i have a 1990 Honda accord EX. i just purchased a new exhaust system from the cat converter back. i have this flex pipe thing right after the 4-2-1 header deal. so its the 4-2-1 header deal then this flex pipe then the cat converter and then the rest of the exhaust system. this flex pipe is starting to break and i was wondering if i could just take it off and just put a piece of pipe in its place. if i cant what do i need to do to replace it. what does the flex pipe do and do i need it??

 

You need the flex pipe to allow the engine some motion in it's mounts. Other Hondas use sperical
'donut' gaskets that act like a ball & socket joint. Either way, the exhaust has to have some flex.