I picked up a downpipe at Gotham Racing a month or so ago --- getting off the OEM down pipe took me a total of 35 minutes from jacking it up to pulling it off.

The downpipe I purchased at Gotham took me over 5 hours to install, I wrestled with 3 bolts that simply would not align properly. It was not due to the holes but due to the clearance between the flange and the bolt... I had to grind down the edges of 3 of the 4 bolts to make it so I could fit them in.

Once I had them grinded, I tackled with each bolt for about an hour to get them to thread properly --- the last thing I need to be doing is pulling out the twins to fix a stupid error.

After all the bolts are fastened securely, new gasket in place... I am totally pumped to be done! I do one last examination of the new downpipe and notice a HUGE ******* GAP in the rear (closest to the firewall) between the manifold and the down pipe flange.... My friend and I were so happy 30 seconds before and now I am laying on my back, dirty as all hell, underneath the car, realizing that I have just spent over 5 hours getting the damn downpipe on only to realize it has a bent flange.... The bolts are all tight as possible and I am able to fit the tip of a medium sized flat head screwdriver between the exhaust manifold and the down pipe flange.

I tried to put some gasket maker / sealer, in place of where the huge ******* gap was but it did squat to seal it... Defeated, dirty and hungry I called it a night and drove home for 30 minutes listening to this leak in my engine bay... One cool note is that I can hear my turbos spool up like crazy.

I need peoples input or advice --- is there anything I can do to try and fix this leak without having to pull the entire down pipe off? I hear that the gasket sealers will not hold up to the temps of the manifold (excess of 1000 degrees).

I really think I may light the car on fire if I have to remove and re-install the downpipe.... it is such a piece of **** and I am really upset that the flange is uneven.

 

shitty, but you dont wanna half *** it. Its not a civic

i had a flange thta was pretty out of whack and i used my ace/oxy torch to heat it up and used a hammer on a level suface to straighen it out. worked good for me i have no leaks currently.

 

I kinda had the same problem as you except with the bonez dp, the stock bolts would not clear the flange. I think your only option is to either have them exhange/refund for a better fitting one or... ditch it and go get the HKS dp which will clear everything...

 

If the flange itself is really bent then you for sure have to take it out of the car, and straighten it out, if not return it. There's no room w/ the dp installed to heat it up and try to reshape it....

sorry to hear that its giving you ****. The first time I put in a downpipe, It took me about 4 hours and I was pissed off by the time I finished. Now that I look back on it (with a scar or 2 on the back of my hand) its the first real mod I ever did to my car.

Good luck,
Randy

 

This is the fourth DP I have installed on my fourth FD --- this is the firs time I have ever encountered such a shitty experience with it.

I am going to try to use the new and the old gaskets in conjunction with each other as well as some gasket sealer.

I just took a 2 hour shower to get the **** out of my hair, nails, back, arms and face from rolling around so long underneath that cramped engine bay.

Sleep time, and I will worry about it in the morning damnit

 

Instead of grinding down the studs you could of worked with each of the offenders and removed them from the manifold. Chase the threads with the proper tap, run a die over the studs. Coat them with never-sieze and place them aside. Then position your DP on the one remaining stud and re-install each removed stud.


Later

 

+1

 

And, you will never get that to seal. You need to remove it and return it and try a new one.

 

Yeah, I don't understand how something as simple as a DP can be such a problem. BUT THEY ARE!!! My buddy has a 96 rhd so we get an HKS DP for it. Yay, they fit...or at least they are supposed to. It hits the steering rack...

 

Return it, get a flat one. You'll never get that to seal.

 

There is a used M2 downpipe for sale in the classifieds. Apparently, they are about the best fitting. I also had a lot of work to do installing a Bonez downpipe.

 

Call Gotham and talk to Alex. I am sure he will fix the issue if you purchased the downpipe from them.

 

Fixed the exhaust leak with a gasket I made in conjunction with a **** ton of copper high heat gasket maker. I have one little issue after re-installing everything, I think I am just tired and cant think straight right now.

The nipple on the Y pipe, located behind the charge release valve pipe I believe --- has no hose to attach to it and I am stumped.

Either there is a hose tucked away somewhere or I never had a hose there (I could have sworn there was a hose though). I know this nipple is supposed to run to the LIM but all the nipples are being used on the LIM and they are all running to their appropriate spots...

The car will boost fine on the first turbo but the secondary turbo will not kick in. Im sure I will think about it in my sleep and figure it out but I would love some comments --- so tired... glad to be done with the downpipe nightmare (I did alot of crap to make it work) I just hope they exhaust leak doesnt come back