I've been looking for a new exhaust for awhile. I've read all the thread about what's great. My question is... What's up about the price difference. I've heard people talk about getting a cat-back for $250, awesome. Then I've seen a Magnaflow one for $615 Retail. What am I missing? Please help. What are the differences? Thanks.

People can charge what ever they want to for the same thing..so some variation is just due to supply/demand.

Some parts are stainless steel, some are anodized aluminum...the SS is more expensive...and, there are differnt grades of SS as well, so even that can reflect the better/worse metal quality.

Some have thicker or thinner metal sheet, so the thicker metal is more expensive.

Some have a larger diameter, or a smaller diameter..the larger diameters tend to be more expensive.

Some have simple glass packs inside the mufflers, some have more expensive steel baffles, perforated plates, etc.

Some are tuned to alllow maximum flow/noise, others are designed to pass noise emissions standards, let you sneak home after a night out with the boyz....etc...

The compromise between noise/power costs $ to achieve both ends.

Even within a brand (Magnaflow, Dynomax, Gibson, Borla, etc...), they will have different versions of the same thing...so one Magnaflow might be $400, another Magnaflow might be $1,200, etc.

As there are A LOT of variables, your best bet is to pick a brand to start with, and go to their web site, and read what they say about their stuff.

Most have sound files to let you hear what they sound like, and charts with noise vs power curves, options, etc.

Read up until you understand what you need to to make an informed decision...and then go to another site, rinse/repeat.

The second site onwards will be easy compared to the first one, as the concepts will be already there, and only the brand's options and features will be new...

And,

its those options and features that you will be comparison shopping.



Enjoy!

(Or, you can read a bunch of posts from people here saying I got a So and So and it Rocks! - and just randomly pick one too)

Magnaflow is just reeal really prowd of their stuff. Not to mention with names like Ivan Stewart and MArio Andretti you have to have some bucks to get those guys to be your spokes people. I have a gibson exhuast and it sounds great. My old X had an HKS SUV exhuast and it sounded great. Nice think about it was the very stout tip on it that didnt sucumb to rocks easily.

Nismo cat back...$515 + Nismo Headers...$550

nismo headers are only for the next gens...SLR is the only one that makes them for the first gens i believe..fyi

BIGGEST DIFFERENCE:

The cheaper "cat-back" exhausts, such as the Gibson, are not true cat-back exhaust systems. They replace the exhaust pipe AFTER the Y-collector pipe, and essentially are nothing more than a new muffler and a shiny exhaust tip.

The more expensive systems, such as the Nismo, are true cat-back systems. They bolt on at the back flange of the catalytic converters, include a new Y-pipe, muffler, and a shiny exhaust tip.

Basically, you'll get virtually no performance gain from the fake cat-backs, as the restrictive stock piping & y-pipe are still used.

From a true cat-back, you'll see minimal performance gains, as the entire piping system is being widened and smoothed.

The material differences are also there, as TJ mentioned. However, they are not the largest reason for the broad range of prices. It's the design and function that makes the difference in the prices.

Thats not entirely correct.

The second gens Gibson exhaust connexct straight to the cats replacing the y pipe.

So you're saying the claims Magnaflow makes on it's website from dyno charts are incorrect? I doubt the Y pipe is all that restrictive. Only three cylinders dump into each side and where they join, the tube diameter is increased...

Thought we were talking about the 1st gens, though? He was asking for his 2003 X.

And Gibson's 2nd gen exhaust isn't $250, either. It's much more expensive because it's a true cat-back.

And by "doubting" the stock y pipe is all that restrictive tells me you've NEVER seen the stock y-pipe. Picture this. It's a 1.25" diameter tube, bent with a crush bender so much so that in places its diameter is reduced to 1" or smaller.

So if you replace the exhaust tube AFTER the stock y-pipe with a 1.5" diameter exhaust tube, you haven't really helped anything, because the restrictive 1" tube is STILL there. And not for just 1 bank of 3 cylinders; the stock y-pipe has the same size 1.25" tubing coming in from each side, then merging into a single 1.25" tube. And since it's crushed, then it's darn near 1" when it's all said and done.

Yes, I SERIOUSLY question Magnaflow's "results" if they are only making a slip-on cat-back. If you seriously believe the power gains the manufacturers post on their website, I've got a "computer chip mod" for $200 to sell 'ya that'll increase your power by 10%...

Then again, Magnaflow's website only claims a 9hp and 12 ft-lb increase from their "cat-back" for the 2st gen. No way in hell they're getting more increase w/ the 1st gen.

web page

Look. The guy wanted to know the difference in the pricing between all the difference exhaust manufacturers. I told him. The difference is, some are slip-ons (cheap), and some are true cat-backs. A true cat-back is going to be significantly more expensive, because there's a lot more to it than just a muffler with two tubes sticking out of it, which is ALL the slip-on "catbacks" are. They're NOT real cat-back exhausts; they're no different than just replacing the muffler with a high-flow muffler and calling it a day.

