Back Pressure in NA, Is it really needed? Options

[FAQdaWorld]

Ok, i know everyone says that Back Pressure is needed in NA engines but i need to know whether this is true.

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If back pressure is actually REQUIRED, then why do you see dragsters w/ nothing but straight pipes coming directly off the engine? Isnt it more likely that a car simply loses power because its not tuned correctly? Granted there is going to be some back pressure caused by expanding gasses in teh dragsters exhaust, but minimal say compared to mufflers and such.

I have read in several places that new cams and such will solve problems associated w/ loss of backpressure, and basically cars just arent stock set up to run w/ much less back pressure.

So say you're allowed to do anything you want to an engine, besides overbore w/e, or FI, is almost no backpressure really bad? Say you had an exhaust like this.... CLICK
but minus the turbo of the wrx?


IONO maybe i'm rambling cuz i was just arguing w/ my friend about this....



-Ryan

[mikew04]

backpressure is bad in any car. what you want is your exhaust gas to be high velocity. when you make the exhaust too big it slows the gas down. many people will tell you to think of it like a straw... if its too small you just cant get anything through, if its too big its too slow... and that exhaust, i would think with the split in it, it would cause turbulence in the system, not postive, but thats my opinion..
anyways, backpressure = bad, high velocity = good