Hey -

I'm getting a magnaflow cat back exhaust with a hi flow cat on my 93 si (also having heads put on the same time), I have a cold air intake right now with some suspension mods, but I was wondering if I need to install a flex pipe on my system. I was told by the guy that may do the work that I'll need it because if it gets torqued really hard something could snap. I wasn't sure how true that was....lil engine ya know what I mean?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Also, I know people hate the d16 cause it's sohc and ya cant do much, but for those of us that will work with it....what have you guys done?

FACE

Where exactly would you install the flex pipe, and are we talking about flex pipe, like flex hose that you would use for your radiator hoses? If you're getting a catback, it's a complete bolton process and any one that can work a wrench can put one on without having any trouble. You need to slap your mechanic upside the head and go somewhere else. He's just trying to squeeze more money out of you.

I'll kick him in the nads!!!

I'm gonna get it priced for heads/catback/hi flow cat and see what he says.

The flex pipe I believe is just a flexible piping that is put somewhere on the exhaust system, either way I didnt think I needed it. Thanks for da post.

I just spoke to the guy...he says that the flex pipe goes between the heads and cat. He says that I should either put in flexpipe or ball flanges. Without he says things could snap. I still don't believe him, I'm going to do some more investigating, but I'm thinking of having it installed without flexpipe. $300 for heads/hi flow cat/catback - what do ya think?

lol...the downpipe on your header bolts straight onto the cat, nothing will snap, you can trust me when I say this. Do give him a swift kick in the nads. You don't need the flex pipe or the ball flanges.

And if it is at all possible, try to the install yourself. It's pretty easy and straight forward. And $300 for install seems kinda steep. If I were to get my junk installed I wouldn't pay more than $150. It usually costs about $150 to bend exhaust pipes and weld them on which is a lot more work, all your mechanic is going to have to do is turn a few bolts to install.

Some headers have the flex pipe built into them, some do not. If your header doesnt have one, then i wouldnt worry about it...


gunnmen01

kick him. your stock header has a ball joint that bolds to that connecting pipe, then another ball joint that connects to the cat, then ANOTHER one that connects to the rest of the piping, i think you have enough balls there, dont you? two is enough, let alone 4(lol)! <-- thats how it is in my 98EX, and my 90DX, and my freinds 91EX lol.

I'm kinda confused. Will someone show me a header with the flex pipe built into it. I don't remember seeing any major companies with a header like this. The only times I can remember people using flex pipe for their exhaust is when their downpipe wasn't quite bent right and didn't match up to the cat.

i know the older (like 93ish) ford escorts used them. it looks like a mesh pipe that is maybie 6 in long connected to the header and the cat without the balljoints.

Nobody hates sohc's, there just aren't many of them around that are fast. My friend has a turbo EX with 205 at the wheels and he can spank my car..

i know the older (like 93ish) ford escorts used them. it looks like a mesh pipe that is maybie 6 in long connected to the header and the cat without the balljoints.

oh yah, I know what they look like, I've seen a few people use them to temporarily extend their downpipes and such to meet with the cat, or use them in place of the cat. Just never knew that cars came like the from the factory with them.