one more megaphone question

Raymond · 03-26-2002, 12:02 PM

i am going to order a set. i have seen them listed as:

24" for 2.0 and 2.2 motors
20" for 2.4 motors
15" for 2.7 motors.

why are there different lengths? can i buy a 20" for a 2.2? i'm sure it has to do with torque losss, and my 2.2T needs all it can get... what's the best compromise? 24" seems awfully long.

also i did a search for previous megaphone threads and some mention the cars spitting fire from the pipes... will a 2.2T with 24" pipes spit fire??? how bout 20"?

304065 · 03-26-2002, 12:11 PM

It depends on how built your motor is. A perfectly stock 2.2 T will experience torque loss-- even the screamer race motors that rev to 7500 rpm with 12:1 compression only get a benefit from megaphones at the very high end, and they absolutely suck power at low end and midrange. Your best bet for maintaining the torque is a sport muffler.

Fire should only shoot out on the over-run, and only then if you're running open headers with a super-rich mixture. More common among the turbos.

I'd give Steve Weiner at Rennsport Systems a call, he's an expert in this stuff.

Best of luck.

Raymond · 03-26-2002, 12:14 PM

oh man... i'm gonna have to build the motor up now. thanks for the good info, i'm getting them just for the occasional rip up PCH. i'll leave the stock muffler on for 97% of the time.

Early_S_Man · 03-26-2002, 12:38 PM

Raymond,

A 2" crossover tube between the megaphones right at the connection to the heat exchangers will improve the bottom-end torque considerably. Be sure to clean up any sloppy welds on the inside of the pipe with a die grinder, and make sue that the megaphone inlets are matched to the heat exchangers outlet ID. A bit of grinding to enlarge the IDs out to the maximum pipe ID of both heat exchanger outlet and megaphone inlet wouldn't hurt, either! Minimum disturbance at the flanges because of a mismatch is the idea.

pbs911 · pbs911's Garage

Ray,

So how far do you think you'll get with those pipes running in Newport Beach/Corona Del Mar? Just don't go up Jamborie too early in the morning, OK. I'm a late sleeper.

Raymond · 03-26-2002, 02:04 PM

hey paul, when i posted a thread about 'phones about 3 months ago, you responded "you'll piss off your neighbors." little did i know then YOU were my neighbor! i'll go easy till i hit poppy going south. i'll call you when i get 'em installed. hope you're well man.

campbellcj · 03-27-2002, 09:22 AM

Better beware...driving w/ megaphones on public roads in So Cal might do more than piss-off your neighbors...it almost certainly will get you ticketed (or worse, i.e. car impounded) at some point.

I was always paranoid driving past cops even with a 2-out sport muffler, and open pipes are much louder than that (can be well over 100dbA vs around 92-96dbA).

Raymond · 03-27-2002, 09:46 AM

campbellcj, thanks for the advice. i plan on using them for VERY occasional jaunts. summer's coming and there are all sorts of loud vehicles on PCH here... shelby cobras, uncorked harleys, those pesky sport bikes with open tubes, etc. that's my thin veil of justification.