Well ive have been looking into getting an exhaust for a while now but the prices are killing me. Then I thought about the electric cutout. My friend has one on his srt4 and it sounds insane, plus its throws some flames! I was wondering if this is a good, safe mod on a 04 mcs. They only cost $110 so that caught my eye pretty quickly. Would there be any problems with installing this on my car. Im an no tech just a budget minded modder. Would there be a lack of backpressure with a setup like this. I think I read somewhere that not enough backpressure lowers torque but I dont sure.
Any comments would be appreciated.

Mike

 

Also would like to do a one ball. So if anyone knows a good exhaust shop in the Fort Myers, Fl area that would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

 

eh to be honest man i think you would be safer going with a standard exhaust. i've never herd of any one doing this to their mini, not saying its never been done, but it might not be the smartest thing to do with the cooper. as far as a shop in FL ill take a look and see what i can dig up!

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=114816

 

I would like to know why it is a uncommon mod. I know at least two people here on nam using them, Nitrominis and Thumper460, so I would like to know how they feel about the system. For $110 it seems like it would be a common choice for budget minded people like me. I know my buddys srt4 runs fine with it.

 

probably because:

1. it's loud
2. you're not gonna get that many horses out of it
3. possible CEL lights
4. a true cat back can be seen/heard vs. the cutout should only be for track use
5. leaks

 

Yea it will be loud, but is that a bad thing. Correct me if im wrong but not many horses are freed even from the top of the line catbacks. The possible CEL lights and exhaust leaks are discouraging. What would cause these problems to happen? Any way to avoid them?

 

where do you plan on putting the cutout?
do you have any other mods?

many horses freed at the top, eh? well, theoretically that's true but take a look at post #6 in the thread i linked earlier. Thumper got 3 whole wheel horse power with his one ball mod, and he's a tuner with a ported/polished head.

if you put the cutout before the cat (which would probably aid in gaining the most bang) CEL lights will come up because of the 02 sensor. you can get an o2 simulator to stop that from coming on.

put the cutout after the cat... kinda pointless in my eyes. but i dont know much to be honest

 

I've got a few friends with cutouts on their TransAms and Camaros. Typically opened up for at the track, since it's L-O-U-D when they are uncapped. Good power gain on those compared to the stock exhaust and it's cheaper than a full catback.

Additional problems with them that apply to all cars:

You're an instant target for the police (typically, anything louder than a stock muffler is illegal, especially here in Illinois),

you'll annoy your neighbors if you forget to close it when coming home and leaving,

98.5% of the other motorists on the road will think you are juvenile and inconsiderate (beautiful music to you might just be obnoxious noise to others),

switching between having it capped and open will not be optimal for performance because your car's PCM/ECM will only slowly adjust to the different readings that will occur when it's open vs closed.

I also question the efficiency of them when it's closed, as there is basically a disruption of flow through the exhaust as it splits and hits the cap. Nobody designs a catback with a blocked off Y section for a reason, afterall...

You wouldn't put it in front of the cat, as that would certainly cause a CEL

More often than not, the novelty of it wears off rather quickly.

 

Having minimal back-pressure WILL lower torque, and there's a good chance that running with a cutout (Essentially no exhaust) will burn up your exhaust valves.

 

I went and took a few pix of my electric cut out!! The "FUN" of the cut out is that YOU CAN control the noise, whether running under boost and pushing hard, or cruising thru a neighborhood at 1 am in the morning... it is your choice!! Whne the MINI is running and on no load.. yes you will lean the fuel a bit!! Under boost and running hard.. there was NO fuel issue as the ECU is all jacked up.

I Did pull 3 whp over my 1-ball!! Is it worth it?? Ask the ricer that is behind ya...lol

Just me.................................

Thumper

 

Did you lose any torque with the valve open compared to the one ball.

 

Thumper,

Just curious, but why did you have the cut-out all the way back there? All the setups I've seen put them closer to the header (to give the effect of an open header)...

 

I also was curious about that but figure it would increase back pressure slightly. Perhaps minimizing the loss of torque while still having free flowing exhaust. Or he didnt want the sound directly under him.

 

could be...

 

MCS Mike... YEP!! Remembering the ECU runs lean under cruise.. yes?? and under boost, it goes FAT!! SOOooooo... I did feel and loose some at cruise torque.. not to much, but in these cars it doesnt take much!! Under boost, the power was there all the way thru.. I picked up 3 WHP over the 1 ball!!

Skillet.. my cut out is all the way at the END of the system.. look closely at the above pis... cool?? ANY futher forward would have caused more issues as far as a/f and torque.. yes??


Just me.......................................

Thumper

 

I think where he has it located is ideal since it would preserve some of the scavenging effect but allow the exahust to freely flow before the most restrictive part in the system. This looks like an awsome compromise between just a one-ball upgrade, and paying for a full cat-back. The cut-out switch wuold be perfect for the one remaining empty switch location in my switch panel.

 

That does make sense. I'm just used to seeing cut-outs (dump-valves) up closer to the header. I bet it still sounds nice though

 

Alright I think I am still misunderstanding you thumper. At wot, like a dyno run, the torque is the same? And while crusing the torque is slightly affected. Or does it lose some torque in all throttle conditions?

 

On a turbo-charged car or an 8cylinder car with long-tube headers closer would be preferred, but on smaller engines the exhaust gasses passing through the exhaust system actually creates a suction effect in the cylinders as the exhaust valves open, this is where the "Free flowing exhaust causes a loss of torque" idea comes in (this is extremely simplified). Dumping the gasses too soon, or using an obnoxiously large exhaust pipe diameter, causes a loss of this suction or scavenging effect as it's known. Having a length of relatively straight exhasut piping prior to the cut-out preserves some of this. So his setup should have excellent top-end power characteristics with a minimal effect to low engine speed scavenging effects.

 

Very nice

 

Yes, it is a bad thing. Good sounding exhaust sounds good, a loud exhaust just sounds bad. My family has had MANY street rods and loud is the description of an exhaust with something wrong with it.

 

coopergear I agree with you loud can be bad, I would love to have a high quality exhaust system but unfortunetly I cant afford it. If you would like to donate an exhaust to me hey Ill take it. I have heard a couple of open down pipes and I think they have sounded great, I am just trying to find a budget minded exhaust system. I most likely will go with the one ball first, and then maybe a obx header.

 

How is there rnought room pre cat to even put an electoronic one? What size piping?

 

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