can i do this? i've been told that the y-pipe is the biggest exhaust performance gain (i don't want to wait for the hks system) and not the muffler or anything else...i've also been told that the stillen muffler doesn't add any noise...one of the points of an exhaust (for me...remember, this is different for other people) is to add some noise...our maxima is a very quiet car and i want some additional noise. now, i'd like to know if i can use the y-pipe from stillen for performance and put on, say...an apexi n1 muffler...i would like to do this w/o any custom fabrication because i've had a lot of problems w/ custom stuff before (my intake cost me 1200 to fix b/c of bad custom fabrication)

 

Good grief, what did you do to your intake that cost $1200 to repair?

To answer your question, you can put any aftermarket muffler you want to on your vehicle with or without a Y-pipe. If it's volume you want, I'd suggest going with a straight through design like a Magnaflow. That's what I've got on my Max and it sounds great. On the other hand, I don't have a Y-pipe, so you might want to get some other opinions as well.

As far as custom fabrication is concerned, I wouldn't be too worried about that provided you work with a REPUTABLE muffler shop. Just be sure to do your homework in advance.

[Edited by y2kse on 12-21-2000 at 07:29 PM]

 

Run the Y w/ your stock system and see how that sounds. If you get the muffler before, you might not like how it sounds like after you get the Y. Most of the gains will be from a Y and intake combo. the cat and muffler won't do much, especially when you have the dual chambered one now anyway!

 

yeah, i realize the muffler won't do much as far as hp is concerned, but i want noise...and the muffler is good for that...i was looking at magnaflow and i don't really want a muffler that you have to put tips on...thats just one of those little things that i have...i can't have tips, i hate them...the size of the pipe should be built into the muffler in my opinion...so i've heard the stillen y-pipe is around $220? i think thats what it was...i guess i'll give that a try first and then go w/ an apexi n1 or something else (the only reason i keep mentioning that is because it sounds great and i've heard really good things about it (since it is free-flowing)...the stillen muffler is around $500? and doesn't add much and the apexi n1 is around $220 and adds lots of noise...i guess i'll give the y-pipe a try first...i'm still deciding between exhaust or nitrous next (everytime i'm in friends cars w/ exhaust, i want exhaust just for the sound but everytime i lose a race i want nitrous to kick some *** next race)

 

If you want noise - the quickest and easiest thing to do is get a Stillen Intake. I installed mine myself in about 1/2 an hour, so it is easy. That'll give you great WOT noise but the car will not be much louder at idle.

The y-pipe will be your best performance gain (esp. if combined with an intake - 12 wheel hp or so). However, it will not add the kind of noise you are looking for. Both the stillen and the Cattman add a kind of "bees in a can" or buzzing sound (I don't think that's the kind of sound you are looking for - just search the site for NUMEROUS discussions about this). The Cattman is much quieter in that regard and that's what I have.

As far as fittment, the y-pipe bolts up before the cat and then any "cat-back" exhaust bolts up to the other side of the cat. So, there isn't going to be any problem fitting a y and an aftermarket exhaust.

For a more throaty exhaust, you may want to get an intermediate (mid) pipe. Under your car it is the round large silver tube that looks like a small muffler. That pipe contains the resonator which largely contributes to the quiet exhaust note. You can get that piece from Stillen too. Just beware in changing the exhaust completely - I've heard several people complain about drone at various rpms.

 

I'm not quite tracking with you on your objection to installing a tip on a muffler, MrBurner. Are you concerned that installing the tip may restrict the exhaust flow? That shouldn't happen. It's easy to find a tip with the same pipe diameter as the muffler pipe diameter.

If you remove the stock resonator, you will end up with some amount of drone in the cabin. Your choice of muffler and whether you install a Y-pipe will have a lot to do with the amount and pitch of the drone. Unfortunately, there's no easy answer. You won't know exactly what you've got until you've got it. And by that time, it may be too late.

It appears that you and I are in the same boat. My Max was way to quiet for my liking. I fixed that by installing a 2-1/2" mandrel-bent custom catback system and a 24" Magnaflow muffler WITH A SS TIP! And yes, it does drone between 2000 and 2500 rpm. But I don't normally drive in that rpm range and I like the way it sounds there anyway. Most of my driving is on the freeway (90% or more) and at cruising speeds (~3000 rpm), I can barely hear the exhaust.

