ManyMods

1) Has anyone successfully mixed and matched parts from the OEM exhaust system with the TRD system w/o _any_ modifications to the parts?
i.e. OEM muffler w/ TRD tail pipe

2) Has anyone who already had the TRD catback system on their 4R installed the TRD headers _afterward_? Did the addition of the headers change or quiet the tone of the exhaust, reducing or elliminating the DRONE?

I am fed up with the ugly sound my exhaust system makes and am not going to tolerate it anymore. I know some have said that by elliminating the TRD tip, the tone quiets down, but that is not going to be an option for my consideration. I have a feeling that adding the headers should change the sound for the better, but I am not sure I want to go to that extreme with this rig, at least not without confirmation for my theory.

ManyMods

I removed the TRD exhaust system from my 4R today.

Mr. Gadget once said that if you didn't want the TRD exhaust to interfere with the Addco sway bar, you should cut the elbow on the TRD muffler outlet and move it forward (closer to the muffler)about 2". Well, he's right because there is about that much difference between the OE design and the TRD.

So-o-o, if I wanted to mix the TRD tailpipe with the OE muffler, I would have to extend the TRD tailpipe by about 2". PLUS, the flange doesn't line up from one system to the other. That said it is easy to say that it won't work.

IMO the TRD exhaust system is junk. Anyone want to buy it? $400.00 + shipping. It's only got 3700 miles on it ... and the tip is stainless.

ejlarson

Not the BEST sales pitch I have ever heard.

ManyMods

Hey, I never guild a lilly and I don't care if I sell it or not. The offer was made tongue and cheek. I know that some of the guys here are gluttons for pain and punishment so I figured, even knowing the truth, I might get some takers. Of course I am expecting to receive some sort of gratuitous offer of "I'll take it off your hands for 150 bucks, but you'll have to pay the shipping." There's always Midas.

The only good things I say about the system are that it sure does look good and sound good from outside the vehicle.

shazaam

hey Peter-
I'll take it off your hands for $150, but you;ll have to pay for shipping .....

ejlarson

Hey man. I was just kidding! I thought it was actullay funny.

Sorry!

AznSky

Would you like to tell us why you don't like it? Is it just the sound? Or performance?

ManyMods

NO!

But .... if you insist.

One of my favorite things about hot rodding is sound. I love the tone and look of a good exhaust system.

On one of my cars, believe it or not I have had 5 exhaust systems on it, trying different mufflers, resonators, pipe ID's, headers and tailpipe designs. I've finally got it right and it sounds great. :pat:

I thought that the TRD system should be good because, after all, it is Toyota I loved the idea that it just bolted right up and everything fit perfectly. BUT, when I drove the car the DRONE was excruciating. I thought that if it was just at the bottom end at around 25 – 35 mph that this harmonic sound appeared that would be all right. At 50 – 60 mph it sounded all right, just a mild hum. However, above that and between 70 and 90 mph that annoying drone I have at the bottom end reappears.

So, if the system is going to affect my serenity and get me all pissed off 50% of the time that I drive the car, it isn’t worth keeping it on. I will say that after years of abusing my hearing … guns, music, cars, motorcycles, and the wives … I have an acute sensitivity to a certain frequency range and that is where the TRD system sound falls into.

I just finished making an adjustment to a 2.5” ID / 3” OD oval stainless steel tip that I bought and attached to the OE tailpipe. I think it looks pretty good for a cheapo ($25.00), and the size relates nicely to the truck. I have oval TRD emblems on the truck and this oval tip design continues that theme. The slant cut TRD stainless tip looked very nice and hung up higher than the OE pipe but I was not going to start butchering the TRD system just for the stainless tip. BTW, the oval tip is not a 3” “can”, it has a 2.25 liner which in my book is great. I know this is more than you wanted to know, but that is my story and I am sticking to it.

BTW, for anyone removing the tailpipe on their truck, if it is up on Rhino ramps, you don't have to jack up the rear end if you just will lower the spare tire. For anyone installing a TRD exhaust, don't use the collar bolts that come in the kit, they're crap. Try to find stainless bolts if you can.

cwcruzer

ow does it sound now? It looks like you have a refined taste along with a taste for speed and power. I also have an awesome 02 Limited 4WD and in addition of being completely sound insulated it has a 1200 watt system and other improvements. I tried the K&N intake today, and after one test drive I took it off and will return it in the morning. The sound was simply to intrusive for the gain in power.

anthraciterunner

The TRD slash cut tip sucks! It is not stainless and it tarnishes and rusts easily. I thought the sound was way to quiet for being an aftermarket system. I could barely here it at all unless I had all the windows down and was in a parking garage with the stereo off. The muffler also weighs a ton. I swapped the tip and muffler for a magnaflow and kept the TRD pipes. That thing was a waste. Come to think of it, Does TRD even make any good products? Everything I have on my truck that is TRD is just other companies branded w/ the TRD emblem.

