I got my tax return recently, and have some extra cash to blow. I'd like to do my exhaust system.
I have a 2004 Cavalier, 2.2 ecotec with a Weapon R Secret Weapon intake.
I want a nice deep smooth sound... not the high-pitched/"fartcan"/"bees in a can" sound..
Tell me if this is the best way to do this:
- 2.25" piping custom bent/welded locally
What's a rough estimate for this?
How widly available is mendrel bending, and is it THAT much better than crush bends?
- a Magnaflow 2.25" in/out muffler
should I go with a 4" or 6" Diameter?
Magnaflow: 14415 4" Round
Magnaflow: 14615 6" Round
Cherry Bomb Glasspack: 87510
Flowtech Purple Hornie: BIG-50225FLT
I need recommendations for a tip
I think that's it for my parts list....
I'm assuming any local exhaust shop will be able to weld everything together, and have it bolt up to my catalytic converter. I'm also assuming this won't void any warranties, set off any sensors, etc ... and I'm also assuming this is the cheapest/best route to go for a custom cat-back system.
Thanks for all your help!
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Cavillac
Go with mandrel 2.25". Magnaflow is ok muffler. Purple hornie is louvered muffler so don't go with that. I'm not sure about the cherry bomb. Try the thrush glasspacks. Magnaflow has some great tips you can buy seperately.
crushed bend is horrible if you cant find mandrel do compression crushed leaves to many ridges.
I have the exact same car (2004 Cavi 2.2 Ecotech) I just sliced off the stock muffler and welded the cherry bomb in. later I went with the custom 2.25" pipes, mandrel bends, magnaflow...etc. I actually noticed a decrease in low end torque, and not much difference in the top end. I dropped 2/10" in the 1/8 mile when I did this too! The stock piping is already a mandrel bend and the 2" is exactly the right size to allow sufficient exhaust flow at our low 6500 RPM redline and still build effective torque at the low end.
I put the modified stock exhaust (w/the cherry bomb) back on and later that same day I had my 2/10" back!
In review, ditch the 2 1/4" fancy exhaust idea, go to autozone and get yourself the $20 2" inlet 2" outlet cherry bomb glasspack and slice off the stock muffler and weld it in place.
You will save yourself alot of money and headache.
P.S. I'm sorry that you wasted your money on the weapon R intake! I took a dremmel and ported out mine and got just as much out of that. it took me an hour and saved me all that money.
johnathan probst wrote:I have the exact same car (2004 Cavi 2.2 Ecotech) I just sliced off the stock muffler and welded the cherry bomb in. later I went with the custom 2.25" pipes, mandrel bends, magnaflow...etc. I actually noticed a decrease in low end torque, and not much difference in the top end. I dropped 2/10" in the 1/8 mile when I did this too! The stock piping is already a mandrel bend and the 2" is exactly the right size to allow sufficient exhaust flow at our low 6500 RPM redline and still build effective torque at the low end.
I put the modified stock exhaust (w/the cherry bomb) back on and later that same day I had my 2/10" back!
In review, ditch the 2 1/4" fancy exhaust idea, go to autozone and get yourself the $20 2" inlet 2" outlet cherry bomb glasspack and slice off the stock muffler and weld it in place.
You will save yourself alot of money and headache.
P.S. I'm sorry that you wasted your money on the weapon R intake! I took a dremmel and ported out mine and got just as much out of that. it took me an hour and saved me all that money.
Did you stop to think that you might have driven the car differently when you dropped that 2/10 of a second (not 2/10 of an inch I presume as you wrote)?
Also as far as I know the Weapon R intake is an intake pipe... not a manifold as I think you might be thinking.
Knowledge about everything and yet an expert of nothing!!
Jack of all trades.
