Hopefully this will show up in searches or sticky. I seem to see an exhaust post every few days. So here's the tally up for a great sounding exhaust on a naturally aspirated Ecotec

First things first
Your car will not sound like a V8 muscle car, or possibly even a V6, but it will not sound like can of extremely agetated enraged bees were stuck inside your tailpipe.
Common Names for such systems:

• Fart Can
• Buzz Bomb
• Can of bees

If you follow the following rules of construction you will have a nice sounding exhaust that will also net you some small HP gains(5hp realistically upwards of 20 depending on design, and the decision to install a header)

Pipeing:
Pipeing should be at least 2.25" (2 1/4") Inches, and no bigger than 2.5" (2 1/2") inches. There are debates on which is better, and from personal experience I like the 2.25" pipeing.

Pipeing Bends:
Compression (good), or Mandrel(best) bent. Do not use crush bending as it will restrict the exhaust flow.

Resonator:
The Resonator should be at least 20 to 25 inches length

Muffler:
The muffler will be more personal preference than anything else, however the following manufacturers are fairly popular for their sound.

• Magnaflow
• Flowmaster

Header:
To finish off your exhaust and get that nice deep peformance sound a header is higly reccomended.
4-2-1 will provide better midrange torque but less highend power
4-1 will provide some midrange torque and better highend power than a 4-2-1
Note: A 4-1 header install is much easier than a 4-2-1
If you install a header it is also reccomended that you install a high flow catalytic converter that matches your exhaust diameter. I have not done this due to SCCA classing restrictions in the street touring class.

Weld vs. Clamp
If at all possible have everything welded, this will near eliminate the possiblity of leaks in your exhaust system. If you want to assemble it yourself, clamp it in place so you can drive it to an exhaust shop and have it welded, or weld it yourself.


Assembly Order:
This has actually been asked, so here is the order:

1. Header (optional, but reccomended)
2. Catalytic Converter
3. Resonator
4. Muffler

Header Manufacturers:

• Pacesetter
• RKSport
• Weapon R

Pre-built exhausts companies:
If you want it to just bolt on and sound good.
Note:I only have experience with the Thermal Research and I love it, however it also retails as one of the more expensive systems.

• Thermal Research
• RKSport
• Borla
• Pacesetter

Cost:
Top of the Line:
A full top of the line pre-built setup installed by yourself will run around $800 with a header and around $400.00 without one.
If you bargain shop and buy used, and clearence stuff like myself you can pull it down to around $400.00 with a header.

Do it yourself cost:
You can typically save your self $100-$200.00 dollars by piecing the system together yourself and having an exhaust shop put it together for you.

For reference:
My setup is a 4-2-1 Arospeed header (same design as RKSport), stock cat, and a Thermal Research cat-back exhaust. I have a nice low sound that is noticable at idle, and louder and low under full acceleration. I paid $250.00 for my cat-back used. Payed $150.00 for my header (e-bay clearence), and got a guy at my brothers shop to weld the header to the cat for free. (Total $400.00)

Most if not all of these parts are available from many of the J-Body retailers that advertise on and frequent this site.


-Chris

I think this is worth a sticky, it has alot of good info!

good post, maybe this will eliminate the "how does this exhaust sound" post every day






Fred Ohlson "The people that devised this cruel attempt
at acceptance and fame burn in there honda civics"

Eazy716 (Slamtastic) wrote:good post, maybe this will eliminate the "how does this exhaust sound" post every day

absolutely. you should also add to the sticky: SRT-4 exhausts do not work on cavaliers.




I was a retard, and now I'm permanently banned.

Also if you go with the pacesetter header, get the coated one! I think the others are all coated.

My exhaust consists of:
Pacesetter coated header
Magnaflow 94035 high flow cat
25" dynomax resonator 2.25"
RK sport single exhaust 2.25''

I love the way it sounds and would not want to hear it without the resonator. It isn't silent either, when you mash it, it gets pretty loud. It would be unreal with out the resonator.

My .02 cents.


2012 HD VRSCF
2010 Ford Explorer
2006 Ford Ranger
2004 Chevy Cavalier

Eazy716 (Slamtastic) wrote:good post, maybe this will eliminate the "how does this exhaust sound" post every day

no it wont. lazy noobs will still ask questions about exhaust sound.



Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!

Nice write up but this shouldn't be excluded to just 2003s+, this can go for any 3rd Gen J-body.



www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837

yup, change the subject an make it a sticky...

This forum's members are coming up with great posts for newbies and old timers to read and learn



15.574 @ 89 mph stock

sounds good to me, I didn't know what differences there were between different generations of J's so I tried to play it safe, hopefully an admin will come along and take care of that.


-Chris