ManyMods

Hey guys! I've been real quiet lately because I've been real busy. I just started my own business and it is taking all my time. The 4R is dirty and dusty and my wife doesn't think I love her anymore because her Avalon is dirty too.

As you know, I was really down on the TRD exhaust and even wanted to sell it at one time. I agree that TRD does not make top quality products and when they out source they spec it cheap. However, the TRD exhaust is stainless, albeit cheap stainless, stainless none the less. You can not clean the tip with any kind of acidic cleaner or even Simple Green for that matter. If you do use solvents like that what happens is the stainless will turn an ugly black/brown which spreads like cancer and looks as though it is rusting. Then you have to do some serious polishing with a stainless polish or jeweler's rouge to get the shine back. The way to clean it is to use stainless polish and then coat it with auto wax. As for the noise, it is loud in my opinion but when the tuning is right the sound is not objectionable. I still want to install headers and try it with and without the OEM exhaust, but I don't have the money for that right now. Besides, the truck is running extremely well so I don't want to mess with it. I have discovered that with the supercharger and 7th injector, the best around town performance occurs when the ECT is engaged. My mpg has gone up to 19 now, and I think that is damn good for around town driving. Granted, I am not a lead foot but I do a lot of back road driving. Take care and have a great summer.

ManyMods

Oh, one more thing ----
Stay away from those aftermarket intake systems. The deckplate mod and Amsoil foam filter plus the ISR mod is the best combo to use in my openion. --- if you need more intake flow. Remember that the OE tuning runs on the lean side to begin with and opening the intake will only make it run leaner. Lean is BAD!

IMO, all the other intakes are just for bling bling, a waste of money and the K&N is so dirty that it will shorten your engine life in the long run, especially if you do not change your oil and filter every 3K miles. JM2C

4-RUNNIN' FREAK

I was looking at a Mustang MACH1 yesterday with a nice exhaust. He said he had his headders on for well over a year. His still looked brand new. I showed him my TRD headers that I have had on for 6 months about, and mine look like crap, starting to rust. He tells me they are not pure stainless, which turns out to be true I guess. TRD HEADERS = CRAP not sure bout the cat-back as I didn't even want to know what that was looking like.

pfdaxe

I have the TRD cat-back and when I installed my TRD headers, it actualy became quiter. I personally like my exhaust sound. You can't really blame TRD all that much since they don't really make the stuff and are basicaly just a marketing tool

ManyMods

I was guessing that by adding headers the harmonics would shift and the exhaust would get quieter. Thanks for confirming that. Don't misunderstand me, I don't mind the exhaust note on my truck.

The sad news is, so I am told by TRD, that Borla is no longer making TRD exhausts and they bought the equipment and are making the systems themselves. I sure as heck would not want that claim to fame if I were TRD/Toyota. As Magnuson told me when I was having troubles with the blower, they make the stuff TO TRD'S SPECIFICATIONS. That says it all as far as I am concerned. I have a set of Stan's Tri-Y Headers (Jet Hot coated) on my Caprice wagon and they are rusting too. S*^T happens!

Hawaiian4R

So if I do the deckplate mod and AMSOIL foam filter plus the ISR mod, my engine is gonna run leaner??? This is not good right? How do I fix that?

ManyMods

Boy, this is an old thread

Since I posted that information I added the 7th injector and put on quite a few miles; I am presently at 28K and my truck runs beautifully. I am using the deckplate mod, AMSOIL filter and ISR mod without any problems whatsoever. There are no lean spots that I can find and very strong performance throughout the RPM range according to my SOTP meter. The ECM needed time to read and adjust to all the tuning changes, but once it did everything smoothed out. I get around 17mpg around town and between 18mpg and 20mpg on the highway, depending upon speed. I cruise around town with about 12-13 InHg vacuum and on the highway at about the same or maybe 2 InHg less. There is no problem running at 80 - 85mph at around 2600rpms and acceleration is very strong. I can break the rear end loose very easily unless the anti-skid control kicks in. I love everything about my truck.

Good luck with your ride.

Hawaiian4R

Cool, thanks.