Header Or Midpipe

[carter1551]

Ok Ive got a few questions for the community here. Im lookin for either an obx header or a high flow midpipe. Which would give me better gains? Which is easier to install and why? Reason being is I need to uninstall each time I smog) Which will make my car the loudest? Will either make my car drone or be uncomfortably loud with my current setup?

Aem SRI
Racing Beat Catback
Underdrive Pulley

Thanks In Advance

[jeg0024]

Header will give you more gains, but will be the hardest of the two to swap out for inspections.

[carter1551]

which would be louder, a catless midpipe? or a header?

[jeg0024]

Its really all depending on the muffler. I have heard a header with the MSP axle back and its not loud at all. I have an obx muffler and header and its loud but not raspy. A catless midpipe will give you that raspyness, but you said you already have a catback? So you already have a new midpipe or not? I would just do the header really. But its gotta be a bitch to keep swaping it out.

[carter1551]

a catback system doesnt replace the midpipe does it? If it does i really feel like a moron. I have a racingbeat catback by the way

[jeg0024]

a catback system doesnt replace the midpipe does it? If it does i really feel like a moron. I have a racingbeat catback by the way

I dont know, it might. Depends on if its j-pipe back or mid pipe back. There are cats in both places.

[carter1551]

but catback means that it replaces everything behind the cats right? so it shouldnt replace either the midpipe

[aMaff]

I dont know, it might. Depends on if its j-pipe back or mid pipe back. There are cats in both places.

how many cat-backs for the protege replace the 'mid-pipe'???

It's generally from the flange for the last cat.... back. IE they go from the end of the mid-pipe out the tail end of the car. I don't know of any that replaces the mid-pipe.

To answer your original question:
The biggest obstruction in the stock system is the stock pre-cat. The 2nd biggest obstruction is the mid-pipe. Take it from there ;) I've already got an intake, header and cat back (along with a couple extra goodies ;)), and a catted mid-pipe is on the to-do list.

[jeg0024]

I dunno, I just thought I've seen 3 piece cat backs.

[carter1551]

yeah the racingbeat is a 3 piece but i dont think it replaces the cat

[jeg0024]

yeah the racingbeat is a 3 piece but i dont think it replaces the cat

explain the 3 pieces then?

[aMaff]

it doesn't. It just ships in a smaller box when it's in 3 pieces.


The Megan Racing one's the same way.
From protegegarage's website:
Racing Beat:
http://mazda3online.web.aplus.net/images/protege5exhaust.jpg

Megan:
http://mazda3online.web.aplus.net/images/MRcat_back.jpg

The bosal and the diagram for the magnaflow's the same. None of these replace the mid-pipe.

[jeg0024]

Ok, whatever. aMaff clean up time, sorry. Just delete all my post.

[aMaff]

All of them? That'd take some time.



:p

Don't worry about it. Just do your homework next time ;)

[jeg0024]

10-4

[carter1551]

thanks for everyones input so far, I think ive decided on a midpipe because of the ease of install. Is there a big noise difference between catless and high flow? big performance difference?

[aMaff]

well, you either hate the environment or you don't. You won't notice the marginal performance difference. And catless will be loud.

[J-protege]

Go high flow catted. Catless is loud and smelly :(

[carter1551]

yeah i do care about the enviroment, but it does piss me off that some of these big muscle cars on the road are 5 times as loud and probably polute twice as much as our cars yet they are legal yet i cant do a thing to my car cuz im in california. same with harleys, so damn loud, should get freakin cited for noise pollution

end rant

[aMaff]

so... what's any of that got to do with what you do? :p

[carter1551]

no idea, i went off on a limb there

[J-protege]

Since when do rants have to be relevant Maff? :)

[aMaff]

oh, right lol

[Tom03es]

I had to recently swap my manifold back in for inspection. It really doesn't take THAT long. I probably had everything swapped over in about 90 minutes- and that was with tracing down a leak at the manifold to primary cat interface. And with the manifold back on, the engine is painfully unresponsive. I can't wait to get my header back on.

Next on my list is a catted PG midpipe.

[Mr.Ames]

explain the 3 pieces then?

resonator pipe, s-pipe, muffler. bolts up behind the midpipe.
you should just get both! get the catted midpipe though or it will be too loud. i like the way mine sounds and it doesnt get me in trouble for being too loud