Ok, i know i am new, but please dont flame. I have been seaching around and getting alot of my questions answered. But i do still have a few questions unanswered.

How easy are headers, cat back exhaust, and SRI to install assuming i have basically no expirenece or prior knowledge of engines?

Will i see a noticable difference in the way my car picks up and continues with the 3 parts above installed? (i have an 02 ES auto.)

How much, on average, would it cost to get the 3 parts above installed by a professional?

Do most mechanics know how to program an ECU (i am clueless as to how to install/program)?

With a short Ram Intake, do i need (or could i use) the K&N air filter and how easy is it to take off and clean?

With a cat back exhaust, do i need (or could i get to make it better) a catalytic converter?

Once again, please dont flame and thanks for the help in advanced!!!

 

those 3 mods really don't have much to do with the engine itself so you'd be fine. it's simple unbolting and bolting back on parts. there is the infamous top left nut when installing the header that may or may not be a pain. in my case, i had no problems.

i can't answer whether this'll work much for an auto. don't have one. having a torque converter and 4 gears is a power drainer in itself.

install will usually just be at a mechanics hourly rate so it'll depend on the shop.

if you mean by ECU that you mean tuning a fuel management system, no. a normal mechanic will not know how to do this. you will have to go to a performance shop to have this done, most preferrably with a dynomometer.

most intakes do use a k&n or k&n "style" filter. very easy to take off and clean, but you need a day cuz it will need time to dry. no heat gun or the filter material might shrink.

you can get a high flow cat to replace the stock one at just about any size you want.

 

Well also being an auto owner I can tell give you some tips...
With just a short ram you will se a (slight) noticable difference. You will feel a nice change at 3500 RPMs and defenate one at 4000 RPMs. You will also get a new sound to your engine which is good.

A short ram is easy to install. Take off 6 screws and your mostly done. The only "major" problem that you might run in to is the last 2 screws stripping the plastic they are holding on to making you lose torque with your ratchet!
You do not need to get a short ram installed by a professional! At very most its a hour and 45 minute job and thats if you have to go and look for your tools.

Headers are also a DIY. Everything I read seemend easy. The only problem people had was with the 4th bolt which some innovative thinking solved

An exhasut may be a different story. You can DIY but it may be a little hard with the cat bolts needing a lot of torque and you might need to get the car on jacks. If you don't have those tools (which I am assuming you don't because you are just getting into working on your car) you might have to pay some change to get it put on.

You will see a change wit those parts put on but nothing like "OMG! This is GREAT!"

Installed by a professional?...don't do it! You miss out on learning about your car and they are going to rip you. Try and make a friend who knows about cars and get their help or advise if you need it. Besides you have us here to help...

"Do most mechanics know how to program an ECU (i am clueless as to how to install/program)?" I don't know...but Our ECUs can't be flashed like that. Get a RRM Piggy back instead.

With a RRM Short Ram they give you a K&N filter. Its easy to clean because all you have to do is use the recharging kit which cost around $20. Its really easy to take off the filter. 1 minute tops! And thats if you start the timer while sitting in the drivers seat with the screw driver in your hand!

"With a cat back exhaust, do i need (or could i get to make it better) a catalytic converter?"
Ummm...I don't think so. A catback exhaust gets rid of the cat. Lancers have 2 cats one on the exhaust and one on the "header" Getting rid of that second cat is what helps give that extra HP because the fumes can get out quicker.

 

These are fairly simple installs. 15-30 minutes for the intake, no more than an hour each on the catback and headers. And that's a generous figure based on me taking my sweet time (reading directions, correcting mistakes, going peepee because I forgot to go BEFORE I got my hands greasy)

A shop will charge you too much imo. I'd bet $200-300 total for all of them, which is rediculous for what a newbie can do in a few hours.

 

to make a correction on what he's saying, the catback DOES NOT replace the catalytic converter, nor does it get rid of it. The catback replaces the exhaust components from the muffler to the cat, but not including the cat. on the other hand, there are two catalytic converters on the lancer, one within the header, and the other in plain view, connected to the downpipe.

to answer the OP's last question, visit RRM's website and you'll see that they have a testpipe and a hi-flow cat that you can buy to replace the cat connected to the downpipe. because they have a more free-flowing design, you will have a small increase in top end

 

your much better with doing everything yourself...theres nothing better then learning about your car first hand....plus its much cheaper to do things yourself...

 

Hey i had aquestion about the two Cats. if you get rid of the lower one past the flex pipe are you not going to pass smog? Has anyone run into this at federal smog only test place?

 

You won't pass smog in California, that's for sure. I'm not sure what federal only is, but the only way I think you can get out of Ca smog rules while living in Ca is if you're in the military temporarily stationed there. Not sure what the rules are for that.

 

i always thought ripping the headders off the ENGINE would be a tough process.. somehow i dont want to mess that up... seeing as if i do that wrong.. the egine blows up.. i have no car... then i cry...

 

headers are easy . . . all except that top left nut >=) and no your engine wont blow up no matter what you do to the header.

 

Ok i guess i can ask this here.. so the exhaust system consists, in order,

headers
2nd cat
downpipe (pipe connecting headers and 1st cat)
1st cat (which can be replaced w/ hi flow)
catback exhaust (including muffler)


do i have it right? is the 2nd cat inside the header or what? (ie if i replace the header will i be removing the cat)
thanks!

 

yes, if you replace manifold with header the cat is removed.

 

meaning, i live in ca, so i cant get a better header then huh

 

was i right about the order of the exhaust system too?

 

i also would like to know this knowledge. i dont think a smog place would spot something like this unless they were looking for it. So if i got a high flow cat then would that help with performance or because there is a stock cat in there too then that would defeat the perpose of the high flow cat?