[retepsnikrep]

Is the standard Insight exhaust mild steel, stainless or something else?

What is the diameter of the undercar pipework? Say from the second cat to the rear silencer.

Thanks

Peter

 

[b1shmu63]

All reports are that it is stainless. :wink: Absolutely brilliant! Stainless is lighter and doesn't rot away in a couple of years. 8)

 

[ethicalpaul]

That is fabulous if it is true, Kip.

My last car, the New Beetle, came with a factory stainless exhaust system and in 7 years, 196,000 miles, I never had to touch it.

My previous Hondas had some pipe or exhaust component rusting out every couple years (yay, Michigan).

 

[Willie Williford]

pipe

The pipe doesn't appear to cut or weld like stainless.

When I modified my exhaust, I used a std. "wire welder" without any problems.
The dia. (outside) of the pipe is 1.39" or 35 mm.

Willie

 

[ethicalpaul]

Hmm, the plot thickens.

OK then, can anyone tell me if they have ever had to replace a rusted exhaust pipe on their Insight?

 

[Frisch41]

I had to replace my system last year. The outside looked great. It was just that the insides were shot ,and making a lot of noise.

 

[ethicalpaul]

OK thanks. I see you live in IL so I am going to say that it must have been stainless. Did you have it done at a Honda dealer?

 

[Mike Dabrowski 2000]

I believe Willie is correct.
I have removed the final muffler, (Ewheel space) and had a replacement piece of pipe welded on to bring the outlet to the regular spot in the rear bumper. The exhaust shop said that the pipe was regular steel with an aluminum plating?
He was able to weld it with a standard MIG with steel wire. That would explain the internal rust and the nice looking outer surface.

 

[ethicalpaul]

OK, this keeps getting stranger

Thanks for the further info.

 

[Aaron Cake]

I believe Willie is correct.
I have removed the final muffler, (Ewheel space) and had a replacement piece of pipe welded on to bring the outlet to the regular spot in the rear bumper. The exhaust shop said that the pipe was regular steel with an aluminum plating?
He was able to weld it with a standard MIG with steel wire. That would explain the internal rust and the nice looking outer surface.

The exhaust shop may have used aluminized steel, but Honda has built the system from stainless. Stick a magnet on it (or try to stick it) and you will see.

Often, stainless is welded with regular steel wire. Stainless wire burns horribly and makes welding it up a real chore. So most exhaust shops will weld stainless with steel wire just for convenience.

 

[Mike Dabrowski 2000]

Hi Aaron
You got my curiosity going.
I just went out and stuck a magnet on the section of the exhaust that I had cut off, and it stuck strongly. Same with the muffler. 301 and some other stainless aloys are mildly magnetic, so it is still not a sure thing, but I would say it is mild steel?
My car is a 2000, they may have changed to stainless in later years?

 

[ethicalpaul]

I just ran out and tested my 06. My magnet also stuck strongly to the tailpipe, muffler, and intermediate pipe (the long one). I was going to take a picture of it, but thought better of it.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

I was going to take a picture of it, but thought better of it.

Good thinking :!: Magnet stuck to steel --- boring. :lol:

 

[jtmco]

From the Honda website:

LIGHTWEIGHT EXHAUST SYSTEM
The Insight's exhaust system incorporates several weight- and space-saving measures made possible by the IMA engine's reduced size. For example, smaller-diameter, thinner gauge pipe is used, thereby saving the weight that would be required for a larger engine. In addition, the system's smaller weight and the elimination of the exhaust header (the header is now integral with the cylinder head) allowed it to be constructed as a single unit, thus eliminating the additional weight of interconnecting exhaust flanges.


Surely if the exhaust were Stainless, Honda would brag about it.

Jim

 

[Frisch41]

OK thanks. I see you live in IL so I am going to say that it must have been stainless. Did you have it done at a Honda dealer?


Yes. After they replaced it i asked to see it and when I was shown it, i couldn't believe it. but then for yrs I drove big vic's and was used to see 75 lbs come out,not 25. of corse I dont know what kind of metal it was.

 

[b1shmu63]

After 4 winters, my exhaust still looks pristine. I just did the magnet test. Yes, the magnet is drawn strongly to the exhaust, and mildly to our SS sink, but it is dran stongly to our SS cutlery, and strongly to my Swiss army knife. The cutlery hasn't rusted in over 30 years, and no one here has reported a rusty muffler yet.

I'm still guessing stainless. The fact that Honda did not mention stainless is one more proof that they never intended to sell a lot of them. Sigh. Like the multi coil ignition, stainless exhausts are not a new idea, so Honda could hardly claim this as a technical innovation.

 

[ethicalpaul]

I looked on the new beetle pages of VW and I couldn't see where they mentioned they were stainless either.

Absence of a positive statement is not proof of the negative.

 

[Mike Dabrowski 2000]

I will cut off a piece of the pipe that was removed with the muffler, put it in some salt water, and report back in a week or so.
That should answewr the bigger question which is will it rust out.

 

[b1shmu63]

Good idea, perhaps warm it too and put a piece of regular exhaust pipe in there for control.

 

[Lee]

The Insight exhaust is stainless steel, as are all Honda exhaust systems (in the US) from the early ‘90’s on. This is not so much of a big deal as most (good) automakers have been using stainless for some time. Even motorcycles and ATVs use it.

For your test include a section that has a weld in it. My Civic had an exhaust failure last year, one of the pipes broke at a weld where it had rusted. It would have been a simple R&R of the pipe section but I drove over the end of the pipe loading the car on to my trailer and tore up the muffler. But at 200K+ miles I can’t complain.