Micro Image center exhaust...

[tooter]

Today was a totally fun day because I got to visit Jeff at Micro Image to take a look at their really cool axle back center exit exhaust...

...and I went home with one. :smile:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_5993.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_5995.jpg

It's 2.25 pounds heavier than the stock exhaust. One reason is that the tubing is a lot larger. The muffler is a small oval 2 1/4 inch offset port Magna Flow Performance muffler.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_5996.jpg

the ground clearance is superb as the whole exhaust tucks so nicely up inside the car without anything hanging down, and without anything touching anything else that it shouldnt touch.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_5998.jpg

I sprayed the whole thing BBQ black (a personal favorite:wink:) so that none of the exhaust would show up except just the edges of the stainless steel twin tips.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_5999.jpg

I really like the simple unobtrusive look with as little of the exhaust visible as possible.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_6001.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_6004.jpg

It utilizes the stock spring bolts and comes with matching nuts as the stock nuts are flash welded onto the flange that was removed along with the original exhaust.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_6006.jpg

The flat oval muffler fits well and lays parallel to the ground.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_6007.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_6008.jpg

It has an understated look which I find very appealing. The exhaust uses the two original rubber donuts and lines up perfectly with them when the spring bolts are snugged down. The third mount on the twin tip is a self tapping screw with a small angled bracket that you attach to the crash bar behind the bumper. I just used a little piece of wire to attach the third donut to that angle bracket as there's very little room to work there. It hardly needs to support any weight, because almost all the weight is on the two stock donuts. It's just used to slightly adjust the height of the tip.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_6009.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_6010.jpg

...and it sounds even better than it looks. :smile:

It's basically silent at idle and you couldn't tell it from the sound of the stock exhaust. Running it has a rich mellow tone with absolutely no raspy ricey overtones. On deceleration it has a pleasant burble like a small European 60's sports car. You really hear it when you step on the gas, but even then it still retains its rich deep warm tone with no other extraneous irritating noises.

In my opinion, this was a very well thought out product design. My thanks to Garm and Jeff for producing a really fine and unique product that no one else makes. :thumbsup:

[cali yaris]

whoa, double post! :D

[tooter]

Hey Garm... what happened??? :confused:

I was responding to your post and a message came up "invalid link notify administrator"... then my post disappeared.

Again.

If there were any notable negatives to your exhaust, I'd certainly say so.

By the way, I resolved the stainless question simply by looking it up on the internet. Your exhaust is all stainless with the only exception being the small concave two bolt hole bracket which accepts the stock donut gasket. It had surface rust on it, but nowhere else was there even a trace of rust including the welds. The Magnaflow mufflers are listed as either "polished stainless", or "natural stainless" (unpolished). None of them are listed as steel.

When chromium and carbon are added to iron, they make it strong and stainless which is typical of cutlery... and they also make it magnetic. (I personally verified this by determining that all of our stainless kitchen knives stick like crazy to a magnet... and none of them rust.:wink: ) The highly polished twin tip is nickel stainless, because when nickel is added the alloy becomes non magnetic.... but it's also softer. I believe the softer less structurally critical nickel alloy sheet metal is easier to form into the intricate contours of the tip. :thumbsup:

[tooter]

looking very good

it is good that you painted it

Garm and Jeff are responsible for that.:thumbsup:
It didn't need any paint for protection. I only did it because I wanted the exhaust be unobtrusive.

[cali yaris]

Hey Garm... what happened???

No idea; it's not my forum. :smile:

[tooter]

It's ok... I saw your original post before it disappeared. :smile:

And thanks for the nuts! :respekt:

They worked perfectly. Now the original bolts can bottom to their flanges and compress the springs just right. It's amazing how well the exhaust reoriented itself with the spring bolts snugged down properly. There is almost no weight on the third non stock point of attachment at the tip which is good. I haven't yet figured out how to attach it because space is really tight up in there. If the donut is attached to the angle bracket first, the self threading nut can't be accessed to tighten it to the lip of the crash bar. So I just used a piece of wire to connect the donut to the angle bracket and tightened the wire to get the height just right. Since there is almost no tension on it at all I'll probably just keep it that way.

