I have seen pics of each, and "think" I understand where each one goes.

I believe the J pipe would be upstream of the test pipe... and teh test pipe is "behind" the jpipe, closer to the rear of the car.... my understanding is that a jpipe doesn't remove any catalytic converters...it just cleans up teh piping..

the test pipe removes a catlytic converter.

i'm unclear if there are any, and if so how many, catalytic converters prior to the jpipe....

one thing I don't know is if one installs a jpipe AND a test pipe - are there still any cats on teh car? and woudl it still pass a sniffer test? i assume in CA you'd flunk a visual with either a jpipe or a test pipe?

and here is the big questio - if you were to do ONE mod... a jpipe or a test pipe - which one nets a bigger gain in power?

i see most people posting they did a jpipe.... some people do both... but if you did only one, which should you do?

what kidn of power gains would each provide?

does either or both affect sound much? i have read that the jpipe only makes it a bit deeper or throaty in sound, but not much louder.. I saw online ivdoes of jnc2000's car wiht a jpipe and test pipe and I swear you hear his SRI more than any exhaust.... so I'm guessing neither the test or jpipe really drastically alter sound...

i have a 2009... recently bought as a CPO... I'll have to smog my car in a couple years...and don't mind having to swap back/forth at smog time unless installl of these parts it a royal PITA.... i'm *assuming* that at a corner muffler shop... I can get this stuff installed for $100-150 easy? can't be that hard for a muffler shop....

thanks.

 

Your car has 3 cats, the test pipe replaces your 3rd cat. Your car will run fine without the 3rd, but you may fail inspection. I have always lived in emission states, so I have never removed the 3rd cat, but I have swapped the OEM for a racing cat in a couple of cars. You may want to run a J-pipe, and a racing cat.

 

research some more.

jpipe and test pipe are 2 totally different things. years ago, companies would produce aftermarket jpipes AND test pipes for our cars. the jpipe would replace your stock jpipe, and the test pipe would replace your 3rd catalytic converter (located in front of the jpipe).

now'adays, the aftermarket companies just make a jpipe with extended primaries, in other words, no need for a test pipe. you remove your oem jpipe and cat, and install the new jpipe which bolts right up. there are no sensors in your 3rd cat, you should have no problems with inspections, laws, etc.

 

Rv6 long jpipe is what you need :thumbs:

 

They still do.

3rd cat is located behind (down stream, and to the rear of the car) the j-pipe.

Not true, they make many different options. But if you want to replace your pre-cats, they have those as well.

Yes you will... if they look under your car and see that there is no cat there, you will fail inspection. Also, if they run emission on your car and the exhaust is dirty, they will fail you there as well.

 

see bold.

 

Some jpipes require test pipes to be truly "catless".
Most of the manufacturers though have decided to go with a design that eliminates the need for a test pipe.

 

Visual inspections are not a requirement to pass in MD. I don't know where 23109VC lives, but if he is in CA the emission laws are pretty strict there.

It does, if 23109VC doesn't know the difference between a precat and the third cat.

 

i think it's pretty obvious where the cats are located. 3rd cat is attached to stock jpipe. hard to confuse that one.

 

always know where your pusssy's at...always. pre one, rear one, 3rd one...always know...

 

every state is different.. but here in socal.. if they dont see a cat, your automatically failing the emissions test.

 

I think most people are more familiar with the word "headers".

J-pipe on the TL/Accord = header on other cars.

 

How can you fail a visual test when the cat-delete pipe looks like this when you're done?







Unless the inspector actually disassembles the heat guard?

 

^^^^^

Visual test = pass.
Emission test = FAIL !

The 3rd cat is there for a reason - to clean up the last bits of harmful emissions left out by the pair of primary cats.

 

Not true my friend, the 3rd cat is there to reduce start-up emissions. When your engine (and cats) are warmed up to operating temperatures, then your car will run clean as a whistle with your two stock primary cats (which do quite well and are still quite dense when considering the cell count). You will pass emissions without your 3rd cat if you have your stock pre-cats installed. I might also be willing to wager that you'd pass if you got the Rv6 pipes that have a higher-flow cat on them with a 3rd cat delete pipe. I'd like to see somebody do this to see if they pass!

 

Did you get any rattle from that? Did you have to braze it to the straight pipe?

 

Actually, do you see the little tabs coming off the main part of the pipe? That is where your old heat shield will bolt up.

As for the rattle...ehhhh... I'm sure Excelerate has fixed the problems, but I had 5,000 trouble free miles before I heard a rattle. I put it up on a lift to find out that one of the 4 little tabs had broke off from the pipe. So I unbolted it and removed the tab and bolted everything back up and put it back on. I drove around for about 3000 more miles with just 3 tabs securing the heat shield before I heard the rattle come back again. You guessed it, another broken tab. So I eventually just took the whole heat shield off but kept the pipe on.

 

Probably could have welded the tabs back on, and have been fine for a long time, but if you don't need the heat shield, no reason to have it on.

 

Welding the tab on isn't as simple as it sounds per sey. The tab didn't break off at the weld, it broke off at the bend (do you see how the tabs are bent to a 130 degree angle or so?). In reality, the producer of this should've used a thicker gauge of steel to guarantee no fatigue breakages. If I welded them back on, the welder would have to weld them back to the right angle, or might put more stress on the opposite sides tabs.

 

Prelude I didn't put the heat shields back on my RV6 HFPC, thoughts, opinions?

 

^a high flow cat is still a cat.

it looks similar to a full blown cat.
and if you've been using it, it will turn a nice brown or bronze color which also makes it harder to identify.

PCD's and high flow cats put off much less heat than a full blown cat. so there wouldnt really be a point of putting the heat shield back on.
unless, like above you wanted to fool the inspection techs.

 

Yes they have turned brown, but am I losing any desired affect the heat shields might/do provide by not having then?

 

I have never put the heat shield back on any HF cat that I installed, and I have never had a problem.

 

I live in FL, I'm lucky, they don't do any emissions testing anymore.

 

Here is what i have installed for my 12 acura tl sh-awd, with a full xlr8 exhaust system