As to why Magnaflow costs so much, I guess it's because they can magically get better results from a slip-on than a true catback...

I've personally bought the Gibson. I KNOW how it's made. I've also personally replaced in after two weeks with a real cat-back exhaust from Nismo (only ones that made one for my Frontier at the time). So don't come here and imply I don't know WTF I'm talking about.

I didn't know when I bought the Gibson that it was just a slip-on. And nobody around here seems to want to admit that it's not a true cat-back, as I never heard anybody say that before I bought it. I wasted $250 on an exhaust that wasn't worth more than the $125 muffler that came with it. I wouldn't want someone else to do the same, without know what they were buying in the first place.

Come on man, never seen the Y pipe? Don't assume... I've had it off the truck 4 times this year because of transmission problems and replacing the exhaust system. But, I didn't expect you to know that. Yes, the parts of the Y pipe are smaller in diameter, but only three cylinders are dumping into each. Oops, I already said that. Yes, a true cat back (almost none worth mentioning exist) with larger diameter pipes mandrel bent could be better, but why haven't many of the manufacturers fabbed something all the way to the cats? It's possible, that the gains were negligible. Maybe it decreased performance because of too little back pressure. It's all speculation because none of it has been documented. I just know that increasing the diameter after a restriction, is going to allow the air to move faster through the restriction. I'm not trying to start a war here, just pointing some stuff out...

Look at the piece of Y pipe immediately after they connect. You'll notice it's the same diameter as the two pipes that head into it. You'll also notice it's damn near 1" in diameter when it's crimped. You can't tell me that doesn't cause significan restriction!!!

Other manufacturers haven't fabbed them up, because Nissan was kind enough to use no less than 3 different cat. configurations/designs for the 1st gen Nissan, and there aren't enough of each to warrent someone making a production run of exhaust for them. So what they've done is market a slip-on as a cat-back, say it fits all years, and laugh all the way to the bank.

If YOU look at the Y pipe, you will see that the collecting pipe is a larger diameter than the two that dump into it. And that at the press
bends there is at least an inch and a half diameter. How much pipe do you need to empty half of a 3.3 liter SOHC engine?

Doesn't matter what the outside diameter is on that tube.

Ever cut one of those?

They have EXTREMELY thick walls for an exhaust tube. Inner DIA is what matters.

But I guess you know more than I do, so I'll leave you to thinking you can actually get 20+ ft-lbs of torque from a slip-on exhaust. Whatever you say, boss.

Hard Tubing is measured using outside diameter. Flexible tubing and rubber hoses is measured using inside diameter. The reason the Y-Pipe is so small is the keep the exhaust pulses slow enough to keep up a certain amount of back pressure to maintain torque. Once the pulses reach the larger diameter pipes they speed up which help produce horsepower. As far as getting 20 ft-lbs of torque with a slip-on, who knows. I'm sure it can be done with the correct diameter and length tubing. But typically, we the common people do not have the means to engineer such systems (computers and dynos), which is why we purchase aftermarket items from a dedicated company.

Exhaust systems are a huge balancing act, from manifold to tail pipe. Sure you can get a huge horsepower increase but it will come at the sacrafice of torque, and vice versa. Most street applications are designed for torque. With such a small engine (3.3L), I can't say that 20 ft-lbs with a slip-on is not achieveable, but it certainly can be reached with proper sized pipe and muffler, but probably at the sacrafice of top-end horsepower. Just another opinion.

If you look around, you can find them cheaper. I just picked up a new SS Nismo full exhaust, for 1/2 that price.

Paying MSRP for parts is like paying MSRP for a truck. People do it, but why?

I am planning on putting my new Nismo Exhaust, and Y pipe on this weekend. If I can negotiate a deal with the dyno, maybe I will see if I can get a before and after.

Alright, just got off the phone. $80 for a before and after pull, I will post up the difference.

I just so happen to have a new intermediate pipe. The tubing is 1/16" thick.


I have lurked quietly on these boards since 2002. One thing I have noticed is that there are a certain few here that are so strongly opinionated, they actually sway people from making their own decisions. I'm sure a lot are, but not every manufacturer is out to screw the public. They are all out there to make a buck. A company as large as Magnaflow has the means to test vehicles they put their products on. If you look at their website, they do not have dyno results posted for every vehicle they make a product for. Why is it so hard to believe that their results might actually be true? In a perfect world, I suppose everyone would post their experiences, good and bad, and that's it, unless asked otherwise. Sorry for the hijack...That is all- peace.