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Ok, my civic has a cracked exhaust manifold. I started to notice this when I would let my car warm up and de-frost before going to work. Everytime I get in, there is a strong exhaust odor.

Last week I ran some Seafoam through the fuel and intake to help clean the engine and fuel system out. After flooding the engine out with it, I started it a few minutes later as it said to. I noticed that there was quite aot of smoke coming from below the manifold cover. I looked closer and there is a nice crack about an inch or so above the O2 sensor. There was also smoke coming from behind the manifold.

Also (more noticible before norm operating temp), when you're outside the car and someone starts off/accelerates, there is a very noticible click/puff noise coming from the car (around engine compartment). I've always thought it just needed a valve adjustment because its got 81000 mi. on it now. I wonder if its mostly an exhaust leak I'm hearing.

My questions.. Its a 2001 LX Sedan. What is this thing made of? Is it Steel or Cast? I'm going to remove it and have my brother weld it or braze it in the case its cast. I've also considered trying to find a mid-range set of headers but I can't seem to find any that are compatible with the LX model. They are all EX only.

 
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honda engines are forged aluminum i believe, the manifold i tihnk is cast iron adn the exhaust is steel, but hte block and head i beleive is forged aluminum.

 
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I bought the Car from a guy almost a year ago. He put a AEM Cold-Air Intake and new exhaust from the CAT down. I don't know the brand of the muffler (there are 2 side-by-side that loop back through) but all the pipes look like they're stainless. I would like the get a header if possible. Do you know of any headers that will work with the 2001 LX Sedan? All this crap started last summer when I got submarined under a mercury mountaineer. It didn't hit the exhaust, but maybe the impact increased the crack.

 
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well i'm not that familiar with lx exhaust's, i have an ex, but the only difference is my cat is under the car. so all u would do is get everything for the ex and just extend the 02 sensors. u can get headers from just about any aftermarket car place u can think of. i thikn that exhaust yur talkign bout is TCS but i am not sure.

 
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Ya, its TCS. I will have to check into this EX setup and see what I can do. Its legal to change it like that as long as there is a CAT right? Thanks for the info.

 
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hey.....u can get header from OBX and HP some people got problems with HP but they do make them for the LX 100% bolt on!

 
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All the headers I've searched for online are EX only. I'm just going to go to an exhaust shop and see what they think can be done about this problem. LX civics suck a mean one, you can't get anything for them. If I had money I would drop a different engine in and turbo it because LX models sucks. I should have done a little research before I bought this car. Oh well...

 
Rep Power: 813

LX does not suck. It has different advantages.

--no vtec, but more low end torque than ex.
--lower compression, which is better for turbo in the future
--cat is in the header piece, but replacing it will give much more gain

If you're in a state without emissions standards, have you thought about a full replacement like kamikaze?

www.bigjoshracing.com

 
Rep Power: 310

I would let a place like Midas or Mienike Fix it up...
It's mostly labor, so if you go when it's really slow and pay cash
You can haggle with em =)
Shop around too. don't just get it done at the first shop.