Catback with no muffler? Any advice?

[BigElCat]

I'm joking about the ECM chip. My real question is about my exhaust system.

My exhaust system has rusted out in sections. The cat still has a clean section behind it. The section that has the S bend and crosses the rear swing arm tube can be reused. The muffler is toast. I have virtually no money.

I thinking about welding in sections just to replace the missing. I'm considering using no muffler at all. The Festiva isn't all that loud with just the cat. Shooting it out the back would quiet the interior.

I would make the straight pipe muffler replacing section out of 1 1/2" stainless (because I have some on hand).

Any thoughts about this? I'm looking for MPG, not performance.

[BigElCat]

Just to explain. I couldn't delete this post or edit the title. I posted without doing any research on the ECM chip. There's a wealth of info saying "forget the chip".

So I changed the subject without changing the title.

I confess. I'm stupid. I make the same mistakes over and over. Every day is new day and can't remember what I did yesterday.

Somebody should jump my case :p

[Handyman]

Just be happy KS is a long way from GA. I'm looking over my shoulder every time I say something here in FLA. Expecting a monsoon to hit.lol Thats what I like about this site, You can say whatever you want as long as you finish with lol. It's like FF.com's version of the southern phrase "Bless his heart" like "That boy's to stupid to come out of the rain, Bless his heart."

[JPT]

When I got my Festy, my exhaust rode home in the car with me. I took the car to a repair shop and had the pipe welded back up to the converter, but the muffler end was rotted completely away. Wound up driving around like that for a week. It was LOUD (sounded good though) and the double wall pipe (looks like 2" pipe but has a 1.5" pipe inside) rattled around like crazy.

I finally couldn't stand it no more and wedged the inner pipe so it wouldn't rattle and put a glass pack on it.

Sounds nice and it's much quieter.

[lessersivad]

Both my 93 5 speed and the recently aquired 89 automatic I got for my daughter have converter, "s" pipe, and a "muffler substitute pipe" that has a slight turn down at the end. Both sound good and the 93 cackles pretty good when letting off the throttle at higher RPM's. As long as I keep easy throttle it's not too loud. Hope this helps.

[m715]

Rock Auto has a Walker factory pipe if you don't have connections at your local muffler shop to get a pipe bent up cheap. I paid 72.79 for my last pipe from them, and added a flange to bolt up a resonator to the pipe. 4 bolts, a couple of slip on rubber factory hangers reused, and you have an easy, inexpensive exhaust that sounds great, and is easy to service.

Michael

[bhazard]

Both my 93 5 speed and the recently aquired 89 automatic I got for my daughter have converter, "s" pipe, and a "muffler substitute pipe" that has a slight turn down at the end. Both sound good and the 93 cackles pretty good when letting off the throttle at higher RPM's. As long as I keep easy throttle it's not too loud. Hope this helps.

HEY are you the guy with all the Caprice's and stuff that lives right off morenci road on weston?!

[lessersivad]

Bhazard. Yes, as a matter of fact I am.

[skeeters_keeper]

I did a 2 1/8" header back with 2.5" high flow stainless cat, no muffler, that dumps infront of the pass rear tire for about $70, including the cat. It has two 90* mandrel bends and thats it. Soon as i get a little time I will do a writeup... its not "too" loud except at certain RPM's and when you get on it, and you get real nice lean pops on de-cel! When i had stock exhaust though i ran a glasspack where the stock muffler goes, and it was much nicer (quieter, more legal) and they are around $20.

[sasquatch]

i just took out my old muffler, got a old flange that fit up to the pipe, and welded a 2.5 inch pipe in place of the stock muffler. works and sounds good, and if i want to go quiet then i can just put the stock muffler back in.

[bhazard]

Bhazard. Yes, as a matter of fact I am.

Wow what a crazy coincidence. Nice to have someone pretty local on here. I pretty much grew up and graduated out there, then moved out here to this house my dad bought. Im actually working out there at Palm right now, though that may be ending soon. One of my best friends lives a few houses down from you. I'll give you a honk (or beep?) next time Im out that way if I see you outside (I'll assume its you).



Anyway, back on subject. What size is stock festy exhaust? I know the outlet is 1.5 inches, though I dont remember if that was inner or outer. I kinda want to replace the exhaust with something a bit bigger, maybe 2 inch with a magnaflow? Thats probably overkill for the B3 but if I was doing that it would be so its there for a b6t swap.

[lessersivad]

Bhazard. Yea if it's an old fart with a work uniform on it'll be me. The part of exhaust just ahead of the muffler but before the flange is 1 3/4" if I'm not mistaken. I was able to use a piece of 2" OD tail pipe section from one of the old Caprices along with a sleeve that fit the inside of that and went over the stub in front of the muffler. When I say sleeve I don't mean an adaptor that's 3"-4" long but an actual split sleeve that used to be included in every universal muffler box. I wouldn't think that 2" would be too big especially if you're going to do a swap later on. Also PM sent.