Article Presented by:
Quinton Becker
The stock exhaust on many cars is far more restrictive than it needs to be. Many years ago people seeking improved power and performance learned that they could achieve both by adding a larger, less restrictive exhaust system to their vehicle. Not only do new exhaust systems provide increased power, they can also generate that sound that many automotive enthusiasts like to hear from their vehicle.
It is important to note that many of the newer cars are coming from the factory with highly tuned exhaust systems. Therefore, on some newer cars, an aftermarket exhaust might actually result in a minor loss in horsepower. The main things you need to do is learn the dimensions of your current system and compare that to the dimensions of the aftermarket system. For example, if you currently have a 1.5-inch system, and you want to upgrade to a 2-inch system, you will need to ask yourself if this modification will result in added power or will it actually decrease the power your vehicle is producing?
In the past, cars were built without a lot of consideration given to the exhaust system. The system was simply built to fit the car, dependent upon the amount of space available left over for the system. This resulted in some pretty wild kinks and twists that were made in the exhaust system. These excessive kinks, turns, and bends resulted in the exhaust gasses running into extra roadblocks on their way out the system.
The exhaust system is actually comprised of many individual pieces. Most commonly, the gases will leave the cylinder head and enter the exhaust manifold or the header (depending on which part your vehicle is equipped). The gases will travel through a small section of pipe, then they travel through the oxygen sensor (O2 sensor) before finding their way to the to the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is where the gases are converted from harmful poisons into water and oxygen.
After the water and oxygen exits the catalytic converter, it travels through more pipe leading to the muffler. The purpose of the muffler is of course to muffle the sound of the exhaust as it leaves the vehicle. Without a muffler, the vehicle would be extremely loud, so much so that you can hear the operational motor from more than a block away. After the muffler is another small section of pipe leading to the rear of the car, where the exhaust fumes are discharged.
As you can see, there are many components that come into play when trying to modify your exhaust system. Replacing one exhaust system component and not the others can make the process of trying to increase power to your vehicle a futile endeavor.
Many stock exhaust systems are not "mandrel bent", but aftermarket exhaust systems are made with a mandrel bent. Mandrel bending is when a set of balls, called a mandrel, is inserted into the pipe during the bending process. These balls are positioned and pulled through the pipe so that the bends are not deformed and maintain a close-to-perfect shape throughout the length of the bend. OEM exhaust systems today are most often "CNC bent", which is a process where a computer-controlled set of motors controls the position of the tube and the rotation of one bend in relation to another.
The main advantage of mandrel bending is that the full-length of the tubing or pipe is the same diameter throughout, instead of having a smaller diameter of pipe at locations where the pipe is bent. Many have suggested that the best aftermarket exhaust systems utilize a combination process called CNC mandrel bending.
If you understand the concept that a cars engine is basically a big vacuum cleaner that takes air in and pushes air out, then you will be able to understand the importance of the exhaust system for the overall performance of your vehicle. If you cannot get the gases out of the engine quickly, then you cannot take in clean fresh air quickly either. If you watch professional drag racing on television, you will see that the cars typically only have headers and no other exhaust. The reason for this is that there are fewer restrictions on the gases as they exit the engine. Of course, this is for professional race drivers and would not be practical or legal for street-driven vehicles.
If you can, imagine what the stock Ford exhaust system looks like. The Ford parts are probably a very narrow diameter with many restrictions in the stock Ford mufflers, pipes and other exhaust system components. With a little bit of imagination, anyone could see how one might easily improve his or her Ford vehicle's performance with a higher flowing exhaust system.
In addition to the performance value, a new system can also give you that throaty sound that car enthusiasts yearn to hear in their modified vehicles. You know the sound; you hear it at car shows or when cars with aftermarket systems pass you on the road. You hear them coming and think to yourself, well this person means business and they really do have some extra power under their hood.
Overall, a new exhaust system will give you a good return of power on the amount for the amount of money spent, depending of course on your specific vehicle. A quality exhaust system will also compliment any future engine modifications that you intend to make, since more power in the engine means more gases are being pushed out of the exhaust.
If you intend on overhauling your vehicle's exhaust system, make sure that you do it right. Given the complexity of today's vehicle exhaust systems; cutting corners may be more expensive than doing the job right the first time.
