I am planning on removing my stock manifold/cat, and replacing with a cat-back system, but I've had people telling me that if I do that I will not pass inspection - Is this true? And how do you get the o2 sensors to reach all the way to the front, if the bungs are towards the back of the car?

 

Ok, lack of information.

What year, model and engine are in the car? Do you know your states emission requirements?

 

LOL, sorry, got ahead of myself - My car is a 1997 Honda Civic LX (D16Y7) - The last time I went to get inspected I did not get checked for emissions (OBD pass for emissions)

 

If you use an aftermarket header (or stock manifold) for a '96 - '00 EX model along with the cat and catback and extend the O2 sensor wiring as needed you will be able to pass emissions in most states.

 

This is the set I'm planning on putting on:

Header:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111060175373

Cat-back/Exhaust:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190973923824

 

That will fit, but the exhaust system I can't tell if that's an actual cat or just a test pipe. It seems far too cheap to be a cat.

 

It doesn't specify in the description, either - I've seen a few other high-flow cats, but they say only for vehicles with one o2 sensor ...

 

cheap Ebay exhasut are a very poor choice.

 

It's all I can afford - I am Disabled, and on a fixed income - I can only afford to spare $200 a month on car parts o.O

 

Keep it stock then, cause that ebay crap will be leaking fast.

 

Not if he uses some Loctite 30558 High Temperature Solvent-Based Gasket Maker Sealant, 7 Fl oz Tube, Black on the gaskets. If he uses this it will never leak. Technical data sheet says it seals up to 34 MPa, which when converted to PSI is 4931.2818..... I think this stuff is the shizznit. And only 3-5 hours to cure enough to use the equipment. Permatex Copper is 24 hours suckage. Techincal Data Sheet

As for the "cat" it's a high flow resonator they supply, I have one sitting in my closet. You still have to buy a high flow catalytic converter for emissions. Can be found on ebay for about 100 bucks (ceramic core type). Won't be the higher quality platinum type core but does the job for half the cost.

Nothing wrong with these ebay exhausts if they did the welds nice and it's full stainless steel.

You can get the cat back a little cheap on amazon with 2.5" piping manufactured by Spec-D Tuning. It sounds pretty good.

Instead of moving your O2 sensor to the header, I'd leave it in the back and put it into the resonator they provide. Get a reading from all 4 cylinders instead of just mainly #4. I actually extended my O2 sensor to move it back being mine by design was in the header.

 

Lol and watch the sound baffling start to break up within a year if it doesn't start to rust first and then it will really sound like ****. 4.5'' tip ricer I get a good laugh every time I see guys like you running around with those **** sounding things if you can't afford to mod your car properly don't do it at all/find a new hobby. Since when do knowledgeable H-T users condone knock off crap ?

 

If it's stainless steel how is it gonna rust? That's the reason to go stainless.

And whats with crapping over a tribute desire? Copying is the finest form of flattery. Do you dog an Elvis impersonator because he's not Elvis? For your party do you hire AC/DC for half a million dollars or do you find a quality tribute band for 500 bucks?

Like I said, if the welds are done right (solid mig/tig welding) and the material is stainless steel, there is a good chance it's a solid exhaust from a lesser known manufacture so cheaper for good quality.

Not all ebay crap will be this but some will. I personally didn't go ebay, I looked on amazon.com and what I found for myself was Spec-D Tuning whose philosphy is quality automotive products for less. Forget spending close to 500 bucks for a cat back exhaust from Magnaflow when I can get the same quality for less than half from Spec-D. Buying a name doesn't always pay off.

Also, exhaust isn't a safety warranted item so it's not like spending more is increasing your ride's safety, instead it's just padding someone's pocket.

If we were talking suspension then it would be a whole different ball game, safety first...

And on your last statement, it's not a matter of "supporting knock off crap" it's a matter of supporting a person wanting to mod their car within their budget for whatever their reason is, instead of being oppressive and saying get lost chump. Your reply, instead of being oppressive and insulting, could have been informative about how these cheaper exhausts tend to rust internally after a year or so. Or, the welds are done cheaply and tend to break in a short time. So know you are paying for cheaper quality so it might not last or sound as good as you hope, good luck. etc. etc, But... you didn't.

 

No need to be an ******* about it. And OP(Original Poster), you get what you pay for, save up at least two months then go searching.

