Exhaust/Cam Options (and few other questions)

[tmac]

OK, I consider myself a car dumbass still. I have done very little. An engine swap and a cold air intake. I am learning to do the body work right now, my neighbour is a retired auto body guy.


So here is what I am looking to do...I would like to put a 2.25" exhaust, and maybe a more radical cam into this. I am waiting to see what is up with the Lightspeed Headers, and I will be getting a ported head, doing that myself, well my dad is, used to do it too all his bikes.

All I am stuck on is what I need for the exhaust, I could just go into a store, but that will cost me a lot more. Where can I find good deals and what exactly will I be looking for?

With the cam, would it be make a difference to grab a B16s cam? Cheapest way but would it work?

Also what parts can I pull off the 88-89 ludes that will work with my A20a3.

I know this is a lot of different questions, but please don't post crap that wont be helping me out.

Thanks for all the help

[k-roy]

The B16 cams WILL NOT work. Thats a DOHC 16 valve engine, your a20 is a Sohc 12 valve.

The 88-89 Prelude is much much differant, the 87-87 is the one like our cars.

As for the exaugst the only bolt on cat back system is made by pacesetter, and its kinda crappy.Your best bet is to pick out a muffler you like and take it to a shop and have them bend you a 2.25 inch setup. You might as well get a new hiflow cat while you are at it.

[tmac]

I don't have to worry about the cat even being there, would it be best to hollow it out or toss it?

[lightbulblxi]

kroy, are u saying it would be beneficial to swap to a 88-89 prelude cam, or are u saying it wont fit?

[tmac]

it wont work, I thought I read that it would, but ya different sizes and types of engine, so not even close

[A20A1]

Don't hollow out the cat, either buy a high flow one or put a 2.25" pipe in it's place to match up with your exhaust.

[tmac]

ok cool, making good progress today, so a shop will bend the 2.25" and toss the cat...


muffler suggestions? I don't want it all ricey sounding

[smufguy]

I like my Dynomax superturbo muffler with a Resonator. I like the sound. not too loud and does not turn heads, the way i want it cause cops around here have a natural instint to pace guys with loud exhausts.

Also, See if someone has a DC header on sale or call up places and see if they have on in their shelf, if they said they can order, tell them to confiirm you after they did, cause i heard DC does not make them anymore. If only u were on here like 4 or 5 months back, u would be in heaven, now everything is taken and nothing is left, just like the shocks.

Anyways, For the piping, dont go bigger than 2.25" and get a press bend and NOT a mandrel bend, for the price its just not worth it. a Press bend is NOT a crinkle bend so dont be scared. a Press bend looks just like a Mandrel bend, but the inner radius is a little bit off and thats about it. Thats what i got and it looks bad ass from under the car. Its scary you could say. My stupid resonator scrapes all over the place when i ride over a bump cause its kinda hung low (stupid ass exhaust shop guys), i will be fixing it soon so i dont have to worry about it.

Also get a nice 2.25" or 2.5" stainless steel tip and ur car looks nice. It does not look modded, but it will stunn the fellow racers. :cool2:

[riced_roach]

As far as head porting is concerned I'd either just do a fluff and buff or leave it as is. Head porting is a skill that requires some black magic and experience. I am not disrespecting your father's capabilities with bike heads. typically bike heads are overly ported and have very little port speed but you can wind them up to 9000rpms and beyond.

Honda heads are extremely efficient and MUST be massaged in the correct places or you'll just end up with a head with slower port velocity and flat spots and in some cases air/fuel separation. I would leave porting up to a person that has alot of experience with honda heads. I've seen alot of performance losses from home ported heads. Just my opinion and actual facts. Flow benches is a tool that porters use but volume isn't always the best results in the real world.

Big exhausts just slow down exhaust flow which will impede on scavenging of fuel especially in a wilder larger duration cam. 2 inch seem to be large enough to allow enough volume of flow yet keep the exhaust speed up to. Bigger isn't better all the time.

[Justin86]

Head porting can be a difficult thing to do and get it perfect. For a good cam get the Crane tri flow, it will cost more then the Colt and Openloop. Getting a medium range grind will be the best for street use.

[tmac]

OK thanks, I will leave the porting then. I will also see the price difference between 2" and 2.25" that will probally be what sells me on it.

From the sounds of it I will go with the Tri-Flow cam grind.

Of course this is all dependent on my car passing a few frame and mechanical insepctions first....it is a complete rebuild now.

[86LXItooFAST4me]

Don't hollow out the cat, either buy a high flow one or put a 2.25" pipe in it's place to match up with your exhaust.

whats wrong with just hollowing out the cat? does it restrict the air flow? if thats why how would you get rid of it and still make it pass inspection(not in cali though, im in texas)?

[Justin86]

well if you just have visual inspections they hollowing it would be best. In Cali if you have a cone air filter that isn't stock they will give you a ticket for an illegal modification, so having a non working cat is a big thing.

[smufguy]

most likely to say is that the CAT is not a straight thru pipe inside, its inlet and exit are tubular, but the inside is wider and not a circle, so it does cause turbulance, besides, its much easier to just have a no cat piping rather than just hollowing it out, makes no sense. If ur gonna hollow out ur cat, then u must be in a state that does not care about emissions, so u will be better off just running a test pipe inplace of the cat.

[Vinny]

Some states have vehicle inspections that don't use a sniffer to test emmissions. They may in bigger cities but not in smaller rural areas. They just do a visual to make sure the things are there. Oklahoma was like that. Part of the state inspection was to visually check for all emmissions devices. They'd look to see if you had a cat, an egr valve, heat riser tubes and snorkels for carbed motors, things like that. I had 2 cats on my Chevy pickup with an edelbrock engine, of course we gutted them and lined them with lead to make sure they didn't sound hollow when they tapped on them

[86LXItooFAST4me]

Some states have vehicle inspections that don't use a sniffer to test emmissions. They may in bigger cities but not in smaller rural areas. They just do a visual to make sure the things are there. Oklahoma was like that. Part of the state inspection was to visually check for all emmissions devices. They'd look to see if you had a cat, an egr valve, heat riser tubes and snorkels for carbed motors, things like that. I had 2 cats on my Chevy pickup with an edelbrock engine, of course we gutted them and lined them with lead to make sure they didn't sound hollow when they tapped on them

how did you line them with lead, what would i need to do in order to do that? never heard of that but thats a smart idea.

[86LXItooFAST4me]

most likely to say is that the CAT is not a straight thru pipe inside, its inlet and exit are tubular, but the inside is wider and not a circle, so it does cause turbulance, besides, its much easier to just have a no cat piping rather than just hollowing it out, makes no sense...

as vinny said im in a state that does visual inspection, and wouldnt a hollow be better than a brick with holes in it? i mean air would travel faster through a hollow chamber than trying to go through a huge filter like rock? i dont know though, just a thought.....

[Justin86]

yea it would be better hollow then stock but just hollow isn't the best. You could put a peice of pipe in the cat to get the straight pipe affect and still pass.