About the Author:
Quinton Becker writes about cars and trucks. When you are thinking about upgrading your vehicle's exhaust system, please review the DriveWire.com auto parts catalog. Drive Wire also has an extensive selection of stock and OEM Ford Auto Parts. You may reprint this article if the links are left intact.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
Rev Up Your Western Holiday: Big City Summer Parties
Article Presented by:
Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved Written by: Travel Alberta
Alberta's international gateway cities of Calgary and Edmonton throw some wild Western summer parties. Learn how The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth turns everyone cowboy and why the newest Grand Prix race is revving some Hollywood stars.
The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede is known as The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth. For some 10 days in July, the entire city celebrates North America's biggest rodeo with chuck wagon racing, bucking broncos, white cowboy hats, polished buckles and arms-wide-open Western hospitality.
The Grand Prix of Edmonton revved up high stakes Champ Car racing in the city for the first time last year. It returns this year during July in the slipstream of a remarkable success. Even Hollywood veteran superstar Paul Newman was there to cheer on his team.
You'll find how you can vacation at both events (one leads toward the other) and how there is much to discover. You can even do some driving and two-steppin' of your own along the way.
The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, July 7-16
Okay, admit it. Any city where you're trying to make a right-hand turn while a beefy guy in fringed chaps and a red-and-white checkered open-collared shirt juggles a mocha frappucchino in one hand and a corn dog in the other as he clomps his cowboy boots past the yellow light – well, you know you're somewhere interesting. Especially when you realize that he's your company accountant, you just didn't recognize him without his cardigan and grey slacks. What's he doing here? But darn if he don't look smart in that white ten-gallon hat!
Can a giant Western themed costume ball revved up on a crash diet of sugar-powdered mini-donuts and morning flapjacks be anything other than must-see? Many city residents shimmy out of their corporate persona and step into a Mardi Gras-like world of pure fun, going out of their way to show Western hospitality to travellers from the U.S., and visitors from Canadian provinces far to the east, such as Ontario. This more-than-a-week-long holiday provides exceptional talent in all the components you'd expect from a world-class festival. It is, after all, The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth.
The chuck wagon races are world renowned. Four horses. Four wheels. One big rush. What's not to love? John and Celeste Finnegan, seniors who grew up in the U.S. and who are now living in Ajijic, Mexico, are just one of the couples that are traveling a long way this year to see the Stampede. Calgary is the international gateway to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, just an hour's drive west of the city.
Alberta in the summer is fertile ground for rodeos that reach into every nook and cranny of the province. Some offer a charm not easily found elsewhere, precisely because of their local roots. It's often a community celebrating itself and its history, year after year. So you can get your cowboy mojo going with the Stampede, and you can also discover smaller rodeos that run throughout Alberta during the summer.
Grand Prix of Edmonton, July 21-23
The world's most beautiful hi-tech race cars, wreaking fun on a city centre airport race track: that's what's coming around the bend for summer in Edmonton at the city's City Centre Airport. The Grand Prix of Edmonton brings the Champ Car Series world-class racing to Alberta, building on last year's astounding inaugural success. Fans who knew about racing and new fans who just wanted to catch part of the rising buzz braved rain on one day and were ultimately rewarded with a magnificent, sunny race day.
This year there will be an opportunity for Albertans to race in front of home town fans during the CASCAR race that heats things up before the big one. CASCAR is Canada's version of NASCAR; it's what they call a super series so it competes across Canada. Not sure what that means? Get tickets now and you can learn more right at the track. This entire event absolutely rocks and you don't have to love cars or racing to enjoy it, because there is so much going on.
This specially-built FIA road course is one of the most fan-friendly circuits in the Champ Car series. Eighty per cent of the track can be easily seen from anywhere in the stands. You'll be able to track practice and qualifying, as well as watch multiple duels as race day unfolds. Speeds on the straightaway will exceed 320 km/h and several turns will offer prime overtaking opportunities.
Edmonton is the international gateway to the North, where Alberta's fly-in fishing lodges, wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting offer experiences that combine luxury with raw and rugged beauty. If you start or end your tour in Edmonton, this provincial capital is the home of innovative festivals, as well as the massive shopping complex (eight blocks long!) known as the West Edmonton Mall. Other year-round attractions include the Odyssium, Muttart Conservatory, Royal Alberta Museum, and the Alberta Legislature Building.
