Adding an aftermarket cat back can provide several benefits, the first of which is more power. Aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to be freer flowing than your stock exhaust, usually incorporating larger diameter piping and higher-grade mandrel bent tubing for a more laminar flow. These changes can result in a reduced level of back pressure at the engine manifold, which means the engine can breathe a little easier and release more horsepower and torque. How much horsepower is gained depends highly on the design of your factory exhaust system and the quality of the catalytic converters in front of it. If the stock catalytic converters are fairly restrictive, then less power can be gained from a cat back exhaust system. If the stock cat’s can flow a large amount of exhaust gas with creating too much restriction, then a cat back exhaust system should offer a nice increase in power.

An increase in fuel economy is often experienced after installation. This is the result of the engine not have to work as hard pushing exhaust gases through the piping. This reduces the total amount of load on the engine, causing higher efficiency and MPG. This increase in fuel economy typically occurs when traveling at freeway speeds, but can sometimes be noticed when driving in the city as well.

Another big benefit of a cat back exhaust system is the sound they can produce. Whether you want just a little more grunt or a full-on growl, there is a system out there that will satisfy your ears. This is actually a very big consideration when purchasing, so make sure to do your homework first. There’s nothing worse than spending a lot of time installing an auto part only to find out it isn’t what you wanted.

For more information about auto parts, check out cat back exhaust systems online.

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How does the GM exhaust system work? The GM exhaust system begins with the exhaust manifold on the engine. Hot exhaust gases flow from the manifold through the front or header pipe into a catalytic converter. The converter changes unburned hydrocarbons (fuel) and carbon monoxide into water vapor and less harmful carbon dioxide. Inside the stainless steel case of the converter, there is a ceramic honeycomb coated with a thin layer of platinum. When the exhaust gases pass through the hot converter, they are changed. From the converter, the exhaust flows through another pipe to the muffler. On most cars, the exhaust now flows out the tail pipe, but on some models, the exhaust passes through a secondary muffler called a resonator. Finally, clamps and rubber mounts called hangers support the exhaust system under the vehicle.

Rocks, dirt, and mud affect the performance of the GM exhaust system. If there is less power, foul odors, or odd noises coming from the muffler, it might be time to replace the GM exhaust system.

The GM exhaust tip is one accessory that is designed to enhance a GM vehicle’s appearance and to help in the exhausts systems performance. It adds a bit of style and uniqueness to the tail end of a car and it can also actually affect the volume of the exhaust tone. The larger the GM exhaust tip , the more volume that one will get from it.

GM exhaust tips are available in various types, styles, and sizes. They are either resonated or non-resonated. Non-resonated tips are just plain stainless steel tips. The resonated tips are lined with fiberglass to dampen the exhaust noise a little further. Sizes range from 2 inches to 5 inches wide. Styles to choose from include round, oval, square, slashed, etc. Exhaust tips can either be welded on, or if possible, clamped on.

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One of the cheapest ways of increasing engine efficiency is through having well designed exhaust system. Eventually, it would therefore increase engine power. Keep in mind that on a four stroke engine, only one stroke does work; that is the power stroke. The other three strokes – intake, compression and exhaust – absorb some of the power that was made on the power stroke. If you can minimize the amount of power that is lost by these idle strokes, you will have more power available to drive the wheels, which is what the engine is supposed to be doing.

A V-8 engine requires two exhaust manifolds and one or two mufflers. It is often accompanied by resonators. When one muffler is used, the exhaust pipe from one manifold meets the other one in the form of a “Y”. This is also known as a “Y-split” exhaust. Most V8s use what is called a Dual Exhaust system. A Dual Exhaust system requires two exhaust manifolds and two mufflers. Each side of the exhaust system is completely separate from the other. The advantage of a dual exhaust system is that the engine exhausts more freely, thereby lowering the back pressure which is inherent in an exhaust system. With a dual exhaust system, a sizable increase in engine horsepower can be obtained because the “breathing” capacity of the engine is improved. It thereby leaves less exhaust gases at the end of each exhaust stroke. This, in turn, leaves more room for an extra intake of the air-fuel mixture.

The purpose of the exhaust system is to control the emissions and exhaust produced by the engine. This is to turn the harmful pollutants that your car produces into harmless ones that don’t ruin the environment. These pollutants include unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, phosphorus, lead and other metals.

The stock exhaust system is a compromise between noise, cost, warranty, and space limitations. The stock type mufflers cause some back-pressure, which adversely affect performance. The pipe configurations and/or size also cause back-pressure in many applications. In addition, most of the standard exhaust manifolds are made of cast-iron, because it is vastly cheaper and much quicker to manufacture than a crafted branch exhaust manifold. The weight and the thermal characteristics of the cast-iron, however, limit the length of the individual runners, and its shape causes the gasses to follow some abrupt turns. The silencers are also mostly not built to enhance the gas flow out of the combustion chamber. This means that the engine has to force the exhaust gasses out of the combustion chamber on the exhaust stroke, with the result that the chamber still has some spent gas inside when the fresh charge of air/fuel mixture arrives. This residual gas, which has done it’s work, and will not burn again, takes up space in the chamber which could otherwise be filled by a healthy, combustible mixture that can produce power. The situation worsens as engine revolutions increase, so does the back pressure in the exhaust system, because the engine has to pump more gas through the restrictive outlet. It is common to see back pressure rise to 5psi on some engines at peak power. At the end of the exhaust stroke, the spent gas that is still inside the combustion chamber, remains at that pressure. Next, the intake valve opens, and this pressurized exhaust gas pops out through the intake valve into the inlet tracts. This pushes back the fresh charge of combustible mixture. When the piston has traveled down far enough to draw in the intake charge, you now have a very much diluted mixture, further reducing the efficiency of the engine.

It is really true that there are more gains to be had from making sure that the exhaust gasses are effectively removed from the combustion chamber. Smoothly bent pipes, relatively free flowing mufflers, headers, and a balance pipe will result in a more efficient exhaust system and thus greater performance. A well designed exhaust system can even draw the gasses out of the chamber, using the momentum of the gas traveling down the pipe to suck the residual gasses out of the combustion chamber. The gas traveling down the pipe creates an area of low pressure behind it. This does not only purges the combustion chamber, but also draws more mixture into the chamber during the valve overlap period. So, instead of having high pressure exhaust gas popping into the inlet tracts, you now have a partial vacuum inside the combustion chamber, which pulls the fresh charge into the chamber whenever the intake valve opens.

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Jerick Brooks is a BS Computer Science graduate at Columbus State University. He has passion for anything car-related especially car racing. He loves writing and currently works as an IT consultant in a company based in Atlanta.

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