventually, these deposits get thick enough to cause the valve to stop moving, greatly reducing engine power and performance. Snowmobile manufacturers recommend that valve cleaning be performed at least annually and at most every 1,000 miles. Discoloration and deposits are normal, but exhaust power valves should move freely with little or no resistance. Hard, dry carbon is worse than soft, oily deposits.
Aftermarket Silencers and ECU Compensation
Many people assume that the computer (ECU/ECM) would make up for any rich/lean condition that may be caused by changing the exhaust. The fuel injection on ANY of the two strokes (including the E-Tec) is not a closed loop system... All the two strokes run, and will probably for some time, what is called "speed Density" control system.... It has a fixed fuel map (the set of instructions that the computer has as it's control mechanism).
It monitors such things as intake air temp (IAT) Throttle position (TPS) Coolant temp, crankshaft position, barometric pressure and protective devices like detonation sensors and exhaust temperature (which is often mistakenly thought of as and oxygen sensor). It runs on a specific set of instructions that take into account the information from these sensors and responds in a predetermined way.
If you change something in the system... like modifying the airbox, change the shape/length or type of the tuned exhaust system (which the silencer is part of) or the type of fuel that you are using... the computer will still run the engine according to that predetermined map... the computer (ECU) cannot compensate for changes to the hardware.... (like porting, pipes etc) which is why it is important to match the stock back-pressure very closely when installing an aftermarket can.
The exhaust system from the engine and out the silencer has to be looked at as a system... a TUNED exhaust system. Heck, even in the old days, changing out the silencer required often that the jetting be changed to accomodate the new setup. The days of simply making an exhaust more "free flowing" and "uncorking power" are all but gone.
Is it possible that a simple change in silencer can actually ADD power in a durable/reliable way... yes. Is it likely, without causing other issues... Not in my opinion on modern EFI engines without changing/controlling the mapping. IMO, I believe that more than ever, it is important that the aftermarket silencer, when installed on a stock pipe/engine/control system, has an identical flow rate to the stock silencer. This way.. a lighter/smaller silencer can be had... and even a different exhaust note if you want.
Back Pressure and Performance
Now sometimes, the factory has to get a certain pollution component under control like Nitric oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons etc... and they cannot push the power or get it to meet standards with less back-pressure... BUT more often than not, these days, the factory is not leaving stuff like that on the table.
Now, if a drop or increase in back-pressure (which is the only thing a silencer can do to effect the performance) increases the power output...it is doing that by giving the exhaust a different state of tune... this affects how the cylinder is scavenged (sucking out the exhaust and unburnt air/fuel mix that is being pulled through the transfer ports and partially out the exhaust before "stuffing" the unburnt fuel back into the cylinder).
If it does this scavenging at a different rate or "timing" this can affect how much fuel is left in the cylinder and therefore the Air/fuel ratio (whether the engine is running lean or rich). An increase in power could be from leaning the motor out which could be bad if it is done past the engines ability to tolerate a lean burn. OR.. this might just pick up on a margin of power if the factory had to leave something on the table to meet EPA regulations for emissions...
Choosing the Right Canister
Well-built and designed aftermarket products deliver improved performance while avoiding the risk of damage to the sled. Unfortunately, some enthusiasts have, through harsh experience, come to the conclusion that aftermarket cans will lose power compared with stock. In many cases that is actually true. One reason for such power loss is an attempt by some manufacturers to maximize sound volume.
The simplest way to do this is by opening up the exhaust flow, severely reducing or even eliminating the back pressure that your engine needs to achieve peak performance. In the case of the muffler, as back pressure is reduced, the engine burns more lean, that is, a higher level of oxygen is mixed with the fuel making its way to the combustion chambers. When it is too lean there is not enough fuel in the mixture to provide maximum explosive force.
Properly designed and engineered canisters can be tuned to achieve the precise amount of back pressure needed by each individual model of sled to provide predictable and consistent power gains. Fine adjustments to the bends and flow diameters at various points in the inlet and outlet pipes can have massive impact on performance and sound quality.
Unfortunately, not all aftermarket exhaust manufacturers carry out the level of technical development or the extensive flow bench and dyno testing required to engineer a canister that achieves this balance. Many of the products that you see online or at snow shows are in fact poor copies of more sophisticated products. There are even cans on the market with pipes that are not mandrel bent. Fortunately, such cans are easily identified by visible creases and ripples at the bends.
Another benefit of a canister specifically tuned to provide the maximum performance and reliability for the type of sled it is installed on is that every enthusiast can get exactly the right sound for him. Again, recognizing that the needs of the snowmobile enthusiast are not the same as the more extreme activities like racing, careful consideration should be given before purchasing any exhaust system that will require clutching or jetting.
Types of Aftermarket Exhaust
There are three broad categories of aftermarket exhaust available to the enthusiast. The first of these are the race cans which significantly increase horsepower and are the lightest of the three categories. While this category includes the more extreme products mentioned above, there are also bolt-on race mufflers. Next would be the standard canister category. Finally, there is the trail category.
Before leaving the subject of aftermarket exhaust there is one more way to gain greater horsepower without waking the neighbors or risking the anger of local law enforcement. Performance headers are now available that are bolt-on easy to install using only common hand tools. Even when these headers are installed with the stock muffler kept in place you can gain 6-7 hp or more without any significant increase in decibels.
For the typical snowmobile enthusiast the ideal performance exhaust product will be easy to install, preferably without having to resort to specialized tools or equipment, be tuned to their specific model of sled and never compromise safety.
Why Choose MBRP?
For over 25 years, MBRP has been a leader in performance exhaust systems. We built our reputation on innovation, sound quality, and real-world performance. When you choose MBRP, you get:
- ✅ Vehicle-specific engineering for perfect fitment
- ✅ Premium sound tuning across multiple profiles
- ✅ Proven horsepower and torque gains
- ✅ Durable materials and long-lasting finishes
- ✅ Easy bolt-on installation-no cutting required in most applications
No matter what you drive, or how you drive it, MBRP has an exhaust system that’s engineered to perform and built to last.
tags: #snowmobile #exhaust #cans