Bought some high quality GS4 exhaust parts - OBX/Megan!
03-12-15, 01:35 PM
#32
Personally, I want a flex section. I realize the stock Y-piece doesn't have one, but it also has heavy cast manifolds that will not flex or crack under vibration or powertrain movement.
Change of plans- the SC Y-pipe is being cut and having a 3-11/16" section of 2.5" SS tubing welded in place. Reason being, I cannot buy the flanges locally needed to make an adapter section (best I could do was a steel shop who would cut them out a week from now). Believe it or not, I could not even find stainless steel piping in this town! I did find a friend of a friend who has a tig welder and plenty of scrap sections who was willing to hook me up. He said he will get to it in the next day or two.
All of the stock parts are removed. Cats look like new (car has 65,000 original miles) and the engine mounts are completely intact and rock solid, or so I am told (putting the Megans in anyway). The transmission mount also looks brand new (I think it must have been replaced at some point because it looks like the same unit I bought at O-Reilly's).
Tech quoted: there was one nut on one manifold that was a nightmare to get at- said he wasted an hour on the damn thing. Otherwise, it all came apart smoothly. He should be installing the parts tonight.
Change of plans- the SC Y-pipe is being cut and having a 3-11/16" section of 2.5" SS tubing welded in place. Reason being, I cannot buy the flanges locally needed to make an adapter section (best I could do was a steel shop who would cut them out a week from now). Believe it or not, I could not even find stainless steel piping in this town! I did find a friend of a friend who has a tig welder and plenty of scrap sections who was willing to hook me up. He said he will get to it in the next day or two.
All of the stock parts are removed. Cats look like new (car has 65,000 original miles) and the engine mounts are completely intact and rock solid, or so I am told (putting the Megans in anyway). The transmission mount also looks brand new (I think it must have been replaced at some point because it looks like the same unit I bought at O-Reilly's).
Tech quoted: there was one nut on one manifold that was a nightmare to get at- said he wasted an hour on the damn thing. Otherwise, it all came apart smoothly. He should be installing the parts tonight.
03-12-15, 01:43 PM
#33
i would check out RichS11 new exhaust videos... his sounds pretty good but he also has no mufflers... i believe the SC430 pipe is 2.5'' and so is the cat back pipe so its up to you if you want mufflers or straight pipes...
i'm really curious to see how the SC430 pipe sounds..
i'm really curious to see how the SC430 pipe sounds..
Also, the guy doing the tig welding said he could make me custom exhaust manifolds (I saw some work he did to civics in his garage - WOW). It is $1500 for a single manifold, so $3000 for the GS400.
Is there any good information on normally aspirated tuning for our engines? Any top secret equal-length long-tube fancy-schmancy uber-rare manifolds in Japan, for instance? I am specifically interested in: real-deal headers, head porting, valvetrain upgrades, camshafts if necessary (is there a way to lower the engagement point with stock units?). Were these engines ever used in anything competitive anywhere?
03-12-15, 05:47 PM
#34
Funny you mention the CAT studs. They are hardened steel and a nightmare. I had four mess me around.
These engines must run really clean as my CATs were also perfect inside considering the 89K on them. They were clearly factory too and have never been removed or replaced.
These engines must run really clean as my CATs were also perfect inside considering the 89K on them. They were clearly factory too and have never been removed or replaced.
03-13-15, 07:24 AM
#35
I can get an after dyno at the same place I used for my before/after SRT intake/ecu install. But I am still using the OEM cat-back and would like to figure that out first. Also, it would be nice if I could actually tune the car before/after to demonstrate the true gains.
03-13-15, 07:28 AM
#36
I can get an after dyno at the same place I used for my before/after SRT intake/ecu install. But I am still using the OEM cat-back and would like to figure that out first. Also, it would be nice if I could actually tune the car before/after to demonstrate the true gains.
03-19-15, 09:11 PM
#37
BAD NEWS: Everything is installed, but we noticed there is VERY little clearance between the header and steering shaft... and... it binds when turning to the right. It is binding badly enough that it is not safe. You can get around fine being careful, but dive into a right hand turn and you might just go straight!
Stay tuned for pics. Not sure what to do about the improper fitment. Could maybe pound that runner in with a piece of steel rod and sled hammer while car is on the lift? Otherwise, it has to be removed and replaced which will cost me!
Stay tuned for pics. Not sure what to do about the improper fitment. Could maybe pound that runner in with a piece of steel rod and sled hammer while car is on the lift? Otherwise, it has to be removed and replaced which will cost me!
03-19-15, 11:01 PM
#38
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Is it the steering shaft itself, or the steering heat shield that is hitting?
PPE tells you to remove the [steering] heat shield when installing the headers 1) because of the "possible" clearance issues, and 2) with the headers being thermal coated, it's no longer necessary. With the OBX... well, it's a toss up whether they'd fit or not (if it's the heat shield), and if so they're most likely not coated either so you may or may not run into future problems with heat.
Good luck either way.
PPE tells you to remove the [steering] heat shield when installing the headers 1) because of the "possible" clearance issues, and 2) with the headers being thermal coated, it's no longer necessary. With the OBX... well, it's a toss up whether they'd fit or not (if it's the heat shield), and if so they're most likely not coated either so you may or may not run into future problems with heat.
Good luck either way.
03-20-15, 11:41 AM
#39
No, we removed the heat shield entirely. Zero chance it was going to fit. Haven't had a chance to look at the car yet. Definitely have to do something. I am wondering if it is possible that I got the wrong driver's side header..? Like is a GS430 OBX manifold slightly different on that side?
03-20-15, 11:49 AM
#40
I saw angus' post in another thread saying his soft mounts caused the rubbing- everything on my car is urethane, so not much I can do there. I will have my guy move the engine a bit on the motor mounts. I think this will come to torch/pipe/sledgehammer though. I am hoping we can do it on the car.
Last edited by rwheelz; 03-20-15 at 02:35 PM.
03-23-15, 02:36 PM
#45
Anyone do the "massaging" with the manifold in place? If I paid the price for PPE and had to beat them with a hammer I would not be pleased. I am guessing a reputable company like PPE would have replaced it for you if you wanted. Ebay/OBX... not so much!
tmf2004- I can take a video, but all you will hear is my SRT intake. No change to exhaust sound that I can discern while driving at all (oem muffler sections). Butt dyno registers a loss of low end torque below 3000 rpm, that is for sure. I do not feel any gain in power up top, but that will be accurately measured by the dyno, so stay tuned.
Car should be back on the lift Tues or Thurs night to hammer it out
. I severely lacerated my wrist on my right (dominant) side this weekend and am functionally limited, so to speak, so I have to rely on other people to get everything sorted.
tmf2004- I can take a video, but all you will hear is my SRT intake. No change to exhaust sound that I can discern while driving at all (oem muffler sections). Butt dyno registers a loss of low end torque below 3000 rpm, that is for sure. I do not feel any gain in power up top, but that will be accurately measured by the dyno, so stay tuned.
Car should be back on the lift Tues or Thurs night to hammer it out
. I severely lacerated my wrist on my right (dominant) side this weekend and am functionally limited, so to speak, so I have to rely on other people to get everything sorted.