sleepy04
10-11-2009, 01:20 AM
For most people, the first true “performance” upgrade they do is to replace the exhaust. The idea behind the exhaust is that it allows your engine to breathe easily by allowing the exhaust to escape from the engine faster. Now there are many, many different types of exhausts out there to choose from. Which one is best?
The exhaust can be broken down to three basic sections, the axle back, the cat-back and the turbo back.(see fig. #1. Thanks to Mach V and Matt Randolph for the picture.) What’s the difference between them?
Axleback:
This is basically just the muffler. In the figure, it’s the farthest section from the engine. This gives minimal power gains, if any at all
Cat-back:
This is the exhaust from the Catalytic Converter back, in the figure it’s the farthest two sections from the motor. This gives small power gains.
Turbo-Back:
This is the exhaust is just as it sounds, from the turbo back. It replaces the down-pipe, mid-pipe and muffler. In the figure, it is all four sections. This will give the highest power gains.
So now I’ve decided which exhaust setup is best, but there are so many different manufacturers, which do I choose?
Again, choice is up to you. Some people like the way a certain exhaust sounds, others like the way it looks. This is up to you. But for the most part, you get what you paid for. The cheaper the exhaust, the shorter it will last.
But before you buy an exhaust, RESEARCH the exhaust. Find out how loud it is. Besides the power gains, it also will bring out that great Boxer engine sound. It won’t sound like a Killer Bumblebee. But if it’s too loud, it WILL get you hassled by the MAN. If you've been on any Honda website, i.e honda-tech, you would not believe all the whining that goes on about exhaust tickets. So go to meets, cruise around and stop random Subaru owners with exhausts and ask them, listen to YouTube clips if you have to, just figure out how loud your exhaust will be before you buy it and if you want to put up with the noise.
When replacing your exhaust ALWAYS check the legality of the exhaust and the type of exhaust you are getting. Catless exhaust (exhaust with out catalytic converters) are great, but can cause your car to fail smog tests and safety inspection.
Also just bolting on the exhaust will give you power gains. But to truly benefit from the exhaust, you need to get it tuned. For 04+ WRX’s & STI's this is a MUST. Your car will not run correctly because of an OPEN/CLOSE loop that is used by your ECU.
This was a just basic writeup on exhausts. It will give you enough to get started in looking for an exhausts. If you would like learn more, this link will really help. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447182(Unabombers the MAN, and from the VA!)
The exhaust can be broken down to three basic sections, the axle back, the cat-back and the turbo back.(see fig. #1. Thanks to Mach V and Matt Randolph for the picture.) What’s the difference between them?
Axleback:
This is basically just the muffler. In the figure, it’s the farthest section from the engine. This gives minimal power gains, if any at all
Cat-back:
This is the exhaust from the Catalytic Converter back, in the figure it’s the farthest two sections from the motor. This gives small power gains.
Turbo-Back:
This is the exhaust is just as it sounds, from the turbo back. It replaces the down-pipe, mid-pipe and muffler. In the figure, it is all four sections. This will give the highest power gains.
So now I’ve decided which exhaust setup is best, but there are so many different manufacturers, which do I choose?
Again, choice is up to you. Some people like the way a certain exhaust sounds, others like the way it looks. This is up to you. But for the most part, you get what you paid for. The cheaper the exhaust, the shorter it will last.
But before you buy an exhaust, RESEARCH the exhaust. Find out how loud it is. Besides the power gains, it also will bring out that great Boxer engine sound. It won’t sound like a Killer Bumblebee. But if it’s too loud, it WILL get you hassled by the MAN. If you've been on any Honda website, i.e honda-tech, you would not believe all the whining that goes on about exhaust tickets. So go to meets, cruise around and stop random Subaru owners with exhausts and ask them, listen to YouTube clips if you have to, just figure out how loud your exhaust will be before you buy it and if you want to put up with the noise.
When replacing your exhaust ALWAYS check the legality of the exhaust and the type of exhaust you are getting. Catless exhaust (exhaust with out catalytic converters) are great, but can cause your car to fail smog tests and safety inspection.
Also just bolting on the exhaust will give you power gains. But to truly benefit from the exhaust, you need to get it tuned. For 04+ WRX’s & STI's this is a MUST. Your car will not run correctly because of an OPEN/CLOSE loop that is used by your ECU.
This was a just basic writeup on exhausts. It will give you enough to get started in looking for an exhausts. If you would like learn more, this link will really help. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447182(Unabombers the MAN, and from the VA!)