Downpipe ?'s

[CFK]

Hi, I know there is always a debate between Divorced and Bellmouth . How about the flate plate type, are they just not even worth it ?

I just got a full 3" exhaust minus the DP, just not willing to spend $4-500 it.

Im currently running the VF11 W/ TMIC, de-Snorkus & silencer, MBC & FCD now and plan to upgrade eventually to a TD05 or equivalent VF once I could sort out some sort of EM.

Also, I was told that all WRX DP's are to short and will need to be lengthened, What about a newer Legacy or FXT

Thanks in advance

[CFK]

Well, no responses but after much searching and thinking I am just deciding between 3 units :

RS*R, Ebay: $ 100
http://www.rs-r.com/store/pc/viewPrd.as ... product=37

Megan Racing : Ebay $ 150
http://www.meganracing.com/product_deta ... 4&catid=10

Godspeed: WRXSPEEDSHOP.COM : $108
http://www.wrxspeedshop.com/0207-subaru ... 13078.html

There all made of the same T-304 SS and appear the same, only difference I see is the Megan racing one having a badge welded on the top like a Invidia.

Invidia divorced are going for $250 which is a great price , but a little out of my range. They do have a cast upper for some reason, not sure

Anybody had any of these ? Opinions ?

[Legacy777]

My opinion, I prefer the divorced setup as it helps keep the wastegate gasses separated from the main turbine flow, which reduces turbulence and back pressure.

Is there a quantifiable difference, possible, but I don't have any numbers. There's plenty of people running the bell mouths. I would recommend against the plate type since that's not really much of an upgrade over stock.

I don't really see any difference between the three you posted, so go for which ever one you lik.

The cast portion on the invidia helps retain the exhaust heat better than the thin wall piping. The added heat helps with exhaust flow speeds. I think Cobb was one of the first to develop something like this on Subarus and bring it to the mainstream.

[CFK]

I was only considering the flat-plate type until I found the cheaper bellmouths. I now see why there is the price difference of the Invidia and the divorced concept makes sense, but since my " Budget Daily " is turning into to much of a project I think i'll save the C-Note and go for the Megan.

I asked the E-bay seller the difference between the SR*S & Megan since he sells both, if there was a noticiable difference in quality of if he had any complaints of either and the response I got was :

" They are different brands, specs are very similiar " , Thanks for the in depth response.

So I guess I just wait for it to arrive and install it , then see where the rest of my exhaust comes to since it was just a cut end that came with a flange to be welded on.

Wish we didn't have aircare since im also gonna have to chop it up to install the Cat

Thanks for the help josh

[CFK]

Changed my mind, after looking at a bunch more I found a few with Cast bellmouths and 2-O2 bungs, then I found a divorced Cast piece with great reviews on IWSTI.com. It has only 1 bung but I have some friends with TIG welders, YAY !!!

http://www.speed-element.com/servlet/Detail?no=432

[Legacy777]

Looks like a nice unit.

[wtdash]

maybe I missed it...

The '02-07(? )WRX and '04-07(?) STi DP is the same length as the SS/TW's. I bought a 3" WRX DP and other than 'massaging' it around my AT trans, it mated up to the rest of the exhaust.

The mid-pipe or axle-back portion from a WRX/STi/Forester will need lengthened about 6" to fit....and possibly hangers moved around.

TD

[CFK]

Looks like a nice unit.

I was trying to edit that post but couldn't get on the site.

Im sure it is if you have a 08+ WRX/STI.

Got a little exited there, didn't thoroughly read it, pretty sure I need the 02-07 unit and the only Divorced piece is the Invidia that I can find. Guess Im gonna have to settle with a Bellmouth. The only decision now is between the Megan Racing unit which seems to have good reviews, only 1- O2 bung and a Non-Cast bellmouth or an AMK Cast Bellmouth with 2- O2 bungs. Which I read one review for bad fitment.

On the other hand most WRX/STI owners reviews for any downpipes were that it hit the Evaporator drain and some hit the firewall.

AMK


Megan

maybe I missed it...

The '02-07(? )WRX and '04-07(?) STi DP is the same length as the SS/TW's. I bought a 3" WRX DP and other than 'massaging' it around my AT trans, it mated up to the rest of the exhaust.

The mid-pipe or axle-back portion from a WRX/STi/Forester will need lengthened about 6" to fit....and possibly hangers moved around.

TD

I thought so Todd as I never read any issues with anybody else. It was a guy with Rocket Rally that told me it wouldn't be long enough. Maybe that was the units they sold but he said he had like 8 BC's. Don't think he had one installed on his though.

The exhaust I picked up was custom for the owners daily, which is non other than Pat Richard.

[Legacy777]

You should be ok on the Legacy. Here's some pics from my setup. I can't see the bellmouth to be wider than the divorced setup.

http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... P_5970.JPG
http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... P_5972.JPG
http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... P_6090.JPG

[CFK]

Oh ya, that's plenty of room. No worries.

