Every one is getting y-pipes for there cars. I was thinking about getting one two because they give good gains with resanoble price, but price is no factore. So should I get headers and straight pipes all the way down with flow-masters on the end or what? will it be worth the extra money to get the extra pwoer. If I get thiss will there be such a dramatic chang for me to just stay to getting the Y-pipe?

A longtube header including a y pipe is know to have only shown about a 5hp gain over having just the y pipe. The ypipe costs 180 dollars, the headers are like 700... Which would you choose?
A catback is only gonna yield like 3-5hp for the b pipe, and 0-1hp for the rear section...As far as im concerned, really a cosmetic mod. However I have an OBX Type-H Stainless Steel Exhaust, and have a budget y pipe on the way
All in all, they DO make headers for our car, but the installation is a biitch, and for the money, the gain just doesnt seem worth it imo... Make the deciscion for yourself, and welcome to the org!

Link to Maxima-specific longtube headers?

All I've seen so far are shorties...

I'm not sure about what type of gains headers would do for our car. Everyone has said taht it's a big waste of money. But for the catback or straight pipe, you will definitely feel the difference in your top end. You'll lose some low end because of the lack of back pressure. To counter this, I would recommend a cold air. I have 2 1/2 staight back with a carsound high flow cat. and a flow master exhaust (forgot which series). On the top end, I can get my max to 130 pretty effortlessly. I've buried my needle several times with one passenger as well. But instead of headers, an MEVI would be better bang for the buck. But if money isn't an issue, you can always build your engine up to have lower compression and built-proof your tranny so that you can turbo with a high PSI rating (like 8-12, not 4-6 like most) without damagin the engine. Check with the turbo guys on here. They can probably steer you in the right direction as in terms of the manufacturers to choose and who to avoid for particular internal engine parts. There's also weight loss, but that's been discussed on here several times. Lose your AC, that's about 300lbs by intself. Good luck with whatever you decide.

False.

You dont lose lowend because of lack of backpressure. Please read the FAQs for more information on this topic.

So when you lose back end pressure, what is that you loose then if it isn't low end power (tq)?

. .

i agree with loss of low end, i have y pipe sraight pipes all the way and i took off my CAI to run HAI, i feel the loss in low end now... exhaust mods help the high end

I've read it. An exhaust pipe that is too big in diameter has low backpressure but lower velocity. The low velocity reduces the effectiveness which has the greatest impact on low-end torque.

Low backpressure and high exhaust stream velocity can be achieved by running straight-through free-flowing mufflers and small pipe diameters. The only two exceptions to this are turbocharged engines and engines optimized for large amounts of nitrous oxide.
Our cars have a crimp in the stock ehaust system which causes this effect and creates the velocity which in turn gives stock MAx's excellent torque for a stock fwd car. When you open that back end up, you lose that air spped coming out of the exhaust.

What?

Cattman's are shorties arent they?

The crimp isnt there to make torque. It's there to facilitate the hanger and it hurts power.

The reason is, we aren't putting out enough HP with a 2 1/2 inch exhaust to gain any real type of low end tq. If we had more hp, like on a turbo supra, the air would be begging to get out with a 2 1/2 inch exhaust. The low end would be incredible with very little top end. The air wouldn't be able to escape fast enough on that vehicle with that type of exhaust set up.

It hurts top end and that's it. The low end is there because of the air pressure built up trying to escape. Whether it facilitates the hanger or not, back pressure and velocity of air is created from that small opening prior to the muffler.

I hope you accidently added an extra 0 because house's A/C unit doesn't even weigh 300lbs.


Dave

There is no "backpressure" in exhaust.

Sure there is.

There's a measurable pressure differential between the exhaust gasses in the exhaust system and atmospheric.

That's why exhaust flows out. Fluids always flow from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure.

So "backpressure" is a correct term for explaining how exhaust systems work?

OK, those are like...medium.

They sure arent long tubes though.

I thought we decided that exhaust energy was the correct term. Backpressure is a term from the prehistoric era of 2-stroke engines. This was explained in a very informative thread earlier. The reason you loose low end is because the decrease of exhaust velocity at low end. Backpressure is a system in 2-stroke engines. This system scavenges already burnt air/fuel/oil, or exhaust, back into the combustion chamber to increase fuel economy.

:O I thought long tube ment they included the Y-pipe

The tube length refers to the primaries before they (3 per side in this case) collect into 1 tube.

The Cattman headers are as long as they come for the maxima right now.

Typing fast without double checking. Yes "30", not 300lbs. Thanks for noticing the mistake. Just a "typo".

Anyone notice that with the muffler off, y-pipe and stock b pipe, our cars sound ALOT like a Mustang GT with flowmasters?? Tried it the other day and scared the S*IT outta me! Loud and SWEET!

I might give that a shot...

I drove around like that for almost a week while I was making my exhaust and painting it. Take off the B-pipe and you suddenly have a nascar. Got pulled over by some ***** cop. I told her it was in the process of being fixed and then asked, "Why don't you pull over POS old as camry's and **** with holes in their exhausts. She had no comment except just get that fixed.

thanx every one for replying. every one in this forum has been real cool so far.thanx again for all of the good answers

So your saying that 700 + installation is not worth the 23 hp gain I have been hearing about...just wondering

Who gained 23hp from headers? Either your talking about a Y-pipe header combo, Iron Lungs cam and header dyno, or just confused.

if I am wrong on these then point me in the direction of a thread or dynos.

I was talking about the Iron Lungs Dyno

Go read the thread.....

This is the thread I saw...I didn't read the whole thing...so he got 23 with a SC is what I got out of it

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=275108

C'Mon fellas I've had my 60 Series Flowmaster and people knocked/flmaed the idea.....for gawd-sakes...I love my exhaust pretty quiet at idle, but nice a powerfully deep at WOT

Well, you should not be posting information when you don't even care to read threads completely.

First you said you were talking about Iron Lungs dyno, then you say your talking about a SC maxima dyno. Those are two different cars.

23hp is not being gained by $700 headers. 23hp is being gained by a $3500+ SC and header combo.

Iron lung's dyno was with cams and headers, so there is no way to know what kinda power the headers gave him. On top of that his baseline dyno before the headers and cams looks way off for a VI dyno. His power dropped like a rock after 5500 rpm's, which is not what a VI dyno should look like. Of course he gained tons of power from a non-working VI dyno to a working VI dyno along with headers and cams.

The other dyno of cattman headers is a SC max, so unless your SC that dyno is pointless.