Andrew

I have got my new exhaust together and am ready to install it. I have seen several different types of exhaust cutouts and dump gates and might be interested in installing them. My question is, do they help flow or hurt exhaust flow? I am thinking that with the caps on, turbulence would be created, which would hurt the exhaust flow.

Is this correct or should I go ahead and spend the extra $$ on the cutouts?

Andrew

Come on guys!!! With all of the exhaust gurus around this forum, I thought this was an easy question.

Gordonm

OK you might not like my opinion but here goes. I see no reason for these other than to create more noise. A good flowing system will not lose power compared to an open system on a street car. For all the extra plumbing and piping that goes into it it is not worth it. Why not just have a good flowing and good sounding system put on the car. If you could tune it every time you uncorked the headers you might gain a tenth of a second. There will be some restriction with a capped system also with the bends you will have to make.

Andrew

Gordonm:

I was thinking the same thing and I would never argue with an idea that will actually save me money!! :D

I've seen these systems on cars before but always thought that it would not make that much difference. I'll probably just go ahead and install the system without any cutouts.

Thanks for the advice.

Wrencher

The Hooker electrically actuated ones work real well, but it's only for the crowd pleaser effect, not performance. A young lady in our BOSS 302 group had them on hers at the Historics last year, and that baby shook the ground when she lit it off with them open! Lots of big eyes.... Pretty impractical the rest of the time.

Hans

rob75383

I did a chassis dyno run at Bloomington Gold 2 yrs ago with my exhaust disconnected from the headers, and I'm willing to bet that it hurt my performance (the shop that brought the mustang dyno skipped out on last years Bloomington Gold, so I don't have #'s to compare) I had her tuned pretty good with the exhaust on, and I'm guessing that without the backpressure, I would need to richen the fuel mixture to actually get the better performance when uncapped- again, I'm only guessing.
A while back, I was extremely interested in the qtp electrical cutouts-
http://www.quicktimeperformance.com/
I was thinking about getting a pair of 3" cutouts, with the qtp valves, and then with a 3" pipe to dump the exhaust out of the way.
I kinda agree, that the noise is more of a crowd pleaser, and probably not worth much in performance, and by my guess, if your tuned for uncapped running, you will lose power when capped, and vice - versa.
If I had the time and money, I'd get either a nice custom set of 2.5" mandrel bent exhaust, instead of the crimped exhaust, or a set of 3" exhaust, and forget 'bout the cutouts.
BTW I think exhaust cutouts are illegal in most states... I know it is here.
Good luck!