Get Capital EX-cited
Another major, family-fun holiday destination is added to Alberta's slate of summer adventures in Edmonton with the new Capital EX. This July 20-29 event offers innovative twists on a festival with a lively, 127-year history. Edmonton's largest summer spectacle – previously known as 'Klondike Days' for the last 44 years - has traditionally drawn more than 800,000 visitors yearly. This year, the festival is renamed 'Capital EX' and there will be a new 9,000-person music venue that adds a major concert venue to the shopping and entertainment and international exhibits.
City Forts Disclose Western Tales
Alberta's two major cities arose in the West and the North from dynamic historical forces that found expression in forts. Fort Calgary, located on the site of an original North West Mounted Police Fort, preserves and interprets Calgary's history between 1875 and the 1940s. In Fort Edmonton Park, you can join the costumed historical interpreters and experience life as an early pioneer. Fort Edmonton is divided into four eras: an 1846 Hudson's Bay Fort, a frontier town, a 1905 city, and Edmonton in the 1920s. Activities include antique vehicle rides, pioneer children's games, playing pool, shooting gallery, and 1920s miniature golf. Steam train and streetcar rides are included with admission.
There are forts in other Alberta communities that provide a lively look at how the West was won and preserved, if you want to take trips away from Edmonton and Calgary.
Drive the Calgary-Edmonton Trail
It started as a wagon trail. Now, it's the royal ribbon that ties Alberta's two international gateway cities together. Renamed as Queen Elizabeth II Highway in honour of Queen Elizabeth's visit to Alberta during the province's Centennial in 2005, this highway can be taken as a three-hour drive or experienced as a more leisurely exploration of the attractions and areas that lie between the two cities.
Just north of Calgary are small farming communities. Innisfail is the site of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Dog Training Centre, the only one in Canada. And you can visit the Innisfail Historical Museum, a pioneer village that features the late 1800s to 1930.
Red Deer is in the middle of the route between the two cities. It's one of Alberta's major centres for conventions and meetings. Oil and gas, grain and cattle farming are among the industries, and you'll find shopping and entertainment and great cycling pathways The greater Red Deer area parks and trail system connects facilities such as Bower Ponds, Conquist House Multicultural Centre, Kerry Wood Nature Centre, Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary, and Waskasoo Park.
The town of Stettler is home to a steam train that can take you through rolling prairies while you enjoy great entertainment. And further north, Wetaskiwin is where the Reynolds-Alberta Museum provides one of North America's largest collections of antique and classic cars, along with many other exhibits.
About the Author:
Copyright © 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com
Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved Written by: Travel Alberta
Alberta's international gateway cities of Calgary and Edmonton throw some wild Western summer parties. Learn how The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth turns everyone cowboy and why the newest Grand Prix race is revving some Hollywood stars.
The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede is known as The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth. For some 10 days in July, the entire city celebrates North America's biggest rodeo with chuck wagon racing, bucking broncos, white cowboy hats, polished buckles and arms-wide-open Western hospitality.
The Grand Prix of Edmonton revved up high stakes Champ Car racing in the city for the first time last year. It returns this year during July in the slipstream of a remarkable success. Even Hollywood veteran superstar Paul Newman was there to cheer on his team.
You'll find how you can vacation at both events (one leads toward the other) and how there is much to discover. You can even do some driving and two-steppin' of your own along the way.
The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, July 7-16
Okay, admit it. Any city where you're trying to make a right-hand turn while a beefy guy in fringed chaps and a red-and-white checkered open-collared shirt juggles a mocha frappucchino in one hand and a corn dog in the other as he clomps his cowboy boots past the yellow light – well, you know you're somewhere interesting. Especially when you realize that he's your company accountant, you just didn't recognize him without his cardigan and grey slacks. What's he doing here? But darn if he don't look smart in that white ten-gallon hat!
Can a giant Western themed costume ball revved up on a crash diet of sugar-powdered mini-donuts and morning flapjacks be anything other than must-see? Many city residents shimmy out of their corporate persona and step into a Mardi Gras-like world of pure fun, going out of their way to show Western hospitality to travellers from the U.S., and visitors from Canadian provinces far to the east, such as Ontario. This more-than-a-week-long holiday provides exceptional talent in all the components you'd expect from a world-class festival. It is, after all, The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth.
The chuck wagon races are world renowned. Four horses. Four wheels. One big rush. What's not to love? John and Celeste Finnegan, seniors who grew up in the U.S. and who are now living in Ajijic, Mexico, are just one of the couples that are traveling a long way this year to see the Stampede. Calgary is the international gateway to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, just an hour's drive west of the city.
