Ebay OBX looping exhaust muffler? WTF?

[Gee-Es-Tee]

WTF is this and why does it have a growth wrapping around the muffler itself? What's the idea behind this... and how should this be better than a straight through design?! My god... and it sure is hideous. Bleugh.

Here's the auction:

eBay Motors: OBX Universal Twin Loop Exhaust Muffler Eclipse GSX GST (item 170173707027 end time Dec-03-07 19:00:10 PST)

 

[pboglio]

Supposed to be a dual pass muffler. I'd imagine the theory is that making a second exhaust pass thru the muffler further reduces exhaust noise levels.

If you visually split the muffler in half and unwind the exhaust tubes, you effectively have 2 smaller mufflers in line. There is no secret, pure gimmick. You want a quiet exhaust, run a resonator and a huge single pass main muffler.

Yes, its an ugly beast.

 

[project_tsi]

Wow. But .

 

[JWoodley]

I wonder how much it weighs?

 

[Turbo Monk3y]

If they only had Bulk buy I could put 4 of those on the back of my car...

 

[Defiant]

You want all them loop o' de loops to keep the gas confused. If you just run it straight, you see, it gets bored and just sits there. It needs the excitement and befuddlement, like kids on a roller coaster. Without it, they start getting their goddamned, cotton-candy-sticky little fingers all over things. Ungrateful little twerps. Better to spin 'em around until they puke.

 

[synthetek]

Good idea tie the end of your exhaust in a knot maybe they could add some more 360 degree bends too

 

[viprez586]

I believe it is for back pressure, mostly used on N/A cars.

 

[99gst_racer]

It's sole purpose is for additional sounding dampening. It's old technology. Most vehicles have anough room to allow for a traditional-style muffler body that will be large enough to dampen enough noise energy to deam it acceptable. For cars that don't have sufficient area for a traditional muffler, this type of technology is used.

When I was at SEMA, HKS had a 350Z cat-back in their booth. It used similar technology. I specifically asked what it's purpose was, and they said it was for "space-limited" sound deadening only.

PIC:

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[architechnik]

I wonder why they don't go with a wider girth and just split the output into two segments. Maybe that wouldn't deaden the sound enough for a 350 big block, but I'm sure a four or six would do just fine.

With an enclosed case like that, it seems like there would be more low end resonance - like vibrating a coffee can or a completely enclosed bass bin. Eh, it all sounds like gimmicks to me.

 

[daren_p]

Another one of the major manufacturers out there makes this kind of muffler for imports (believe its DC?). Like has been said, used for extra sound dampening. Looks like, same as always OBX just knocks off someone elses product. Wonder if it fits (or will fit ) better then some of their other product. Personally I'd never give OBX a cent, I like to give my money to companies who actually do R&D on their products, otherwise their won't be any "real" companies left.

 

[pboglio]

It's sole purpose is for additional sounding dampening. It's old technology. Most vehicles have anough room to allow for a traditional-style muffler body that will be large enough to dampen enough noise energy to deam it acceptable. For cars that don't have sufficient area for a traditional muffler, this type of technology is used.

When I was at SEMA, HKS had a 350Z cat-back in their booth. It used similar technology. I specifically asked what it's purpose was, and they said it was for "space-limited" sound deadening only.

PIC:

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Good find. However, these don't appear to be dual pass but a literal "resonant" chamber, which is normally a dead end type canister. It looks very similar to resonant chambers on intake systems which allow "tuning" of the intake systems and boost torque and tune out nasty intake resonances. Very interesting.

 

[99gst_racer]

Yeah, those aren't dual pass. It's a similar design, but not identical. Both achieve the same goal though.

 

[talonalex92]

I still think they look cool.

 

[hereitcomes]

To each his respectful own, but I think that looks like garbage, and I would not want drivers to have to look at that whilst they are behind me.

 

[roadrunner2176]

The more pipe you have behind the muffler, the quieter it gets. If you look at newer vehicles, the mufflers are right under the bumper and have almost no tail pipe as compared to older vehicles and trucks which have the muffler mounted before the rear axle. Just another way to add a few feet of tail pipe that doesn't exist on most newer vehicles dropping a few db's.