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View Full Version : NA stock s14 exhaust: BRM vs HKS Hi-Power?


ironsung
09-15-2007, 03:13 PM
it's time for me to replace my stock exhaust (got inspection next month but i have a leak)... i've made up my mind on either brm or hks hipower... but i was wondering a few things... i'm interested in 2.5" catback with resonator, i live in nj where the weather is bad... and have a stock 97 240sx... i dont know if i wanna turbo in the future (im leaning towards it.. but im broke.. so no 3" ??).... i was concerned about couple things... specifically the piping diameter to choose, the rust/corrosion resistence of aluminized vs SS in new jersey conditions - and whether one's worth it over another, and the price to quality ratio.

i have mixed reviews about aluminized vs stainless steel. originally, i opted for SS becuase of the bad weather here (less-rustable, salt, snow.. etc)... but now im thinkin about the aluminized... im worried about the rust and price mainly... heres my situation.. i dont have much money (my budget is around 400-450 range) and i dont want anything else but either of these two. brm's have a choice of full ss or aluminized catbacks, while the hi-power only comes with aluminized pipes. ive heard many opinions that, since the hi-power exhaust is aluminized - and that it is the same basic material used on oem exhausts, that they'll rust/corrode alot faster than the SS's. on the flip side, people also say that it wont rust for a
while (at least 5 years they say)... mind you i live in nj. i mean... when will it start to rust? is it that much worse to get aluminized? i know the SS's are a bit lighter... but is it worth taht much? (like 100 bux extra for the brms)...

BRM
if i were to get brm... 2.5" aluminized piping for $330, plus $70 for 14", 18", or 22" resonator choice, plus $30 for a 4" single chrome or dual 2.5" chrome tips... for a total of 330+70+30= $430... note taht this price does not include shipping costs. i'd imagine around $60-80 for shipping... so you're gonna pay around $500 shipped.
2.5" stainless steel piping is ($430 piping)+($70 resonator) + ($30 chrome tip) = $530 plus shipping should be around $600 shipped..... this is definately not in my price range.. perhaps i have no choice of SS vs aluminized at this point..

HKS Hi-Power
if i were to get the hi-power... only 2.5" is available for n/a motors... so i would have to get 2.5, and aluminized.... not much choice there... no choice in resonator size as compared with the brms... btw does anyone know the resonator size for the 2.5 aluminized NA Hi-Power exhaust? i've found prices for as low as $370.51 plus $60.00 shipping... for a total of 370.51+60= $430.51 shipped from ebay user: performanceracingonline .... anyone deal with this guy before? is he reliable/ legit?


additional questions:
- it's my understanding that both catbacks are street legal and pass NJ inspection on a stock motor.. correct me if im wrong..
- is there a protective spray coating or anything similar that i can put on my aluminized exhaust to protect it more?

at this point... after reviewing what i wrote.. it seems as though i have no choice but to go for the hks hi-power (2.5" aluminized)... given my conditions..

thanks for reading/listening... please reply with any advice/comments/criticizms... etc... what do you guys think i should go
for and why?

dvdevo
09-16-2007, 02:12 AM
in my experience BRM cost a crap load of money. If i were to spend that much (~$500ish.) AGAIN, i wouldnt go with BRM again. Get the hks hi-power, i swear i read stuff about the hi-power being a good exhaust, but you'd have to search for that. But for me, for the past 2 exhausts(2 different cars), I just went to a exhaust shop and had an exhaust made. If you want an advice on should you buy an exhaust or not, I say save your money and get some suspension + wheels. I regret buying an exhaust as my first mod back then so pointless.

fliprayzin240sx
09-16-2007, 05:47 AM
HKS hi-power is a good exhaust. Not too loud for NA if yo get the 2.5 non-turbo application.

Jung918
09-16-2007, 10:48 AM
You have some of your facts skewd.
"Hi-Power Exhaust systems are made from SUS304 stainless steel muffler and tip assemblies." (hksusa.com)

"All of our systems are manufactured individually by hand of the highest quality stainless steel or aluminized steel." (brmexhaust.com)

"Stainless steel resist corrosion and flame erosion (burnout) but is expensive, difficult to weld and more importantly, has a relatively low heat transfer ability. Stainless steel has about 1/4 the heat transfer ability of carbon or aluminized steel. Stainless steel also has a high coefficient of thermal expansion which means that it is more likely to warp and get out of shape when it is heated.

