Hi I want to know if it is hard to install an HKS downpipe on my FD 1993.

What do I have to remove to access the orginal pipe and pre-cat ?
Can I do this with only a jack and normal tools ?
Is it bolt-in and fits perfectly ?
Do I need to know anything special ?

Thanks !

 

it is very easy, especially with an HKS becaseu you do not need to remove the studs. You can do it with regular tools ery easily. You may want to purchse new gaskets, but you don't have to. I did because my car backfires like a fool. check out the how-to website there are detailed instructions to accompany the shop manual illustrations.

good luck, great mod to do. alsmots as good as mid-pipe.

 

...not too difficult...it should fit perfect, without having to take any of the studs off (unless of course they come off during the removal of the pre-cat). it helps to remove all of the turbo intake pipes & airbox. i was installing the efini y-pipe at the same time, so i had all of that stuff out anyways.

here's some tips from my recent install:

- replace the gaskets. you really should never re-use old gaskets. keep in mind though that the gasket on the manifold side of the DP was about $45 from Mazduh

- the shop manual says to replace the nuts on the studs. these were about $5 each from Mazduh. when you take them off, you'll notice, looking at the top of the nut, it's kinda oval shaped. this is to lock it on the stud. if it doesn't look oval-shaped, then you should probably replace it. otherwise, you're probably ok to re-use

- some say to replace the studs with bolts. if all 4 studs back out on you, then i would say go for it. otherwise, i wouldn't bother. the last thing you want is for a stud to break on you. that's very bad. they say that you'll have to remove the turbos to remove & replace the broken stud

- i would put the O2 sensor on the DP before installing it. otherwise, it's sits at a weird angle and is hard to thread in since it's in a pretty tight spot. i nearly stripped the threads out on the DP, and ended up having to completely remove the DP to put the O2 sensor in (not to mention re-cutting the threads on the DP). also, if you have any miles on your car, you might as well replace the O2 sensor. i used the $25 Bosch sensor vs the $150 Mazduh one. you just have to splice the wires with the Bosch one. i did all this back in October 2001, and haven't had any problems with it so far.

- i found this magical stanley rachet at wal-mart. it has an extendable handle (for more leverage/torque) and a hinged head (for those weird angles). this tool was invaluable for getting around things when tightening the nuts on the DP. the top-left nut (looking at the flange) will be tough to get to. you will probably need a deep socket for that one. also, if you can't get it from the top, try getting at it from underneath the car.

good luck

 

It is a fairly easy mod...but be prepared for hard to remove bolts.

You need to spray the bolts in some type of penetrating oil to loosen them up. The ones on the turbo housing are a B!tch to get to. The one in the upper left is impossible to see, but you can get it if you feel around. The bolts at the mid pipe are usually stuck on pretty well too. I would advise having a breaker bar ready for those.

I would guess the only gasket you need is the one between the down pipe and mid pipe. Mine fell apart when I took it out. The one on the turbo manifold is metal, so you can reuse it.

I would budget at least 4 hours to do it. Take your time...and don't rush.

It is fairly easy...but you can encouter some problems.

later,
Patrick

 

Print this out and keep it handy.

I got the jackstands, drop light and liquid wrench ready to go. Just waiting for the HKS from Jason(Where's that damn FedEx truck?)

I think I'll take digipics of the process and make a "how-to" site. Atihun, you still on to assist maybe?