I've been searching for a while for a Testpipe for our cars, with no luck, up until recently. There's a company on Ebay called RMT Performance. I think they have one left. The install was clean and it's a perfect fit. The diameter is 2.5" so it's very complimentary to the majority of aftermarket cat-back systems out there. I switched out some of the parts to high-temp stainless steel parts just for reassurance purposes eventually ended up using an anti-sieze spray agent and a vice grip to remove two of the bolts from my cat, but it came off. I am very pleased with the outcome. My Gen III Headers/Y-pipe are going on soon and I'm looking to do a 3" mid-pipe and half a b-pipe leading to a side-exit to complete my full exhuast system. Pictures below.





Link to Ebay listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-03...Q5fCarQ5fParts

 

once you put those headers on, its going to be painfull loud..

 

Well, I will be running the headers/y-pipe/test-pipe/stock test-pipe back set up for a while until Brian has 3" parts for sale, so that should cut back on some of the noise for a while...and if worse comes to worse, I can resonate the hell out of it.

 

If you're running a test pipe but retain a resonator, will it still be painfully loud?

 

make sure you resonated because its going to be really loud and raspy

 

depends on how long the resonator is. if you go on youtube look up cattman headers and catback 2002 maxima, or its it the sticky for sound clips. a guy had the setup with a test pipe, it was loud, but it shot flames, so that was pretty cool

thats why i never ran test pipes, always made the exhaust sound like dodo. never ran nor heard a resonated one..or maybe i did and forgot

 

I still have my oem resonator and a resonated test pipe and it's not loud or raspy at all, I could barely tell whether or not it was louder after I installed it.

 

i know no one is going to believe me but before i got my Cattman headers i put the warpspeed test pipe and i definitely felt a power difference with the butt dyno

 

I can't open your link, how much was it?

 

It's like $45 shipped. Just enter "Maxima Test Pipe" and it'll be the one that doesn't look like crap.

 

Will this make a difference on a car with stock exhaust?

 

Depends on what type of difference you're looking for. Power-wise, the only way to verify would be a before and after corrected dyno. I do not believe any such dynos exist on here. I'm waiting until I have the 3" exhaust/headers/y-pipe and pulley to dyno though.

 

Yes. It will increase emissions.

 

 

Glad it fit, I saw that on ebay a while back but wasnt surfle if they had the flanges offset correctly. I ended up frinding a member here with a 3" res'd test pipe from custom maxima when it was around. Fit like a freaking glove. I through my ill fitting megan racing testpipe in the trash as soon as I was done.

 

Keep you from passing emission testing too.

 

Indeed, keeping your cat is a must, as I have.

 

test pipes make noise not power..nissan cat very free flowing

 

Assumptions are not valid. Dynos or bust man.

 

I have this cat gutted on my car(same difference as test pipe) and it passed emissions with no problem. it doesnt trigger a SES light either. Perhaps this will still allow his car to pass emmissions since that cat is after the o2 sensor

 

On new Maximas, yes. A lot of us have over 100,000 miles now and all that exhaust and for many, excess oil too, have been flowing through the main cat for a quite a while now.

Might be worth some hp at this point for most of our cars. In 2002/2003, probably not.

 

^ Good point. It's more of an additive to an "as free flowing as possible" exhaust. My custom 3" will add to this free-flow. Any restriction (cat included) must be done away with.

 

I bought this same test pipe a few months back, and it was a perfect fit. However, it did throw a SES light. How, I don't know because there is no 02 sensor after/on the cat. So I guess the PRECAT 02 sensed that it was flowing better...?

Anyway, I have that test pipe, to a 14" Magnaflow res, and all 2.5" piping to a Flowmaster exhaust and I love the sound. Nice and deep, not raspy at all. A hint of G35/Z sound in the 3-4k range and screams when you get on it. I was thinking about changing the muffler to a Magnaflow though, but I'm waiting for a little bit.

 

What code?

 

Yeah, weird. I have yet to get a CEL. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

I don't remember, but it was something like bank 2 sensor 1 or something? I'd have to check again. I am pretty sure it was the 2nd 02 sensor, but that's still before the test pipe.

It happened to me about 60-80 miles after I got it installed. I'm just living with it for now, but I'd love to know if there was a way to get it to go away.

 

no way you should have gotten a CEL...weird

 

Test pipe > OEM cat > gutted OEM cat as far as flow is concerned. You need to sleeve your gutted OEM cat to see any benefit from it because the exhaust flow will be turbulent through it otherwise.


And oh yea........not worth the added few HP (if any) for the added pollution IMO. Especially on an n/a car...

 

Next time your driving and see a diesel truck or any model of car produced before 1972 remember. They have absolutely no cats at all !!! They produce more harmful emissions in one day than your car would in a month. Even with out the 3 cats we have, our engines are way more efficient there for creating less pollution. So I say out with the cats and in with the test pipes, and as for an environmental standpoint smile every time you see that 95' powerstroke knowing hes doing way more damage than you.

 

I believe you, my fourth gear was beast so the high speeds are where you really see the benefit.

 

When I removed the cat and swapped a 455 into a '77 Cutlass I used to have, I was a half turn of the idle mixture screws in the carburator from passing emissions (CO standard was 2.0 and I was at 2.12 ppm). All other standards were met. I am willing to bet, that properly tuned our cars would pass the emission standards for their year of manufacture without any cats on the car at all.

 

Here is something that you guys that are getting a SES light because of the test pipe can try. Go to your local auto parts store and buy a set of spark plug non foulers. Remove your 02 sensor screw the non foulers in place of the 02 sensors and then screw the 02 sensors into the non foulers. This pulls the sensors out of any gasish fumes still sending a stoichiometric signal to the computer.


Haven't tried it on a Maxima yet but it worked like a charm on my friend's 2003 S2000 when we put a test pipe on it.

 

Oh yeah, they come in packs of two and we used both for the one sensor that we were concerned with. So you might have to do the same and use two for one sensor.

 

Ditto. I've had a couple people I've known who have told me that passed emissions without cats. I'm almost tempted to run my emissions with my test-pipe on just to have the potential to prove this.

It's the social stigma attached with "oh noez, cat removal is like kicking puppies" stuff that get people all riled up. If that's the case, where are the catalytic converters for peole who smoke cigarettes?

 

my car would pass with a test pipe and headers without a problem. depends where you live, in NY they dont smog the car, they do a safety inspection, and check the computer for codes, no codes car passes

 

thats probably why I passed the emissions with the gutted cat. and btw the only reason why I gutted it is because it was rattling like an sob. I was too cheap to buy a new cat and figured eventually I would just do a test pipe....I noticed after doing this that the car was more free reving, but this was probably because my cat was clogged and falling apart.

 

Interesting thread.

How would this sound with a stock exhaust?

 

I currently have a stock exhaust and there is virtually no difference in sound. There is very faint rumble at idle, but only if you listen for it. Testpipes are only noticeable, soundwise, after header work has been done...from what I've heard.

 

I didn't think so. I was going to try the non fouler technique but I didn't know if it would work since it was pre-cat. So IDK...

 

i got a cheap exhaust on ebay and i also took out the resonator. i love how it sounds. it sounds deep for a max for around 2.5-3 rmps. but i was thinking about a warp speed y pipe and a test pipe and is the y pipe worth it?. do they make a big difference in sound? but i think im going to pass on the test pipe because i heard they lower your mid range power.