[DeTomaso] Ansa Baffles

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/06/06 1:39:37 PM, pantera_4220 at yahoo.com writes:

<< I have a set of GT5-S mufflers.  The pipe leading to the muffler is good 
size about 2.25 inch, the problem is that it neck's down when it hits the 
muffler. >>

When I was modifying our exhausts, I cut the internal neck-down areas out of 
the std muffler entrances and welded 2-1/2" pipes directly to the muffler 
shell to sort-of reproduce the bigger Ansas. Its been 15 years but I remember 
there were two concentric thicknesses of tubing about 1" long in there to reduce 
the opening. I didn't bother to add the triangular GT5-style pipe braces at the 
junctions, and no cracking yet. 
Second point: gutting the muffler baffless seems to increase top end power 
while also increasing the noise- sometimes enough to draw a black flag on 
restricted tracks. You guys with gutted mufflers may also find you've lost some 
mid-range torque while gaining top-end power; I'm hoping those dyno runs show up 
soon, to show this effect or discount it. On our recent 1100 mile jaunt to/from 
'Vegas, I noted that the vast majority of time, the engine was at 2500-4000 
rpms. And most 351-Cs that are street driven cannot afford to give away much 
more low/mid-range torque without becoming unpleasant to drive on the street. 
On-track, the situation may be reversed. FWIW- J DeRyke