Hey guys, got a 95 accord ex Vtec. If I put a short ram, DC headers and muffler, new cat. Will these part add stress to my engine killing it quicker with things such as blowing rods or maybe even a piston? 141000 miles. Any experiences are greatly appreciated.

 

No, no relatively quick demise of your engine will result from the changes you're proposing, however, a CAI will allow more dirt into the engine than the factory intake, and this will in turn cause a slight acceleration in engine wear.

That said, the changes you're proposing really won't change the performance of your car much, if at all, they will just make it louder. If you're looking for noise, they you'll be good to go, if you're looking for performance, then, assuming you have a manual transmission (automatics are fragile), you should consider a turbocharger installation.

 

You'll be fine.

For the intake, I'd suggest getting a quality brand. AEM, K&N, or Injen. Reason being that the cheap short ram intakes come with junk filters. A name brand one will have a much superior filter. I'd say AEM, since you can get them for $120ish all over the internet. And depending on the emissions laws in your state, AEM and K&N are for sure street legal.

As for a header, DC is a great brand. Also 50-state street legal.

Leave your stock cat in place if it is still in good condition. A hi-flow cat won't do anything.

For an exhaust, I'd suggest Magnaflow, Apexi WS2, Vibrant, Greddy Evo2 or SP2. Cheap mufflers (like the ones all over eBay) sound like junk. The most cost effective way to do the exhaust is buy the muffler of your choice, and a resonator (Vibrant or Magnaflow), and then take the car to an exhaust shop, and have them fab up the piping and weld it all together.