PLP-94

Was finally able to find a Type-S exhaust in Charleston SC. Picked it up, brought it home in my TLX and installed it. Honestly, it's NOT a difficult job and only requires 3 bolts to take off and 6 rubber exhaust hangars to drop the exhaust. I did it alone, but having 2 people under there will make things go easier.

Difficulty Rating: 2 out of 5 (5 requires Acura to perform the work)

Time Required:

• 2 hours (depending on your aptitude). I could do it in 1/2 the time now, after going through this once.

Tools Needed:

• Car lift OR a floor jack with 4 jack stands to raise the entire car off the ground.
• 1, 14mm socket
• 1 LARGE screw driver (12" to 15") or a crow-bar of similar size.
• Lubricant (e.g. silicone spray)
• PB Blaster (or equivalent)
• Anti-seize gel.

Steps:

1. Lift or JACK up the car so that all 4 tires are up in the air - be safe, ensure the car is solid while lifted
2. Crawl underneath and spray the 3 bolts holding the exhaust system to allow the oil to penetrate (see picture #1).
3. Crawl towards the rear of the car and take off the first 2 sets of exhaust hanger bushings. Spray with lubricant to make it easier to take off. NOTE the orientation of the bushings as noted in picture #2. The ARROW should point in to the car, not out to the car for each
4. Next unhook the exhaust hangers at the rear of the car. Spray with lubricant to make it easier to take off.
5. At this point, the only thing holding the exhaust are the 3 bolts and the middle exhaust hangers.
6. Loosen and take off the 3 bolts
7. Place something under each of the rear mufflers so that they are held up by this box/board/bucket
8. Remove the last 2 exhaust hangers. Be careful on the last one b/c the exhaust could drop.
9. Slide the exhaust rear-ward off the 3 bolts and it should be free
10. Clean each of the exhaust hangers and then spray silicone lubricant in EACH of the holes to make it go on even easier.
11. Install is just working back from step # 9 to step #1

Notes:

• REMEMBER THE ORIENTATION of each of the hangers as you pull them off.
• Clean and lubricate each of the holes for each of the hangers. I plugged each hole with my finger and filled it with silicone lubricant.
• The entire exhaust weighs TBD pounds. (I need to weigh it one of these days and put this data point here).

MarcoTLX

So.... does the active exhaust flaps work for you... or?

PLP-94

Well, it does 'work' but they are hard-wired OPEN

My eventual plan is to buy 2 actuators (Kuster product, rebranded as Honda) and wire a switch into the dashboard so I can manually open/close them at will. I'm not in a hurry to do that, but hope one day I can pull this off.

PRP5150

Is there a notable different exhaust tone or is this mostly cosmetic?

Great job on the DIY!!

PLP-94

There definitely is a sound difference, but not loud by any stretch. From the exhaust port, there is a bass sound that wasn't there before. In the cabin, there is NO drone, but you hear the bass on upshifts and while coming to a stop. It's a pleasant sound and you can finally hear the exhaust. At full stock, I never heard any exhaust. Now its slightly audible. However, this is with the exhaust port OPEN. I haven't tried it with the port closed b/c I don't want to take the wires off to close it.

I didn't buy it for the sound changes, I bought it for the cosmetic upgrade. It's an incredible upgrade from that standpoint.

rabbit73

Funny, I prefer the regular oval exhaust tips over the S round ones. I think it blends in better, but I like a subtle look. I also prefer the 'classier' stock wheels to the 'racier' Y spokes. Different strokes.

Really, I'm posting to say I'm surprised the S isn't a true dual exhaust. I guess my brain never processed that it can't be with a single turbo vs the twin turbos of competing models.

PRP5150

Twin turbos have nothing to do with it being a dual exhaust.

It's all about how the exhaust manifolds meet the exhaust pipes.

rabbit73

Twin turbos don't but a single sure does. Unless you'd like to tell me how a single turbo mates to a dual exhaust, which is typically one header/pipe per cylinder bank. This isn't a dual, it's a Y pipe for dual outlets.

MarcoTLX

Well from an aesthetics point of view it makes the Type-S look very cool and mean in the rear! love my quad tipped dual exhaust.