I'm working on putting on my ART V3 pipes and I'm having a very hard time lining up everything. I'm not a mechanic but I would say I have much more knowledge and experience than your average change oil and brakes guy, but I'm feeling so stupid for this. Anyways, it seems like no matter how I try to put them on the cat to y-pipe connection won't line up right and leads to a small leak. I've redone the installation trying different methods, the most recent and closest one has been to have everything in place with bolts on but not tightened at all and tighten up the cat to y-pipe alternating sides and then tighten the header to cat alternating sides. The last attempt was very close but it's aligned in a way that there is a small gap on the bottom side.

Anyone with experience or tips for this installation would be greatly appreciated, it's making me so mad driving around sounding like a bumble bee driving a civic.

 

Anyone?

 

Pics would help.

How are they not lining up? Is it an angle problem?

 

Just checking, you did cut the
bolt that sticks down on the drivers side right?

 

Yes, the angle doesn't line up properly it always seem to be that the inner part of the connection and the lower part have a gap. It takes force to make them line up at all and the bolts start getting sideways and what not because of the unequal pull. I could probably get some pictures but they won't really show much.

The bolt that needs to be cut is odd also. I did not cut it as on neither the driver or passenger side the pipes are a good inch away from the bolts which makes me think even more so that something has to be off.

 

So I never got this alignment issue figured out; I recently had to smog so I put my stock cats back on and today I put the ART pipes back on. I tried a different method of installation. I took out both cats and installed the ART pipes connecting the Y-pipe to the ART first and then connect to the headers. I also added some RTV silicone to the Y-pipe connection. Doing it this way I think the Y-pipe connection is a bit better but it still does not look perfect. I also had a very hard time getting it connected to the headers after. Finally, the brace to hold the pipes do not line up, both sides are off by about 1/2".

This is so frustrating trying to get these pipes lined up properly, it almost seems that the flange on the ART pipe at the Y-pipe connection is not straight or warped.

I hope someone could shine a bit of light on my situation.

 

If stock cats align properly to the Y-pipe you are using, sounds like is an issue with the ART pipes themselves (flange angle or position, pipe length/bend slightly off?). Did you buy them new? If so I would be calling whomever I bought them from.

 

okay, stupid question but just making sure.....

are you sure you got the ones for the DE engine? mine went in with no problems at all so this is very weird

 

Unfortunately I bought them used, so I sure hope there's nothing wrong with them. The previous owner said it was for DE, is there any way to verify it?

I forgot to add earlier, the rest of my exhaust system is all stock.

 

My guess is you might have purchased the wrong pipes, maybe for and HR rather than a DE? I am not too sure exactly what the difference is between the two but i know that they are not interchangeable.

If they are for HR, you can give them to me hahaha jk

Hopefully you figure it out man!

 

they are different how they mount to the header....

 

Yea i knew it had something to do with this but wasnt 100% sure.

OP - Have you tried unbolting your exhaust section to give you a bit more "wiggle room" ?

I know i had to do this on my Invidia Gemini TD when i put my berk pipes on.

 

Not really unbolting but just loosening the flanges on the entire exhaust enough to give you more slack....just to clarify

Torque from the test pipes and then work your way down to the back of the car slowly.

 

oooooooooooooooooooh. the washer on the header side is a round crush washer that you have to get from motordyne, I bet you didn't get them from the seller did ya? on where it connects to they Y pipe you need the layered metal oem gaskets.......

 

The header to pipe connection seems fine (of course I can't see all that well up there) so if that's the difference in HR and DE it seems good. As for gaskets on the header I'm using the OEM solid metal type of deal http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=6205 and for Y pipe I'm using these http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=1941

I'm probably going to reinstall them (for the 4th time) next week when I have time. I'm thinking my method will be headers first getting them pretty tight but not fully torqued, then loosen the rest of my exhaust and try to get the Y-pipe lined up and go from there. I'm honestly at the point where I want to drop the ART pipes and Y-pipe to connect them then put everything back around them.

 

the one fror the header from MD is round and looks like an o ring..... i would see about getting that....

 

Are you sure it's just round? Remember this is for DE from other pictures vie seen it look like what I have on the header side and it doesn't seem to be leaking from the header.

 

did you ever find the issue or figure this out?