Racing Beat muffler/ AEM dry flow OEM replacement

[blackbear]

So I splurged for the racing beat muffler and a AEM dry flow OEM replacement filter. Was not expecting any increase in HP or torque and my but dyno confirms little to no real increase (at sea level) but I do love the sound. Very mellow and pretty quiet, yet has a nice tone that the stock exhaust lacks, (put, put, fart, fart)
I did notice the 2016.5 CX-5 (touring) act like it ran out of gas (no power) when I recently drove it up over the mountains on the infamous Stevens Pass at about 6,000 ft. But then again maybe the stock system would act the same way with this anemic powered 184hp engine at altitude. I had the thing floored and it barely maintained 60mph and it was level, not climbing a steep. Another thing that happened on the way down was the dam thing would not shift out of 5th when coasting down (no throttle, nothing). No matter what I did it would not shift into 6th until I came down to about 4000 ft, then finally found 6th and coasted. (it was not in sport mode)
Has anyone here had any computer work done with the racing beat exhaust and actually seen (or felt) a power increase.

 

[paris1]

Altitude has nothing to do with gear selection. When you're descending a long grade, all you have to do is hit the brake once or twice and the SkyActiv 6AT senses that you could use engine braking and will downshift one or two gears and HOLD that gear until gradient conditions change (as they apparently did when you hit 4k feet) OR you get back on the gas OR put it in manual mode and shift up to 6th.

 

[Silv3rCX5]

Does the RB exhaust drone while cruising?

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

The engine will not engine brake at high rpm on its own. You will have to manual downshift it for useful engine braking in that situation. The trans acts on engine speed load and throttle. Unless you have cc on it's not going to do any real engine braking for you.

As far as power, at seal level your motor can make approx 29in hg of manifold pressure.. at 6000 feet that's a maximum of 24" inhg. I don't have my car right npw so I can't give a gauge number, but I'd say that's like driving at 2/3 throttle. Those numbers don't factor in temptress and barometric pressure so 6000 feet could be 8000 feet equivalent or more.

 

[paris1]

The engine will not engine brake at high rpm on its own. You will have to manual downshift it for useful engine braking in that situation. The trans acts on engine speed load and throttle. Unless you have cc on it's not going to do any real engine braking for you.

As far as power, at seal level your motor can make approx 29in hg of manifold pressure.. at 6000 feet that's a maximum of 24" inhg. I don't have my car right npw so I can't give a gauge number, but I'd say that's like driving at 2/3 throttle. Those numbers don't factor in temptress and barometric pressure so 6000 feet could be 8000 feet equivalent or more.

I'm not sure how you're defining "useful engine braking", but when I'm going down a fairly steep, long grade near my home in 6th @1500 rpm and I tap the brake once and it drops to 5th and I tap it again and it drops to 4th @ 2500 rpm (or thereabouts), that's useful engine braking to me. And it doesn't come out of 4th until I approach the bottom of the grade and get back on the gas a bit or (on its own) when the grade goes to 0 degrees.

 

[Unobtanium]

The engine will not engine brake at high rpm on its own. You will have to manual downshift it for useful engine braking in that situation. The trans acts on engine speed load and throttle. Unless you have cc on it's not going to do any real engine braking for you.

As far as power, at seal level your motor can make approx 29in hg of manifold pressure.. at 6000 feet that's a maximum of 24" inhg. I don't have my car right npw so I can't give a gauge number, but I'd say that's like driving at 2/3 throttle. Those numbers don't factor in temptress and barometric pressure so 6000 feet could be 8000 feet equivalent or more.

My CX-5 engine brakes on its own during hard braking, especially down a hill.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Sounds like that is the case then. I'm usually engine braking 4k down but I'm usually doing it to stay in a powerband in random slow down speed up traffic or other situations where I want to be able to decelerate as needed but have high output when needed/desired. Our also downshift myself when slowing down a lot for the same reason.

 

[Unobtanium]

Sounds like that is the case then. I'm usually engine braking 4k down but I'm usually doing it to stay in a powerband in random slow down speed up traffic or other situations where I want to be able to decelerate as needed but have high output when needed/desired. Our also downshift myself when slowing down a lot for the same reason.

My computer manages all that pretty well unless you're talking about buzz-sawing along for a minute or something.

 

[davesxx01]

I'm tuned (89 octane) and have the RB muffler along with the JBR intake. My last trip took me up to 6645 elevation. Even with 3 people in the car it felt great!
I wouldn't think that a drop in filter would effect much (in your case) but my tune from OV Tuned has done a world of good for me.

Sorry, no explanation for your lack of power feeling but your RB muffler had nothing to do with it.

 

[racecar68dad]

I live in central Wa. and drive Stevens often. 2015 CX-5. never had a power issue and the braking, downshift is normal. I seldom brake going over the top, just roll out of the gas and if I do tap the brake it shifts down. actually works good once you figure out how it works.

 

[davesxx01]

Does the RB exhaust drone while cruising?

No, it gets deeper at very low rpm's but at anything over 2K rpm's it's basically silent in the car. Love the sound when I see/hear my car coming down the street!