Run Quiet - Run Better

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 2, 1999 Ð Tenneco Automotive's Walker® Quiet-Flow™ muffler, premium exhaust product that, while exceptionally quiet, features an open flow pattern that increases exhaust flow to allow an engine to operate at peak efficiency. The Walker Quiet-Flow muffler is the first of a new generation of replacement mufflers that deliver a better balance of sound quality and engine efficiency when compared to other replacement mufflers.

"There has been a tremendous amount of technology investment associated with the development of the Walker Quiet-Flow muffler," said Dave Verbeten, vice president of sales and marketing for Tenneco Automotive's North American aftermarket. "Our engineers have resolved an ongoing dilemma Ð keeping a muffler quiet, while reducing exhaust backpressure that can rob an engine of power."

The Best of Both Worlds
Previously, open flow exhaust patterns resulted in louder and less acoustically pleasing sounds than most consumers prefer. This dilemma forced manufacturers to compromise between engine performance and exhaust sound.

According to Kevin Swint, director of engineering for Tenneco Automotive's North American aftermarket, the company's engineers have been working to find ways to increase exhaust flow while improving sound quality. The breakthrough provided by the Quiet-Flow muffler is the result of a highly-durable, continuous-strand fibrous material.

On average, over 70 miles of the exclusive fiber are inserted into a chamber of the Quiet-Flow muffler via a patented manufacturing process. Swint said that as exhaust gasses and sound waves pass through the muffler, medium to high frequency sounds are channeled into the select chamber containing the fibrous material. The material then actually dampens the sound.

Swint explained that the sound-absorption properties of this fibrous material also allows Tenneco Automotive engineers to tune each muffler application for optimum sound quality. "Each Quiet-Flow muffler is custom tuned to filter out more of the high frequency engine noise, resulting in more pleasing, lower sounding exhaust tones," he added.

Open Flow Design
As exhaust gasses and sound waves are generated from the engine, they need to travel through the exhaust system's intricate duct work to be channeled out of the vehicle. According to Swint, most exhaust systems channel gasses and sound waves through a "tortuous path" of small-diameter louvre tubes and "pinch points" to help deaden sound waves before they leave the vehicle.

Employing this type of exhaust system design reduces sound, but also highly restricts the flow of exhaust gasses that can rob an engine of power and limit its operating efficiency. Using the exclusive fibrous material, and its sound-absorbing characteristics, allowed engineers to design the Walker Quiet Flow with larger-diameter louvre tubes and in many cases, eliminate pinch points. The result is a less restrictive exhaust flow and improved engine efficiency.

"A straight pipe exhaust system has little to no backpressure, but produces an extremely loud noise," Swint said. "Many replacement mufflers are quiet, but also very restrictive to the engine's performance. The Quiet-Flow muffler represents the first product that offers consumers a better balance."

High-Quality Construction and Guarantee
The Walker Quiet-Flow muffler is made from an all-aluminized steel construction that offers greater resistance to corrosion than low-carbon metal materials found in economy mufflers. The Quiet-Flow muffler also features a spun-lock construction for durability. This style of construction reduces seam splitting and blow-out, traditionally two of the most common types of muffler failure.

Verbeten also added that the company is further expressing its confidence in the new Walker Quiet-Flow muffler by offering consumers a 60-day money back guarantee and a limited lifetime warranty.

Monroe® ride control, Walker® exhaust, Rancho® suspension and DynoMax® performance exhaust are products of Tenneco Automotive, which is headquartered in Lake Forest, IL. With worldwide sales of over $3 billion, the company operates 74 facilities in 22 countries in North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific Rim region. It's parent company, Tenneco (NYSE: TEN) is a $8 billion global manufacturing company based in Greenwich, Connecticut.