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Will a test pipe.....???

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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 10:38 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by VegasJones
Okay, I ordered a test pipe to replace my cat and the consensus seems to be that I wasted my money and should have just gone with a hi-flow cat because the test pipe will make me lose power, or at least torque. So here's my stupid question of the day. How come not having a cat doesn't affect older cars or non-import cars? Exhaust uses the same principles if i'm not mistaken no matter what vehicle it's on....so I guess I just don't understand how getting a less restricted flow through the exhaust could be a bad thing. Catalytic converters haven't been around forever and to my understanding are only an emissions device and that's it. I know my first car, a 61 Chev p/u didn't have a cat, it just had the pipes right back to the glass packs.

Again, i'm not arguing any facts what so ever, just trying to get a straight story...Thanks
Some one can correct me if I am wrong...

Hondas don't have much torque to begin with. When the flow is increased, the backpressure is decreases and torque decreases. The little torque you had is diminished because there is little to no backpressure. A straight through design is not good for a Honda engine without much torque to begin with unless there is a reason (turbo, high flowing N/A). The stock exhaust also flows better on a Honda than it does on any domestic car, so no cat on one of those doesn't make much difference. They also have a lot more torque to play around with. Couple this with the CEL and ECU limpness, and you got a stinky, polluting, slower than normal car.
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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 10:41 PM
  #12  
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its not gonna make you loose any power, backpressure is just a myth, and maybe, just maybe it'll help out on the top end.

what these guys are saying is that all in all, it's not worth it to have a test pipe and have the CEL when you could've gotten a Hi-flo cat, that would flow almost as well.

Exhaust flow isn't gonna be limited by your OEM cat even, because you probably aren't making enough power with the D series. Save your money for some better mods. if you want real power and don't feel like swapping have your head redone, all NA honda power is found in the head and bumping up compression
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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 10:43 PM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by bambbrose
its not gonna make you loose any power, backpressure is just a myth, and maybe, just maybe it'll help out on the top end.

what these guys are saying is that all in all, it's not worth it to have a test pipe and have the CEL when you could've gotten a Hi-flo cat, that would flow almost as well.

Exhaust flow isn't gonna be limited by your OEM cat even, because you probably aren't making enough power with the D series. Save your money for some better mods. if you want real power and don't feel like swapping have your head redone, all NA honda power is found in the head and bumping up compression
Backpressure is certainly no myth for us turbo guys. h:
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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 10:51 PM
  #14  
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from what i've read around the forums is that i would probably run into the same problem with the CEL even if I would've gone with a hi-flow cat so I would have had to run some sort of O2 sim anyways....

what does NA or N/A stand for in reference to what people post in these forums??
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 04:42 AM
  #15  
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NA = naturally aspirated. No boost, no nitrous, just good old atmospheric pressure
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 05:07 AM
  #16  
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Briefly,There is a difference between flow and volume. Go to large (or to open) you lose volume (amount of exhaust that passes through) once the volume drops you starts introducing resistance (backpressure).You can only go so big before performance gets effected negativly again. There is a margin that you can run for optimal performance. Being you have a stock engine, your best bet is a high flow cat with an aftermarket exhaust system.

Exhaust gases expand as they cool, going to large in piping diameter (or gutting a cat or removing one) the gases cool and expand...I wish I had more time to get into this and explain it better but i'm running out the door as we speak.
point being your car is stock, and won't benifit from a test pipe.
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 05:16 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Shmoo
Backpressure is certainly no myth for us turbo guys. h:
if anything back pressure is a bad thing for everyone.
an engine runs it's best when it's intake and exhast are not interupted at all
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