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Any interest in Crucial Downpipe?

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:04 am
by THAWA
I spoke to Jeremy at Crucial Racing a while back about a proper length replacement downpipe. He seemed interested in the idea, but didn't know what kind of market there would be. So who would actually be interested in it?

The Crucial design is a divorced wastegate that joins right before the bend to go under the car. The downpipe would be coated with a high quality coating, you can get quite close to the downpipe after boosting and how feel any heat. The turbo outlet starts at 2.5" and expands to 3". The wastegate outlet I forget what size it is, but its a decent size. Fully mandrel bent, very awesome TIG welds, 304 Stainless, O2 sensor in the right place. It's quite the setup.

I currently have a WRX downpipe:

Image
http://www.crucialracing.com/products/downpipe.php
and the catless racepipe:

Image
http://www.crucialracing.com/products/i ... dpipes.php
with a custom catback. It is a very nice downpipe setup. Here's my review: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=921384

I don't know what the price would be, but I assume slightly more than a WRX setup.

So who is interested?

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:40 pm
by greg donovan
interested but too much money for me.

but that doesnt mean it isnt priced properly. it just means i dont have enough money to buy it.

maybe next year when my youngest isnt wearing diapers anymore. that equals about 40-50 dollars a month.

Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:29 pm
by georryan
I'm not going to vote, since I already have an exhaust I like, but I would advise anyone thinking of this to definately go for it. I've seen Hardy's exhaust and I really like it. I really don't think you'll find a better ratio of quality to price anywhere. Plus, the price isn't that bad at all.

Hardy: On the nasioc post you mentioned you don't like the bpm muffler.....Neither do I. Change it. :)

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 5:21 am
by Adam West
Sorry. I though the Crucial WRX downpipe will work on our cars. I was planning to get one since I think they are very cool. What's the deal with the fittament on Legacies i.e. proper lenght vs. WRX? What would they be building for us exactly? Clue me in. Thanks!

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 5:48 am
by THAWA
WRX downpipes are two piece. There is the downpipe:

Image

and the midpipe:

Image

Those two pieces together are longer than the Legacy downpipe. The Legacy downpipe actually ends where the last cat is in the WRX setup.

I haven't exactly asked for any specifics, but I would assume it would be either a 3" setup that tapered down to 2.5" with a donut style flange to mate to the stock catback, or it would be a full 3" with a flat flange. I don't know that they'll have a problem building one or the other, but I can't see them doing both.

I'm glad someone's interested!

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 5:55 am
by Adam West
If I was going to get a custom job from there to the muffler would this lenght issue matter? Or is there a cross member in the way or something like that?

Yeah, I researched downpipes a ton and these are far and away the coolest out there. Not really THAT pricey. But our engines run really hot around the turbo - from what I've heard the coating on these things are amazing AND there's the divorced wastegate and tapered design...Really a cut above.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 6:15 am
by THAWA
Nope, that's essentially what I did. I got the WRX downpipe and midpipe, with a BPM muffler, and a custom catpipe. What's interesting to note, is that the stock catpipe will physically fit with a WRX downpipe, midpipe, and muffler, just have to make sure the flanges will work.

And yeah, this coating is something sweet.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 5:04 pm
by mr soul
If you are encouraging them to build T leggy specific pipes ask them to add two bungs up near the turbo. One for the O2 and another with plug for easy wideband setup. My 02Cents.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 7:53 pm
by 555BCTurbo
mr soul wrote:If you are encouraging them to build T leggy specific pipes ask them to add two bungs up near the turbo. One for the O2 and another with plug for easy wideband setup. My 02Cents.
You don't want the wideband next to the turbo...the heat tends to throw them off

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 9:10 pm
by mr soul
555BCTurbo wrote:
mr soul wrote:If you are encouraging them to build T leggy specific pipes ask them to add two bungs up near the turbo. One for the O2 and another with plug for easy wideband setup. My 02Cents.
You don't want the wideband next to the turbo...the heat tends to throw them off

I've heard that but it seems odd to me that Subaru thinks it OK for their O2 sensor to be 2 inches off the turbo but wideband manufactures suggest possible sensor damage.

