Exhaust Replacement Experience

Gary Morrison · Post by **Gary Morrison** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:38 pm

My almost 10 year old Borla cat-back muffler is in need of replacement. Its got an unpleasant buzz / rattle at just under 3k rpm which happens to be about where it seems to run a bit of the time around town... I need to have a muffler / pipe combination made up to run from the cat to the tail pipe. Don't really want to spend lots of money, but I do want it to breathe as good as the Borla does. What experience have others had, and how much did it cost? I'm in Wellington by the way....

Thanks in advance....

Gary

XPECTD · Post by **XPECTD** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:59 pm

Odd you should say that, I get mine at approx 2500rpm, but some others on the forum here seemed to think it was largely attributed to the lightened flywheel.

Perhaps not?

Fletch · Post by **Fletch** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:25 am

I recently got a quote for a 2.25 inch cat-back with generic "turbo" muffler... that was $400 in mild steel...

This from a small independant shop where I've had good and cheap work done before (he's actually welded up cracked bits (not his) for me three times for free).

Fletch.

Gary Morrison · Post by **Gary Morrison** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:06 am

$400, ouch.... I haven't been to see the exhaust shops yet...

Post by **jif** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:16 am

Hi Gary - if it's just the packing that's "gone away" you can get it
repacked at some places. If the pipes have corroded tho I'd think
it's probably a total loss.

If no-one volunteers a good place, maybe try sniffing around the
various car club sponsors ..?

Jeff

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Fletch · Post by **Fletch** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:16 am

I also seemed to think it was a little more than I was expecting...

This place does use "thick wall tubing" for longer life and a less tinny sound. It may be cheaper to go with thinner walled tube?

Oh yeah, and that included a resonator in the straight section between the cat and the diff...

Fletch.

Gary Morrison · Post by **Gary Morrison** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:07 am

Thanks guys. I'll do some asking. Fletch did you have a resonator previously? Until now my systems been the Borla which is a pipe plus muffler, and my cat is a high-flow I bought from Loch Stewart some 7 years back. I do remember others saying that when they completely removed the cat there was a resonance they needed to tame.

Jeff I don't know about repacking? I'm not sure what the Borla has internally. It stainless, and as far as I know the system has no corrosion etc.

Post by **jif** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:53 am

here's a pic of one with the 'glass type packing

http://www.a-1performance.com/images/ul ... inpage.jpg

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Post by **jif** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:57 am

mufflers use either some kind of glass wool (like Pink Batts?) or
stainless steel wool (like pot scourers) as packing around the pipes
to absorb the sound. The glass type (cheaper) tends to burn up after
a while resulting in less muffling effect.

I hear the RX7's (have to ) use the s/s type due to their hotter
exhaust. The fireballs probably don't help either

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Gary Morrison · Post by **Gary Morrison** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:21 am

I suspect the Borla is the glass fibre type then... its certainly got louder over the time I've owned it. If they re-pack them, what do they do? Cut off one end, repack, and re-weld the end back on? I guess something like this might allow a repair of anything internal that is loose. I know nothing about this...

Post by **jif** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:41 am

that's my understanding of it. Can anyone in Wellington recommend a place?

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Ian · Post by **Ian** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:29 am

Incl a very tasty 88mm chrome tip, my 2.25" system from behind the cat,using i resonator plus oval spors muffler cost $467 incl gst with mx5 discount here in ChCh. I disposed of the cat later, but then replaced it with another resonator($90 fitted) and sound is now delicious and performace improved on my 1.8 NA.( the chrome tip @ $44 plus gst - is incl in the figure of $467)