New Exhaust
 

I was thinking about getting a new cat back exhaust. I will probably need one after winter has come and gone here in Maine.

I looked around a bit but mostly all that I can find for my 88 CRX is performance exhausts that easily cost $250+. I was hoping to get out of it for under $150 if possible as well as have something that will up my FE.

Any suggestions? Should I buy the pipe and muffler myself and have someone bend it and weld it all in? Is there a good cat back exhaust out there?

Local Shop
 

I recommend looking for a local shop that fabricates exhausts. They'll generally be a lot cheaper, and you can (1) support the local economy; (2) have some sort of warranty; and (3) establish a relationship with the shop folks. I'd insist on "Mandrel" bends to ensure clean flow.

As far as what diameter piping to get, the jury is still out. Most folks will say to stick with OEM everything, including the muffler. If you lose the backpressure on a low-horsepower car, you'll lose precious torque when you need it most.

RH77

Improvements to an exhaust system are usualy intented to increase its flowing capacity for any given pipe diameter and sound level.
For example , many cars may be limited to an exahaust pipe diameter of say 1 3/4 inches.
A bigger pipe may have fitment problems in the engine bay or where it routes around body or suspension components.
So aftermarket perfromance exhausts usualy have maybe 1 size bigger pipe but with smoother bends (mandrel or high quality press bent) and less restriction mufflers.
Stock mufflers can be either good or bad depending upon the car , but it is lilkely that a muffler on a sports sort of car (honda etc) should flow quite well.
For high HP applications a better exhaust is usualy a must , but for a FE application where the driver will limit the RPM's it is likley that even the total flow of the stock exhaust not often be reached.

Remember of course that at small throttle openings the exhaust is also flowing a much less amount and muffler restrictions have far less an impact.

Unless it is well known that your muffler is a restrictive dog there is no benefit to change it to a higher flowing one.

Save your money and put it into other areas of developement.(aero aids etc)

On the other hand designing a custom set of extractors tuned for low to mid range RPM's may give a boost in torque , throttle response and improve FE., but you will never buy a set of these off the shelf , , , custom all the way.

Save your money and get something useful. For the same money that you would waste on an exaust you could use that to buy a Scangauge 1 and a some aero mods.

Somebody test this...please....

https://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...001736/c-10101

does a CRX HF have a different cat back exaust system? I think it does. Thats what I would recomend. Or just a stock crx system.

Aftermarket performance cat back systems are too large a diameter for FE gains. They are better in the high RPMs not low RPMs.

I have wondered about the turbolator too.

I assume manderal bends would help flow. So if you want to make a stock system with manderal bends go ahead.

This stuff won't die!
 

Turbulators! Fancy name for rubbish! Save your money...there are no "instant miracles" out there! This includes "Tornados", miracle spark plugs, etc., etc.

Anything you put behind the "choking" catalytic converter ain't gonna do much! Shop for cheap...not horsepower!

All this crap makes life difficult for we poor inventor/engineers trying to save people a few bucks! Send me an E-mail [ whitevette at email dot com ] and I'll tell you about my gasoline (more crap!) modifier.... Caio! -Ted Hart:thumbup:

for my 85 crx hf, the muffler and pipe came from the dealer as one piece when I orderd a new one, it was a 9 foot long part! exaust pipe, muffler and everything and bolted to a short stub of pipe that comes off the cat, just in front of the oil pan, the 2nd generation crx hf has a two piece muffler and exaust pipe, but I suspect it's still a smaller pipe then the higher horse power modles, and it is also going to be lighter weight, they also come with a life time warenty for as long as you own the car, or so they tell me at the dealer.

https://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...EXHAUST+SYSTEM

is the 1988 crx hf exaust parts list.

I would be tempted to get parts that are ment to fit, as then you can easly install them your self, as honda exausts bolt together with flanges and are extreamly easy to work with if they are stock, if they are not stock then you are paying someone else to fabricate parts for you at $50 an hour every time you have a problem.

Check the OD of the pipe right after the cat...by some SS flex pipe from JCWhitney with a similar ID...run it back to a bullet style glasspack? Works.