Carbon steel will rust and may be subject to flame erosion over a long period but it is less expensive and is a lot easier to cut and weld. Carbon steel sheets and tubes may be three times thicker than stainless steel, yet still less expensive and have better heat transfer characteristics than stainless. Some of the higher stack temperatures we have measured have been with all stainless steel heat exchangers.

Aluminized steel is just carbon steel with a thin coating of aluminum to resist rust. This is the same material automobile mufflers and tail pipes are made of and has a long record of good service in high temperature applications." (http://www.tifton.uga.edu/tobacco/metals.htm)

No none of the exhausts that you mentioned is aluminum. Your best bet is to just get the stainless and call it a day. As far as coatings go, I don't think it is worth it to get anything professional done as the cost is not cheap. If anything, you can spray paint it with high temp paint to help protect it from the elements.

ironsung
09-16-2007, 06:18 PM
No none of the exhausts that you mentioned is aluminum. Your best bet is to just get the stainless and call it a day. As far as coatings go, I don't think it is worth it to get anything professional done as the cost is not cheap. If anything, you can spray paint it with high temp paint to help protect it from the elements.

Thank you for your input.

I made the distinction that brm has full ss catback (which includes SS midpipes w/resonator, SS muffler and tip) while the hks hi-power has aluminized piping (midpipes and resonator). But i do see that i did not say anything about the muffler/tip material in the hks... my bad for that. Perhaps this is the reason why you thought i had my facts skewd. I just forgot to say... besides it's clearly indicated by the pictures on the hi-power catback that the muffler/tip is SS while the piping is aluminized. my concern was the piping - aluminized hks hi-power midpipes vs the SS brm midpipes.

Because of my budget.. im really leaning towards the hks hi-power.
Are tehre anything else i can do myself (without professional help) to help protect the midpipes, besides the high temp paint?

btw jung.. hanguk in? also... is your major mechanical engineering?

thanks again

Jung918
09-17-2007, 12:46 AM
"All HKS exhaust systems are engineered for high-performance and durability. Each bolt-on system features high-quality mandrel bent, bake-coated aluminized steel piping and application specific muffler assemblies to maximize horsepower and torque gains." (http://hksusa.com/categories/?id=1071)

I can see why you think that the piping is aluminized. In otherwords, the companies you mentioned use cheap mild steel and simply coat it to resist rust. So you don't need to worry about coating it. However, you can coat it if it makes you sleep at night. I would be more worried about the rust on the chassis. It's easier to change an exhaust then a body panel
.
When I first read your post, it seemed odd that those companies would use aluminum. First, aluminum is much more expensive them steel. Just another way for those companies to cut costs. Second, it is difficult to weld stainless to aluminum. They also expand at different temperatures which could lead to cracks in the future.

I would also recommend the 85mm HKS piping. Lets say you don't go turbo in the future. No loss. What happens when you do go turbo? Then you will have to get another exhaust.

I'm korean but I am getting a business degree. I'm working on brining a japanese company over to the states.

b4racing
09-17-2007, 01:38 AM
Get the silvia hi power and call it a day.

Addicted2Kouki
09-17-2007, 01:49 AM
exhaust is an exhaust. mostly visual.
getting one will only change how your car will sound.

and depending on your piping, a slight change in performance.



in other words.....get whatever works.

babowc
09-17-2007, 10:41 AM
Exhaust is overrated.

Just get anything cheap and call it a day, because in the end, all it'll do is get the exhaust gases out the ass end of your car. Thats it, unless you want bling under your car where noone can see...

Plenty ssac/ebay stuff have minimal bends for better flow characteristics.

ironsung
09-26-2007, 07:52 PM
alright guys... after mad thinking.. im going for the 2.5" hks hi power.. ima pick it up from 240sxmotoring.com.. thanks for all the input... it really helped alot