GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I was thinking the other day about the way exhaust flows out of the tail pipe...not just from the vibe but in general...Then i thought what if the flow was "riffeled" or "vortexed" Spun if you will...What would this do for performance if anything?Just some thing for you folks to ponder!!

I've seen a couple of mufflers that are designed to create a vortex out of the exhaust gases. I've never seen any dyno charts or mpg comparisons with them though.

My instincts lead me to believe that if "vortexing" the exhaust gases somehow made the engine more efficient or make more power, that maximum gain would occur if the same rate of "vortexing" were maintained from the exhaust manifold/header to the end of the tailpipe. I also think that if you somehow designed the manifold/header to vortex the exhaust, the positive effects would be lost if something in the exhaust system (like a resonator or muffler) were to disrupt the vortex. I'm also not sure that a muffler that creates a vortexing effect would do much, if anything for engine performance. It's too far down the line, I would think.I am also wondering if you maintain a vortex in a closed system (like an exhaust system), does it create a weak vacuum behind it? If so, then vortexing in the exhaust from beginning to end would probably be quite beneficial. Vortexing should allow more gas to flow through the system in less time, and if a weak vacuum is created and maintained behind it (essentially right behind the exhaust valves), then exhaust gases would be on an "express train" out of town. This would basically be an engine with negative backpressure in the exhaust system. I wonder what that would do? Everyone always seems to be trying to find ways to reduce backpressure in the system to increase performance, so what happens if slightly negative backpressure can be achieved and maintained?Oh God, why did I even get started on this? Now I probably won't sleep for 3 days because I'll be constantly trying to solve this in my head. My brain is usually busy hammering away at national and global problems, but due to my level of personal interest, mechanical mental obsessions usually take priority.

Happy early birthday to you. I know what you mean, get something started in your head and cant get rid of it.

The faster air gets into and engine and the faster it exits out the exhaust, the more power the engine makes. A large air pump more or less...

That's true except for low rpm when your trying to not let air escape the cylinder before the valves close. You're going for maximum fill but too little restriction at low rpm won't let that happen. Always trade-offs in a dynamic system.

Quote, originally posted by theangrydwarf1 »Happy early birthday to you. I know what you mean, get something started in your head and cant get rid of it.Thank you. Yes, you understand what I mean then.

Your welcome. Here's something to think on. What if you could create the vortexing effect coupled with a way to regulate the backpressure so that at low rpms your getting propper opertation. Hmm

Already one step ahead of you .I began thinking about that right after I read goodvibe's comment about that. I don't think it would be too difficult to rig up some sort of finned wheel near the beginning of the exhaust system inside the pipe that would be stationary at low rpm's to allow for normal exhaust flow and some backpressure but would start to spin and create the vortexing effect when backpressure increased to a specific amount as rpm's increased.

Kind of like a pinwheel. I like it. I was thinking more like a shutter of some kind. Hmm the possibilities are endless.

What about 2 small air intakes in the exhaust itself? Let's say right after the manifold as the exhaust goes parallel with the road, create 2 funnel like tubes that are offset, this will bring air into the system at higher speeds but no air when at a standstill. You could position these 2 tubes in a spiral like fashion going into the exhaust. This would allow the air that is coming in and spinning to almost form a template for the exhaust coming from the engine, the air coming in is spinning, therefor, the exhaust would also spin. Just a thought.

Maybe we could just get one of those electronic turbo chargers (aka hairdryer fan) and attach it to the end of the exhaust pipe. Suck the exhaust right out. ~ Z600

On a slight tangent, my dad said that they used to bore decent-sized holes in the exhaust manifolds and tap them, so that they could plug them with a short, fat bolts. They would be quiet on the street, but if you ever wanted to race, you take out the bolts and reduce the backpressure for a little more oomph. Of course, this is shade tree technology back in the 60's and 70's, but an interesting story none the less. ~ Z600