Aftermarket stainless steel exhaust questions

[cems70]

My experience w/ all Hondas I've owned is that the exhaust system is a weak link on Hondas, requiring replacement about every two years if the car is not driven daily (because the condensation on the inside rusts it out).

I'm considering an aftermarket stainless steel exhaust (including muffler) for both my '95 Civic DX h/b and my wife's '98 Civic HX the next time they need a new exhaust. But I hate the loud, non-original sound of these systems I've heard on so many 'tuner' Civics. Does anyone know:

1) If any company manufactures a stainless steel exhaust for the Civic (A pipe, B pipe and muffler) that's not noisy? I've listened to a number of audio clips from some manufacturers' websites, and I haven't found a quiet one yet.
2) Will these free flow systems do any damage to the engine from rediuced back pressure on the valves? (I've read conflicting opinions both ways)
3) What % FE improvement can be expected?

[Bill in Houston]

Have you tried a boring old muffler shop like Midas? They might be able to get you something very close to factory in stainless.

[lca13]

Just go to your local exhaust shop that bends their own pipe and have them do a cat back setup for a few hundred $$. Pick a quiet muffler.... some flow throughs's are fairly quiet... some are adjustable. Stick with stock pipe diameters to maintain exhaust velocity at low RPM's.

The whole burned valve thing is an old myth. There probably was some fact to it before the days of O2 sensors but not today.

And you likely will not see any mileage increase unless you muffler is plugged :-)

[Bill in Houston]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Do the pipes rot too, or just the mufflers?

On my wife's Mazda Protege, the mufflers were fine, but the pipe in front of the muffler rotted out. It seemed to be along the longways weld.

[GasSavers_Ryland]

I bought my muffler from a honda dealer who said that it had a warenty for as long as I owned it, it was also extreamly easy to install, as honda uses flanges with springs behind the heads of the bolts that hold it all together, alowing some flex, and easy replacement of any damaged parts.
my exaust system is almost exactly two years old now, and still looks solid.

[cems70]

Bill: Haven't tried Midas.

Clencher: The muffler and B pipe rot with the same frequency. The A pipe might last about a year longer.

Ica: Thanks for debunking the old wives tale about burnt valves.

Ryland: Maybe that's why my exhaust systems don't last long. I've always replaced w/ Bosal or Walker. And BTW, they are indentical to Honda exhaust for installation purposes. Strange though, I think Bosal is listed as Honda OEM supplier for new cars, so not sure why the aftermarket ones would rust out sooner unless they're not made to the same specs. My friend, a former Honda mechanic, told me Honda stopped their lifetime warranty deal on exhaust systems several years ago. Maybe he was wrong. In that case I'll pay the extra 50% for a genuine Honda exhaust next time and make it the last one I ever pay for. The appealing thing about a stainless steel one is not having to crawl under the car ever again to replace an exhaust piece.

Tks for all the feedback.

[thisisntjared]

i have had 15 year old oem exhaust systems do just fine... i dont know how its the weak link...

[88HF]

Ansa is an Italian exhaust manufacturer who makes exhausts for Lamborghini and Ferrari. They are a little pricey. Mine was 180 for my crx. But they are tuned specifically to each application and produce a low tuned rumble that is really nice, really only noticeably at all at start-up and heavy acceleration. Its definately nicer than anything else I've heard. Pretty quiet especially on my HF. They look good too. I had one on my 89 civic hatch I wish I had kept it cause I bet its in the junk yard right now (guy i sold the car to trashed it) and I could use one for my other rex. I'll be buying Ansa products (when needed) until I can't get them anymore.

[mrmad]

Originally Posted by 88HF

Ansa is an Italian exhaust manufacturer who makes exhausts for Lamborghini and Ferrari. They are a little pricey. Mine was 180 for my crx. But they are tuned specifically to each application and produce a low tuned rumble that is really nice, really only noticeably at all at start-up and heavy acceleration. Its definately nicer than anything else I've heard. Pretty quiet especially on my HF. They look good too. I had one on my 89 civic hatch I wish I had kept it cause I bet its in the junk yard right now (guy i sold the car to trashed it) and I could use one for my other rex. I'll be buying Ansa products (when needed) until I can't get them anymore.

Where did you get your Ansa exhaust and do you have any photos? I'd like an aftermarket exhaust, but most of the ones I see are to loud and/or sound like fart cans.

[88HF]

I bought it online can't remember where, wasn't the same place the second time. I just searched on google for it. If you find the one for the crx mine looks just like it but with soot on the tip. I'll snap a picture in the morning.