With gas prices going through the roof, and the powers that have been too greedy to even think about lowering the cost, we have to find alternate solutions to increase the mpg we get in our trucks. The question is, how do we get it? Two of the most popular bolt-on performance parts are free-flowing intake and exhaust systems. They're popular for a reason: they work. Any time you reduce the work required to get air into and out of the engine, you not only free up power, you make it more efficient. That means you get the benefit of increased fuel economy.
Since we're talking about two systems, and since most enthusiasts are on a budget, many times we have to choose what to do first. That's a tough decision, however, if you still have the stock exhaust system, you need to step up to a better-flowing exhaust system. We usually recommend installing an aftermarket exhaust as the first mod for any truck. Why? Because an exhaust system that presents less restriction to the engine does so over the motor's entire operating range. In contrast, intakes tend to be more effective the wider you open the throttle. That's not to say you won't experience a performance increase with a free-flowing intake at half-throttle operation without an exhaust system. You will. However, you'll get even more once they're both installed.
In this article, you'll see how to install these two gas-saving performance items in less than three hours. We installed MagnaFlow's exhaust system, followed by K&N's air intake system, then we have shown how the truck responded to the mods.
The Tech Lowdown:
Parts Used: K&N Tacoma Performance intake kit, stainless cat-back system performance exhaust
Part's Cost: $900
Company: K&N Engineering Inc.
(800) 760-5319
knfilters.com
Company: MagnaFlow Performance Exhaust
(800) 824-8664
magnaflow.com
Installation: Go-EZ Customs
(714) 223-0210
goezcustoms.com
Approximate Installation Time: 3 hours
Skills required: General mechanics
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Tools Used: Basic mechanic's tools
1. This was the hardest step in the process, besides trying to snake the exhaust out from under the truck in one piece. On the factory exhaust, these are the only two bolts that had to be removed. | 
2. Jos removed the exhaust from the bushings, attaching it to the truck. A pair of pliers can be used to do this, as well. We also recommend using WD-40 on the bushings. | 
3. Here are the differences between the two. The MagnaFlow exhaust is made out of stainless steel, so it will outlast Mother Nature. The larger tube diameter and less restrictive muffler cut down on back pressure, so the motor runs more efficiently. |
4. After the factory exhaust was removed from the truck, Jos started at the back and hung the tip section of the exhaust, then the muffler, and finally the front piece, and hand-tightened the flange bolts. | 
5. Upper tabs were built and welded into place for the wishbone. | 
6. Before the tip section was tightened down completely, Jos checked that the tip was level. Once any adjustments were made, the clamp could be tightened all the way. |
7. For the intake, we started by removing the mass air flow connector, the mount for the electrical wires that ran along the back of the factory intake, and the crankcase ventilation hoses. | 
8. Five bolts that held the intake on the motor; two on the crankcase and three holding the airbox in place. Once these were removed, it all came out in one piece. | 
9. As part of the kit, K&N supplies a heat shield and a saddle mount. These were both installed using factory mounting points and hardware. |
10. Next, the supplied silicon connector was installed onto the throttle body. | 
11. The mass air flow sensor was removed from the factory unit, then carefully placed into this mounting block, and tightened down. Then, it was secured to the intake tube itself. | 
12. Next, it was time for Dave to install the intake tube into the truck. As per the instructions, we used one of the provided clamps to secure the intake to the saddle bracket. Finally, Dave tightened the clamps holding the tube to the throttle body. |
13. To keep everything within the emissions laws, K&N's Performance intake kit came with new silicone hoses to replace the factory rubber ones. | 
14. On the back of the intake tube, K&N designed the unit to accept everything the factory model had attached to it. With that said, Dave used the factory bolts to attach the electrical wires to the back of the tube and reconnected the mass airflow sensor. | 
15. Finally, Dave installed the 6-inch open element filter. |
16. We checked all of the clamps one last time, making sure none were missed. For our application, we chose to use the black molded intake kit. For those of you who want something with a little more bling, they also have a mandrel-bent polished aluminum version, as well. | | |