[289Mustang]

Curious to know what would happen if one of the 2 tailpipes of a dual exhaust setup with h-pipe were blocked and the car was driven for 25 miles. Would the backpressure do any structural harm the the engine? Burnt valves or anything like that?

Just curious

 

[67stang]

I would say no. My .002

 

[Jimmys66]

Prob. not. Just get crappy performance.

 

[289Mustang]

How about helping to blow a head gasket?

 

[stinger]

the burned valve thing would take a while
as far as causing a blown head gasket, it'd be a new one on me, you don't have aluminum heads, do you?

 

[289Mustang]

No, stock iron heads. I found the blown head gasket between cyl. 1 and 2. At least when I tore it all apart I found something less serious than a burned valve.

 

[whistler]

had the cat. stoped up on 4 banger once it strating loseing power(the little it had) then it just stoped running didn't hurt the motor.i just replaced the cat. and drove it for two more years

 

[R Code]

I don't think the excessive backpressure would contribute to higher cylinder pressures. Just keeps the incoming charge from flowing well, causing poor perf. JMHO. I had an 88 5.0 that didn't seem to have as much grunt as others. Took it to the dealer for the under dash switch recall. When I picked it up the yahoo at the counter said the car was missed on a previous recall and they had put "a new catalytic converter" in it. ONE? So I looked under the car and they had replaced the whole H-pipe with both converters. The thing ran UNBELIEVABLY! The old cats were major blocked and I had driven it tons. I think the cylinder pressures were lower with the blockage and higher with the free flowing exhaust. Sure made more power. Inadvertantly smoked 'em leaving the dealership. Hmmmm.

 

[stinger]

depending where you live, you could just eliminate the cats altogether(if you work for the epa....i didn't say that! honestly officer i wouldn't DREAM of disabling emmisions equipment). Probably not the best option for a daily driver, but one to consider.

 

[289Mustang]

The converters are not a problem on this car, they have been "lost" somewhere along the line

Couple of cylinders must be running lean. Don't know how both times I've blown a head gasket it manages to blow b/w cylinders and not cylinder to water passage

 

[stinger]

That's kinda odd on a cast iron headed engine, although i've changed out numerous head gaskets on 4 bangers that blow between cylinders-those aluminum heads will blow one if you overheat them just a little. while you have your head off, do yourself a favor, take it to a miachine shop and have them check it for warpage, or if you a straightedge available, check it yourself using a feeler gauge . also, check all the water passage holes in the head around those two cylinders

hope this helps