July 15th, 2010 | 
Author: Your exhaust system may consist of a manifold, and a series of pipes, muffler(s), catalytic converter and exhaust tip, all designed to scavenge the hot exhaust gases from your engine out to the open air.
Many of these parts will need replacement over the life of your car. There are a variety of aftermarket companies that manufacture some or all of these components as replacement parts.
One of the most confusing seems to be the term cat-back system. It is actually a very straight forward idea, but the name may not be understood. As part of the exhaust system in most cars in America is a special device called a catalytic converter. This device is designed to remove harmful chemicals in the exhaust steam, buy converting them to other less harmful products. The catalytic converter or cat is required in all 50 states, and it is illegal to drive a car without one.
So the term cat-back refers to all parts of the exhaust system between the outlet of the catalytic converter or cat and the outside air. This usually means a series of pipes, one or more mufflers, and perhaps exhaust tips.
When you have to replace your cat-back system you have many choices. The simplest is to go to a new car dealer and buy the exact same equipment that came with your car. This is fine for most drivers. However, there are some people who are looking for something beyond the stock system.
They may be interested in more power, a deeper sound, a longer lasting system or something that has more eye appeal. You can find combinations of these or systems that offer all of these attributes.
The best cat-back systems are made with stainless steel and have a lifetime warranty. In this category you can find systems with less restrictive mufflers. These mufflers will regain some lost horsepower that the stock muffler took, because of its internal design and the backpressure it developed. Some are called “glasspacks” and others are “straight through” designs. You can also find systems that lower the sound frequency and give you a deep sound that is not normally found on the typical four or six cylinder engine. And of course you can find systems that have a giant tail pipe tip. It looks impressive, but for practical terms does not do much for your car.
Shop around and look for brands that offer some or all of these features. Keep with the name brands and you will not go wrong.
Dennis Dater has been involved with cars for over 50 years. His first love was sports cars when he drove a 1952 MG to high school.
He has produced over 40 articles for EzineArticles on cars, and almost a hundred on his web sites.
His two web sites are designed for Honda Accord aftermarket accessories.
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