Muffler replacement huge horsepower gains!

[RodgerH]

I too have read the posts about an engine needing a "little back pressure" and it makes no sense to me. I believe the ideal exhaust system will create a negative pressure in the cylinder during the cam overlap period and thus pull fresh fuel/air through the cylinder. This provides a fresh combustible mixture undiluted by exhaust gases remaining in the cylinder due to poor scavenging caused by back pressure.


Here's a quote from "21st Century Performance Book":
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Few tests have been done that clearly show the effect of changing back pressure. Most muffler and exhaust comparison tests change more than one parameter simultaneously, making the identification of exhaust back pressure as a culprit difficult.

However, Wollongong (Australia) mechanic Kevin Davis has done extensive testing of varying back-pressure on a number of performance engines.

These range from turbocharged Subaru Liberty (Legacy) RS flat fours to full-house traditional pushrod V8s. In not one case has he found any improvement in any engine performance parameter with increased exhaust back pressure.

The tests came about because Kevin has developed a patented
variable-flow exhaust that uses a butterfly within the exhaust pipe. He initially expected to use the system to cause some back pressure at low loads 'to help torque.'

However, he soon changed his mind when any increase in back pressure proved to decrease torque on a properly tuned engine. What increasing the back pressure does do is dramatically quieten the exhaust.

One of the engine dyno tests carried out by Kevin was on a modified 351 4V Cleveland V8. Following the extractors he fitted a huge exhaust that gave a measured zero back pressure. Torque peaked at 573Nm (423 ft-lbs) at 4700 rpm, with power a rousing 329 kW (441 hp) at 6300 rpm. He then dialed-in 1.5 psi (10.4 kpa) back pressure.

As you'll see later, very few exhausts are capable of delivering such a low back pressure on a road car. Even with this small amount of back pressure, peak torque dropped by 4 per cent and peak power by 5 per cent. He then changed the exhaust to give 2.5 psi back pressure. Torque and power decreased again, both dropping by 7 per cent over having zero back pressure. These results were achieved on a large engine with a large overlap cam - one of the type some people suggest is 'supposed' to like back pressure.

If, in fact, power does increase with increased exhaust back pressure, it is most likely the air/fuel ratio and/or ignition timing that are no longer optimal for the altered state of engine tune."

The exhaust system is much the same. Just changing back pressure is a bogus way of trying to create the "ideal" pressure in the system. The exhaust system should work like a correctly conceived header. It should extract the exhaust from the header, to minimize pumping pressures.

The only way to create a system that will serve as an extractor is to properly size the tubing to allow the flow velocity to create a sort of "vacuum" behind it.

In the stock ITR, backpressure becomes a power "liability" by the time the engine's making 210 flywheel HP. Relative to wheel HP, if you're making more than about 11 HP more than "stock", the system's costing you....and yes, [b]detonation can be caused by excessive back pressure.

The other problem you face with excessive back pressure is one of reversion. The higher the back pressure, the more inert exhaust components re-enter the cylinder. A few of these bad-guys can really steal big hunks of power in a hurry. If you don't believe me, just run a pipe from your exhaust tip up near the air cleaner on your next trip to the dyno. A little sniff of the exhaust will absolutely kill your power.

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Maybe I'm missing something??
Rodger