Good luck.

 

i don't think tips do anything to hurt performance or to make it better...i just don't like the look of them...i know plenty of people do and there are some tips that look fine, but i would rather have a muffler that has a sort of built in tip where the part coming out of the muffler is completely the same size rather than a thin part coming out w/ a big tip just screwed into it...i don't think that it hurts or helps performance, it is just something i don't like so much.

i don't want to have to repeat this again...i will never put another intake on my car. i had an intake that wasn't even cold air and it got water or dirt in it. it ruined my mass air flow meter which had to be replaced for roughly $900 and then i had to have the intake put back to stock for another couple hundred dollars. a stillen intake does not add much more than my drop in k&n filter (4hp at the wheels...dynod)...now, i want to know if anyone knows about the intake silencer...i am planning on putting an exhaust on fairly soon...i might start w/ a stillen y-pipe and then get a muffler...or, as i was reading max_gators post, it sounds to me like you can add a y-pipe and a full catback exhaust system...so can i put on a y-pipe and add the hks exhaust system later? the y-pipe is supposed to add about 6-8 wheel hp and the hks is supposed to do the same...thats 12-16wheel hp for just exhaust...i'm just not sure that you can use the y-pipe+ a full catback system

now, NO INTAKE FOR ME, does anyone know about the intake silencer...i am looking for more noise, but i refuse to put another intake on

 

I think you're the only person I've run into that's had a bad experience with a standard (non-CAI) aftermarket intake system. Lots and lots of people on this forum run JWT Popchargers, SI's and even Place Racing CAI's with absolutely no ill effects. What do you suppose happened that caused your filter to fail?

 

it sounds to me like you can add a y-pipe and a full catback exhaust system...so can i put on a y-pipe and add the hks exhaust system later? the y-pipe is supposed to add about 6-8 wheel hp and the hks is supposed to do the same...thats 12-16wheel hp for just exhaust...i'm just not sure that you can use the y-pipe+ a full catback system[quote]


I am sure that you can add the Y-pipe and a full catback system because as someone mencioned earlier the Y goes in before the catalitic converter and a CATBACK system is after the catalitic converter hence the name. No offense though Mr. Burner. Thats my plan too, I am going to get the stillen Y and when the damm guys at HKS get their **** together I will add that. As for sound you can refer to the maxima project part II to see their description of the type of tone it resonates. I will try HKS at their telephone number sometime next week to check on the availibility of the system.

 

OK - No intake for you! (to the tune of the soup ****).

Short answer re: silencer is "I don't know."

But, the Stillen type intake replaces the large airbox where your filter is located. I believe the airbox "tunes" the sound since when it was replaced with the stillen intake I got a large increase in sound at WOT. Thus, I think that the airbox itself accomplishes that function.

As for your comment that:

perhaps you should re-read your original post. You didn't say that. You said you didn't want custom fabrication.

 

what on earth happened to MrBurner's filter. Obviously it must have been something pretty radical to have caused $900 worth of damage to his MAF meter (to say nothing of the engine damage it may have caused as well).

C'mon MrBurner. Out with it.

[Edited by y2kse on 12-23-2000 at 10:55 AM]

 

MrBurner,
What brand was the aftermarket intake that caused the damage to your mass air flow sensor?

 

Perhaps what happened to MrBurner's intake was more the result of operator error than mechanical failure. If so, MrBurner may not want to discuss the matter any further. On the other hand, MrBurner hasn't posted in a couple of days, so he may be away from his computer at present.

Come out, come out, wherever you are, MrBurner.

