Topic: Cat back exhaust?

[snaponbob]

Also Tazz, $375 + $30 shipping may seem a little expensive, but consider this.  They did extensive testing to make sure the new Cat doesn't throw any codes which is very important.  Also, if I remember correctly, the Solo Cat will also pass emission testing (if you have to pass those in your state).  You can check with Solo on that to make sure though, as I'm not 100% of the emissions part.

All things considered, that's a good price for what you get!

  To add to this, $375 is actually quite modest for a low production high quality well executed cat. And unlike MagnaFlow, Jeff is easy to talk and deal with. He DESERVES the money!! 

[LatinVenom]

My only statement to the above is as follow and please do not misunderstand what I am trying to say.
The GM engineers setup the car and did extensive testing using what is on the car.
My GXP has a Magnaflow 2.5, because I wanted to get a better flow but keep the parameters the GM engineers tested.
I wish my car would have been Dyno in Orlando after the installation of the BTF KO4 Turbo with the Upgraded wheel.
Again same turbo but with more flow. The other change is the Air filter a K&N for getter flow.
Why do this, because the ECM programing although it can be manipulated it has not been extensively re programmed.
What would my numbers had been on the Dyno that BLACKSKY was tuned on.
His car is the opposite of mine. 3" exhaust, high flow cat, IC, and his number at 300RWHP. It could be higher but because of the programming limitation of 255KPA it can not get much higher.
So would my car also make the 300RWHP with all the stock pieces and the stock modifications.?
I do agree with no reservations that ALL the better modifications will end up giving much higher numbers, but I think they are limited by our ECM programming.

[Critterman]

One way to find out LV, drive back and put her on the dyno.  We would all be interested in seeing if there is a difference.

[snaponbob]

When it comes to IF there is a benefit of a 3" exhaust (of a specific manufacturer) and a 2.5" system (from the SAME manufacturer), swapping the systems on the SAME car on the same day with the same dyno should answer that. Absent the cost of an extra exhaust system and the time involved, conventional wisdom vs. debatable butt dyno results should hold some weight. HOW we can be assured of the correctness of that wisdom is a problem. BUT, if one accepts that exhaust back pressure is GENERANALLY not a good thing it is easy to at least get answers about exhaust back pressure on the LNF. (It is understood that a TOO large exhaust may be bad as well.)

There IS a fairly easy method of determining exhaust back pressure. Exhaust back pressure testers are relatively cheap. They screw into the down stream 02 sensor location. Using two LNF cars with same vendor exhaust (i.e. MagnaFlow 2.5" and MF 3" systems), install the testers, check the pressures at idle and 5000 rpm (in neutral) and compare. The cars don't have to be anywhere near each other as this sort of test is for showing obvious differences vs. small differences. Sort of like a compression test vs. a leak down test. If the diffrences are very small then it is dyno time with one car and two exhausts. If the numbers are small at idle and multiple PSI different at 5000 RPM then there may be a dyno difference as well. Based on how my RL felt after a downpipe install WITHOUT a tune, I can say with great confidence that the LNF rewards reduced back pressure. That said, a well known vendor once e-mailed me that he saw, on his dynos, that a stock LNF exhaust with the muffler cut off produced more power than ANY 3" system (even his) produced but that he couldn't make any money selling that knowledge. (While I DO believe that to be true on the 2.4, let's just say I "filed" that and left my 3" system on the can. )

Just my  worth.

[spicy3480]

Kwale is right on all accounts.  BTW, even the Magnaflow 3" exhaust system has a 2.5" front end.  It is reduced to fit over the stock CAT.  Jeff from Solo sold me a true 3" front end of the exhaust because the Magnaflow one didn't quite cover the larger exit of the new Solo CAT. 

Here are some pics of a magnaflow front end.  Notice the reduced area.



Here is the magnaflow next to a Solo exhaust front end.



You can see that the flare is bigger on the Solo.

I'm upgrading because once I added the Magnaflow and Solo CAT combination, I had some drone in 5th at 55.  Not a good spot for it either.  I had to shift to 4th to get rid of the drone.

Get the Solo Mach and CAT together as a package.  It is well worth the money and you will be very pleased with the sound and performance.

This is the most popular combination of SOLO products...the MACH and HF cat.  The sound is not too loud and the power is still there.  The Street Race with the HF cat is the loudest combination, but yields slightly more power from the elimination of a muffler.

[DeepBlueGXP]

My only statement to the above is as follow and please do not misunderstand what I am trying to say.
The GM engineers setup the car and did extensive testing using what is on the car.
My GXP has a Magnaflow 2.5, because I wanted to get a better flow but keep the parameters the GM engineers tested.
I wish my car would have been Dyno in Orlando after the installation of the BTF KO4 Turbo with the Upgraded wheel.
Again same turbo but with more flow. The other change is the Air filter a K&N for getter flow.
Why do this, because the ECM programing although it can be manipulated it has not been extensively re programmed.
What would my numbers had been on the Dyno that BLACKSKY was tuned on.
His car is the opposite of mine. 3" exhaust, high flow cat, IC, and his number at 300RWHP. It could be higher but because of the programming limitation of 255KPA it can not get much higher.
So would my car also make the 300RWHP with all the stock pieces and the stock modifications.?
I do agree with no reservations that ALL the better modifications will end up giving much higher numbers, but I think they are limited by our ECM programming.

Back pressure on the Solstice was engineered that way for emissions.    If you want to increase power and torque, then get rid of the 2.5"   

Go-N Def and I had dyno runs on the same day, his car with the Solo Street Race, mine with the 3" Magnaflow and he had 12 more HP to the wheels.