[DeTomaso] plug between fuel pump & oil filter, gutting mufflers?

JDeRyke at aol.com JDeRyke at aol.com
Thu Jun 10 14:32:12 EDT 2010


Sue, that plug in the front of the block runs straight out of the oil pump. 
It will give 20-40 psi HIGHER readings than the usual one in the rear of 
the block, after all the bearings and 16 lifters have extracted some pressure. 
Using the front port does no harm, but it also will not relate to anyone 
else's oil pressure readings. Unless your gauge fortuitously reads exactly the 
right amount lower than reality. Stock gauges are notoriously inacurate 
(usually low) due to an electrical mismatch. Most knowlegable owners use the 
stock gauge as an 'idiot light' and mount a cheap mechanical gauge directly on 
the a tee fitting on the rear port, if they want to know exactly how much 
pressure the engine has. Even a cheap gauge will be within 2% of reality 
while stockers are as much as 50% low.

Gutting stock mufflers (there are two versions as well as two different 
header systems on stock Panteras) does little except make more noise, as the 
restriction seems to be the 2" OD stock exhaust pipe from headers to mufflers, 
and the fact that we don't understand the technology built inside stock 
Ansas, so removing stuff is ineffective. Magneflow mufflers installed with at 
least a 2-3/4" OD exhaust pipe did pick up 50 bhp in dyno tests, and they're 
only an inch or so longer than the stock Ansas so they fit nicely.

A second considersation when redesigning your exhausts is, let the tailpipe 
tips come straight out rather than angling stylishly upward. One GT-5 car 
with nicely angled tailpipe tips MELTED his tail light lenses while running a 
Silver State open road event at rather high speeds. This was apparently 
from the airflow swirl behind the car pushing the very hot exhaust gasses 
against the rear panel for 15-20 minutes continuously. The amount of protrusion 
beyond the bumpers seem critical if you must angle the tips upward.

Sorry you and your hubby didn't make it to Reno this year. Maybe next time- 
J DeRyke



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