what is a catback?

[TheRealWave]

I want a Dynomax exhaust. I did the forum search and read all 105 topics it brought up but I still don’t understand what I need. I hear some just get a cheap 50$ muffler and some get a 400$ catback. What’s the difference? Then there are people talking about different sized pipes and needing to have special bends in them. What’s up with that?

Iv found this:
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...br=76&lastcat=
down the page for 289-17327
Camaro/Firebird 1998-00, 5.7L
and
http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...rchType%3DBoth

I don’t know what I need, but I want to do it right the first time so I want everything instead of doing little by little.

Can anyone enlighten me on what is required to get a good dynomax system? And costs?
Thanks

2002 m5 firebird

[pgriffith]

A catback is an exhaust system that includes all of the piping from the rear of your catalitic converter back. Catbacks for our cars include a Intermediat pipe(the long one that goes over the axle) , muffler, Tailpipes(pipes coming off the muffler and exit out the rear of the car, and maybee tips. A $50 muffler is a just a muffler. I got my flowmaster muffler and had some 2.5 inch tail pipes made with tips. Not a catback but it would be if it included the intermediat pipe.

[Patrick Javert]

A cat-back exhaust system is something that hooks up to your catalytic converters outlet by means of a intermediate pipe(I-Pipe), ovet the rear axle assembly to a muffler, and then out of your muffler through tips or more piping. The idea behind getting a cat-back system is to reduce the amount of backpressure that your engine has to fight to get the exhaust out, thereby freeing up horsepower. A completely done exhaust has headers(one header for each bank of cylinders), a high0flow cat. converter, and a cat-back system. look in the mods. encyclopedia on this site and check out the available exhaust upgrades there are, or you can have a custon setup made for your car.

[TheRealWave]

Thanks for clearing that up. So what catback Setup do i need to work with my car? The v8 model ones? or an older v6 model?

[ April 06, 2002: Message edited by: TheRealWave ]</p>

[TheRealWave]

Common Dynomax guys, please help me out. I know some one helped you.

[AMinor65]

I feel your pain, guy. Unfortunately, I can't tell you which dynomax catback to get because, I bought all of my parts separately. Couldn't get a straight answer either. I bought the dynomax 3 inch I-pipe from summit racing. Part numbers are 42273 and 45593. They are designed for 93-95 z28, and you need both parts. Cost around 115 shipped. 2 months later, I bought the dynomax super-turbo muffler and hooker tips from jegs for 125.67 shipped. Muffler will not come with tailpipes and is 2.5" in and out. You can get a couple of 90 degree mandrel bends for the tailpipes from JCWhitney from jegs.
I also bought the catco 2.5 in/out from summit. You can take the chance of ordering the complete catback from summit if you want, but I don't know the pipe sizes. The dynomax site has a pdf that you can download. Maybe it pipe sizes. Do your cat also, if you have at least 50,000 miles.

It's a pain in the butt to get everything, but once you get it, you won't be dissapointed. The sound and performance is well worth it. Don't worry about the 2.5 inch vs 3 inch issue, regardless of what any muffler shop may tell you. They're old school. May have mattered before the PCM days, but doesn't matter now. That's all I have. Good luck!

[ April 06, 2002: Message edited by: AMinor65 ]</p>

[99Camaro99]

so if I already have the dynomax muffler, you're telling me the only thing I'm missing for a catback is the I-pipe? also would this one little pipe actually help me free up performance? Help me out, I'm looking to upgrade real soon.

[HAZ-Matt]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by 99Camaro99:
so if I already have the dynomax muffler, you're telling me the only thing I'm missing for a catback is the I-pipe? also would this one little pipe actually help me free up performance? Help me out, I'm looking to upgrade real soon.<hr></blockquote>

Yes! The I-pipe is where the real performance increase comes from. Changing the I-pipe and leaving the stock muffler would net higher power than just changing the original muffler and leaving the stock I-pipe. Of course the best is to replace both.. that's why they make cat back systems you can buy. But you can always just buy the muffler and then have a shop fabricate a 3 inch pipe and put that in, and get the same result as buying a cat back.