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Exhaust debate

8K views 27 replies 9 participants last post by  thejohnpratt 
#1 ·
I'm wanting to get a new exhaust, and I'm between a few. I want something deep and throaty (don't we all) and I want it to be efficient. Power increases are cool, but mpg increases are key for me. I figure that soon a catback kit is my best bet, but do the aftermarket catback kits delete the second cat? Anyway, here are the ones I'm between:

- Corksport
- SR*S
- HKS

SR*S sticks out at first because of its price, but does it hold up well and give the proper power and mpg improvements, or is it just for sound?

Forgive me if here are threads on this, but I searched and searched, and nothin came up
 
#2 ·
Ok, if you did some research, you'd have your answer BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN ASKED A MILLION TIMES.

1) You DO NOT get any power increase from a cat-back exhaust system. On N/A cars any possible power increase you might have won't be noticeable assuming you even get any.

2) If you're someplace where it snows and generally tough weather conditions, expect your SRS exhaust to rust within a few years.

3) Fuel economy will generally remain unchanged. It comes down to driving habit. Just like for power, economy increase isn't going to be measurable. That being said, generally improved the air flow of the engine should yield better fuel economy, but that's all subjective.
 
#3 ·
Ok, if you did some research, you'd have your answer BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN ASKED A MILLION TIMES.

I mean I said I searched for it and didn't see anything, not that I did research on it. Part of the reason I asked is because I don't know very much and figure it better to ask you guys than get it from someone else with no experience on a Mazda
 
#4 ·
get better at searching. Magnaflow will sound good. I have a trubendz exhaust on my 08 2.3L They now use magnaflow mufflers on them and can be had for under $400.

It's good for sound and weight and maybe about 3-5hp. Nothing you'll notice. If you do a full exhaust from the header back and a high flow car the car WILL be loud. As in 95-103db loud depending on components. Mine was about 101 with just a canister muffler out back in the stock location and the 200 cell cat. With a resonator added in (24" long) it got down to about 96-97db.

It was doable because it was a racecar all season but godawful as a daily driver
 
#7 ·
I did see the sticky. So maybe I should rephrase: after reading what I found, I still had se questions. Because like MBalik said, I thought you didn't get much HP gain from a catback. But then the sticky said that you would, which confused me. Unless you were just saying that the fact that it's subjective makes it an unimportant number..
 
#9 ·
If you want to get better MPG make sure the car is maintained well. fresh synthetic fluid throughout, 205 width tires with about 35psi, take all the extra weight out of the car, lower it (less aero drag under the chassis), get the rear camber fix to get the rear back to about -1.5 degrees, then just drive carefully.

If you want more power get an intake to start and do the timing advance mod and run premium fuel.

Also, look into lighter weight wheels and tires. The 15x7.5 wheels I have (and am unloading) from my 2008 make a difference because of the shorter tires in a 15" and because of the weight. The combo is about 15lbs per corner lighter than the OEM 17" setup and 2" shorter OD. The car accelerates noticeably quicker.
 
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