Need some help from you techies

[strodda]

well im like a kid in a candystore. in other words, happy as shit!! i got my headers and i recieved my highflow cat from summit today. so tonight ill be putting those in with some help. and this weekend ill be gettin 2 1/4" from the cat-back.

but i need a definite answer to whether or not having a resonator is necessary to stay carb legal?

if it is, how should i go about keeping it, with the small openings, and still have the 2 1/4" piping?? where along the backpipe should i have it installed? or should i just keep it where it is, and start the new pipe after it?

thanks

[b16a3sol]

the resonator doesnt have anything to do with making the exhaust any cleaner, if im not mistaken. all it does is act as a muffler before the actual one at the end of the piping. if you want your car loud as hell, take it out. if you want it to stay at a reasonable level, leave it in.

[strodda]

ok thanks.

i dont really care so much about making it quieter. im gonna dynamat the car soon, so that should lower the cabin noise.

if i dont have one, can i get busted for not having it or just for having an overall loud exhaust? i have no way of knowing, but sema said the db limit was something like 92(in CA)

[b16a3sol]

call summit and ask what its rated at, and if they intend for you to keep the resonator. if the piping is long enough for to connect from the cat all the way to the end of the car, then i would assume its meant to remove the resonator. beyond that, i have no idea how loud its going to be with or without it installed.

[strodda]

well it got delayed a little bit. i couldnt get 3 of the header nuts off, and i tried loosening the converter but it wouldnt budge. whats the best thing to use to get rid of the rust or do whatevers necessary so i can get the nuts off??

[-=BOOMER=-]

Impact wrench. Preferably pneumatic.

but those can get spendy. Though if you are planing on doing alot of work on your car i highly recomend geting one.

I almost have a full pneumatic tool set.

[strodda]

thanks. i looked at a few on ebay, but i decided against it. i was looking just for a quick one time fix, i dont do alot of work on my own. ive been told to spray wd40 on it, but is there something that will work better to loosen the nuts??


also, for anyone who has replaced their headers on a 90-93 accord, did you have to take apart the header and downpipe? or were you able to keep it as one piece and drop it down through the engine bay? from what i saw, it doesnt look like alot of room, but if i could keep it together it would make it easier... taking out and putting in the new.

thanx

[b16a3sol]

im pretty sure they sell one-piece headers for accords, so it should be possible. i would try and take it apart though, especially if you can get your hands on an impact wrench. one of the best people you can become friends with, if you work on cars, is the guy that has the impact wrench. other than that, you can grind the nut off with a dremel if it becomes too rounded after using the breaker bar. then you have to go the midas or something like that to have them punch the bolt through and put another one on. did that on my old accord, only cost $15.

[strodda]

hey b16... you got an impact wrench. wanna be my friend???

anyways after work i got some rust remover or whatever it was called. im gonna try it in a couple hours after my engine has cooled down. letcha know later what happened.

[b16a3sol]

actually, i have the air compressor. the other guy i know has the impact wrench, hence the reason he is a friend of mine. good luck breaking it loose.

[strodda]

thanks, but i actually got it. just didnt have the best tool for it. and we all know any job is easy with the right tool.

one problem though, maybe you can help with since nobody replied to my other post. im getting some rattling when i accelerate, if im cruising at any speed i dont hear anything. sounds like its coming from the front of the car. and ideas?

[b16a3sol]

with such an accurate description of whats going on, its hard to tell where to start. my best guess would be to check everything that touches the new exhaust you just put in. start from the block with the heat shield, which i assume is gone now, then move on to every bolt down the line. make sure they are all tightened. also make sure the little brackets holding everything on are still in place and attached to everything securely. make sure the cat is in there securely and not moving around at all. other than that i have no idea.

[strodda]

heres a pic just for kicks


i actually didnt remove the heatshield. i just bent the top back a little to make room. unless some nuts loosened up by themselves, theyre all tight. except for one, which i knew about and fixed since i had an exhaust leak. but doing that didnt fix anything. as for the sound, its hard to describe. if anything i'd say its kinda like a metal on metal rattling. it happens from around 2k and up whenever im accelerating. when im cruisin along on the freeway, i dont hear it... but as soon as i hit the gas it comes back. and it only happens when im in gear. i cant tell where its coming from, cause when i park and rev the motor, the noise stops.

does the exhaust system vibrate more when the car is in gear? cause im not understanding why the rattle is only there while driving around.

[b16a3sol]

is it coming from the motor or the wheels. if its only happening while you are in gear, im assuming that means also while you are moving. the only difference i could see would be that your wheels are rolling making more parts move. you could try putting the car on jackstands and spinning the wheels and seeing if the noise is there. you could also very carefully put the car in gear and see if you hear the noise, just make sure those are some nicely placed jackstands. other than that i would say live with it until you stumble on the cause of it somehow later on.

thats a very clean motor you have there. i say you get the blue wires to finish off the look though. the header hasnt even changed color yet they are so new. good job.