Muffler/exhaust questions

[rjbaren]

My engine is now on the Dyno at PHP Racengines.  I bought a stainless header from SJSportscars.  I still have the original muffler which was not very rusty so I put it on the wire wheel and hit it with some muffler paint.  I took it to the engine shop to see how much HP loss there might be using the muffler and the shop owner took one look inside and said no way, the muffler will not breath adequately.  It also weighs 11 pounds.
What are you guys running for mufflers? 
The shop owner also suggests I get the header ceramic coated.  Has anyone else ceramic coated a header?
Thank you.

[BDA]

I would suggest a stainless steel muffler. I've heard good things about Magnaflow. I think one of the biggest considerations is the port size. You probably want the ports on the muffler to match your exhaust. Sorry, I don't have an opinion about ceramic coating.

[JR73]

Ceramic coating is worth having done imo, better to have it done to a decent quality header that you are confident is worth adding the coating to though as it can be quite expensive to have done.

Done properly it actually does all the things it is meant to do(!) so you get the benefits from the cost and if you look after it then it also lasts pretty well too.

Worth checking how close the headers run to each other as well as how tight a fit the 4 into 1 collector is onto the headers as adding the coating can make things even tighter if it's all a bit close/tight to start with - nothing worse than having to remove some of the nice new coating to get it all to go back together....

[Pfreen]

I have a Magnaflow muffler p/n 11134.  It is a straight through, I would call, a glass pack design.   I can't imagine any muffler would have less restriction.  It is not real quiet, but not crazy noisy either.

As far as ceramic coating, I had a set of RD headers ceramic coated.   However, the ceramic coating did not last long until it started to rust.  My steel headers I have now,  old steel ones from RS Engineering, I wrapped with header wrap.  They look great and it definitely reduced under hood temperatures.

I know some people have had good luck with ceramic coating, just not me.

[Clifton]

I bought a Magnaflo and a Borla Pro XS. The Borla weighed less, I returned the Magnaflo. Both are stainless and straight through.  If you like it quiter and go with a Magnaflow. I would run the longest one you can.

[literarymadness]

I am running a Borla Type S (round). It is very light and has a much more aggressive sound. 

[surfguitar58]

+ 1 for Magnaflow. Plenty loud when you punch it, Tasteful but not obnoxious rumble in idle and normal driving.
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[Certified Lotus]

I have a custom Power Flow Exhaust system on my TC Europa. It’s all SS and made in the UK (in the town of Hethel were Lotus is located). As my engine was built by Quicksilver Racing I wanted the best header design and silencer design for this 147 HP engine. It performs the way it’s supposed to and sounds great. Here is a walk around video with the engine running:

https://youtu.be/dlaZESDiYes

And a video of just the engine running:

https://youtu.be/lS0AfcUOkK0

Regarding ceramic coating, I typically coat all my headers on my rebuilds but didn’t have it done on my Europa as there was plenty of airflow around the headers to keep them cool. As all SS rusts after a number of heat cycles, I should have had it ceramic coated.

I’m in the midst of sending out my SS headers for my 05 Elise to Jet Hot to be ceramic coated. It’s costs $225 for a typical small header.

In my 64 Elan S1 with a Quicksilver Racing built engine the Jet Hot ceramic coated header reduced the engine bay temp by 30 degrees (you can barely see the black Jet Hot coated header in the Elan engine bay picture, but it shows how tight the fit is and how important it was to reduce engine bay temp).  Plus the header will never rust and is far better than wrapping the header. 

I also had the custom 2bular headers ceramic coated by Jet Hot for both my Lotus Exige S track cars (see attached photo of engine with the rear clam off). I’m a big fan of ceramic coating as it works extremely well in reducing engine bay heat load and protecting the finish of very expensive headers.

With regard to ceramic coating not lasting, it’s important to note that you need to have the headers coated when new. I’ve only ever used Jet Hot and never had a problem with their coatings under pretty severe heat loads of track cars.

[Pfreen]

Exhaust wraps are much better insulators than ceramic coating. That is because they are much thicker than the ceramic coatings. They are also much cheaper than ceramic coating.  I used DEI titanium exhaust wrap.  The appearance of wrap vs ceramic coating is of course a personal preference.  I have read that wrap can accelerate exhaust manifold rusting due to trapping water.  I have not had that problem.

[Certified Lotus]

I would agree with Pfreen that header wraps are better insulators. I personally don’t like the look of them and they do require some maintenance (if you drive your car in the rain or get it wet from washing your car).

Here is some reading on the subject:

https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-tech/exhaust/header-wrap-what-you-should-know/

[jbcollier]

Just a quick comment, engine compartment temperature is a huge issue in any mid-engine car, and Europas especially.  Air circulation is inadequate and, worse, there is significant air recirculation.  S1s and S2s with the open rear panel are the most problematic. Anything you can do to reduce or redirect engine compartment heat is worth pursuing.