Mechanic IQ

August 24, 2010

Getting The Most Power From Your Honda Civic Exhaust

Filed under: Automotive — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Mark Hooper @ 1:24 am

There are a number of things to consider when upgrading your Honda Civic exhausts. To begin with I recommend that you set some goals by working out exactly what you want to achieve. Are you looking for the biggest increase in power possible, a great sounding exhaust, or something in between.

When Honda builds their cars they need to comply with a multitude of government regulation depending on what country the car is to be released in. These rules often cover noise and emissions and consequently the exhausts system is designed in a way which is complies with them. The result is small exhausts systems which are extremely restrictive and limit the amount of power of an engine will produce. They are often in the case of Civic’s severe bottleneck which limit the performance of the vehicle.

The most restrictive part of the exhausts system on most Honda Civic’s is the header. This is the part which comes off the engine head and is made up of four pipes which expel exhausts gasses from the engine. These pipes connect together in a number of different styles. From the factory most Honda’s have a 4-2-1 style manifold where the four pipes join into two pipes and then finally one pipe. This kind of system is good for usable mid range power however it limits peak horsepower. An aftermarket 4-1 style header where the four pipes join together at a single place will yield the most top end power.

After the header comes the catalytic converter, a part designed purely to reduce emissions. Any good aftermarket high flow cat will be a good upgrade and can net up to 5hp (more if yours is old and clogged up).

Anything behind the catalytic converter is referred to as the cat-back, This is the most commonly upgraded part of the exhaust system. Choose a cat back with bigger piping than the factory system to facilitate better flow. Also note the type of muffler on the cat-back. Some systems utilize a cannon style muffler whereas others feature a more traditional chambered muffler.

By upgrading all the component of the Honda Civic exhausts system you should be able to see some impressive gains when it comes to horsepower as well as sound. Now go and show off that system!

Looking to find the best deal on Honda Civic Exhaust, then visit www.hondacivicexhaust.com to find the best advice on Civic Exhaust Systems for you.

Older Posts »