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Adding Power
Let's take a moment here and cover some of the details that a well constructed aftermarket exhaust uses to add power to your car. First, increasing the diameter of the tubing in the system works to relieve some backpressure on the engine, enabling it to flow air more efficiently. And in the case of the MagnaFlow crossover pipe versus the OE H-pipe it replaces, not only is the tubing size increased, the exhaust flow improves due to the "X" configuration and the benefits of exhaust scavenging inherent to most crossover pipes.
Second, ensuring the system is constructed on mandrel bending equip-ment removes additional restrictions caused by crimped corners in the OEM manufacturer's cost-effective exhaust system. Mandrel bending involves sliding a flexible metal snake inside the tube. This snake, or mandrel, preserves the shape of the tubing as it is bent by the computer-controlled machine, which later allows the hot exhaust gases to flow with less turbulence.
Third, performance systems often use
better flowing mufflers. OEM mufflers typically are built to provide quiet |
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operation rather than extreme horse-power and torque. The most common ones use a steel wool or fiberglass packing to slow the sound waves in the exhaust flow by forcing them to take a more circuitous route to the exit. As you can see in the cutaway photo of this MagnaFlow muffler, its straight-through design allows the gases to exit unrestricted, while the large-diameter perforated tubing dissipates the sound waves.
Finally, although it doesn't necess-arily improve performance, there is a notable improvement in the sound of the exhaust. That must be worth a couple more |
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A COMPANY ON THE STICK
MagnaFlow Performance Exhaust's roots are deep in the exhaust business. Originally founded in 1979 as Car Sound, a catalytic converter manufacturer, the MagnaFlow Performance Exhaust line has been developed with an experience base second to none. Their Tech Center houses a myriad of equipment, including two chassis dynos, a flow bench, exhaust gas analysis and dB testing equipment, along with four lifts, welders, and a computer-operated mandrel tubing bender. This gives them the ability to bring in a new vehicle and design an exhaust system on the spot, testing for power gains and sound levels in order to produce an exhaust with the best possible performance, look, and attitude. This keeps them on top of the market; developing new systems as soon as they can acquire the vehicles. As a result, MagnaFlow is often the first to market with fully developed packages for new vehicles, such as the 2005 Mustang GT. |
MagnaFlow is an ISO 9001 approved company, and their attention to detail and quality control shows in every cat-back system, muffler, and catalytic converter they manufacture. Their polished stainless steel products are all backed by a lifetime warranty so customers can be assured they are getting the best. During our visit we witnessed just part of their ability to adapt, as the new 2005 Mustang GT turned out to be delivered to the market with a slightly different rear exhaust hanger set-up than the pre-production version used for the prototype performance exhaust. Quickly and efficiently handled, in no time the installers had solved the problem, and were set to begin on our 2004 GT. It's refreshing to see a company which doesn't require a committee to make a decision in today' world. |
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1. Brandin Adams first pulled our fleet-footed guinea pig onto the Dynojet dyno at the MagnaFlow Tech Center. A healthy peak horse-power of 236, coupled with 278 lb-ft of torque, confirmed our suspicions that we have a pretty good engine in our GT. Brandin informed us that 227-230 is what they typically see from the little mod motor.
2. We used a lift to put the car in the air safely so Jose Gonzales and Jimmy Gose could get to work. Jose began by removing the O2 sensors from the stock H-pipe. |
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