Anyone aware of the hp gains from replacing the cat totally and just putting in a test pipe? I don't know everything about that area yet, but maybe someone could help me out.
I talked to someone about custom making me piping from the cat back to muffler, but I now want to consider him doing that as well, while he is at it. Maybe it will help hp gains a little? I don't know.
Thanks a lot, you guys.

 

I have a race pipe.....so does another friend with a max....I had to put a glasspack to quiet my exhaust down when I added my Flowmaster. My friend as a straight through even the cat-back tipped it off with a universal magnaflo muffler that thing can and will be heard blocks down the road, trust me. IMHO I don't see how better exhaust flow would hinder performance. It all depends on what you want. Having it custom done should not be a problem. I live in the a$$ of the U.S. and it's ghetto as all hell around here and it was done fairly well...

Good luck!!!

 

Yeah, sleepy, I don't want a very loud exhaust at all. That is why I am staying with a 5th gen muffler. However, if I can put a glasspack in it or a resonator, and get more hp gain from a race pipe rather than a cat, I want to do that. If there is no way to make it not just unvelievably loud...I don't want to do that.

 

I put my glasspack where the cat used to be and everything is nice....slight rumbles around 25k-3k but sounds bada$$ and deep at the WOT....You see I welded my race pipe to the gasket where my cat was and it goes all the way to the section where the piping curves around the spare tire well...

 

I might just have to try that. I found a guy here that will do all of my custom piping from the cat back to the muffler for about $50 he said. If I have him do that too, he might not go up too much more. I know that the glasspack would run a little more than that, but still cheap, and better gains. How much did your glasspack cost? How much more gain does the race pipe give in addition to the b-pipe?

 

racepipe/straight pipe/high-flow cat = 0 WHP, if u get 1WHP ur lucky

aftermarket b-pipe = 4-5WHP

i have a 97-99 budget performance race pipe in my garage. if u really want it i can let it go for $30 shipped. let me know.

 

Thanks, happyricefob. I had heard that about the cat, but I was not sure if it was different with a race pipe or not. That answers my question. What do people get race pipes for then?....the sound?

 

you might notice some gains at really high speeds.... but unless you drive 120+... you won't notice much difference. and as far as sound... if you have an aftermarket bpipe and a test pipe... your exhaust will likely sound like mine did. i have a bpipe (w/ 18" resonator) made by a local shop... a magnaflow muffler... and i had a test pipe. i had to take if off because it sounded so bad. i put on a highflow Carsound cat and it made a huge difference in sound. so to answer your question... it depends on the rest of your exaust... and how you want it to sound. you might have to do some trial and error to see what you like.

 

they make lots of exhausts sound ****ty. add 0-1 whp. expensive for a peice of pipe.

 

so I am hearing. I am probably just going to stick with the cat rather than the test pipe then. JMAXIMA, here is my setup as of yet...Stillen y-pipe, stock cat, custom 2.5" b-pipe(with resonator) and midsection, and 5th gen muffler.

 

I wanted to get a race pipe. I called Budget to order one when I bought my y-pipe, I was told that you gain 1-2Hp and Lose 1-2Tq Lbs. They recomended me not getting it for everyday driving, I asked why people buy it and they said mostly for AutoX'ing????? Make of it what you want, If you do get a race pipe I think Budget has the cheapest ones. Dont waste your $ on a pretty pipe that no one is gonna see. You could pick up a cheap one just to experiment, the take it off if you dont like it theres always gonna be someone that will buy it for $20...

 

That's true. Thanks for your comments, Ohannon7. I will probably, due to the negative feedback about them. hold off on the test/race pipe. I will stick with the stock cat, and just have custom piping from there back to the muffler.

Should I try to get the muffler shop to do the piping straight back, or just have him model it like the OEM piping of the exhaust? (I have not really looked at it, I don't know.)

 

It did nothing for me at all. It only made it smell horrible when I was driving in the summer and sitting at a red light or stop sign. I would say a high flow cat or stock unit. Stick with it. You can try it out. I would not pay much for one (custom Maxima>>>>)
I now face some issues passing emissions and have to wonder if somehow the lack of my cat for a short period of time somehow caused problems to my rear O2 sensor? I will soon find out.

 

I hope not, for your sake. I hope everything works out for ya. Thanks for the comments.

 

Here is why I bought a test pipe:

108k miles, was already replacing exhaust, figured I would replace the cat.

price of cat > $100
price of test pipe < $25

And there are no emission tests in Indiana.

 

Personally I am more of a 'spirited' highway driver...with the VQ lacking the extra hp at higher rpms I was more enchanted by using a test pipe.

I am probably one of the few on here that doesn't have a problem with it. I got mine for $20...that equals to about $10/hp. If you look at a y-pipe you are paying about $13/hp. With that logic I don't see the argument between effectiveness and cost of a test pipe going anywhere.

