Need help with exhaust
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Car Info: 96 Impreza L Sedan
Need help with exhaust
ok I have a 96 Impreza L sedan w/ stock headers. What is my best, fairly cheap, option for a bit louder exhaust with some power gains? Can I just go to my local shop and have them make a custom mid-pipe (like a 2.25) and get rid of the cat??? The important thing is that I don't want it to sound like a ricer! 
Thanks in advance,
Cody
Thanks in advance,
Cody
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Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Tyler, Texas
Car Info: 1998 Impreza L EJ22
I went and got a 2.25 job, only w/o getting the cat cut off, and it sounds very healthy, not ricey at all. Basically, since you have a horizontally opposed engine, your car will never sound ricey, just good. Oh, by the way, I have a 98 Impreza L 2.2L w/ stock headers.
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Unless your car is a WRX, which it obviously isn't, you should only have TWO cats. A typical "catback" will never eliminate, or interfere with the cats, hence the term. I have a 2.25 stromung cat with a 2.25 pipe into a magnaflow muffler and I actuall do sound pretty damn ricey at WOT above 4000 rpm.
This is generally caused by the loss of the stock resonator (possibly this is what you think is a third cat...?) which help a LOT in sound deadening with our cars. As scooby said, our cars are tough to make sound ricey due to the engine layout and unique firing order. I've been told by my mechanic that adding a 2.25 resonator (glasspack muffler) in the midpipe will bring the tone back down to that nice pretty boxer rumble. Others who have actually added a resonator on full exhaust systems say it eliminates the raspyness completely, FWIW.
Make no mistakes, though, my car sounds very sexy in the low revs, really mean, deep boxer rumble that turns heads for about a block. All out of my dinky little 1.8
which still suprising some rex's off the line 
...just not too long after that. Keep us posted.
This is generally caused by the loss of the stock resonator (possibly this is what you think is a third cat...?) which help a LOT in sound deadening with our cars. As scooby said, our cars are tough to make sound ricey due to the engine layout and unique firing order. I've been told by my mechanic that adding a 2.25 resonator (glasspack muffler) in the midpipe will bring the tone back down to that nice pretty boxer rumble. Others who have actually added a resonator on full exhaust systems say it eliminates the raspyness completely, FWIW.
Make no mistakes, though, my car sounds very sexy in the low revs, really mean, deep boxer rumble that turns heads for about a block. All out of my dinky little 1.8
which still suprising some rex's off the line ...just not too long after that. Keep us posted.
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Thanks for the clarification Rallysportz. I went to my local muffler shop and they want roughtly $90.00 for a custom 2.25 mid pipe w/ a $25.00 install fee on top of that. What kind of muffler should I be looking for, that sounds decent, give me some more power, and a good price??
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From: Tyler, Texas
Car Info: 1998 Impreza L EJ22
You should be able to get a flowmaster or maybe even a turbo II, with the flow being the pricier of the 2, probably about 30 for the turbo II and about 50-65 for the flow
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scooby, thanks for the information. I'll probably go w/ the flowmaster cause I hear nothing but good stuff from them. Is there a specific model I'm looking for or is it just a flowmaster muffler??? Also, what is the inlet size??
Thanks,
Cody
Thanks,
Cody
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 205
From: Tyler, Texas
Car Info: 1998 Impreza L EJ22
I don't think there is a specific model, but you might want to check that out.
The inlet/outlet shouldn't really matter, b/c the muffler guy should be able to resize the pipe to make it fit and then weld it on. You might want to watch him do this to make sure he does a good job, if he misses a spot or two, your exhaust will leak and sound like crap.
Anyway, no problem for the help, I was once in your shoes and now, b/c of I-club, I have a pretty good idea of how subaru's operate and how to fix em.
The inlet/outlet shouldn't really matter, b/c the muffler guy should be able to resize the pipe to make it fit and then weld it on. You might want to watch him do this to make sure he does a good job, if he misses a spot or two, your exhaust will leak and sound like crap.
Anyway, no problem for the help, I was once in your shoes and now, b/c of I-club, I have a pretty good idea of how subaru's operate and how to fix em.
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I'm probably just going to prove my ignorance here, but I have to ask since I'm looking to buy a cat-back for my 2.5RS pretty soon.
Isn't the removal of the resonator in the mid-pipe part of how a cat-back setup gets more power?
If not, then why would anyone in my situation (one who doesn't want an uber-loud exhaust, but wants some hp gains) get a straight-through mid-pipe?
If so, then from what I've read, the physical size/shape of the muffler can make up for the added sound. The right combo being able to keep the sound to stock levels, but still yield hp gains.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.
Isn't the removal of the resonator in the mid-pipe part of how a cat-back setup gets more power?
If not, then why would anyone in my situation (one who doesn't want an uber-loud exhaust, but wants some hp gains) get a straight-through mid-pipe?
If so, then from what I've read, the physical size/shape of the muffler can make up for the added sound. The right combo being able to keep the sound to stock levels, but still yield hp gains.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.
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Ok guys, I went to Flowmaster's website and found MANY MUFFLERS, which one should I be looking at?? Or if you have a better likeness for another muffler manufacturer please also let me know.
Sorry Nemnith, I have no idea cause I'm not that smart Hopefully someone else can help
ya out.
Thanks,
Cody
Sorry Nemnith, I have no idea cause I'm not that smart
Hopefully someone else can help ya out.
Thanks,
Cody
Last edited by I3eXa; Jun 1, 2004 at 04:42 PM.
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From: Canaan, NH
Car Info: 98'RS
Thread Starter
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i2()N!N: correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that for a turbo car? Yeah, I have also hear that 2.25 is the biggest you wanna go on a N/A car. Thanks though. So again, does anyone have a flowmaster muffler and if so what model is it??
Thanks,
Cody
Thanks,
Cody