General dual exhaust question...
 

Compared to straight sixes and V8s with dual everything...

Is it a true dual exhaust if it’s on a 4 – cylinder?

I mean, the exhaust is coming from one header, through one down pipe, through one cat, to one straight pipe, then splits out to two mufflers. Does this setup help relieve backpressure? If so, how much? Are you better off sticking with a single pipe to a single muffler?

….know what I mean? Just trying to figure out the best config for a sub 200hp engine…

Gotta learn sometime!

...Another n00b question from your neighborhood N00B!
:yes:

1)for 2x exhaust on an inline 4, you run a Ypipe from the header, which splits the exhuast
2) this is dumb because its pointless and imo (along with many others) looks bad/unneeded/tacky/pointless/ricer
3) you will lose power because of next to zero backpressure
4) you dont need that much flow...its almost the same as running straight header

So it's more for looks...IC.....

Cool. So is it a little silly to do your exhaust as a first mod? It basically would make more sense to build up your engine, then do the exhaust to balance out the backpressure in a way...?

And a lot of people out there do exhaust first to sound menacing I guess? Testify! I'm just trying to learn.

Sorry, thinking out loud. Does it all make sense? Did I translate properly?

I gotta start hitting howstuffworks.com again!

even after you're engine is "modded", its very unlikely that you'll need that much flow.

Consider this, lets say your piping is 2" wide (diameter), and to get a better flow you upgrade to 2.25".. Now lets say instead of getting a wider diameter piping you added a pipe, so 2 x 2.0.. Do you see the problem (difference in overall diameter), but there is a catch, the diameter of the single end of your Y pipe is a restriction.. But there is more to it, like where the Y is installed (considering the pressure is greater immediately after the exhaust manif compared to right before the exhaust)..

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, just making sure I fully understand.

So these guys with little N/A bolt-ons (less than +20hp) and these massive pipes are hurting themselves... other than a better breathing muffler (and for looks and sound...), it's better to not really mess around with your piping if you're interested in your lower end torque?

So would you say the only real time to start messing with huge diameter is if you do a bottom-up performance rebuild? ..pistons, cams, etc? ....and of course when running boost?

I was apparently taught wrong before, so I'm sucking up as much info as humanly possible. I just want to make sure I know what I'm hearing on the road driving past me and why..heheheh

My Saturn's exhaust resonator went bust a while back, and my shop did me a Ravin muffler and 2.25 pipe for the same price - they always hook me up when possible. I have nothing done to the car. I did notice at higher speeds (80mph) that my RPMs dropped by about 500, but I do seem slower off the red lights. Am I paranoid, or does that sound similar to what you're saying?