The truth is...nobody has ever done a before and after dyno of just a test pipe...so the validity of everyone's claim to test pipe hp merely turns into opinion.

Do what you want. *shrug*

 

i would have to say no..no..no..no on a testpipe. It's bad for the environment.

 

oh ya my buddy has a white maxima with a testpipe. 1/2 of his rear bumper is yellowish now and it will not come off. obviously all the crap that was coming out of it tainted it. he has sincve gone back to a stock cat and the exhaust sounds a hell of alot better

 

a test pipe will most likely make you exhaust sound... well, like crap. as i said, i have a ypipe... bpipe w/ 18" resonator... magnaflow muffler w/ 2.75 outlet. and with that set up along with the test pipe... i was embarrased to drive the car. but with the Carsound HF cat, it sounds soo... much better, and i can tell very little difference in performance. so i'd either stick with the stock cat... or pay $100 for a Carsound cat. oh, and with the Carsound... you won't have that annoying CEL light that comes on after 100-200 miles.

 

I just put on my Warpspeed SS Y+ Race pipe it sounds alot better IMO but i have an auto with stock B and muffler, just don't put a huge fart cannon on there.

It makes the exhaust sound powerful IMO

 

I decided to fabricate myself a test pipe after I got off work today, and I will have to say that the gains are not noticable. I did not really expect much in the first place, but this is something that I have wanted to do for a while.

Now I just have to buy some mandrel bends so I can fab the rest of my exhaust. Then maybe some turbo feed piping.

Ted

 

you will feel no gains, it will increase noise, and it is horrible for the environment.... i see no point

 

thanks for the comments, guys. I appreciate it.
No...I don't plan to every put a fart can on the back. I hate them! That is why I am getting a 5th gen muffler. Anyway, I don't see why I should put a test pipe on there, however cheap it is, if I already have a perfectly good cat on there for free. Right? is there anything that you can to to clean out the stock cat to maybe make it last longer? I have about 87k miles on my max.

 

Also, you guys heard of 3A Racing muffler with dual tips? I don't know anything about this, but I found one for good price. Please advise.

 

havent heard of it honestly.

check any of these mufflers out
http://maxmods.dyndns.org/index.php?MaximaMufflers

 

I have a budget race pipe on my car and I love it. It is not loud at all.

 

SXN, you think I ought to go for the Dynomax or the Magnaflow muffler over the 5th gen I was going to get? I really just don't know if I want the noise. I don't know what the dynomax sounds like, but a friend has a magnaflow muffler on his Subaru WRX and it sound good. Kind of loud though.

 

5th gen is louder than stock 4th gen, and looks alright...but an after market muffler would give you a much deeper sound. magnaflow and dynomax are not quiet mufflers in general, make sure you have a good resonator behind them so they dont buzz

 

In your opinion, which would you go with out of the three I mentioned....just for a good, all-around sound....not really loud?

 

magna has the deep down growl, but kinda quiet higher into the band (comparatively)

dyno has the deep sound when you lay into the throttle

5th gen is generaly quiet all around, but has a better, deeper sound than stock 4th gen.

my best suggest would probably go with dynomax. it isnt too loud, doesnt drone, and only gets loud, when you get on the throttle.

 

Okay, thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.

 

Thanks, SXN.
Are the 2k GXE and SE mufflers the same? I don't know. Some things the GXE is the same, some things, it is not.

 

where would i find a 5th gen muffler? i dont see in any the classifieds. who sells those?

 

Hey do you know by any chance if that B-pipe will fit a 96 max? 2.5 piping?

 

Keep your cat on!

 

Cool, guys...keep the comments coming.

 

Flowmaster???

 

What about it, sleepy?

 

...so many replies.

um, yes, maxfreak_98, you are a wise man. the gains are significant at all. it isnt worth hurting the environment for NO gains that you will never feel. especially if you plan to make other mods that will already remove some retrictions and cats (y pipe for example) so why not keep your main cat? makes perfect sense.

flowmaster muffler? you can have any damn muffler you want, it just needs to be fit by an exhaust/muffler shop to the stock flanges. they are normally straight through, with some noise cancelation for buzzes and higher end sound. they like that "signature" deep gurgle, so you could look into that...i just dont know how much growl the maxima could produce, but it would be worth looking into. i personally think it would get too loud and annoying with time.

a 5th gen muffler, you could possibly get a factory replacement piece, but that wouldnt be cheap. classifieds, ebay, or other org members is the best bet.

atpham89, buy a budget B pipe. not expensive, and you can get resonated or non-resonated. it could gain some power, add some exhaust flow...no major deal, but part of the mod process.

 

Just curious to what people think about Flowmaster