Knowing Which Exhaust System is Right for your High-Performance Vehicle
Your exhaust system is the last piece of the engine. The exhaust directs the air and burnt fuel out of the engine and through the tailpipe, but that is not all it does. The exhaust can also dramatically impact the sound, the look, and the performance of your engine.
If you ran your engine with no exhaust, it would sound wild and your neighbors probably wouldn’t appreciate it. One reason for putting exhaust on cars is to attach mufflers. Mufflers don’t just make your engine quieter, they can also be tuned to provide the custom sound you’re looking for without making anyone deaf.
The way your exhaust looks gives an impression about your car. A tiny, rusty tailpipe can make your car look like an under-powered jalopy. When people see a dual or quad exhaust sticking out the back of your car, it starts to look tougher right away. If you have open pipes coming out the side of your car or a set of zoomies sticking out through your hood, people are going to assume that you mean business on the street or at the track.
Making your exhaust less restrictive is not the automatic recipe for better performance because engines are designed to operate with a certain amount of backpressure. On newer cars, the computer monitors the downstream oxygen sensor and varies the amount of fuel coming in. If either of these are wrong, the car will not run correctly and could be damaged.
Exhaust Systems and High-Performance Vehicles
If you are modifying your car for higher performance, be sure you don’t overlook the exhaust. But don’t think that throwing on a bigger exhaust pipe will make your car perform better. The exhaust needs to work with the air intake, the fuel pump, and any emissions controls that need to run. If you run a late model car, the engine computer monitors and controls the engine’s performance, but you will need to re-flash the engine control unit to make it work correctly.
It may take some time and effort, but modifying your car for high-performance can be a lot of fun. The best part is, when you are finished, you will have a one-of-a-kind vehicle that can blow the doors off anyone who pulls up next to you at a stoplight.
If you think you have what it takes to make a career out of high-performance cars, we want to talk to you. Contact us today to find out how the Automotive Training Center can help you get the skills you need.
For more information on high-performance vehicles, you can download ATC’s free ebook, 7 Maintenance Tips for Preserving Speed and Power in a High-Performance Vehicle.
