Helix SS Test Pipes Installed
Helix SS Test Pipes Installed
Just copying what I wrote over at g35driver.com....
Hey guys,
I installed my test pipes yesterday evening with the help of one of the guys at my local muffler shop - he was going to not charge me to use the lift if I could do it myself, but there was no way in hell I could have done it alone - we had to heat up every single bolt that holds the cats on with a torch before using an impact wrench to get them off... it was a b1tch! but eventually we got the swing of everything and got it taken care of... it took about an hour to get the cats off and about 30 min to put the test pipes in... the only other problem we had was with the two of the bolts not wanting to come out (one on each cat - the upper-inside bolt on the header side of the cat) - we just left one in there on one side and on the other side, we drilled out the flange to make way for a bigger bolt (the flange seemed to be threaded in that hole only ???) - it was a learning experience for both of us to say the least - the good thing about it was that he had a chance to get a good look at the underside and recommended what kind of exhaust setup we should do...
now for my impressions - the car definitely seems to have more power in the mid to upper range (can definitely feel it more than the intake mod) so overall I'm happy with the results - the sound, as many have expained already, is not for everyone... it sounds a whole lot meaner when you're idling but it does get quite a bit raspy when your between 2500-3500 RPM's - after that it sounds mean again all the way up to redline... I did a couple 1/4 mi runs down an empty country road near my house, and I definitely feel like I'm on the verge of hitting a 100mph trap...we'll see if the pulley and grounding wires help any after tomorrow...
Overall, I'm very happy with them, despite the skepticism that I had going into this... I actually like the louder sound and the raspiness really doesn't bother me all that bad (I just look at it as more air flow = more HP)... if you think you can live with the sound, I strongly suggest the test pipes - for $190 shipped, it's one of the best bang-for-the-buck mods out there...
Hey guys,
I installed my test pipes yesterday evening with the help of one of the guys at my local muffler shop - he was going to not charge me to use the lift if I could do it myself, but there was no way in hell I could have done it alone - we had to heat up every single bolt that holds the cats on with a torch before using an impact wrench to get them off... it was a b1tch! but eventually we got the swing of everything and got it taken care of... it took about an hour to get the cats off and about 30 min to put the test pipes in... the only other problem we had was with the two of the bolts not wanting to come out (one on each cat - the upper-inside bolt on the header side of the cat) - we just left one in there on one side and on the other side, we drilled out the flange to make way for a bigger bolt (the flange seemed to be threaded in that hole only ???) - it was a learning experience for both of us to say the least - the good thing about it was that he had a chance to get a good look at the underside and recommended what kind of exhaust setup we should do...
now for my impressions - the car definitely seems to have more power in the mid to upper range (can definitely feel it more than the intake mod) so overall I'm happy with the results - the sound, as many have expained already, is not for everyone... it sounds a whole lot meaner when you're idling but it does get quite a bit raspy when your between 2500-3500 RPM's - after that it sounds mean again all the way up to redline... I did a couple 1/4 mi runs down an empty country road near my house, and I definitely feel like I'm on the verge of hitting a 100mph trap...we'll see if the pulley and grounding wires help any after tomorrow...
Overall, I'm very happy with them, despite the skepticism that I had going into this... I actually like the louder sound and the raspiness really doesn't bother me all that bad (I just look at it as more air flow = more HP)... if you think you can live with the sound, I strongly suggest the test pipes - for $190 shipped, it's one of the best bang-for-the-buck mods out there...
Last edited by bwzabodyn; May 5, 2004 at 08:49 AM.
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