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View Full Version : Electric exhaust cutouts? Worth it or no?



Bandit
09-01-2006, 06:10 PM
Anybody now running, or have experience with electric cutouts (Q-tec, etc.)?
I am installing standard cutouts soon, but it seems like it would be really cool to be able to open 'em up on the fly, like for instance on the highway, when I want to really wake up somebody next to me, then close em back up before I slow down and roll past a black-and-white.

It seems like they are pretty pricey, especially for duals, but should be lots of fun if they work as advertised...?

Paul

Bandit
09-15-2006, 04:03 PM
NE1? Bueller? Bueller?

PT Goat
09-16-2006, 05:45 AM
I tried to keep the exhaust as tame as possible on my PT car, for those long highway cruises I'm anticipating, so I went with QTP cutouts on a Pypes X-change system. They are pricey, but I managed to get a new 2.5" set second-hand and save a bunch...not sure I would have spent the coin if they were full price. They are obviously well made, so I hope they don't leak like so many cutouts do. I wish I could report on how they work, but I haven't fired my engine yet. Hopefully in the next week or two I can report back.

sonic69
09-24-2006, 02:58 AM
I have a set on my 69 Camaro. I love them. They work great and didn't cost that much on ebay. It's fun when a young kid pulls up next to you and revs his engine. Throw them open and rev once. The look is priceless.

Tom Welch
09-26-2006, 04:00 PM
When I was in the Army I knew a guy with a 69 Charger that had electric cutouts, The look truly is priceless, and lmao funny.

Bandit
09-26-2006, 04:08 PM
Heh Heh Heh...:naughty:

kman67rsss
10-06-2006, 06:45 PM
Ive got a set on my 67 and i love them. they are by far the most fun extra i have on the car. well worth the money as far as im concerned. the down side to them is the guy that dynoed my car said that they had done tests on other cars and they didnt make any more power, and some actually lost power. but the wow factor is there

ProdigyCustoms
10-06-2006, 09:58 PM
the down side to them is the guy that dynoed my car said that they had done tests on other cars and they didnt make any more power, and some actually lost power. but the wow factor is there

Not to mention most cars sound like dump trucks with broke off mufflers with dumps. Personally, I have never heard one that sounded good, only loud.

ty1295
10-07-2006, 04:58 PM
My buddy uses one on a GMC Syclone for racing. Works great, nets us .2 seconds in the quarter. We do play with it on street sometimes. He even got pulled over for noise once, but by the time cop came up to car it was closed and he couldn't figure out why it was so quiet. Told my buddy he didnt' know what he did, but keep it quiet and walked away.

ProTouring442
10-08-2006, 05:04 AM
I was thinking of using them to make muffler bypasses. This way the exhaust still goes through the muffler unless you make it to 3/4 throttle, then it opens up. What do you all think?

Shiny Side Up!
Bill
'72 442 "Inamorata"
http://www.fquick.com/ProTouring442 (http://www.fquick.com/ProTouring442)

ProdigyCustoms
10-08-2006, 05:22 AM
I think a good exhaust will make horsepower. I know for a fact my street racer, and many friends with street racer type cars DO NOT pick up uncorked.

ProTouring442
10-08-2006, 06:44 AM
I think a good exhaust will make horsepower. I know for a fact my street racer, and many friends with street racer type cars DO NOT pick up uncorked.

True, but they also tend to be a bit loud, yes? I'm thinking I will go with something reasonably quiet (makes for a nice drive) with the electric bypasses to relieve the restriction of the quiet muffler when needed. I may be wrong here... I have been wrong more than right in my life!! :)

Shiny Side Up!
Bill
'72 442 "Inamorata"
http://www.fquick.com/ProTouring442 (http://www.fquick.com/ProTouring442)

justforfun
10-19-2006, 04:00 PM
Every one i know who bought them had sealing problems. Mostly bent plates & over heated motors. That being said I don't know anyone who has purchased one in the last 5 years, so maybe they are better now.

