Everything You Need to Know About EcoBoost F-150 Downpipes

A downpipe is the piece of piping that goes from the truck's exhaust manifold to the catalytic converter. In some cases, the converter is a piece of the downpipe. This can become a bottleneck for moving air and larger truck downpipes can aid in the relieving of pressure.

The larger a downpipe is, the easier a turbo can spool. This is from the less amount of resistance inside the piping itself. A larger downpipe can relieve pressure with a larger area which allows the turbo to spool quicker, produce more boost, and have a smoother powerband. On an F-150 EcoBoost having power at all ranges of the rpm can be a nice benefit if not a necessity in some cases.

The biggest issue with upgrading truck downpipes in most applications is the same: size. Turbocharging requires a lot of piping and thus, space can become tight in several areas. For most F-150 applications, 3” is the go to size. The benefits are large and the fitment, while tight, is possible.

One of the biggest benefits of a downpipe is being able to upgrade the boost and retain the same level of reliability and safety. While a tuner for the computer is not a must, the benefits of utilizing an aftermarket tune are enormous. When combined with the downpipe, there have been dyno graphs showing a gain of 28rwhp (rear wheel horsepower) and 85 lbs of torque. Without the tune, the numbers were around 20rwhp and 35 lbs of torque. A tuner, while not a must, helps immensely.

Yes! Downpipes can be used in a multitude of situations. This can range from a header change, to a factory cat-back being replaced. Since a downpipe is a piece of the exhaust system, there is always a combination of exhaust where a downpipe is utilized. This also allows for a little more customization with cat-backs. One can get the cat-back that appeals the most, while also getting the best amount of power they can.

The down piping on an EcoBoost engine, while decent in stock form, is easy power to be gained. When combined with an aftermarket tune, the power gains truly shine and can create a large impact on the performance and fun levels of the F-150. The generalizations of changing a downpipe can be looked at by using a few simple points.

• While 3” downpipes are generally ideal for the F-150, larger is better. The only limitation is space
• An aftermarket tune helps immensely with power gains of the downpipe, although it is not necessary
• Versatile in usage with different catback exhaust setups