Silver_00ZED24 wrote:johnathan probst wrote:I have the exact same car (2004 Cavi 2.2 Ecotech) I just sliced off the stock muffler and welded the cherry bomb in. later I went with the custom 2.25" pipes, mandrel bends, magnaflow...etc. I actually noticed a decrease in low end torque, and not much difference in the top end. I dropped 2/10" in the 1/8 mile when I did this too! The stock piping is already a mandrel bend and the 2" is exactly the right size to allow sufficient exhaust flow at our low 6500 RPM redline and still build effective torque at the low end.
I put the modified stock exhaust (w/the cherry bomb) back on and later that same day I had my 2/10" back!
In review, ditch the 2 1/4" fancy exhaust idea, go to autozone and get yourself the $20 2" inlet 2" outlet cherry bomb glasspack and slice off the stock muffler and weld it in place.
You will save yourself alot of money and headache.
P.S. I'm sorry that you wasted your money on the weapon R intake! I took a dremmel and ported out mine and got just as much out of that. it took me an hour and saved me all that money.
Did you stop to think that you might have driven the car differently when you dropped that 2/10 of a second (not 2/10 of an inch I presume as you wrote)?
Also as far as I know the Weapon R intake is an intake pipe... not a manifold as I think you might be thinking.
What is there to drive differently when you lauch at WOT in an automatic in Drive? NONE. and the temperature steadily went up, and it was hotter when after I switched the exhaust back then when I put the new exhaust on and it was hotter when I put the new exhaust on then when I made my first pass, so what other variables are there? track temp? It steadily increased, which would have caused times to theoretically slow down right? Why then did I run a better time on a hotter track with higher intake temperatures (less dense air)?
And on the subject of the intake, thank you for correcting me on that one. I did not realize that it was a tube and not a manifold. What type of gains does it offer over stock? And is it effective? I know that I have heard that the weapon R manifolds are not worth the money, especially when you can port the stock ones so easily (on the third gens).
Dustin McCall wrote:Go with mandrel 2.25". Magnaflow is ok muffler. Purple hornie is louvered muffler so don't go with that. I'm not sure about the cherry bomb. Try the thrush glasspacks. Magnaflow has some great tips you can buy seperately.
Thanks for your help, I will definitally stick with mandrel 2.25" pipes.
I'll stay away from the purple hornie. I tried searching around, and found "Thrush" glasspacks by "Dynomax" is that what you are suggesting? They are about the same price as the cherry bomb, so I will go with that unless anyone else has more input.
Here's what I'm going for..
I love the look of the chrome - canister looking muffler.. They are very pretty to look at.. but I hate the sound of every car around here that has one.. it's too high-pitched sounding (bees in a can)
I'm coming from an old 1976 mustang v8-302 dualed out from the headers back to flowmaster exhaust, etc. this thing sounded like a boat, and i loved the deep deafening roar. needless to say, i know the cavalier will never sound like this, or anything near the way it sounded.
so basically, i'm trying to get the best of both worlds.. sound & looks. Magnaflow has been the highest recommended muffler on these boards for a long time, so that's what I had my heart set on, and didn't know if I should get the 4" or 6" diameter muffler.
In addition to the magnaflow muffler, I was going to get a glasspack to help deepen the sound of the exhaust.
Also, almost every exhaust recommendation thread i've read through, everyone has recommended 2.25" piping for NA, and 2.5" for turbo. I'm definitally not going turbo.
so, back to my original question:
should I get the 4" or 6" diameter magnaflow muffler? (2.25" in/out) ... or is there a better looking/sounding option out there?
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Cavillac
Yeah in an auto launching at WOT there really isn't much difference in times normally... I have to say though, you are the only person I've ever read here or anywhere that has had a decrease in HP &/or torque when they upgraded thier exhaust... With the exception of those who have gone too far and gone for like 3" piping on a 2.2L...
Knowledge about everything and yet an expert of nothing!!
Jack of all trades.
or just help me pick out a magnaflow muffler, there are quite a few to choose from that have 2.25 inlets/outlets...
they range in length and diamter, and style, etc..
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Cavillac