Alberta in the summer is fertile ground for rodeos that reach into every nook and cranny of the province. Some offer a charm not easily found elsewhere, precisely because of their local roots. It's often a community celebrating itself and its history, year after year. So you can get your cowboy mojo going with the Stampede, and you can also discover smaller rodeos that run throughout Alberta during the summer.
Grand Prix of Edmonton, July 21-23
The world's most beautiful hi-tech race cars, wreaking fun on a city centre airport race track: that's what's coming around the bend for summer in Edmonton at the city's City Centre Airport. The Grand Prix of Edmonton brings the Champ Car Series world-class racing to Alberta, building on last year's astounding inaugural success. Fans who knew about racing and new fans who just wanted to catch part of the rising buzz braved rain on one day and were ultimately rewarded with a magnificent, sunny race day.
This year there will be an opportunity for Albertans to race in front of home town fans during the CASCAR race that heats things up before the big one. CASCAR is Canada's version of NASCAR; it's what they call a super series so it competes across Canada. Not sure what that means? Get tickets now and you can learn more right at the track. This entire event absolutely rocks and you don't have to love cars or racing to enjoy it, because there is so much going on.
This specially-built FIA road course is one of the most fan-friendly circuits in the Champ Car series. Eighty per cent of the track can be easily seen from anywhere in the stands. You'll be able to track practice and qualifying, as well as watch multiple duels as race day unfolds. Speeds on the straightaway will exceed 320 km/h and several turns will offer prime overtaking opportunities.
Edmonton is the international gateway to the North, where Alberta's fly-in fishing lodges, wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting offer experiences that combine luxury with raw and rugged beauty. If you start or end your tour in Edmonton, this provincial capital is the home of innovative festivals, as well as the massive shopping complex (eight blocks long!) known as the West Edmonton Mall. Other year-round attractions include the Odyssium, Muttart Conservatory, Royal Alberta Museum, and the Alberta Legislature Building.
Get Capital EX-cited
Another major, family-fun holiday destination is added to Alberta's slate of summer adventures in Edmonton with the new Capital EX. This July 20-29 event offers innovative twists on a festival with a lively, 127-year history. Edmonton's largest summer spectacle – previously known as 'Klondike Days' for the last 44 years - has traditionally drawn more than 800,000 visitors yearly. This year, the festival is renamed 'Capital EX' and there will be a new 9,000-person music venue that adds a major concert venue to the shopping and entertainment and international exhibits.
City Forts Disclose Western Tales
Alberta's two major cities arose in the West and the North from dynamic historical forces that found expression in forts. Fort Calgary, located on the site of an original North West Mounted Police Fort, preserves and interprets Calgary's history between 1875 and the 1940s. In Fort Edmonton Park, you can join the costumed historical interpreters and experience life as an early pioneer. Fort Edmonton is divided into four eras: an 1846 Hudson's Bay Fort, a frontier town, a 1905 city, and Edmonton in the 1920s. Activities include antique vehicle rides, pioneer children's games, playing pool, shooting gallery, and 1920s miniature golf. Steam train and streetcar rides are included with admission.
There are forts in other Alberta communities that provide a lively look at how the West was won and preserved, if you want to take trips away from Edmonton and Calgary.
Drive the Calgary-Edmonton Trail
It started as a wagon trail. Now, it's the royal ribbon that ties Alberta's two international gateway cities together. Renamed as Queen Elizabeth II Highway in honour of Queen Elizabeth's visit to Alberta during the province's Centennial in 2005, this highway can be taken as a three-hour drive or experienced as a more leisurely exploration of the attractions and areas that lie between the two cities.
Just north of Calgary are small farming communities. Innisfail is the site of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Dog Training Centre, the only one in Canada. And you can visit the Innisfail Historical Museum, a pioneer village that features the late 1800s to 1930.
Red Deer is in the middle of the route between the two cities. It's one of Alberta's major centres for conventions and meetings. Oil and gas, grain and cattle farming are among the industries, and you'll find shopping and entertainment and great cycling pathways The greater Red Deer area parks and trail system connects facilities such as Bower Ponds, Conquist House Multicultural Centre, Kerry Wood Nature Centre, Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary, and Waskasoo Park.
The town of Stettler is home to a steam train that can take you through rolling prairies while you enjoy great entertainment. And further north, Wetaskiwin is where the Reynolds-Alberta Museum provides one of North America's largest collections of antique and classic cars, along with many other exhibits.
About the Author:
Copyright © 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com
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