sharing my exhaust setup.. Custom 2.5", KRRH, Race headers, High Flow cat, k24 swap

[imthebro]

Hi guys,
I looked on several forums / sites etc.. to see if I could find something that would resemble my final exhaust setup and never found anything...
I did not like the available "in the box" setups available in 2.5" or 3" as I found them to be either too loud or they sounded crappy. With the exception of the Apexi Ws2 that sounds good, but is too restrictive for a k24 swap.
And for the record; I hate chrome with a passion !

So I'm sharing my experience to help others in the same position I was in.

Car is:

2004 Civic SiR (canadian car Eh! )
K24A2 swap


Exhaust setup:

KRRH race header (no front swaybar due to that...)
Vibrant High flow Cat - metal spun core 2.5" (200 CEL)
Custom mandrel bent 2.5" Alluminized steel piping
Vibrant ultra quiet 2.5" resonator
Vibrant Streetpower straight through & flat black exhaust
Injen Shorty intake


Crappy iphone pic of exhaust installed on a dirty car :mcry:

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1326/photoyswz.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/51/photoyswz.jpg/)

Sound clip (sorry, I'm not revving it to keep the neighbors happy)
Keep in mind the garage acts a bit like an amplifier in this vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X0mBkzalp4

The exhaust is not loud at al (but not stock either)l, it does not drone either.
and most importantly, it is not raspy at all (Aka, no shitty catless honda sound).

If anybody is curious: approximate total cost including headers, piping, installation, resonnator, cat, muffler etc = 1300$ CAD...

I'm a happy man now !

Edit :

Rev + drive away + fly by video (with traction issues and crappy shifting on my part)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwQdZ0NBzd0



Sept 18th 2012 Edit

I have received a few requests for pictures of my resonator & cat setup, so here they are (sorry for the poor lighting...).

resonator view from rear
http://imageshack.us/a/img708/7708/dsc06649k.jpg

resonator side view
http://imageshack.us/a/img577/1543/dsc06645gt.jpg

part of mid pipe section (damn cat has a lot of surface rust...) with dead cone marks from last autocross ! :mtongue:
http://imageshack.us/a/img836/8585/dsc06644cx.jpg

weak attempt at a global mid-pipe picture :-(
http://imageshack.us/a/img24/1787/dsc06639v.jpg

[usedep3]

very nice. i like the tone.

[02TWSI]

was that a cold start? Sounds so quiet shit, please get some on the road videos and some revving videos PLEASE.

Sounds GOOOOOOD for us cali folk.

[imthebro]

It wasn't on a cold start, but approximately 1 hr after I got home if I remember correctly.

I'll see what I can do about more videos...

[Slip_Angle]

My setup is almost the same and i'm on ephatch!

K24a2
KRRH
3" CAI
2.5" custom exhaust
Spun core metallic cat
resonator
Stock muffler

[imthebro]

Slip_angle,
out of curiosity, are you running a front sway and if so, which one ?
I can't clear my headers with the stock sway... looking for an 05 Em2 sway as we speak.

[Slip_Angle]

Slip_angle,
out of curiosity, are you running a front sway and if so, which one ?
I can't clear my headers with the stock sway... looking for an 05 Em2 sway as we speak.

I'm running a Hotchkis front sway. It doesn't clear. My first priority was handling for Autocross so I made the choice to modify the header slightly to make it fit.

[bchaney]

Nice setup. I've got the same header/cat on my k24.

I just got my EM2 front sway in the mail, gonna install it this weekend. Someone else recently posted that this skinny front sway fit with their k24/KRRH combo. There are two EM2 front sways, you want the 15.9mm one, P/N 51300-S5D-A02.

I think I can get this new front sway to fit, the rear one is another story...

[talonXracer]

Nice setup! There are not many alternatives regarding the sway/header clearance issue. The 03' EX civic sway works well, and as should the ITR sway(with ITR lCA's).

[imthebro]

There are two EM2 front sways, you want the 15.9mm one, P/N 51300-S5D-A02.

I think I can get this new front sway to fit, the rear one is another story...

Thanks for confirming the part # on this one man ! please let me know if it fits after you installed it. Are you using different swaybar bushings for this or the stock ep3 ones ?

My Progress rear sway fits my exhaust really well, but then again, the exhaust was constructed after the sway was installed in the back...

but without a front sway and with the progress rear sway in place, the car almost pivots too much... I'm still getting use to it. Fun in autocross, not so much in fast transitionning sweepers on the track...

[bchaney]

You need the 15.9mm bushings for the 15.9mm bar.

