Honda Civic Type R Exhaust OE Breakdown – Design Pt. 1

All 27WON Performance product start with our team digging into the OE design to better understand what Honda developed and why. From this research we can better develop a high performance product that delivers with improved function, great fitment, and is sure to enhance the overall experience for you, the driver.

With that said, we introduce the OE exhaust for the FK8 Civic Type R. Despite the many options already available we are confident there is opportunity to REDEFINE what a high performance exhaust system can be for the 2017 + Civic Type R - one that stands out from the crowd.

Let’s investigate the OEM exhaust system.

The mostly hotly discussed aspect of the FK8 exhaust system is the triple tip design and the function behind it. We are going get there in a moment, first let’s backtrack a bit. The FK8 exhaust is remarkably similar to the exhaust found on the 2016+ Civic Hatchback Sport (FK7) except for a few details. About a year ago when we developed the 27WON Performance exhaust; we also dug into the OE design on the FK7, check it out here and you’ll see the similarities.

Back to the FK8 triple tip and triple chamber exhaust…

The center exhaust muffler chamber does NOT flow into and through the center tip. The center chamber is a dead-end chamber ONLY. This type of chamber/muffler is called a Helmholtz Resonator and is actually a design we investigated during the development of the FK7 Sport Hatch Exhaust System. Therefor the center exhaust tip is only connected to the two outside larger tips and is mainly present for the aesthetics of the Type R.

Moving onto the other components in the FK8 exhaust, you’ll notice an extra resonator in the mid-pipe. This is different on the Civic Type R from the Sport Hatch and the Civic SI models. Obviously the acoustics of the K20C1 (Type R engine) are different from the L15B7 (non Type R engine) and Honda was accounting for that with an extra resonator under the cabin of the vehicle. The use of a single or dual resonator setup in the mid-pipe will be tested on the 27WON Performance Exhaust.

Next up is the most disappointing aspect of the Type R exhaust. Despite the exhaust piping being a 60.5mm OD (2.38 inch), the same as the Civic SI models, the connection from the front-pipe to the mid-pipe exhaust still restricts down to 50.5mm (1.98 inch).  We have found this same restriction on all Civic models; it’s very surprising that Honda retained it on the Type R.

The team has a plan to overcome this restriction with a true-flow and continuous design; more on that in the upcoming blogs.

Lastly, is the front-pipe itself. The piping is larger than on the SI and Base models and and also has a different downpipe flange. Luckily, the downpipe flange and bolt pattern will work well with the larger piping we have planned for the FK8. The only real concern is the clearance between the new 27WON Performance Front-Pipe and the oil pan. Honda was not generous with space in this region of the engine bay. We are confident we can overcome this obstacle with some ingenuity in design.

Stay tuned as we continue the development of the FK8 Exhaust. Our goal is to increase performance and sound, retain great fitment, and minimize weight as much as possible. We have some creative ideas we are excited to share as we go through the development process.

I DARE You to REDEFINE the Aftermarket

-Barett