its normal for the stock cast headers to look like that, don't freak out over it.

 

Yeah but they look like @$$. If I would have known I would be making this choice I definitely would have got them powdercoated. Hmm oh well. We'll make a choice tomorrow on what we're doing about the situation. I guess what it boils down to is which option is less time/money. ]

Does anyone think if we do get a good downpipe fab'd with aftermarket headers it would spool up faster? hmmmmmm

Thanks for the heads up. I'll defintely give Reggie a call tomorrow and let him know what we're doing. I don't have Brad or Jahme's phone numbers so I'll have to reach them through someone or send an email if I need to contact them. I'll definitely get in contact with you if we need assistance. Thanks again for the help!

 

It wont fit aftermarket headers?...or just the DC one? Will it fit Nismo headers?

 

DC Sports are pretty much the same as Nismo headers. I'm going back in today to see what we can work out, but it doesn't look good as far as fitment goes.

 

Ugh...thats a turnoff. I have Nismos

So noone with Turbonetics have aftermarket headers?!

 

I've spoken with Nexus Industries and they believe they have a set that will work. I should be test fitting them shortly.

 

Since we are on the topic, I went and search the construction difference between the DC and factory headers.

Looks like new bend angles needed to get it to work. Taurran, can you take some pictures of the headers/piping when you get it installed?

Dont settle with factory headers! heres why...

 

It looks like the aftermarket header is longer, but I thought these systems were designed to mate up to the stock cats/exhaust?

 

Yeah, and thats why Taurran is having trouble installing the kit with his DC headers. Im just gonna have new pipes made to the Nismos I have. No way Im going back to factory headers.

 

The issue is not where the flange is but rather the room to fit the downpipe next to the primaries on the headers...its a tight squeeze...

 

o? The downpipe, which pipe are we talking about?

 

1

 

Ok guys. Just got back from the shop and I think I have good news. So far, we have got the DC Sports headers to work. It's a REALLY tight fit but they're in there with the downpipe. We actually had to 'adjust' the downpipe a slight bit by making a slight depression on the side so the header would fit next to it. I'll explain in the pics below.

Also, we talked to turbonetics and Rob (MIA) last night, and Turbonetics actually completed an install on an auto car with the same AC compressor yesterday. This was only on first run 03's (mine was made in Aug 02). There is only a single bolt on the bottom of the compressor instead of two as on the newer compressors. Turbonetics, and us, used a single bolt to bolt the bracket down. The kit designed actually "stood" on the turbo to make sure it held and it did.

So far as a whole, I don't see a single person installing this kit in 10-12 hours work. The components of the kit are HIGH QUALITY, the problem is the fitment in the engine bay is VERY TIGHT. So, there are bolts and clamps we had to tighten that took two people to do, one from above and one from below. We also had some issues getting enough clearance around the turbine for the heat shield and AC line. I took some pics of that below, and showed how we fixed it.

So far the install is going much slower than expected. I can't stress enough how tight this fitment is. Many of the clamps and bolts are really hard to squeeze in and get lined up correctly. But, overall the kit looks great and I can't wait to fire it up.

So, here's the pics. Descriptions are numbered for pics, left to right.

1) This is the AC line after being rerouted. The turbine sits on top of that flange you see coming up from the bottom. It was rubbing here on the AC line.

2) This coolant pipe was what was blocking it. We needed to move it to the left. Behind that clip you see, the pipe is actually solid metal.

3) This is what we did to fix it, just bent it over with a little leverage. Seemed to work.

4) This pipe on the right is the downpipe that goes past the header.

5) This is another problem we had. Originally, the oil drain pipe was getting pinched because of the wheel well (red part) is directly below the turbo. I didn't get a pic of it, but we're actually running this line around the outside of the body here, towards the wheel well. We couldn't find a way to get it to fit without pinching any other way. I'll get a good pic of the final routing of the oil drain later.

6) This is what Martin did to the downpipe to get it to work. He gently beat it with a mallet until it gave us just enough clearance of the header.

7) This is the inside of the downpipe. It is a massive 3 inches and our little dent barely changed that.

8) This is the downpipe sqeezed in next to the header. My header is ceramic coated. As you can see theres NOT MUCH SPACE.

9) Here's another shot of the downpipe clearing the header. As you can see that clamp is very close. We're going to be very careful to listen for any knocking.

10) Wastegate.

 

Rest of the pics.

 

And yes, MIA is right here. The cross pipe and the downpipe are hooked up around the gearbox and it all seems to fit. I'm heading back over to the shop in a bit to take some more pics. Hopefully the intercooler will be close to going on at that time.

 

Also we got in the ECU today so we are good to go as soon as the kit is installed. Included was the BoV horn that my kit shipped without. I also got a super cool Turbonetics sticker as a special bonus.

 

Thanks for the pictures and the explanations that really clarified everything.

It does look like it’s a tight fit. You didn’t have any problem with the longer length of the DC header right? Just the fitment issue for the down pipe? Do you have a picture of where the header goes to the reroute?

 

Congrats on everything. Glad to see you got it too fit...Let me know if there is anything else I can help with...

 

I just noticed the pics are all out of order for some reason

 

Tauarran i just talked to Brad and he mentioned that the oil drain should be facing the other way around. Can you check this when you get there. It should fix the oil drain line being pinched. Brad said its pretty detailed in the instrustions about which way to clock that fitting.