I just like the sensor installation from the engine bay, not lying on my back under the car... :-D

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 9:27 pm
by 555BCTurbo
mr soul wrote:
555BCTurbo wrote:
mr soul wrote:If you are encouraging them to build T leggy specific pipes ask them to add two bungs up near the turbo. One for the O2 and another with plug for easy wideband setup. My 02Cents.
You don't want the wideband next to the turbo...the heat tends to throw them off

I've heard that but it seems odd to me that Subaru thinks it OK for their O2 sensor to be 2 inches off the turbo but wideband manufactures suggest possible sensor damage.

I just like the sensor installation from the engine bay, not lying on my back under the car... :-D
It's because of the differences in the 3 wire and the 5 wire sensors...you see...the 5 wire is heated by itself much quicker/more efficiently than a 3 wire, so the heat from the turbo kinda messes with it.

Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 3:48 am
by Yukonart
Hardy, I'm VERY interested in a Turbo Legacy-specific downpipe from Crucial. Put me down as a definte "yes" if they'll agree to produce them . . . in fact, I'll take TWO, and that's no joke.

Full 3" would be my vote. . . with a flat flange at the bottom for mating with other aftermarket catback systems, Crucial's own, or any custom-fabbed shindig. :)

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 6:07 am
by thehookeup
im not trying to create controversy. but....... and if you tell me im wrong thats fine. but, i just dont see the point in having and seprate pipe that is then married to the main down pipe 10 inches down. well i do see the point but i could never justify spending money on it. you are better off to either make a bell mouth, or buy one. much cheaper, and most likely just as effecient.

there is no point in it, unless.... you are builing some serious serious friggen power. and spending like 20,000 on the MOTOR. i know i sound rediculous. but not as much as that down pipe.

Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:56 pm
by THAWA
This is good discussion.

The theory behind the divorced wastegate is that you separate the turbine and wastegate outputs so they do not interfere with each other and cause boost creep. a stock setup will cause boost creep depending on the output of the turbo. Bellmouths can do this aswell if the mouth isn't setup properly. A divorced wastegate has a MUCH lower chance of boost creep happening.

The other advantage to this setup is the diameter of the pipe directly after the turbine. If it's too large like a bellmouth would provide, it becomes worse for performance. Similar to having a 2.5" piece of exhaust and then mating a 3" piece immediately next to it, no transition in size.

The Crucial setup expands from 2.5" to 3". Similar to the CES design

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 1:39 am
by Subtle
Considering the coating, that' a good price.

My DP is divorced and naked :cry:

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 6:17 am
by Yukonart
Subtle wrote:Considering the coating, that' a good price.

My DP is divorced and naked :cry:
Sounds like some women. :lol:

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 8:31 pm
by thehookeup
i understand what its supposed to do. but.... unless you make the divorced pipe to acutally go around the divorce wasegate. will it make that much of a difference? because the wastegate still inside the that exhast area. does anyone follow me. im prolly just not understanding.

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 11:03 pm
by THAWA
I understand what you mean, most divorced designs employ a divider between the wastegate and turbine areas. This is what the crucial design looks like:

Image

There is very little to no mixing of the two gases (there is always going to be some no matter what manufacturer is used as the divider never rests fully against the turbine housing, and even if it did metal and metal don't seal very well).

So yes, it will make a difference.

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 11:55 pm
by thehookeup
i guess i didnt look closely enough. looks good tho. i like that divider

Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 11:58 pm
by Adam West
So what does Crucial have to say about making these for our application? Not a groundswell of interest but I'm sure others would come out from lurking...

Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 1:01 am
by THAWA
I dunno, I was going to wait until we had at least 5 yes votes, but I didn't vote yet, so there we go.

Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 1:03 am
by scuzzy
Here's the thing, doesn't the WRX setup fit the legacy already?

edit: oh, proper length. I see.

Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 1:29 am
by Yukonart
Don't forget, Hardy . . . I count as TWO votes. ;)

Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 1:53 am
by Adam West
I'm definitely getting the downpipe and mid-pipe with highflow cat in the next three months...

I could go either way - WRX retrofit or spec Lego part. I'm just going to get a custom 3" job after that, topped off with magnaflow's finest twin tip...

Mr. Crucial seems really responsive on Nabisco. Perhaps we could get him to weigh in here? Add a little celeb status to the typical humdrum? :-)

Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 2:56 am
by THAWA
I sent Jeremy a message on Nabisco. Hopefully he'll join up over here and post.