mugen headers and exhaust

[_FeRiO_]

Hi i have a 99 prelude vtir. For sometime now i have been considering upgraing my exhaust. I know mugen is basically the best for ludes but is it worth the gains?

I was looking at going a mugen twin loop cat-back with mugen headers. First i plan to buy the cat back and later on the headers.

I prefer the twin loop option basically because i want the exhaust to be resonably quiet.

Does anyone know what expected gains can be achieved from either of these?

Feel free to your opinion.

[h22a accord]

Putting a twin loop on your car will make the performance suffer compared to a straight through muffler as the gases have to travel through the muffler twice before exiting to the atmosphere.

Mugen headers are good headers but they are expensive and proably not neccesary unless you are changing the camshafts and adding a tunable computer..ie aftermarket ecu.


if u can find an h22a type S header and 'A' pipe for reasonable price buy that.


Although, you shouldnt think that the standard h22a header is worth getting rid of, they are a exceptionally well designed effeicient header from the factory.

With that said, it is very easy to go 'over kill' on h22a exhaust systems when the motor is in stock tune. What you may like to consider, is a good quality custom built catback exhaust.

You can use stock header and 'A' pipe then connect hi'flow cat, followed by custom mandrel/or press 2.25" exhaust with a nice long good quality resonator( for noise suppresion) and a good quality rear muffler with fibreglass packing ( magnaflow is a great example). This will increase performance through all parts of the rev range in the way of better breathing without losing bottom end urge. You may get an slight increase in maximum power output ( high end RPM) but you will benefit most in the lower rev ranges where most of everyday driving is carried out- especially in the crossover point of vtec. The way the engine develops torque will be altered for brisker accelration etc.

You already have an idea of the exhaust sound you want- a pleasant level without intruding too much on others and next to none exhaust 'drone' at cruising speeds.

Do your homework, talk to as many exahust shops as you can, look at the work they are doing to customers car's and judge for your self if they do a good job and meet their customers expectations and this will help you choose an system that you are satisfied in terms of cost, performance and overall sound.


If you havn't already fitted either a K&N panel filter or CAI with K&N filter I suggest you do so at the same time as fitting an exhaust as you wont get the most out of the exhuast upgrade.

After any bolt on perforance upgrade, be sure to reset your ecu properly so the ECU can quickly learn its engines new found capabilities.

[_FeRiO_]

I do presently have a k&n panel filter. I also actually have a magnaflow muffler on it. But when i first got the exhaust it was way to loud, when infact the exhaust shop said it would be quiet. I had 2.25 all the way with one resonator and a magnaflow muffler. It was that loud i had to go back to the exhaust shop. The only problem was they said the only way to fix was to put an extra resonator so two in the end!!, and covert half of the pipe back to 2" and the other half 2.25.

Yes you could say this is pretty wrong. I do belive i lost power because of this, which is why im after another solution. Luckily i did not have to pay for all the piping and the work they did to make it quieter.

[h22a accord]

Ahh I see, i've actually had about as much trouble with my exhaust system regarding noise as you have.

I run standard header, A pipe and cat combined with 2.25" piping with resonator and lekey rear muffler. I think its too loud aswell.

My current catback system was installed for the purpose of quietening it down as then i was using to 2.5" catback with resonator and TANABE hyper medallion rear muffler.

My options are to fit a stock exhaust -yuk- or install a mugen replica xforce twin loop but i am hesitant as i believe there will be power loss and im not quite sure how the twin loop will look stuffed under the rear of my car mainly because I dont want a bling bling muffler as it's an easy target for cops to defect.

Maybe i should purchase a twin loop, rub the shiny finish down with sandpaper and paint it with heat proof matt black paint for that inconspicuous look and then I can tell how my system performs with a twinloop.

[_FeRiO_]

well if you get a twin loop let me know how it goes?

I guess we just have to keep trying to we get what we are after.

Mugen sounds good, but i not sure if i can justify what they are worth.

[_FeRiO_]

Anyone know the gains of a mugen twinloop and headers on a h22a 99 prelude

[Malenic1981]

You can try something different REMUS, they sound nice and not very loud, saw one type R, sounded very nice and different

[_FeRiO_]

yeah i'd rather pay for a mugen twin loop cat-back as appose to a remus only axle back as they are still quiet pricey.

[vtc]

Mugen header plus mugen catback will yield about 10Hp all up. doesnt sound much but you will def fell it. As for price.. well if your rich enough. Someone is currently selling a great condition mugen catback for your car. banzaifoot (check spelling)

[barefootbonzai]

lol, it's sold. ferio didn't wanna pay what a mugen exhaust is worth if you know what i mean.....

[vtc]

hahah sorry d... got your nickname completly wrong.

[_FeRiO_]

lol, it's sold. ferio didn't wanna pay what a mugen exhaust is worth if you know what i mean.....


Just for the record your cat back was not in the best condition. You had to sand the whole thing back to even make it look okay.

If im going to pay the money i want it to be at least decent condition, for a bit more i could get a new one that im happy with.

[barefootbonzai]

lol, you expect a 2nd hand stainless steal exhaust to be silver and sparkling? Shit man it turns gold with the first couple of days of use

[Malenic1981]

Any S/S system looks good for few days, after that it turns to gold as barefootbonzai
said, no metter what brand, I think with S/S 2nd system is good as long as it's not dameged (crack, bended in and so on)

[Cartoon]

get the mugen there great,
i paied 580 for my cat back 2nd hand :)

n yeah only the muffler was still looking good, but u cant see it ne way tucked up behind the rear bar n looks rather stock, jst the way i like it