Exhaust leak... guess I'm forced to Upgrade

[DOOK]

:twisted: well at least that will be my excuse to the wife. my car has a nasty exhaust leak somewhere, haven't diagnosed it yet.... Plausible Deniability... if I don't know where the leak is, I'm forced to replace everything :twisted: So, my question is what is everyone running and what are you opinions of it. I'm not looking to spend a ton, I found some ebay headers for 210 shipped, I have a 5zigen catback from an EK hatch honda sitting in the garage that I'll probably modify on that end and i was thinking of just getting some sort of high flow cat and having a muffler shop just custom bend the piping... anyone have any other cost affective setups from headers all the way back? I'm not looking for huge if any power gains, just a nice deep throaty exhaust tone and to be economical. I'll probably do the BE/BH RAM intake pipe deal while I'm at it.

[rougeben83]

OBX EL header...it's the header and the cat section in one. By a generic hi-flow cat and have the exhaust shop weld it in place of the resonator that replaces you stock cat section (that is if you want/need to have cats on your car).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-EXHA ... enameZWDVW (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-EXHAUST-HEADER-98-05-Subaru-Impreza-2-5RS-2-5L_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33631QQihZ003QQitemZ130213958406QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW)

[DOOK]

this is the one I found... if you open my link and Bens link, it would appear the headers collectors would end up in different places... what gives with that?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... :IT&ih=007 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170211032156&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=007)

[rougeben83]

this is the one I found... if you open my link and Bens link, it would appear the headers collectors would end up in different places... what gives with that?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... :IT&ih=007 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170211032156&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=007)

yeah those are the Borla knockoffs. They end at the stock cat section, like the stock exhaust manifold.

The OBX header REPLACES the cat section along with the header.

If you're planning to remove your stock cats anyway, the OBX is cheaper vs. buying an RT hi-flo separately or whatever in the long run.

[2.5GT]

remember, obox equal lenght = less rumble. borla knock offs = increase rumble.

[DOOK]

thanks guys... if I end up with the borla replicas I'll have to find a car with stock 2.5 piping and rape the cat so I can gut it. we have state inspections here where they visually check for cats but no sniffer tests, so as long as it LOOKS like I have a cat, I'm ok.

[AJM]

Go for the borla or its knockoff headers. I reallyl ike the sound on mine.

EL headers just increase raspyness.

[rougeben83]

And here I thought SL-i was immune to the EL/UEL ignorance that's prevalent in NASIOC... :roll:

[DOOK]

And here I thought SL-i was immune to the EL/UEL ignorance that's prevalent in NASIOC... :roll:

I don't know what that means... can you explain how equal length or unequal length affect our subarus... I really have no clue. Most cars, equal length are superior, but I don't know about these... someone care to elaborate. I definitely DO NOT want raspy, I like the deep sound and the rumble... not raspy.

[rougeben83]

Rasp is more what pipe diameter, muffler, and resonator youre using.

The "boxer rumble" isn't even about the engine design of the car, it's caused by bad header design and cylinder exhaust pulses running into each other, but all the RS guys on NASIOC LOEV the rumble and will take the 10bhp youre sacrificing over the EL design (most popular reason is "it sounds like my buddy's WRX now!" :-? ).

Listen to audioclips of my car and DLC's car, and you'll see just how much "rasp" there is.

Anyway, pick whichever one you like, I personally have no problem whatever header you chose, but do know UEL=sound, EL=power. For a lot of people the sound is enough to justify it, but I got tired of the flatulent sound of the UEL, without any gains to at least make up for it.

[AJM]

I don't like the sound of the EL...no matter who's it is...I guess i'm biased, I grew up with cars that actually had power around me so I prefur a deep sound.

[DOOK]

Ben, so the one you recommend is this one, I believe you posted it before.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/04/382c_2JPG-1.jpg

As long as it's not a "ricey" irritating sound I don't care what it sounds like... i don't know what a "boxer" rumble is either... I do know i dont want my car to sound like a pissed off bumble bee or a dirt bike.

Do you have sound clips or your or DLCs cars handy? Also, does anyone have sound clips of the opposite of what they have?

[Airgne]

i got borla header into 1 cat, after that 3in all the way back to a apexi n1 turbo muffler. sounds awsome. went from 3 cats to 1 cat. dont go cheap on the header. i have heard of bad things about them crackin when they get wet.

[rougeben83]

Ben, so the one you recommend is this one, I believe you posted it before.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/04/382c_2JPG-1.jpg

As long as it's not a "ricey" irritating sound I don't care what it sounds like... i don't know what a "boxer" rumble is either... I do know i dont want my car to sound like a pissed off bumble bee or a dirt bike.

Do you have sound clips or your or DLCs cars handy? Also, does anyone have sound clips of the opposite of what they have?

check the soundclip sticky in this forum. Also, search TWE header on youtube, you should hit DLC's video of his white BE.

Patrick Olsen (that's his nick, runs a BD) runs the OBX headers too... you can check to see if he has vids on NASIOC.

The mufflers each uses are pretty quiet though, theyre not like the canister-type mufflers like that 5zigen, so you *may* have a louder volume than you would like regardless of header (both types makes more noise, whether you like it or not).

The knockoff borlas are built better than the real borlas ironically. I've had a chance to inspect both kinds. The borlas use thinner walled piping and less welds (especially at the head flange) but the pipes are slightly wider and mandrel bent. There hasn't been a report of knockoffs failing that I know off.

[DOOK]

I like the sound of the equal length from what I can tell, although none of the videos that actually worked were running a cannister style exhaust so I may not like that part of it... only time will tell. I liked the sound the hooker aerochamber made thats for sure and the sound of silent racers blitzen made... hmmm....