Your exhaust sounds so nice even my wife likes it. :wub: ... and that says a lot. :wink:

[thebarber]

should have picked up some lowering springs! ;)

[tooter]

Oh there were plenty of them there as well as really cool coilovers. But I live in a rural area with some dirt roads and prone to winter flooding. Ground clearance has practical value here so I won't be giving it up. That's what I like about the MI exhaust. it Doesn't compormise ground clearance one little bit. :thumbsup:

[SAV912]

Tooter, is there a way you can get a sound clip of this? I've been eyeballing it hard since it is readymade instead of going forward with my own center exit exhaust. Looks great although I'll probably leave mine polished if I order one.

-C

[tooter]

Be happy to... :smile:

My wife took the car to town today and I'm working tomorrow, so maybe on Saturday if there isn't time later today. Garm also took a sound clip when I was there, so it may turn up on his website later on.

A muffler shop would have a difficult time beating the superb fit. And that's the distinct advantage of a complete ready made assembly, the engineering has already been built into it. Jeff showed me the original prototype when I was there.

[tooter]

Here's a link to the YouTube sound clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQjo6tRJU8k&feature=youtu.be

I put the microphone really close as the sound is pretty mild from a distance.

[yPod09]

OH MY GOD! I am NOT that into exhausts, but that sounds AMAZING! It is like a lion!

Which Magnaflow muffler is that?

AND does the fact that you have different headers change the sound?

Thanks for a great thread AND the audio!

[kimona]

I love it!

[tooter]

OH MY GOD! I am NOT that into exhausts, but that sounds AMAZING! It is like a lion!

Well, don't forget the microphone was only 15 inches away from the exhaust tip! :laugh:

Which Magnaflow muffler is that?

I'm not sure exactly which one. It just has "MagnaFlow Performance" stamped into the shell. Garm should know exactly what it is. All I know is that I really like it. :thumbsup:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/car/IMG_5993.jpg

It's an offset port muffler which makes the sound more mellow than a straight through.

AND does the fact that you have different headers change the sound?

I don't know as the 4-2-1 header was installed first. I do know that it made no difference in how the stock exhaust sounded, so I don't think so as the midpipe is totally stock with both resonators and catalytic converter intact.

Thanks for a great thread AND the audio!

It's my pleasure. :smile:

[SAV912]

I'm sold. It being center exit AND being from a trusted source. Now to come up with...gulp...$449.

-C

[tooter]

Is it loud?

Yes, it gets pretty loud when you step on the gas... but it's not obnoxious, edgy, raspy or tinny. In normal driving it's quite mellow. In running, the sound is exactly like what you heard except louder because there's a load on the engine. In the video I only revved it to 4,000rpm.

[ViosFan]

Man, really wished this could come out for the sedan

[tooter]

Is the difference just the body length, or are there other structural differences in the chassis itself?

[packetrace]

Man, really wished this could come out for the sedan

I wish too :(

[cali yaris]

tooter, the sedan exhaust routs differently and is longer. Midpipe is different also.

[tooter]

Thanks for the info, Garm. :thumbsup:
I've never actually seen a sedan up close.

[tooter]

I have lots lot of fun scouring the internet to discover all of the possible options available for a specific item (like a header exhaust or intake) and then choosing the one that best fits my personal preferences.

So after looking at all the wide variety of exhaust possibilities, the center exit won hands down for being a unique product with an elegantly simple, well thought out, and competently executed design. :thumbsup:

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Just because I think I was the first one (in the US/Cali at least) to have a center exit exhaust =P

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/544316_4105334718033_870775090_n.jpg

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Here's what mine sounds like under daily driving (might sound the same since I'm using a Magnaflow muffler)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-cwGtqNCqY

[Qmobile]

wow and every shop I went to when I was thinking bout this said "oh no you can't do it"

[tooter]

Maybe they were really saying that they couldn't do it. :wink:

It's much easier to get something that already fits and simply bolt it on and drive. :thumbsup:

[Kaotic Lazagna]

You can do a center exit exhaust using the OEM muffler. Those shops are BS'ing!

[barebonedvitz]

^ or just plain lazy...

[tooter]

I had also considered that approach. Have a muffler shop cut the 180 degree bend coming out of the muffler in half and add a straight section to center the pipe on the car, add a tip, and then install an extra hanger near the end to support it. It would look nicer and still be quiet.

[malibuguy]

Man, really wished this could come out for the sedan

I wish too :(

I can make something for the sedans...even a small run of them i can use my car as a.jig vs. building a jig for a limited run.

