Do bloated exhaust pipes do anything?

[RSI]

Just curious here, I see so many fat-ass exhaust pipes on cars these days - what's the point? It sounds like shiet and it looks like shiet, so does it give you 5x the horsepower!? What is the point in having that?

Today I saw a Neon with a pipe that stuck out the back like half a foot - it was also fat. I doubt it's going to handle better or go faster (noticably), because of that? But it does look stupid. Are they trying to look stupid? I don't understand.

Buying a new gearbox and new engine - that could improve performance drastically, correct? Also, having suspension tuned up/redone or something, that has a big impact on handling, right? Don't flame me if I make no sense, cause I don't know anything about cars. But I'm just curious as to why people put such ridiculous looking modifications on their vehicles?? And a pick up truck with a fin on the back? Please.

-RSI

 

[Servnya]

You answered your own question. They do something......look and sound like crap.

 

[guyver01]

rice boys.
simple explanation.

 

[iamwiz82]

ricers. every one of them

 

[RSI]

It might be simple, but it doesn't make sense. Those things cost how much? $50? $100? $200??? I don't know about you, but if I want to spend money on something, I'd want it to do some good?

Some spoilers look alright, and then there are the ones that are so insanely overdone they look like a huge demented piece of plastic that's out of place. That's different though... they never have an effect, but they can look good. Exhaust pipes? uhm... I must have missed something.

-RSI

 

[iamwiz82]

its like the guy who fills in his trucks rear brake lights and installs one of those corvette type bumpers.

 

[RSI]

Still it's not the same... What I want to know is do different exhaust pipes provide any sort of improvement whatsoever, in any possible way?

My point is that little modifications to your cars looks don't improve the performance but make it look better, whereas an exaggerated exhaust pipe makes it look like such total ass.

-RSI

 

[ericb]

You don't want a long exhaust pipe...you actually want one as short and straight as possible. The bigger pipe does allow for a very slight increase in HP though by not restricting as much. Even the expensive pipes like that aren't going to give you more than a 5-20 HP increase.

 

[yakko]

In normal circumstances they do do something. I will try to find the explanation online and post it here.

 

[Servnya]

A slightly larger pipe, when combined with a FULL EXHAUST mod will improve performance. However, when the pipe is as large as you are implying, performance will actually decrease. Usually, a quarter to a half inch larger is right. Basically, the easier it is for your car to breath, the better the performance.

 

[RSI]

Thanks ericb and yakko.
I thought I heard somewhere that it did up the hp, but I didn't know by how much, or if it were true.

But lets say you want to get a few extra horses via a new pipe. Do you buy a huge-ass mofo? If short-straight pipes = better, then those huge pieces of junk are actually slowing you down or not speeding you up, AND look like ass? Man, double bummer.

-RSI

 

[Servnya]

You got it RSI.

 

[Frglss]

The large diameter chrome "resonator" tips do nothing except act like a megaphone for exhaust noise.

 

[RSI]

<< A slightly larger pipe, when combined with a FULL EXHAUST mod will improve performance. However, when the pipe is as large as you are implying, performance will actually decrease. Usually, a quarter to a half inch larger is right. Basically, the easier it is for your car to breath, the better the performance. >>

Oh, alright - that makes sense. Well the Neon I saw today was way larger, it looked sooo stupid! So a quarter inch to a half inch? Not very noticable, IMO. So it would be beneficial to your car's performance to get a full exhaust mod and *slightly* larger pipe?

-RSI

 

[iamwiz82]

also, those pipes on civics and neons, etc, are all coming from small diameter exhaust pipe from themanifold. So, a 1.5"(civic, i think) pipe opening to 6 isnt going to do anything.

 

[Servnya]

<<

<< A slightly larger pipe, when combined with a FULL EXHAUST mod will improve performance. However, when the pipe is as large as you are implying, performance will actually decrease. Usually, a quarter to a half inch larger is right. Basically, the easier it is for your car to breath, the better the performance. >>

Oh, alright - that makes sense. Well the Neon I saw today was way larger, it looked sooo stupid! So a quarter inch to a half inch? Not very noticable, IMO. So it would be beneficial to your car's performance to get a full exhaust mod and *slightly* larger pipe?

-RSI >>





Yep, that is really the only way you will be able to tell any difference in HP.

 

[RSI]

lol. Thanks a lot, that's cleared it up for me pretty good.

I have another car related question though. Someone I know, his dad has an Impala (not the newest model, the one b4 it), and he claims to have this corvette engine in it. I'm like, o.k.... But then he claims that it's all fast and so good and stuff. WTF? That car is a huge boat! He disses Camaros and then says his IMPALA is so great? Uh...

One of the first (if not, THE first) Camaros was pretty small and had a 397hp engine or something.. is that right? Most Camaros of the 60-70s were pretty powerful right? Anyway... about the impala.. what is the deal with that?