 

ok ok, i have been away for a couple days...now here's what happened

i had the intake for a couple months (since i live in arizona, it only rains every couple months)...the day before the problem, it rained...that day it was fine but then that night, i had my car parked for a few minutes to run in and get something from my house and when i came out...it took a few seconds to turn over (longer than usual) and then the check engine light came on (i think its check engine...might be service vehicle or something like that)...so i figured it was something minor and i would bring it in to the dealership in the morning...i started driving and my car wouldn't let me pass 2k rpms so whenever i was giving it reasonable acceleration, it wouldn't go over 2k rpms...what i mean by this is...if you have ever stuck an auto in first or driven a manual and forgotten to shift...when it hits redline, the needle kinda bobs up and down a couple hundred rpm...well thats what was happening, but at 2k rpms instead of 6700...so i drove it home and took a different car that night...my dad drove my car in to the nissan dealership in the morning since i didn't want to get up that early...a couple days later they called us w/ a diagnosis saying that some sort of dirt or water went through the intake and ruined the mass air flow meter...they said that had to be replaced and they needed to repair some other things w/ the engine...they said i was lucky the entire engine didn't blow up (that happened to my friends integra gsr...needed an $8k new motor because of the intake)...so a couple weeks later i got the car back w/ the original stock intake...any other questions, i'm not working this week so i'll try to check the boards more often

 

Something definitely doesn't seem right. Did you lift the hood to investigate when your check engine light came on? Did there appear to be dirt or water damage to the air filter?

I guess I'm a little suspicious. I mean, those a$$holes at Nissan could have said anything. Yes, it's true your Max went into diagnostic mode. But there are any number of things that could have caused that. Who's to say that the intake was the real cause of the problem? Your service tech may have taken one look at your aftermarket intake setup and said to himself, "got him". Know what I mean?

Hindsight is 20-20, of course. But if that ever happens again, I'd put the stock sh*t back on yourself BEFORE you let Nissan get their hands on your car.

[Edited by y2kse on 12-24-2000 at 04:49 PM]

 

I know you're on the board today and I'm still waiting for your answer. Did you or did you not look at your air filter after your Maxima went into diagnostic mode? If you did, did you notice any visible damage to the filter?

Please respond.

Thanks.

 

at this time, i really didn't know anything about cars...i have learned everything i know in the last 5 months...while i was at the dealership, i looked under the hood (before they did anything) and everything looked normal...it was a cone filter and i didn't notice any flaws (i actually still have that and my mass air flow meter sitting in my garage and i don't notice anything w/ either)...nothing looked wrong

 

Well you may have a case against Nissan if you're willing to pursue it. I'd take your MAF meter and your air filter to a reputable mechanic and him check them out. In fact, maybe one of the qualified guys on this board would be willing to take a look at them. I know we've got our share of mechanics and engineers around here.

Watcha think, guys? Assuming MrBurner is willing, is there anyone qualified who'd like to take on this little project and maybe help MrBurner get his money back?

 

i suppose i'm willing...i don't see what i can do, though...its been a number of months and i didn't have this put in through nissan...they said my warranty was voided because of the aftermarket intake and it would have cost more if i hadn't saved all of my stock parts...the shop i had all of this done at refuses to take any responsibility and the back of their recipt says that...we threatened to sue them a number of months ago (when my car was getting fixed from the problem) and we haven't come through w/ it because we don't see how we can win (the back of their recipt says something about them not being responsible for anything)...if i can get some of that ~$1200 back i'd be very happy


btw, my dad took my car out awhile ago and backed into a fence so i have these two scratches on the rear bumper that took the paint off...i had it assessed last weekend and they said it would cost $520 to have that repaired...he refuses to pay that unless he can't find it any cheaper (since it is a lot) so i told him that he could just buy me the 20th ann. body kit for $425 painted and that would cover up the scratches (even though it wouldn't, but if i had the body kit, i'd be happier than not having the 2 scratches)...so i'll see whats happening w/ that

 

If it turns out there's nothing wrong with your intake or your MAF meter, then Nissan voided your warranty in error. I'd still suggest you get them checked out by an independent mechanic or engineer. If it turns out there's nothing wrong with them, you may very well have a cause of action against Nissan.

 

i have just a stillen y pipe and intake on my 2k and i love the sound
i love giving it gas and hearing that roar

its a nice sound

hope to get a exhaust soon

does anyone know if greedy came out with one yet

most likely it will be a rear section

anyone know anything bout naxos or apexi
mufflers????

what the differetns with those compared to a stillen or hks or greddy????

 

No GReddy yet... I'm waiting on that too. It should be a catback. Russ2kse said it should be out sometime in the 1st quarter of 2k1.