Question about a 97 civic. Couldn't find a very active forum

Gumby

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Hello,

I am asking this here because I am sure their are loyal Honda owners who may be able to answer a question about a 97 civic for me. I couldn't find an active forum for 6th gen on the first few google pages so this is the easy button for me.

I have a 97 honda civic 4 door I bought because I know Honda's are bullet proof and needed something to save gas and miles on my truck.

As for my question, I purchased a hitch so I can pull a small trailer 4 miles to the where we have to take our trash (wife has to drive my truck for now because daughter is with us for a bit and I have to go tow her vehicle home and fix it so she is driving wife's car and I'm using civic exclusively). The civic has an aftermarket loud muffler on it that while I am not a fan of it works. The muffler is too big for me to be able to install the hitch. If I cut it off temporally will it be any louder than the "fart can" ? I would like to cut it off, install hitch, and then have a normal muffler welded on in the next few days so I don't run into same issue, also their are no bolts that I can just disconnect muffler from a couple feet back it is a solid pipe up to engine.

I drive it up to 4 hours a day and live way out in the boonies so it could be a week or so before I have a new muffler installed.
Also understand that exhaust gasses would not be vented out from under the car so would need to ensure good cabin ventilation until new muffler is on.

Thanks for reading this and for any advice!

Tracy
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It will absolutely be louder - the term for what you're proposing is installing a "straight pipe". You will absolutely hate the car, especially if you do highway driving because it will drone non-stop on the highway. The fartcan, as obnoxious as I can imagine it being, is still a muffler - it muffles exhaust noise.

Exhaust gases are not the issue, as long as you're driving wind current will take the fumes out the back, just don't idle too long.

If it's a solid pipe up to the engine, are there any components between the fartcan and the headers? There should at least be a catalytic converter, and maybe a resonator. You can google them to see what they look like. I suggest you take the hitch to the muffler shop, and get it all done there.

Also, unrelated, can a '97 civic even tow a trailer? I'm not sure if it was even rated for towing, but towing a trailer full of trash in a 20 year old econocar sounds like a bad idea.
 
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Gumby

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It will absolutely be louder - the term for what you're proposing is installing a "straight pipe". You will absolutely hate the car, especially if you do highway driving because it will drone non-stop on the highway. The fartcan, as obnoxious as I can imagine it being, is still a muffler - it muffles exhaust noise.

Exhaust gases are not the issue, as long as you're driving wind current will take the fumes out the back, just don't idle too long.

If it's a solid pipe up to the engine, are there any components between the fartcan and the headers? There should at least be a catalytic converter, and maybe a resonator. You can google them to see what they look like. I suggest you take the hitch to the muffler shop, and get it all done there.

Also, unrelated, can a '97 civic even tow a trailer? I'm not sure if it was even rated for towing, but towing a trailer full of trash in a 20 year old econocar sounds like a bad idea.
Thanks for the reply! I don't like the fart can sound especially when I bought it and had idle issues and had to pump the gas to keep it from stalling at stop lights, sounded like I wanted to race whoever was next to me. I don't want it to be louder but can deal if needed. The cat is still there and the pre muffler or resonator is there just not the disconnect between the resonator and muffler that shows in parts diagram.

I haven't looked at the actual towing capacity of the civic but it hauls 4 dudes to lunch that weight close to 700 lbs so the nice vehicles don't get messed up with sweat and crap from the construction site so pulling the rolling weight of a small trailer I can move around by hand that has a few cans of household trash 8 miles round trip shouldn't phase it.

Not being a smarty just didn't want to be too long in initial post so didn't give to many details :) I leave for work way before my wife and by the time she gets home don't feel like hauling trash in the truck with other work I have on our farm. Just want to be able to get home hook up take trash as needed and get rid of it before it accumulates so I don't have to do on weekend.

Agree about taking everything to muffler shop. Tonight was the civics preventative maintenance night so wanted to get the job done. :)
 

inv4zn

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The idle issue sounds like something completely different - search up "97 civic idle air control valve"

Those are notorious for clogging and causing idle issues.

You know, you can always upgrade to a 10th gen civic ;)
 
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Gumby

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The idle issue sounds like something completely different - search up "97 civic idle air control valve"

Those are notorious for clogging and causing idle issues.

You know, you can always upgrade to a 10th gen civic ;)
Lol idle issue was AC condenser fan inop (hot as he'll in Ga). Replaced it and she idles good most of the time but still likes to stall at random times when stopping. But can deal with it especially if can pop clutch in time.

Looked at owners Manuel and it says was not designed for towing and would void warranty lol. No worries there since I'm the warranty.

Hmm I may upgrade to a 10th gen in ten years or so, she should last that long... But what is the towing capacity lmao :)
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