Product Review: JBA Stainless Steel Dual Exhaust System with H-Pipe

JBA Performance Exhaust. Co., the makers of performance exhausts and headers for a variety of vehicles, offers a dual exhaust system for the Fifth Generation 4.0L V6 Mustang. The system, which is available with either a Y (Part #40-2630) or H-pipe (Part# 40-2631), features 3-inch chrome plated 304 stainless steel tips along with fully welded chamber style mufflers, stainless steel high flow mandrel-bent tubing, and hangers & hardware needed for the install. List price is $1,049, although the system commonly goes for $700-$800 at most retailers. I paid $710 for the test unit used in this article, not including install.

In all, the system is designed to unleash hidden power within the V6 Mustang, while giving the car a look and sound similar to that of the 4.6L Mustang GT. So does it work?

We started off with a bone stock 2008 4.0L V6 Mustang. The car had less than 5,000 miles on it and was in great overall condition. As with all factory 4.0L Mustangs, the vehicle featured a single exhaust and factory headers. It also featured a standard V6 bumper in the rear.

Parts:

• JBA Dual Exhaust System w/H-pipe
  
• JBA Cat4ward Headers
  
• SCT X3 Power Programmer
  

My first stop was Muscle Motors Performance, Inc. in Canoga Park, Calif. This shop specializes in making Mustangs fast. They are also an official dealer of JBA exhausts and headers. After a brief conversation, the shop prepared the parts and began to get down to business. In all, we settled on three parts for the 4.0L Mustang. First off, we replaced the factory headers with JBA Cat4ward® Headers (Part #1617S). The idea behind this addition was to open up the exhaust flow to allow the engine to breathe more efficiently. In the end, this would result in a better overall experience with the JBA Exhaust System. That’s not to say we couldn’t have kept the stock headers. Replacing the headers and exhaust at the same time, however, proved to be a good choice in the end. We also opted to run an SCT custom tune on the Mustang, as the exhaust system is known to make the Mustang run a bit lean. The SCT tune brought the Mustang back in line.

In all, the exhaust install (see complete step-by-step) was fairly straight forward. In fact, some of you out there could probably install this system at home. For the majority, however, I’d recommend taking your Mustang to a JBA Dealer for the install. If any problems are encountered along the way, the JBA professionals will know how to deal with the problem quickly to keep things moving along. As for the install itself, you’ll need to decide if you want to keep your V6 bumper, or if you want to replace it with a GT bumper designed for a dual exhaust system. In our case, we opted to trim the V6 bumper to accommodate the extra exhaust pipe. Although it doesn’t look like a GT bumper, it works and costs significantly less than purchasing a GT factory bumper that would need to be painted to match the vehicle.

When the job was complete, the 4.0L Mustang looked much improved. The chrome-plated stainless steel exhaust tips looked sharp when viewing the Mustang from the rear. In fact, upon first glance, the V6 somewhat resembled a GT. After examining the exterior, I made my way to the driver’s seat, sat down, and started her up. This was the best part of the experience. As the car started up, the exhaust began to purr. Bottom line: the Mustang’s exhaust note was much improved. While not quite a GT exhaust note, the JBA system did give the V6 Mustang a serious rumble. And I’m not talking about the sound made by one of those cheesy import aftermarket exhaust systems. This system sounded good.

Next up was the road test. As I backed the 4.0L Mustang down the driveway and onto the street, it sounded like a completely different ride. I was surprised at the quality of the exhaust note. As I made my way up and down surrounding streets, I noticed the exhaust was fully capable of emitting a moderate hum in normal driving conditions. This is good for those of us who don’t want to come off as “speed racer” while cruising around town. That’s not to say the exhaust couldn’t perform when needed. I put the pedal down and the exhaust immediately came to life. There’s no doubt about it, the sound was all performance. In fact, a few drivers surrounding me on the road seemed somewhat surprised by the Mustang’s exhaust note. In all, the sound of the exhaust when pressing down on the accelerator was somewhat addictive. Needless to say, I returned to the shop with a big grin on my face.

In the end, I was impressed with the quality of the JBA dual exhaust system for the Fifth Generation 4.0L V6 Mustang. Did I have any complaints? Well, for the most part, no. My only gripe involves the hangers used in the install. In my opinion, they do not perform as well as Ford’s factory hangers. From time-to-time, I would hear a small rattle when driving. I checked into this and found out the hangers that came with the kit were not as tight as they should be. As such, it would be great to see either Ford factory hangers, or something of similar quality, included with the set.

As with any product on the market, this system is not for everyone. If you think you might become easily annoyed with a humming exhaust, or you’re looking to keep a low profile on the streets in all driving conditions, maybe you should forgo the purchase of a performance exhaust system. I found the system to be an improvement over the stock exhaust, but that’s my personal preference. I imagine some folks out there would probably not like the system.

Overall, the JBA dual exhaust proved to be genuine performer. It sounded good, it looked good, and it was fairly basic to install. Not only that, but it added power. In line with a test conducted by 5.0 Mustang magazine some time ago, we experienced gains close to 15 rwhp at 5,700 rpm. Will it make a V6 Mustang sound like a V8 GT? No. My advice for those seeking such a sound is to buy a Mustang GT. For those of you who want a V6 Mustang that has a serious exhaust note, I’d recommend this system any day of the week.