In article <jburney.734756216@hydra.nodc.noaa.gov> jburney@hydra.nodc.noaa.gov (Jeff Burney) writes: > >If we are only talking about 4-stroke (I think I can understand exhaust >pulse affect in a 2-stroke), the intake valve is closed on the >exhaust stroke and the gas is pushed out by the cyclinder.  I guess >there is some gas compression that may affect the amount pushed out >but the limiting factor seems to be the header pipe and not the  >canister.  Meaning: would gases "so far" down the line (the canister) >really have an effect on the exhaust stroke?  Do the gases really  >compress that much?      For discussion purposes, I will ignore dynamic effects like pulses in the exhaust pipe, and try to paint a useful mental picture.  1.  Unless an engine is supercharged, the pressure available to force air into the intake tract is _atmospheric_.  At the time the intake valve is opened, the pressure differential available to move air is only the difference between the combustion chamber pressure (left over after the exhaust stroke) and atmospheric.  As the piston decends on the intake stroke, combustion chamber pressure is decreased, allowing atmospheric pressure to move more air into the intake tract.  At no time does the pressure ever become "negative", or even approach a good vacuum.  2.  At the time of the exhaust valve closing, the pressure in the combustion chamber is essentially the pressure of the exhaust system up to the first major flow restriction (the muffler).  Note that the volume of gas that must flow through the exhaust is much larger than the volume that must flow through the intake, because of the temperature difference and the products of combustion.  3.  In the last 6-8 years, the Japanese manufacturers have started paying attention to exhaust and intake tuning, in pursuit of almighty horsepower.  At this point in time, on high-performance bikes, substitution of an aftermarket free-flow air filter will have almost zero affect on performance, because the stock intake system flows very well anyway.  Substitution of an aftermarket exhaust system will make very little difference, unless (in general) the new exhaust system is _much_ louder than the stocker.  4.  On older bikes,  exhaust back-pressure was the dominating factor. If free-flowing air filters were substituted, very little difference was noted, unless a free-flowing exhaust system was installed as well.  5.  In general, an engine can be visualized as an air pump.  At any given RPM, anything that will cause the engine to pump more air, be it on the intake or exhaust side, will cause it to produce more horsepower. Pumping more air will require recalibration (rejetting) of the carburetor.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Dave Tharp                      | DoD #0751   | "You can't wear out       | | davet@interceptor.CDS.TEK.COM   | MRA #151    |   an Indian Scout,        | | '88 K75S  '48 Indian Chief      | AHRMA #751  |  Or its brother the Chief.| | '75 R90S(#151) '72 TR-2B(#751)  | AMA #524737 |  They're built like rocks | | '65 R50/2/Velorex  '57 NSU Max  |             |   to take the knocks,     | |       1936 BMW R12              | (Compulsive | It's the Harleys that     | | My employer has no idea.        |   Joiner)   |   give you grief."        |