Another thing - he was bragging about 'going 180 on the highway' (we're in canada, and we speak in terms of kilometers per hour, not miles per hour). That made me laugh instantly. When we had our old 1991 Honda Civic Si, we passed 200km/h. That's a $13-14k car. And he's bragging about going 180km/h in his Impala "cause it's so good and fast"?

Blech. Maybe that'll give some of you a laugh. Oh yeah and another thing ... how much does a windshield cost? He said the one for his impala was 17 grand.. uhmm... ? oh yah and do "mags leak"?

-RSI

 

[spidey07]

everybody is hitting the nail on the head here. A full exhaust system or even from the catalytic converter back makes use of larger headers and pipes - reducing back pressure and restriction. high-flow mufflers are part of this total exhaust system.

that can gain a small improvement in HP (5-10 or 15 in extreme cases) and help the motor rev quicker.

combine a good exhaust system with a good intake system and you again help move air/fuel-air through the motor. a little bit of a performance increase.

What you are seeing with the huge pipes is cosmetic/sound related.

I've done this (exhaust/intake) with my '99 prelude SH and it has a very strong growl with-out the bee buzz. My muffler has two three-inch tips. good performance increase and the motors revs freely. if done properly you get performance and don't look/sound like an idiot.

 

[Frglss]

<< everybody is hitting the nail on the head here. A full exhaust system or even from the catalytic converter back makes use of larger headers and pipes - reducing back pressure and restriction. high-flow mufflers are part of this total exhaust system.

that can gain a small improvement in HP (5-10 or 15 in extreme cases) and help the motor rev quicker.

combine a good exhaust system with a good intake system and you again help move air/fuel-air through the motor. a little bit of a performance increase.

What you are seeing with the huge pipes is cosmetic/sound related.

I've done this (exhaust/intake) with my '99 prelude SH and it has a very strong growl with-out the bee buzz. My muffler has two three-inch tips. good performance increase and the motors revs freely. if done properly you get performance and don't look/sound like an idiot. >>


Plus moves the torque curve up, ie more HP @ higher RPM while losing HP @ lower RPM.

 

[geno]

The Impala SS is pretty damn fast for a 4 door sedan (of course it doesn't beat a Spirit R/T ), and yes, it has a Vette engine in it (LT1 I believe??)

 

[LAUST]

<< Still it's not the same... What I want to know is do different exhaust pipes provide any sort of improvement whatsoever, in any possible way?

My point is that little modifications to your cars looks don't improve the performance but make it look better, whereas an exaggerated exhaust pipe makes it look like such total ass.

-RSI >>


No it does not, Exhaust improvement is only done through better flow of the pipe's by having less turns or bigger diamerter and higher flowing Mufflers and CAT's.

 

[RayH]

If the car comes from the factory with a tuned exhaust, going to bigger pipes may actually hurt low end performace. On a normally aspirated engine the opening of the exhaust valves creates a pressure pulse which travels down the exhaust pipe. At certain rpm/frequencies these pressure pulses are reinforced/resonate and the bottom of the low pressure wave occurs at the exhaust port helping to pull exhaust gas out of the engine. The same idea is used for tuned intakes.

The biggest gains from larger pipes are on turbo engines that have had their boost turned up.

 

[Fausto]

As a general follow-up on some of the excellent responses you've received: Basically the object of any exhaust/intake mod is to move more air and fuel through the engine. More and denser air/fuel mix = bigger bang = more HP. Unfortunately, you won't really see major gains without more involved mods beyond the exhaust system (and the exhaust mods tend to have the most effect at the top end of the rev range as this is where you are flowing the most air/fuel). Beyond this, you get into much more expensive mods such as higher-compression pistons or planing the cylinder heads (higher compression = more HP and torque, but requires higher octane gas), cams with more lift/duration (again allow more air/fuel into the cylinders), EFI chips mods, and finally turbo or supercharging (both of which force an extra-large fuel/air charge into the cylinders = bigger bang = more HP). You can get tremendous gains over just exhaust mods with this approach (Exhibit A: The Subaru WRX makes over 220 bhp with a 2 liter engine by using LOTS of turbo boost), but it's very expensive to properly fit an aftermarket turbo to any given car. Rally cars can make as much as 400 bhp while limited to a 2 liter engine.

Fausto

 

[RSI]

Thanks for all the excellent responses.

That's true about the WRX though, I never really thought about it. Hmm.. What about that Honda S2000? It has something like 280hp, right? I always thought that was a pretty awesome little car. Heard it goes for 40-45k or so? Quite a hefty amount. I'd buy it if i had that kinda money though.

-RSI

 

[dawks]

Personally, I agree, they are ugly as hell, and sound like sh!t.

I dont understand why these guy are proud that their car sounds like its farting really loud. Most cars that have them were designed to be quiet... so leave them quiet.

If you want your car to be loud, it should be like raw american muscle loud.. Like old camaros, mustangs, corvetts.. even trucks.. I love the low rumble they make.. rrrrrrrrrrr

American cars dont sound like they have digestive problems.. or exhaust problems.. hehe