 

Tomcat I know your new. The EBAY crap/cheap parts are made horribly shitty. They don't fit right and fall apart all the time.

 

I recommend saving up for 2 months, and purchasing a better quality unit. There is often a high cost to low prices, especially in auto parts.

 

yes I know but I hate ppl like him buying that stuff and giving a bad reputation to all 90's Honda/Acura's, don't know if you still own an older Honda but if you did you'd be with me on my views lol. That's what I did when I couldn't afford good quality parts saved and enjoyed it even more .

 

I do own one, I don't hate people who junk out their rcars, on here we can actually help them with it.

 

This is what you should do, if you buy the cheap stuff it is going to fall apart quick then you will be buying the quality stuff to replace that junk. Just save up and make one purchase.

 

This is a bad idea imo. If you really want a catback exhaust look at how the ex model is setup, and find an oem header and exhaust from the scrap yard, then get a new cat..."ex exhaust conversion," ebay parts are not worth the money.

 

I understand that and expect people to explain that.

In my case, I spent less than his ebay special, and it's been over a year, still sounds very good and is rust free and problem free. The welds are still as solid as the day I bought it.

So my point is, you can find budget exhausts that last and are quality made without having to spend more on bloated brands like Magnaflow.

My other point is who cares if someone wants to slap on a cheap exhaust? What's the harm? It's like the little brother that wants to be like the big brother. If it's safe to do so, what the harm in allowing such admiration?

 

It seems like some people get lucky with ebay no name parts, but more often than not they get junk.

I have no issue with people running these parts, but I will be more than happy to tell them that they are buying junk and will usually end up having to rebuy another part to replace the junk.

As far as some ebay knockoff parts go, they are unsafe and an accident waiting to happen that could effect others.

 

For me, it's not so much a safety issue, but an issue of quality. I'm here to advocate for both. It's a reason why I put together a list of quality maintenance parts for users to navigate the vast array of aftermarket parts (see sig).

In many cases, esp with auto parts, caveat emptor. For example, time and again it's been shown that no-name brand suspension is probably actually a safety issue due to poor quality, but an exhaust is less likely to be, granted. However, when build quality is poor, as it notoriously is with no-name parts, then purchasing a more expensive brand up-front will actually save you money in the long run since you won't have to pay for the same part twice after you realize your mistake.

Also, we're here to learn from the experience of others. When an experienced peer says "don't do this", it is recommended the person asking the question actually heed the answer. Otherwise, what was the point of asking if you were going to just do whatever you want anyway? Finally, OP stated he was on a budget. Those people recommending he save and spend on a higher quality piece are legitimately doing him a favour and accounting for his financial circumstances.

 

@ Doctorake Once again I totally agree with you. That is the exact stance I take. In this instance, it's an exhaust so not really a safety issue here. You wouldn't see me saying go for it if OP was talking about lower control arms from some unknown maker without me first researching the company. And only if I found proper documentation backing up the claims would I be agreeable but even then would be agreeing with an air of caution and expressing that caution.

@OP This is the exhaust I bought for my hatchback, they have them for sedan and coupes too. It's a solid exhaust, not obnoxiously loud with the silencer installed and plenty loud without if that's your thing.



This has the header and it's a high flow resonator (catalytic converter delete). For emissions you will have to invest in a high flow cat down the road.

This should fit your budget and I know it's good quality being I've been using it for almost a year and a half with no issues.

Looking at the ebay posting you provided, I am not sure that exhaust is of the same quality, your header you posted was cheaper than this kit so the choice is yours.

 

You know I am totally good with that. My issue wasn't on pointing out that it would be better to save up for known quality as much as the mentality of, "stupid ricer" If you aint' gonna do it this way then don't do it at all. My response was to jump to the other side of the fence and defend the ebay budget position. As soon as the word ebay was thrown out, brains shut off and mouths flew open. I didn't see a single post that appeared to even go look at the ebay auction and point out the red flags they may have seen, instead it was an instant shut down from the word ebay.

It's this closed minded approach of responses that I didn't agree with and have been arguing against. There is a chance to find quality from ebay but you have to do your homework, that detail though hasn't been mentioned yet. Research, research and research.

Basically I've been playing the devils advocate trying to point out that I don't agree with knee jerk reactions. I'm tend to push for doing the OP a favor and explain yourself why, what are the probable outcomes, what are the risks etc. when you don't. (speaking generally with this last statement)