im going to get the berk tech test pipes for my 04 z.. i am just wondering if they are a pain to have to remove & put stock cats on yearly for emission testing. also i want to know if they trigger a check engine light

 

They are not the easiest due to the location of some of the bolts. If you look on you tube there is a video showing the installation on a Z. You need to be gentle so u don't break an O2 sensor if you don't have a O2 socket. Watch the u tube video it is very detailed and will give u great sense of the difficulty. I did mine with a buddy in about two hours. Probably could have been quicker but we took our time and had some cold ones.
I have had mine on for about 5k miles and no code.

 

The initial install is a pain in *****. After that it should be much quicker with all the new hardware.

 

Yes its a pain in the *** to remove and install test pipes. Test pipe to exhaust is easy. Exhaust manifold to test pipe is a knuckle buster.

 

I'm going to guess that this is the video that was mentioned, even though it is for high-flow cat's, but same idea overall.
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Some cars get ses lights, others don't. If you don't have the tools you can rent them at your local autozone.

 

My bad I thought he was asking about cats. Same bolts though and they do suck

 

I just put my berk test pipes on last weekend and it wasn't all that bad. The only part I needed a friend to help me with was the removal of the 2 bolts on the driver side cat at the manifold and subsequently tightening the new nuts/bolts for the test pipes at the manifold. I can tell you that you're far better off disconnecting the O2 sensors and removing them still attached to the cat. Then you can use a big 22mm wrench to remove the sensors. My friend held the cat, I removed the sensor without needing any pb blaster or heating of the socket around the sensor, and it actually came off with relative ease. Don't waste your time trying to do it under the car or using those O2 sensor sockets because they nearly stripped the sensor for me and they couldn't budge the it one bit. You'll have the room needed to use a proper open ended wrench when you take them off the car. If you bring it to a shop for the install, if they'll even do it 'cause some won't touch that kind of work. Be prepared to pay a couple hundred bucks or more and no guarantee they won't screw anything up in the process. As far as the CEL light being triggered that varies from one install to another. Just be sure to disconnect your battery before doing anything!

 

thanks for all the responses. also i was wondering what the sound is like.. is it raspy sounding? like through what rpm ranges.. or is it all solid for the most part. i really want a solid really LOUD sound to my car. which i know will come along even more when i add my tanabe exhaust in december.

 

Too subjective of a question. But, feel free to look at all the "awesome" sound clips on the 'net of some 'tard with a $0.35 mic in a cell phone revving in his driveway...
Put them on, and if you hate it, they'll be easy to take off because you'll have just put them on.

 

yeah of course ive looked around on youtube and stuff but the sound quality a lot of times gets distorted, id like to hear it in person.

 

some rasp between 3-4k

 

I've actually changed my mind and I'm going to go with the Berk test pipes...

 

Change your mind TO test pipes?? Huh!???
Remind me of the title of this thread, again.

 

Hahaha my fault I didn't read it and I thought it was the thread I posted about hfc's... Lol I'm dumb

 

 

haha