Riff

Installed my 1320 Test pipes earlier. After removing my stock cats and installing the test pipes I noticed that there are no mounting brackets on them for the support brace. I figured that's how It was intended. There is a flex section on the test pipe and Y.

Since i installed my Y pipes and exhause a couple years back, I noticed there was vibration in comparison to the stock(obviously). But now, although it sounds better, the vibration has violently increased to a damn near rumble while accelerating and decelerating between 2 and 3k. The rumble goes straight to my feet and seat.

Iv hit the forms, YouTube, Google and the net all ... And its pretty mixed. I'm hoping to get a Vet's wisdom on this.

Questions are:

"Will running my current set(no support brace) up damage my headers(or exhaust)?"
Or
"Is a support brace for these test pipes not necessary? (being why they did not come with mounting points)"

If not(I'm hoping) I will suck it up and accept the new norm.

If so, do I just weld mounting plates straight to the pipes?

Riff

travlee

iTrader: (8)

most do not have them, some high flow cats dont have them. i had the kinetix cats, no bracket, and they cracked.... coincidence, dunno.

if it makes you feel better, put the brace on and go to a muffler shop and have them add a bracket on it

Riff

definitely going to hit up definitely going to hit up the muffler shop in a few minutes. might as well not leave it up to chance.

Riff

Well I just came out of the muffler shop

They won't touch it because "they are test pipes" (blah blah blah)

But he is telling me that the "droning frequency has increased. so its a natural occurrence for additional vibration to be generated due to resonation"....

So what he indirectly saying is. "I will do a resonation delete?"

travlee

iTrader: (8)

oh, didnt see you were in commi-fornia.... make sure you keep the cats to pass a visual

Riff

Oh I know... Cats are like gold here lol

MicVelo

There's no mystery here at all. Natural harmonics, heat, vibration will break any unsupported pipe, especially being so close to the main source of vibration, the engine.

Think of the pipes as you would a tuning fork. Once in motion, it just wants to keep moving until you put your finger on it to stop it. Same with a pipe. Only difference is the pipe has an inherent weakness, usually a junction, bend, or weld point.

Do yourself a favor, get some support on it even if you have to use an exhaust hanger with rubber isolator attached to the chassis.

Does no good to have an exhaust pipe act like a vaulter's pole.

Riff

Got it. I'm going to bring something up. I just hope I have at least a week before anything breaks.

Thanks for the insight

trusovici

iTrader: (2)

how are the pipes holding up?

Riff

well... after about a week of unbearable vibration, random bubbles and clunks.... combined with the fear of my pipes cracking like you guys were saying... I just rigged up a bracket to keep it from vibrating freely and eventually busting off or something. Doesn't vibrate nearly as much now.

trusovici

iTrader: (2)

what y pipe and exhaust are you running? i just installed an invidia gemini cat back and wanted to buy these test pipes. they look decent, dunno if its just the finish or what but they look good.

Riff

I THOUGHT I was buying RS*R.... but the joker here at the local partshop sold me SR*S. But truth be told I can't tell the difference sound wise. I did some research on them after the fact of course, and I heard a bunch of stuff about rust. But I have been running it for 4 years... no rust. I am in Cali tho. Maybe they're having problems in Utah and Arizona and places like that.

trusovici

iTrader: (2)

yeah if they dont salt the roads where you live your probably good. but what was causing the test pipes to move around? is the flex section very loose?

Riff

what what was happening was they were vibrating because unlike other test pipes the 1320 brand doesn't come with brace mounts. So everything from the flex pipes to the rear hooks was just vibrating freely. Creating Violet vibration and Noise between 2000 and 3500 RPMs in the cab of the car. I thought maybe it was just supposed to be like that given the design of the test pipes. but it looks like if you let them just hang in vibrate how they come, eventually your going to have cracking at the weld points of the pipes.

the flex pipe isn't loose at all. I just think the vibration was so jarring that the noise was unbearable.

trusovici

iTrader: (2)

its just weird because most people dont have that issue when using test pipes without a bracket. i actually read somewhere that the bracket is the reason they crack.

Riff

Humph* if that's the case, that would explain why these don't come stock with brackets.... sigh. Guess I'm damned if I do or don't. Well if im damned either way at least I don't have to deal with the vision distorting vibration in the cab.