Blown353
10-19-2006, 06:43 PM
I was thinking of using them to make muffler bypasses. This way the exhaust still goes through the muffler unless you make it to 3/4 throttle, then it opens up. What do you all think?


Why not use old exhaust heat riser valves hooked up to a spring loaded vacuum actuator, say an EGR actuator from a mid-70's car? That way under light load the valves will be held shut by the vacuum actuators and the exhaust will go through your mufflers, but under heavier throttle vacuum will drop and the springs in the actuators will force the bypasses open. You could do this pretty cheap and have some fun experimenting with it too. All OEM exhaust butterfly valves I can think of (porsche, BMW, etc.) are vacuum controlled because manifold vacuum is a good measure of engine load and the actuators can respond very quickly to changing load. I know the older BMW's used to have the butterfly in the exhaust tip and the vacuum supply to the actuator was controlled by the engine computer via a solenoid in the vacuum line.

The gearmotor electric cutouts are too slow for what you have in mind plus the reliability issues have already been mentioned. Stepper motor contolled valves on the other hand could offer the needed speed but I doubt they'd be as reliable and dependable as a vacuum actuator in this application.

Here's a fancier electronically controlled vacuum valve like I describe that monitors exhaust backpressure to control the opening/closing:

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_2291/article.html

ProTouring442
10-20-2006, 02:00 AM
I like it! I'll contact them to see if I can just buy the valves. Very cool!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill
'72 442 "Inamorata"
www.fquick.com/ProTouring442 (http://www.fquick.com/ProTouring442)

LS6 Tommy
11-09-2006, 07:42 AM
Why not use old exhaust heat riser valves hooked up to a spring loaded vacuum actuator, say an EGR actuator from a mid-70's car? That way under light load the valves will be held shut by the vacuum actuators and the exhaust will go through your mufflers, but under heavier throttle vacuum will drop and the springs in the actuators will force the bypasses open. You could do this pretty cheap and have some fun experimenting with it too. All OEM exhaust butterfly valves I can think of (porsche, BMW, etc.) are vacuum controlled because manifold vacuum is a good measure of engine load and the actuators can respond very quickly to changing load. I know the older BMW's used to have the butterfly in the exhaust tip and the vacuum supply to the actuator was controlled by the engine computer via a solenoid in the vacuum line.

The gearmotor electric cutouts are too slow for what you have in mind plus the reliability issues have already been mentioned. Stepper motor contolled valves on the other hand could offer the needed speed but I doubt they'd be as reliable and dependable as a vacuum actuator in this application.

Here's a fancier electronically controlled vacuum valve like I describe that monitors exhaust backpressure to control the opening/closing:

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_2291/article.html

The EFE flapper in your exhaust manifold does not seal 100% and you have all kinds of leaks on the bypass.

Tommy

sporter
11-09-2006, 05:39 PM
With the Warlock mufflers capped my 455 made 413 rwhp and 471 rwtq. Uncapping my Warlock mufflers netted 435 rwhp and 495 rwtq. Running capped is costing me 22 rwhp and 24 rwtq. 1.75" Hedman hedders, 3" exhaust thru Dr Gas X-pipe and 3" Warlocks into 2.5" tail pipes. Adding electric cutouts to the Warlocks, if they fit, is on my list of things to do.

ProTouring442
11-10-2006, 04:05 AM
Since I am thinking of running a bypass around the muffler, but still having the exhaust run the length of the tail pipes, I think a small leak in the bypass would be ok. If I were running dumps, then I would need them to seal totally.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill
'72 442 "Inamorata"
www.FQuick.com/ProTouring442 (http://www.fquick.com/ProTouring442)

Bow Tie 67
11-10-2006, 11:31 AM
I have them on my stock 01 ls1 with a borla exhaust and headers. I love it, with my combo it does give me more power, not to mention at 41 years old I feel like a kid with it open.