Just the Way You're Crimped - Exhaust R&D, Part 2: Testing the Crimp Myth
Greetings, Camaro enthusiasts, and welcome to Part 2 of the Mishimoto R&D blog series on our 2016 Camaro SS Exhaust! As you may remember, we took a gander last time at the OEM exhaust, paying special attention to some of the really cool design features that make this system unique. One feature has emerged as a real point of contention and has become so hotly debated, that I wouldn't be surprised to hear about it on the next CNN Presidential Town Hall. I am referring, of course, to the crimped section of piping near the rear axles.
For those of you not in the know, a variety of theories exist about the function of this design, and there is some uncertainty as to what its implications on power output might be.
Well, we are here to put an end to the confusion. In the name of science, we have dyno tested the car with the ONLY changed variable being the presence or absence of the crimped section. Before I get to the results, let's get into how we isolated this piece of the 2016 Camaro SS exhaust for testing.
Preparing the Exhaust for Testing
First, our engineers cut the muffler off of the exhaust upstream of the crimps - we figured it would be easier to remove them from the muffler once it was off of the car. Next, we needed to cut the crimps off the muffler. To accomplish this without warping or bending the tubing, our engineer used a clamp to hold the pipe's tubular shape.
Bracing the 2016 Camaro exhaust
Next, we broke out the Sawzall™ to make the cut.
Cutting the 2016 Camaro Exhaust
Here is a nice action shot of the cutting.
Cutting the 2016 Camaro SS Exhaust
Success - our crimps have broken free! Next, we did some grinding to ensure proper fitment and a good clean edge.
Cleaning up the 2016 Camaro SS Exhaust
With our crimps prepared, it was time to test! First, to set our baseline, we made three control-group dyno pulls with the exhaust opened up. After compiling these data, our (quite agile) engineer got under the car to clamp the crimps on the 2016 Camaro exhaust.
Adding the crimps back on the 2016 Camaro Exhaust (install)
Next, the car underwent three more dyno pulls with the crimps in place, and once we compiled those data, we had our results.
Brace yourselves, folks.
Testing Results
2016 Camaro SS Exhaust crimp-testing results
In the chart above, each line represents the average of the three runs in each testing group (six runs total). As you can see, the horsepower data plotted nearly identical lines, as did the torque data, regardless of whether the crimp was in place or not.
As far as sound goes, there really wasn't enough of a noticeable difference between the two setups to differentiate them, particularly on a recording. The open exhaust was perhaps slightly more percussive sounding (suggesting the crimps may help tone down cabin drone at certain frequencies?), but both sounded equally refined, and as my eardrums (or what used to be my eardrums) can confirm, both were equally LOUD.
Next Time
So there you have it! Join us again soon for more updates on the development of our exhaust and our other products. We have some exciting information on our Camaro SS exhaust headed your way in short order, so keep checking back. Don't hesitate to drop us a comment below or join the discussion on the forums.
Thanks for Reading!