I like the idea of the cast bellmouth and 2- O2 bungs but I just don't think the quality is there in that AMK unit. I read another review that the welds between the cast leaked right off the bat, and he still said he thought it was a quality product !!! LOL. Guess since he had a TIG welder it was no big deal to him, retarded.

Guess it's the Megan Racing one then, plenty of awesome reviews.

Now I just have to decide between a High flow Cat or Non. I have heard people have had trouble passing emissions with the high flow type Anybody know ?

And thanks for the visual josh , cheers.

[Legacy777]

You should be fine passing emissions with a high flow cat. I didn't have any problems.

[BC5RSRA]

Josh, just did research on the CES unit of yours. did you get the full system or just the downpipe? Does the downpipe have the cat built in it, or is the cat after the DP? In your opinion...worth getting a DP from Australia? I'm in Canada so shipping will be a little more but still...worth it?

[Legacy777]

I got the full system. The cat is in the center piping right after the downpipe.

I have mixed feelings on the CES system. It's a very nice setup, and as such, the cost reflects it, around $1,700 or so with shipping if memory serves me correct. The reason I got it was it was supposed to be a "plug & play" exhaust for our cars. I had some fitment issues with the down pipe, and then some rubbing issues due to the cat section being about 1/4" too short which put the piping in a bind and caused it to deform slightly when driven in the rain. I ended up having a 1/4" spacer made, and have not had a problem since.

Don't get me wrong, this is a very nice setup, sounds great, not too loud, and does not drone. If you have the money and patience to deal with some of the issues, I think it's worth it.

Here's some more pics
http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... s/ej22t/25
http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... s/ej22t/30

[TurnNburn]

So iv had a turbo back exhaust from a wrx similar to the one posted that has been sitting in my garage for like 3 months now and just found a friend that would be willing to extend it out in the rear. But when i removed my stock DP and went to fit the new 3'' DP in there, there were definitely some fitment issues and i was not able to get the flange at the turbo to sit flush due to the cross member under the car not allowing that end of the pipe to come up enough.

So my question is, are certain year WRX DP to short like the OP said? Cause im going to need to do some hard core banging on that cross member to make it fit. Is that the "messaging" you were talking about Josh?

And my buddies dad said you cant weld stainless steal.... that cant be right, right? Everyone on here has had to weld theres to get it to fit. So is there a certain method of welding needed?

[Legacy777]

Where is it hitting the crossmember, and which crossmember, the transmission (front or rear)? Any chance you could take a picture.

I would say the 02-07 WRX parts should be the "most" swappable out of all the WRX stuff. I'm not aware of any exhaust piping changes between the 02-07 MY's, but there might be.

You can certainly weld stainless steel. It just requires a different type of welding than carbon steel. Hell, you can weld stainless to carbon with the right prep & welding.

[CFK]

Ya, you need a Tig welder and skill to weld SS. Unlike Mig welding where even I could do it

I ended up getting the Megan DP for $175 shipped and it did have the second bung up top !!! Must be a newer version. The only thing I would like to change is moving the mounting bracket to the proper location to mount to the Tranny. I also can't believe that there is no flex pipe anywhere in the system !!!

So basically I ended up just lying it under the car while I fitted my new STI suspension and the DP lined up exactly where my new (to me) custom Paul Richard Rocket Ralley thick steel exhaust starts, yaaahhh

So all I have to do is remove one of the 2 resonators and wled in a high flow cat ( after my Hernia surgery recovery )

Then I guess I will then find out if I then need the Kartboy XL extended exhaust hangers like lots of the WRX's need. Since my exhuast was custom for a Legacy SS I don't think I will need to though.

[TurnNburn]

I havent been able to get under the car to take pictures, but there was some pictures in the legacy central library http://legacycentral.org/library/transm ... _trans.htm that show pretty well what i am talking about. There is a picture about half way down that shows the rear cross member of a auto transmission. This is the one that is touching on mine. The pipe is close to the stock location, but since its a little thicker it doesnt seem like it fits. And even if i was able to bolt my down pipe flush to the turbo, i have a feeling this thing is going to vibrate and rattle.

I got this TBE from my friend brand new for 100 bucks after he sold his wrx, he never mounted it so i dont know if it ever fit his car. There arent any identifying markers on it, and for the price i can only assume its some ebay knock off.

But my question is... I know this is structural reinforcement for the rear of the tranny, but could a little bending affect ragidity? As long as i didnt get to crazy with a hammer, could i just bend the sides of the crossmember up a little bit to accommodate the extra girth of the pipe? Or am i stupid for even asking this?

[wtdash]

Turnnburn, Does the DP have the bracket on it to mount up to the existing one, on the rear of the trans? If so, then it's most likely for a Subaru. Also, I had to 'massage' mine on the side of the DP around where it parallels the Automatic trans - not the top or bottom. (5-speeds don't have this issue.)

