* Noise Pollution: Straight pipes dramatically increase exhaust noise, making the truck incredibly loud and potentially violating noise ordinances. This can lead to fines and other legal consequences.
* Emissions: Straight pipes eliminate the muffler and catalytic converter, which are crucial for reducing harmful emissions. This makes your truck significantly less environmentally friendly and can result in failure of emissions tests where required. In many jurisdictions, this is illegal.
* Backpressure: While some argue that straight pipes reduce backpressure, the reality is more nuanced. While they do *reduce* backpressure, a significant amount of backpressure is actually beneficial for scavenging exhaust gases and improving turbocharger efficiency. Improperly managing backpressure can lead to performance losses, especially at lower RPMs. A well-designed exhaust system is crucial for optimal performance.
* Drone: The constant, monotonous drone from straight pipes can be incredibly annoying and fatiguing, especially on long drives.
* Potential Damage: In some cases, excessive lack of backpressure can lead to damage to the turbocharger, although this is less common with the 7.3L Powerstroke than some other engines.
In short, while it's technically possible, running straight pipes on a 7.3L Powerstroke is generally a bad idea due to the noise, emissions, potential performance issues, and legal ramifications. A properly designed exhaust system, even a performance exhaust, offers significant advantages over straight pipes.
