Megan Cat-back exhaust on 2GNT: Review and Advice
I recently bought a Megan Racing cat-back exhaust from an ebay store called Tuningpros. The kit was packaged without any packing foam or pellets, but after checking for dings and scratches, the few I saw were negligable. The install took more time than I expected because of rusted bolts and a slight bolt fitment problem, but with the right advice, anyone could install this in about 2 hours with a little help from a friend.
Fitment:
This kit is labeled as a universal fit for 95-99 NT Eclipses, and my application was on a 97 Eclipse RS. The kit fit well, but it had its errors. The bolt holes in the new pipe were maybe 1 millimeter smaller than the bolts from the cat, so I had to use a 1/2" drill bit to bore it out just a bit, after that, it fit right on. All other bolts and bends fit and contoured well, but one of the hangers was off by about an inch. I have not worried about it much though because the kit is very sturdy without it.
Quality:
Ive seen very few reviews on Megan Racing parts, but the majority of the items were well recieved. The fitment problems were very negligable in my eyes because they were things that could be ignored or easily fixed, and the sound made up for it. Many exhaust systems you hear on the roads tend to have an aggressive tone when idling, but a "ricey" weed-eater like tone when up in the RPMs. This kit stays aggressive all the way around.
Performance:
Although just a cat-back system, it did seem to give a little more to my cars top end. Because I have never dyno'ed my car, I cannot give any numbers, but I can give an honest opinion. This kit flows well (no obstructions, completely glass pack muffled), and will really let your engine breathe in the top end.
Overall:
Im absolutely happy with this investment. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking specifically for that agressive tone through the RPMs or just a little more bang for a good price and easy installation.
Advice:
Your going to probably run into a lot of problems with rust on the old bolts, so I suggest having a can of WD-40 and a wire brush on hand. Dont cut anything, you will need a lot of the old bolts and such. For removing rusted bolts, spray a bit of WD-40 on the bolts and scrub the threads and any places where metal meets metal with the wire brush. Do this twice and that should be sufficient enough to break the them free. Also, removing the old muffler and putting in the new one is kind of like playing Tetris on a very high level. In the end, I found some what of a trick to getting them. The place where the muffler pipe bolts to the pipe before it, is shaped like an arrow. If your working from the rear of the car (for perspective), angle the arrow so the opening of the pipe is facing up and the arrow is pointing to the right rear tire and the fitting should slip right through the small crevice.
Hopefully this will help someone who is looking around for it.
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