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What exhaust should i run for a 2013 wrx sedan

7K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  racerx1986 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a 2013 wrx and want to get a catback exhaust... I want a nice sound and more performance... I want the rumble to be projected, Wanting the best exhaust for the money, I already have a cobb cold air intake but idk if i need a tune to add that and a catback? I see a CNT catback exhaust.. Should i trust that brand without a tune?
 
#2 ·
If you already have a cold air intake you NEED a tune. CAT back exhausts in and of themselves dont add any power but a proper tune will. If you are intending to make more volume and a bit more power pickup a turbo back exhaust like the cobb unit and you can run their stage 2 +SF tune from the Cobb accessport.
 
#3 ·
As stated above, a catback exhaust will not add performance to your car. It does not require a tune.

As far as CNT Catback, I happen to run one on my 08 WRX (I went with the quad tip blued exhaust for my hatch). It's a great exhaust, significantly less expensive than other options but the craftsmanship is terrific for the price. The welds are very clean tig welds (obviously back-shielded with gas during manufacturing as they should), the heat affected zone is minimal so the welder knows what they're doing.

The metal was a quality polish and finish. The bluing has held up for a year of driving in a VERY harsh environment.... my car is parked outside, is always driven in snow and gravel and across a mountain pass.

Fitment was great, it was a direct fit (even though my year required modification of the plastic splitter since it was a single exit design). It bolted up to my downpipe of a different brand with no issues.

The only thing I did not really like was the bolts that came with it and also the gaskets... but not enough to get different ones and the truth is they held up just fine so far with no leaks or any other issues.

Also as stated above, you HAVE to tune for your intake. Your car car compensate for the errors in the MAF readings (which are affected by tube diameter and shape of the new intake) in closed loop mode (under NO boost)... however your car is hard programmed to give a specific amount of fuel in open fuel mode (under boost) based on the MAF reading. This means your AFR (amount of fuel going into motor) is off.
This can either be
-Not Great (if you're running rich) as you're actually losing a little bit of power and your exhaust will have soot coming out and you *could* foul up your plugs faster
-Really Bad (if you're running lean), you will be more prone to knock aka detonation
-Even Worse (if you're doing both in different areas of the MAF range).
 
#6 ·
If you run a stock intake and a CAT Back exhaust system you do NOT need to tune but you will see NO POWER GAINS either. I dont know where some of these companies get off writing power gains on muffler boxes but there will be no power gains other than on your butt dyno because you drive the car harder when it sounds better : )
 
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