Thread: B14 Aftermarket exhaust kit system choices (direct bolt-on)

man, didnt mean to cause a heated arguement. well i will hopefully try to get headers and exhaust by end of year, im trying to get my body to look not so ghetto first then finish getting my wheels but i think i will stick with the pacesetter. like i said i will be eventually swapping to a sr20 engine so the ga header going to shit isnt that much of a worry for now.

but atleast if it is a bad experience i will atleast inform people of my experience. i know pacesetter may not be a huge company like hks or edelbrock, greddy or whatever they have been doing it for a while. if it does rust oh well, its a header, not to worried about looks, more of a little more power if it were wheels or something exterior i would be thinking differently. but thanks for the heads up on the link on what people thought on the ls forum. like i said b4 thanks anyways guys, this is by far no joke one of the best forums i been on even if people get into small arguements everyone eventually is till cool and helps each other out as we are essentially all a family with the same passion

Ultimately, yes.

Hell if it is prone to rust have it coated or even do your own rattle can job before throwing it on the car. Both will prolong the life if the paint can withstand the heat.

IMO, the Greddy is the best 2.5" exhaust made for the B14. The muffler design even has a "stockish" appearance and fits the rear bumper well. Not to mention the noticeable gains and deep, powerful sound.

Please excuse my gross mechanical ignorance. I have been reading, and re-reading, exhaust threads for a week. Including both of yours sir. And Vadims, My-4Door, and all the rest. Not to mention pouring over the VRS, Overkill, and MotoIQ websites.

I am building a B13 exhaust, but these question pertain to any exhaust system.

How do the parts mate together in these "bolt on" systems?

Are they a:

1) "Slip-fit", if so, what keeps them connected?

2) Do they have flanges welded in place at each end of each piece, and come with gaskets? Like my SSAC header had a welded flange which mated to the welded flange on the downpipe via bolts with a gasket sandwiched in between.

3) What is and how does a "v-band" work? Looks to me like a v-band connects two pipes that have "welded on" flanges, you just don't use bolts (as above connecting an SSAC header to it's downpipe), you use a "v-band" instead. I've looked at pictures of them extensively, but without a flange on each end of the parts to be connected, I don't see how a v-band would work.

Can you please elucidate, educate, and clarify any of this for me?

Shawn B

Shawn, PM me. I will clarify.

One piece is a slip-fit. The resonator to the part that has a 90 degree bend that goes over the rear axle is a slip fit on a system from VRS. You can use a metal band clamp or a C-style clamp to hold it together. The C-style clamp is what I have used on both systems, but it is not as good as just a metal band. (the metal band is similar to a airplane hose clamp but it is a solid piece of ring, no serrations)

A picture of the c-clamp to the right. (along with the 4 inch wide 22 inch long Magnaflow resonator)





Yes, they have flanges on everything else. I HIGHLY recommend gaskets from Nissan for the exhaust manifold and the cat converter gaskets. (I just replaced one on my new system because one gasket blew the fuck out, they are shitty and it happens, oh well, $7 for Nissan OEM ones from Greg V, totally worth it) The VRS has one piece that does not require a flange. I asked them about it and they really favor this style of connection for an exhaust system. I like using gaskets, they do not hence why they use this "ball socket" type of connection. Here is a pic of my current system of the "ball socket" type connection. It requires no gasket and also allows the system to fit on cars that have not-so-square frames. Always a double edged blade when it comes to this stuff.

"Ball socket" connection.


Flanged connections.




A V band uses two slightly flared edges of the pipes and has a connector, the clamp, to squeeze and hold the two together. It is the best way to hold a system together but it is expensive, hence why most low-budget setups do not run them. They are useful for swapping out pieces of the system on the fly. I never intend on changing the parts on my system so I did not go with that style connection. If you got the money, go for it. I did not. I know for fact I ran 5 years with an ALUMINUM exhaust in Rustylvania and had no issues until 5 years. I got a stainless steel system now and I bet it will outlast the car. No flanges broke, or blew out, just one rusted and developed a hole. I did not take care of this system. I never once washed the undercarriage. This is what happened to the aluminum "ball socket" connection after 5 years in PA with lots of salt and little care to the system.

Here is the hole. (The hole in the upper left corner of the frame was MY fault, nothing else to it)




Any day of the week, and you can call me Kyle. I am only a 23 year old, no need for sir from you on here. Of all things, you deserve the respect from me, sir.

Also, I added a section for gaskets, it was great of you to bring it up. I can make this thread much better but, frankly, time is not on my side. I try my hardest, but sometimes, it just cannot happen. This is ultimately my hobby and if I get too serious, I will no longer enjoy it. That is the god honest truth.

Thank you for the kind offer. Sometimes my mechanical ignorance frustrates me. I do not want to drop anything off at my mechanics and say "figure it out." While I am a not a "wrench", I like to know every part being bolted onto my ride. What it is, what it does, why it is equal to or better than a Nissan factory part, and how it gets properly installed.

It appears that Kyle has beat you to that offer, but it is very much appreciated.


OK, well that response and pictures is freakin' awesome.

Now, anyone as mechanically challenged as myself, can clearly see and understand what is going on with those connectors.

Driving for over three (3) decades, owned my Classic for seventeen (17) years. My first aftermarket exhaust. No sh*t.

Can we agree on "mutual respect"?


No problems si....Kyle.

The thread is terrific as is. Very informative, and well laid out. I appreciate anyone and everyone that does one of these for our Forum. It is a lot of work any way you slice it.

Now I am ready to purchase an exhaust.

Anytime, I am glad to help anyone out. That was the goal of this thread and even if it helps the guys with GA16 header options or you with a new exhaust to replace your OEM 17 year old rusted system, works for me!

The Copper ones from Summit are:

• SCE Gaskets 9400
• SCE Gaskets 4200
  

There we go Don, thanks! I couldn't get a hold of this in time.