It has been a long time since I've posted, thought I should pick up the slack and document the latest modification done to the good old Accord. This latest addition is downpipe and it is also known as the "J-pipe" because of its shape, it is something I have always wanted ever since my previous 2003 Accord V6 and have finally gotten my hands on one after all these years.
So what's the hype? Well, like all exhaust aftermarket parts, the goal is to reduce/minimize flow restrictions and in my opinion the bottleneck for Honda's J-series engines have always been this downpipe. As you can see below a side by side comparison between the OEM and a RV6 aftermarket j-pipe, it is clear the stock pipe has a less than desired way to merge one of the exhaust output to the main pipe; The aftermarket pipe on the other hand smooths out the bend and you get a bonus catalytic converter delete for added flow. This is the 3rd cat in the entire exhaust system (with two upstream of this J-pipe, one on each bank), so this deletion will not cause foul exhaust smell, nor will it introduce a lot of noise.
I went with a used ATLP because 1) it was a lucky find in the classified, so it is local and it is in very good condition, 2) general community consent is that RV6 rasps, so the choice is pretty much made for me. What about performance you say? Well, since I am only changing the J-pipe, the full benefit/drawbacks will not be fully observed so I just went with whatever is available.
Results, finally. I am really pleased with this part. It drives/sound like stock in normal driving but the car roars and takes off with minor torque steer if you go beyond 4000 rpm at WOT. Since it is fall/winter when I got it installed, the weather has not allowed for a good chance for me to take a video or do some decent audio recording. I'm less motivated to do so now also because I had just gotten myself a Ktuner and plan do all the audio/video documentation all in one go. But for now, you can listen to the cold start up in the video below.
