I just ordered the Calmini header for my Tracker today, but I'm putting together my own 2" system with mandrel U-bends.  Any issues to be aware of with the Calmini Header? I've never really heard any bad things about it compared to the Thorley one for instance but since I thankfully don't live in California or ever plan on living there for that matter,  I don't have to worry about CARB certification.

I'm looking at using a Magnaflow muffler and was just wondering if anyone else has and if so how loud it is and how it sounds overall.  If you're running something like a Dynomax Ultraflow instead, the design is basically the same so feel free to pipe in. (yeah I know bad pun)

I don't mind a throaty deep exhaust note, I just don't want it to sound like a poorly modified/riced out Civic if ya know what I mean.  

Anyone have any experience using the Magnaflow?  I'll just be using the 5x8x18 oval since it seems to be the biggest 2" tube model that will fit under the Tracker.  

The Magnaflows are a straight through design so I'm not expecting it to be the quietest exhaust sound like a multi chamber cheapie "turbo" muffler would have, but straight through mufflers obviously flow a lot better. Heck it's basically just a well built glasspack for all intents and purposes.

Anyhow lemme know as hopefully this will help with my power on the freeway and mileage.  

When I rebuilt my engine a few years ago I portmatched the head to the intake and exhaust gaskets and cleaned the ports up in general.  I did the same on the intake manifold to some extent too.  

I also used the Hawk Suzuki Torquer cam and with a .030 over bore and new pistons, the engine was quite a bit better for power.  Unfortunately though I've had the stock exhaust on there up till now which is making the engine try to exhale through a coffee stirrer straw.

Yeah I know better but it was a funding issue.  

I'm also going to be using an almost new high flow catalytic converter that my friend pulled off his 89 Supra Turbo when he put a 3" system on it so that probably won't hurt things any either.  (Damn that IM-240 I say!)  It looks pretty decent as far as flow since you can see through it from end to end.  Since it's an OEM replacement for a turbo car it should flow well.

I think my existing one's probably seen better days anyway.  Of course when I get it emissions inspected every other year, if they ask about it being a replacement I'll just use the "I squished it with a rock while offroading" excuse of course. After all, it's technically illegal to replace a properly functioning catalytic converter. (Define properly functioning of course, seems like it's pretty open to interpretation.)

Anyone see any potential snags I might run into with this plan? I'm shooting for next weekend and with my work schedule I need to get everything lined up by Tuesday or Wednesday to do the actual install next Sunday. I've got access to good welding equipment and experience (gotta love having a friend with a Miller PowerMIG 200 as well as a gas welding rig in his garage).

Anyway, I'll shaddup now, posting from work to kill time does make me ramble a bit.

I have never heard a loud exhaust on a 4 cylinder
that sounded good, if anyone knows of one I'd
like to hear it. All loud 4 bangers sound like rice
burning Civics

I like the way mine sounds. I run 2 inch cat back to a supertrapp. It doesnt sound all that loud but I can hear it. Its gotta be kinda loud to get the adrenaline flowing.

Mike

A few months ago I replaced my stock manifold and cat/glasspack muffler/1-3/4" tailpipe with the Calmini header, turbo muffler and tailpipe. The pipe is 2" from collector to bumper. It is slightly noisier at low speeds but, surprisingly to me, is actually quieter at highway speeds than the glasspack. I saw improved performance at all RPM's. Not that I race Mustangs, but it's easy to enjoy the power difference.

The sound is what I call "strangled exhaust" that is so common with headers and turbo mufflers on any engine. I miss the mellow "glasspack sound" ... but it runs so much better!

BTW, what improvement did you see with the cam? Whenever $$'s permit, that will probably be my next move.

Don, y'all
.

So  Don  , after a while you've grown to like your new exaust combo set up I think I remember you saying you were on the fence with the set up after you first put it in???  My next thoughts are to do either the dual cf clutch or the calmini combo exaust  :-/ when time & money permit  

So  Don  , after a while you've grown to like your new exaust combo set up I think I remember you saying you were on the fence with the set up after you first put it in???  My next thoughts are to do either the dual cf clutch or the calmini combo exaust  :-/ when time & money permit  

Yeah, I wasn't sure at first, but I got to like it. The teen agers in my apartment complex finally got used to seeing a gray bearded old f**t driving a car that sounds good to them. If I had to do it over, I think it would have cost less to get the pipes and muffler installed by a local shop with the Calmini header.

The fact that my lady friend likes it, too, helped. (Her comment: "It wants to go fast.") Her minivan is comatose until I can find out why it won't start, so she's in my "little car." She said some gen-Y guy looked at her at a light last week and grinned. I hope I can get my Zuke back!! Good grief, we're probably at least that guy's parents' age!!

Don, y'all
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I'm running the Calmini Header with 2 1/4" pipe and a Flowmaster. I have had complements on it's sound, eveh from the Kick bashing Heep drivers.

She said some gen-Y guy looked at her at a light last week and grinned. I hope I can get my Zuke back!! Good grief, we're probably at least that guy's parents' age!!

Don, y'all
.

 YEA I FOUND OUT THAT THE REASON MY WIFE WAS NOT TOTALLY ON BOARD WITH THE KICK PROJECT WAS BECAUSE I BOUGHT A STICK INSTEAD OF AUTO SO SHE WONT DRIVE IT    THAT MEANS I DONT GET STUCK WITH MOMMAS MINIVAN   HMMM I DONT THINK IT WAS INTENTIONAL  

Well got everything but the muffler so unfortunately it's going to have to wait till next weekend before I can put it in and see how it sounds.  Ended up ordering the big magnaflow though.  Looking forward to putting it in. If nothing else the Calmini header looks pretty sexy all shiny with the coating, hope it'll last.  Some of the welds look like I did em (aka someone's first day using the MIG welder) but that's ok, a little extra weld bead won't hurt.  There is a piece of the wire feed electrode off the MIG gun that somehow got stuck on the inside of one of the exhaust ports and it's welded to the inside of the tube on the very tip of the wire. The wire piece even survived the finishing, coating and shipping process.  Kinda funny but nothing a pair of pliers won't get rid of.  

So anyway I'm spending my 1 day weekend this week sleeping and looking at my mandrel U bends and header that aren't going in for another week.  

I read the destructions and they said to use a high temp silicone on the flange to head gasket surface.  Now maybe it's just me but that's going to last about 2 hours in that application, I think the copper spray stuff seems a bit more realistic, not to mention a lot easier to apply. Has anyone else actually used the silicone as directed and had it survive?

The high temp silicone should work fine. I used to work in a muffler shop and that's what we used to seal older flanges and manifolds that had small imperfections in them. Use either the high temp stuff or the copper silicone. The copper spray will work great too, but it does cost quite a bit more. If you plan on getting your collector wet alot you may want to invest in a pure copper collector gasket. I had some problems blowing my paper ones out after they had been submerged. Not any more.

Thanks Bigzook, Gonna just use the copper spray since I have an almost brand new can.  Might have to go with a copper lower gasket down on the collector though down the road.  Worst case I could always weld some vband clamp ends on it and go that route.  Vbands are pretty kick-ass anyway, just kinda spendy, but at least they usually come apart easily when you disassemble em.

This may be neither here nor there if you do your own bending, but my collector flange wasn't parallel with the ground or perpendicular with the transmission. It pointed to a point just under the middle of the gas tank. You may need to do some fine adjustment to get everything tucked up inside the chassis rails.

I used the copper RTV with no obvious problems. I needed to tighten the header nuts/bolts a few days after installation. After that, checking them will be part of an oil change.

Don, y'all
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