2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Exhaust System - Z06 Power Play Part 1

The rear stabilizer bar impedes the removal of the stock mufflers, so it's loosened and dropped out of the way.

The first step of the installation is the loosening of the stock system. It's a chore made much easier with the assistance of a lift, although the procedure could be performed in a driveway using jackstands.

With the stabilizer bar out of the way, the passenger-side muffler is easily removed.

No such luck for the driver-side muffler. Try as they did, Katech's technicians couldn't worm the muffler and over-axle flow tube out of the chassis. To solve this, they simply sliced the tube in half.

Here's a look at the stock muffler, which features a vacuum-operated flapper valve that ensures low noise at part throttle. At wide-open throttle, the valve opens to permit full exhaust flow. Note, too, that the muffler is partially painted-only the externally visible section is painted black.

Next, the Corsa flow tubes are installed. The Z06 features close-coupled catalytic converters mounted very close to the engine, so there are no cats visible under the car floor.

Separate flow tubes are routed up and over the rear axle. All the exhaust components are loosely installed at first so that the overall fit can be adjusted.

With the flow tubes in place, the mufflers slip into place and are snugged down.

The exhaust system can be welded or clamped. Our test car's system will be clamped, as further work on the car will necessitate temporary removal of part of the system.

Finally, the stabilizer bar is reinstalled. The installation is complete, except for a visual inspection and final tightening of the hardware.

The new Corsa system looks terrific on our Z06 test car. The big, 4-inch outlets and polished appearance give the car a more dramatic appearance. More importantly, the exhaust system yields a more distinctive, exotic sound that is wholly appropriate for the Z06.

We dyno-tested the Z06 at Katech before and after the installation. The exhaust helped the car pick up about 5 rwhp, but it also served as the starting point for further modifications. Those mods will be outlined in the next installment of this series.