Can't say about modding the x-member......Legacy777 can advise on that.

TD

[Apex3]

So iv had a turbo back exhaust from a wrx similar to the one posted that has been sitting in my garage for like 3 months now and just found a friend that would be willing to extend it out in the rear. But when i removed my stock DP and went to fit the new 3'' DP in there, there were definitely some fitment issues and i was not able to get the flange at the turbo to sit flush due to the cross member under the car not allowing that end of the pipe to come up enough.

So my question is, are certain year WRX DP to short like the OP said? Cause im going to need to do some hard core banging on that cross member to make it fit. Is that the "messaging" you were talking about Josh?

And my buddies dad said you cant weld stainless steal.... that cant be right, right? Everyone on here has had to weld theres to get it to fit. So is there a certain method of welding needed?

He meant they are too short as in there'd be a gap between the midpipe and DP, not short in height. But sorry I can't help you with the crossmember

[TurnNburn]

Oh ok. Yeah i knew it was going to need to be extended in the rear to make it look normal coming out of the bumper when i started this. Although im not familiar with welding and didnt know different methods were needed on the type of metal i have. I hadnt read up on anyone having issues with fitment like i am. Its kind of hard to put into words what exactly is going on. I was mounting it by myself the first time and ran out of time, so maybe i just missed something. Im going to try again with a friend and see if we cant double team this thing. If i cant pull it off, i will take pictures. And unless someone throws up the red flag about me going mongolian on it, im going to make it fit. Hopefully i will do my hood scoop as well, maybe with a little more finese. lol.

[Apex3]

Keep in mind it will rattle and knock if it's up against the crossmember, I'd do everything possible to get it bolted up to the turbo before you start hammering at things to make it fit.

[subydaddy]

I havent been able to get under the car to take pictures, but there was some pictures in the legacy central library http://legacycentral.org/library/transm ... _trans.htm that show pretty well what i am talking about. There is a picture about half way down that shows the rear cross member of a auto transmission. This is the one that is touching on mine. The pipe is close to the stock location, but since its a little thicker it doesnt seem like it fits. And even if i was able to bolt my down pipe flush to the turbo, i have a feeling this thing is going to vibrate and rattle.

I got this TBE from my friend brand new for 100 bucks after he sold his wrx, he never mounted it so i dont know if it ever fit his car. There arent any identifying markers on it, and for the price i can only assume its some ebay knock off.

But my question is... I know this is structural reinforcement for the rear of the tranny, but could a little bending affect ragidity? As long as i didnt get to crazy with a hammer, could i just bend the sides of the crossmember up a little bit to accommodate the extra girth of the pipe? Or am i stupid for even asking this?

Hey I thought I was the only one with this problem because I let my car down with a jack stand still underneath it. Yep, straight on to my downpipe, the passanger front tire was still in the air, but it did nothing to the downpipe, I thought for sure my Ebay downpipe was done for.

Anyways, on to that crossmember. I mounted my downpipe as best I could. Grabbed my sharpy and marked the crossmember to how wide the downpipe was (added an extra half or full inch to either side to be safe). Then I took out the crossmember, got my cut off wheel and cut a notch where I made my marks with the sharpy. You only have to cut about and inch or two up the crossmember, you could call it a "rib" maybe... I dunoo. Finally just get a hammer and pound that section flat (the part you just notched) and you're good to go. It sort of resembles those old garage doors that flip out rather than slide back. I'm sorry, I'm tired and that made no sense. If you need clarification ask for pictures, I'm hopeless when it comes to explaining things. But, I did this over a year ago and have had no issues.

[TurnNburn]

Sweet! That is good news to hear that someone has done what i was thinking. Iv got a sawsall and a 5lb hammer and was planning to do exactly what you said about notching and bending up. I would be doing it now if it werent for the torrential down pour that is happening outside right now. Iv got nothing but time all weekend to make it happen. I will post again with me results.

[TurnNburn]

Well i feel like a an idiot... turns out the down pipe fit after all. The hanger that bolts to the block was to long and forced the down pipe into a position that touched the cross member. A little propane torch and a tweek of some pliers got the hanger into the right position and everything fit into place. Its stupid things like that are the reason i dont like to rush stuff. I didnt catch it at my buddies house, so i spent pretty much a whole day fitting everything up. I could have done it in like an hour or two but crawling under a car on jack stands sucks. It still needs to get extended so that it hangs right under the car, its sitting pretty low. But for now im happy with it. Im actually kind of surprised how much louder the car got! I only drove it like 10 miles to make sure it all worked and the difference is like night and day. Definitely got some looks... LOL. Hearing my exhaust that loud just hammers home the fact that i drive an automatic ..... for now.

[Rubasu]

The only thing I have to add to this thread is that u can weld stainless steal with gmaw aka mig, gtaw aka tig and stick. U can take ur exaust to any professional fab shop and they can do what ever u need.