[CoryM]

Center exit looks much better. Future mod for me.
Thanks for posting.

[tooter]

I can make something for the sedans...even a small run of them i can use my car as a.jig vs. building a jig for a limited run.

That's nice of you to offer, malibu. :smile:

[tooter]

Just an update on the MI exhaust...
I've been keeping mileage records since the car was brand new and the overall average for the first 900 miles is 35.7mpg. This is all rural roads under 50mph and stop and go city driving, but no 5th gear freeway driving.

When I installed the exhaust I didn't bother to reset the computer because it didn't trigger the check engine light. About a week ago I was logging the clearances for the manifold mod and thought what the heck I'll reset it. Tanked up today and the mileage jumped to 37.4. This is an mpg gain of 4.8%. :smile:

[packetrace]

I can make something for the sedans...even a small run of them i can use my car as a.jig vs. building a jig for a limited run.


if you do it !! TELL ME :D

do it cat-back loll :D

[jjwitter]

how did you attach the exhaust by the bumper, i see a rubber piece on the rod where does it attach to

[WeeYari]

^

The third mount on the twin tip is a self tapping screw with a small angled bracket that you attach to the crash bar behind the bumper. I just used a little piece of wire to attach the third donut to that angle bracket as there's very little room to work there. It hardly needs to support any weight, because almost all the weight is on the two stock donuts. It's just used to slightly adjust the height of the tip.

[tooter]

I feel like I have a public relations assistant... :wink:

[cali yaris]

^ and on your side, too! :laugh:

[tooter]

Yours is tolmach. :laugh:

Your center exhaust really sounded great on the dyno... not one hint of harshness or raspiness all the way up to redline. :thumbsup:

[oliveskate]

Man, really wished this could come out for the sedan


x2

[cali yaris]

anyone try starting a Group Buy?

Get 8 sedan owners who will put up a $200 deposit for it (with the promise that the final cost will be under $400, and hopefully closer to $300) and I'll make really nice ones for you.

[g.q.vios]

anyone try starting a Group Buy?

Get 8 sedan owners who will put up a $200 deposit for it (with the promise that the final cost will be under $400, and hopefully closer to $300) and I'll make really nice ones for you.

ohh shiet!!! i want one bad.. Ill add this to my christmas wish list if it ever comes around... to get 8 sedan owners who can put up 200$ dollars is going to be a tough one but ill keep my eyes open :eek:

[cali yaris]

1. ViosFan
2. GQ Vios
3. Oliveskate

See how easy it is? :biggrin:

[justjesus]

are there actually more than 5 owners out there?!?!

j/k

great exhaust, Garm. I loved it, and almost ran downstairs to pull money from Wells Fargo.

[jjwitter]

installed mine last week, easy to install, love the sound, not loud at all even on the freeway

[cali yaris]

^ Excellent!

[djksmith]

Looking into this....

[packetrace]

You would do it garm :O i sens you deseposit right now ahah

[oliveskate]

1. ViosFan
2. GQ Vios
3. Oliveskate

See how easy it is? :biggrin:

Garm if you are really going to do this, let me know, and I'll get the money :)

[cali yaris]

I will if there are Ten. or Eight. or maybe even Seven.

[oliveskate]

Well into the new year I'm going to look into it. School is more important for now :P

[Dperry]

I think the part # for the magnaflow muffler garm used is 11235..... correct me if im wrong just looked for the most similar muffler on magnaflow site.

[tooter]

Here's a pic of the Magnaflow #11235 with dimensions...

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQxpM-Ww8wxpnHqSspkG5hVzvDCZAgJUp03btJ33ie-CUcgvFT5NjcYSNRmQQ

It's a really tiny muffler that sounds great. :thumbsup:

[cali yaris]

^ Tooter's going to jail for posting a copyrighted image. :laugh:

[tooter]

Guilty as charged. The image couldn't be copied, but the little thumbnail could. :wink:

[malibuguy]

Garm...look inside of one the next time you get a chance ;)

[Dperry]

garm make an exhuast for the 2012 yaris se with this muffler. i wish they never made an exhaust cutout in the rear diffuser or i would shred a center exit... now wer only stuck with single tip passenger side exit :/

[oliveskate]

Gonna be making this exhaust Garm? I got the money and am really interested now.

[packetrace]

I would too!

[cali yaris]

Post #55.