Another Exhaust thread. Emissions/Worth it?

[hotrippr]

I am wondering if replacing the exhaust is a worth while investment. I need it to pass CA inspection, so I cant have an aftermarket header. I am looking for any increase in hp. I dont need more noise I have a cai for that, but more noise is acceptable as long as it isnt ricey. Please keep the "get another car", "turbo it" out of the thread...I have read them many times, just honest answers please. And if an exhaust wont give more than 2 hp gain or just gives solely noise or wont pass inspection then tell me so and I can forget about it. Thanks for your time

 

[lil_red_wagon]

sounds like you are on very shaky ground here. what i would do if i were you and didn't want to turbo, i would just swap out the stock resonator for either a deleted pipe or an aftermarket one and throw on an exhaust tip. this is how my old pro 5 was set up and it had a nice rumble and a really deep sound. the exhaust tip was smaller than all of these little hondas out there, but still larger than stock. the car passed inspection in Texas and it wasn't very loud. as for hp gains, i cannot account for that as this car was more for show than go, but i can tell you that with that exhaust, the motor mounts, and the intake, there wasn't anything n/a and front wheel drive in this city that took me. turbo or rear wheel is a different story. like i said, for show not go.

 

[carter1551]

racing beat catback dyno is about 5 hp. Not sure how accurate that is though.

 

[ProtoType5]

Without altering the emissions I would just look for a nice axle-back or cat-back...Would a High Flow cat make you fail emissions????

Use the search button in the FOR SALE section...You'll probably even come across something local in SoCal...As for "RICEY"...the low compression of the FS-DE makes most exhausts that have both cats sound deep and nice...BOSAL is cheap, loud, and deep...MEGAN is cheap, loud, and deep...

#1 Racing Beat is pricey, quiet, and deep..Magnaflow is also pricey, quiet and deep....

The gains will be neglibible.....Maybe cams and a nice pully set would gain you much more than anything in the exhaust realm.....a nice axle-back would probably give you about as much as a cat back by opening up the flow.

 

[aMaff]

for the record, racing beat cat backs are cheap as hell when bought used from some1 putting an exhaust on their mazdaspeed protege and doesn't have the room to store the stock exhaust. $30 will get the tip cut off and re-welded to correct length from any decent exhaust shop.

I had mine on the car and cut to fit for under $100. I even managed to score a used axle back only from an 03 w/ the really nice round tip that I used, instead of the ugly oval one fo-freezy

It's all about how long you're willing to wait lol

 

[ProtoType5]

for the record, racing beat cat backs are cheap as hell when bought used from some1 putting an exhaust on their mazdaspeed protege and doesn't have the room to store the stock exhaust. $30 will get the tip cut off and re-welded to correct length from any decent exhaust shop.

That's what I'm sportin...I don't think the constriction of the exhaust is what's robbing me of that far off distant land called POWER...

 

[buttthrax]

I am wondering if replacing the exhaust is a worth while investment. I need it to pass CA inspection, so I cant have an aftermarket header. I am looking for any increase in hp. I dont need more noise I have a cai for that, but more noise is acceptable as long as it isnt ricey. Please keep the "get another car", "turbo it" out of the thread...I have read them many times, just honest answers please. And if an exhaust wont give more than 2 hp gain or just gives solely noise or wont pass inspection then tell me so and I can forget about it. Thanks for your time

I'm gonna say 'not worth it'. This car is not about horsepower. It has enought mid-range torque stock to get the job done (which is what matters with this kinda car). Driving around flooring it to experience the non-thrill of 10hp isn't even worth the extra gas spent doing so (especially with the gas prices you got in CA ).

 

[hotrippr]

for the record, racing beat cat backs are cheap as hell when bought used from some1 putting an exhaust on their mazdaspeed protege and doesn't have the room to store the stock exhaust. $30 will get the tip cut off and re-welded to correct length from any decent exhaust shop.

I had mine on the car and cut to fit for under $100. I even managed to score a used axle back only from an 03 w/ the really nice round tip that I used, instead of the ugly oval one fo-freezy

It's all about how long you're willing to wait lol

Thanks alot this sounds the way to go then. This option does seem worth it.
I can wait


I am not really concerned with mpg yes gas is expensive but it is expensive everywhere. I have 45k on her and had her since 2001, I am lucky as I only work about 2m away, so all of my miles are recreational and I always floor it! No granny shifting timidness here unless I smell bacon, lol.(drive2)

Thanks to everyone else also.

 

[Action Jackson]

The Wagner Shorty is the only header that I can think of that will allow you to retain both cats (and remain emissions legal).

 

[hotrippr]

really I will have to look into that, thanks.

 

[Lord_Zath]

ok so I'm reading this as "what can I do to increase hp and not get pwned by Arnold?"

Have you considered an underdrive pulley? lightweight flywheel (if manual)? You'd probably do better hp wise...

 

[diegosurfer5]

the only high flow cat i know about that is CARB leagal here is one from vibrant performance it is a 7000 series and has to be CERAMIC core not the metal one i got the phone # from Ken at ProtegeGarage and called them it wil lhave the CARB leagal stamp on it and everything so you can buy any exhaust you want and just have that put in and everything should be leagal. I have a Cork Sport exhaust i am thinking about getting rid of it origanlly removes the second cat thus making it not leaga but if you put in a high flow cat then you should be ok and it has a nice sound and good gains i can feel the difference now that i have the MSP axle back on there instead. the CS pulls harder.

 

[hotrippr]

Didnt know the exahust had to have a stamp, I thought only cai. RB advertises theirs as CA street and emissions legal, and PG also says that under their descritption as well. So you are getting the Vibrant from Ken or just the stamp? What is it exactly that u r getting from him?

 

[Not Jo3L]

the sls performance midpipe with highflow cat is not carb legal?