I'm having fitment issues in the rear because 3" catbacks don't like being stuffed under cars designed for 1.75".

Do you mean the car rolls too much w/o a front sway?

[imthebro]

nah, the rear end is so stiff with my progress sway, springs, etc.. that it rotates like a mofo !
It does roll a bit more, but its mostly the rear sway bar effect that is amplified.

Thanks for the bushing info, I'll make sure to order them as well

[T_Virus]

how many race headers do you have? KKRH, Race headers, ...lol

But you have a very nice set up.

[imthebro]

lol, I know, to be honest I wrote it that way because when I was looking for headers (not knowing all the accronyms used and not knowing much about headers period...)
It took me sometime to figure out what, BCRH, MRRH, KRRH meant...

[mitchlikesbikes]

damn that sounds good. if i ever go with a legit power making setup this is the way i'll be going. thanks for posting up!

[Slip_Angle]

Food for thought but I found the ep slower autocrossing with a smaller front sway bar and large rear bar. The best combo I found was HFP suspension (soft) with the Hotchkis competition swaybar set. Both front and rear sways are larger/stiffer. I tried many combinations and this worked the best.

[imthebro]

Nice setup. I've got the same header/cat on my k24.

I just got my EM2 front sway in the mail, gonna install it this weekend. Someone else recently posted that this skinny front sway fit with their k24/KRRH combo. There are two EM2 front sways, you want the 15.9mm one, P/N 51300-S5D-A02.

I think I can get this new front sway to fit, the rear one is another story...

Hey, Any update on this installation, I'm curious to see if it clears or not, if it does, I'm ordering right away !

thanks

[bchaney]

Didn't have a chance to install this weekend... ordered some OEM endlinks and didn't realize that they don't come w nuts :mrolleyes:

Hopefully have the nuts tmrw so I can get the sway in before the weekend.

[imthebro]

so so so ?
I'm anxious to know if it fits ! :-)

[bchaney]

Sorry to leave you hanging man. The fitment is really really close. The header and sway are definitely touching when the car is jacked up but I think I can see a small bit of daylight when the suspension is loaded (hard to see that area when the car's on the ground).

I haven't been hearing any vibrations from that area while driving so I think the worst that's happening is it's putting some stress on the exhaust/header.

[bchaney]

Have you seen this? He had better results than me, the only differences I can think of are the motor mounts (I have Avids and he's on Innovatives) and general tolerances/variations in geometry.

http://www.ephatch.com/forum/showthread.php?62614-KRRH-CRSX-RH-BWRH-With-K24-swap

[imthebro]

I only have motor mount inserts.... Unless the aftermarket mounts make the engine sit lower (I don't know?)...

with the stock bar, it was solidly resting on the header. I installed it while the car was on ramps for the front wheels, so the wheels always touched the "ground".

I'll order the sway and the bushings that go with it and give it a try..

Thanks for posting man , much appreciated.

[imthebro]

so I made the choice to modify the header slightly to make it fit.

Hey Slip_angle.

When you say you modified the header, what did it involve ? a hammer and some luck ?

I'm curious to know what you did to it since its a pretty pricey piece of equipment to be banging on :-)

[Slip_Angle]

Hey Slip_angle.

When you say you modified the header, what did it involve ? a hammer and some luck ?

I'm curious to know what you did to it since its a pretty pricey piece of equipment to be banging on :-)

Ya, took a round pipe, heated the header and made an indent to fit the sway. May have lost some flow but it doesn't seem to be much if it did... I didn't want to do it but handling was the priority...

[imthebro]

Edit :

Rev + drive away + fly by video (with traction issues and crappy shifting on my part)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwQdZ0NBzd0

Inside the car, I'm not 100% on the throttle, but it gives an idea of the sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOn-tEomnLk

added two videos as requested by a couple of you.

[imthebro]

I also installed the Em2 Sway on Friday.

It's resting on the headers when the car is up in the air or on ramps.
Flat on the ground, it doesn't touch.... it's close, but is works !

[imthebro]

as requested, added pictures of mid pipe section & cat setup.

[rhdsirek4]

Impressive, love it.

[tlikethedrink]

awesome. love your car and how it sounds. perfect!

[differentK]

nice-i have almost an identical setup

k24a2
kiddracing RH
2.5in kteller piping
vibrant stealth muffler

my stock front sway fit- no rubbing issues. the Kiddracing header is hit or miss

[imthebro]

@differentk

Out of curiosity, have you ever dynoed and if so, what kind of numbers did you get?

[differentK]

yea- been dynoed 3 times now. back when i was NA... made 229whp/ 193wtq.

[ep32424]

sound good.