I like to take my mods slowly (duh - having owned my FD3S for ten years since new) so I've always put off the dp.

Finally got around to it.

IMHO, it is the very first mod you should do. Period. 100%. Absolutely.

BEFORE:

1. My wife hated to ride in the passenger seat, always complaining she was getting "roasted". I could feel the heat from my side.......

2. The a/c could never "keep up" with demand on hot days - the black interior could have something to do with that.......or so I thought.

3. Incredible under hood heat after parking - it would take hours to cool down. I always parked it with the hood up and TWO floor fans blowing on it.

4. The low end and midrange always felt - anemic.
There was no top end.

5. It sounded like a Hoover.

AFTER:

1. My wife and I have sex every night now, she claims it's because she has renewed "vigor" since she is so cool and refreshed after a spirited drive. Maybe it's the Viagra - who cares?

2. I can run my a/c fan a couple of settings lower and have discovered new lyrics on my Nirvana CD's. Curt Cobain was a genius. He just had a few personal problems.........btw, I are 48.

3. I can now enter my garage WITH my FD3S in it without melting.

4. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Yeah yeah yea YEAH!

5. Sounds like a - Hoover - on steroids.

What the hell was wrong with me waiting so long to do this?

My advice? HKS brand fits perfectly without removing studs. Very good build quality and welds. Especially for the money. If I was in a climate with any humidity stainless steel would be worth the extra money, but make sure the ENTIRE dp is stainless. Beware the stainless sticks out like a sore thumb to the emissions ***** so wrap it or jet coat it grey for stealth.

Wrap it with "header tape" and stainless "wire ties" to hold the ends on. Don't wrap the end near the turbos since the casting could crack over time from repeated heat cycling. Buy Liguid Wrench, Kroil, PB Blaster or similar and give the old fasteners a few hours or a few days to soak before cranking on 'em. WD 40 will not work. Don't force anything or you will regret it for weeks. Use a TORQUE WRENCH and motor oil when reinstalling old nuts or you will regret it for months. (28 to 38 ft. lbs.) Anti-sieze is a must if you pull the studs and put in new bolts. Pop for new gaskets, so what if it's $50.00, you want to do it the professional way, right?

Don't be a cheese dick like me - DO IT NOW DAMNIT!

 

I agree totally. First time I was dumb founded by the coolness of the engine bay after the DP. Now if you think that mod is great, try a midpipe soon when you are ready. That will knock your socks off. Makes you feel like you gained 40hp. =)

 

What???? You can't be serious? Certainly you mean after the Altezzas, of course. Then chopsticks, then DP. Hehehehe

 

still waiting for the dp from corksport.... supposedly you don't have to remove the studs, so i'm puuuuuuurty excited about that. hopefully they can get it made and shipped out when they said they could.

...now i'm gettin giddy...especially for the sex everynight part

 

I definately agree. Just listening to the sound of the turbos and the BOV is enough for me. The radio isn't even on anymore. The "seat of the pants" test is nice too. Like RonKMiller said, do it now.

 

Doesn't everybody know this?

I am shocked that this is a new revelation for an FD owner who has had car for 10 years.

Ed

 

When i put my dp in i was stunned. i didnt think it would make that much difference. it still amazes me, and the turbo spool sounds soo much cooler. engine bay is much cooler too. doesn't a midpipe make it impossible to pass emissions though?

 

does the dp really help with the under the hood temp? bc even with one it's still freakin hot in there. i got my dp one month after i got her so maybe i didn't notice the before/after as much as you did

 

You can install some of the other DPs without removing the studs if you jack to motor over to the driver's side of the engine bay. You can even use the stock jack with some towels (to keep from digging the paint up) between the shock tower and the upper air pump hinge point (with the air pump removed, of course).

-Max

 

G'Dam, SlipperySlater1 ...My eyes poped out ouf my head 44FFF's or what!

I put it off because I wanted a studless version like M2 but also wanted the 2nd bunge tig welded for an EGT and wide band dyno tuning. RMS makes a copy but can't add the 2nd bunge so that left expensive M2, plus jet-hot coating = $500.00

Well Corksport as it turns out makes a M2 replica (btw: the next batch is mid Oct)and they "can" tig weld the bunge, but I didn't get that done.

Forced air from a two turbos and shoving a banana in the tail pipe = pre-cat & cat.

 

I thought the (wrapped) Bonez dp would reduce heat in the passenger compartment of our otherwise stock '94, but it doesn't seem so. At least it's not any hotter! I think the great majority of heat comes from the turbos.

---- Bill

 

How much longer does does it take for the engine to warm to "normal" operating temeprature with the down pipe installed?

 

Try ceramic coating your downpipe.
You will be shocked again.

 

Trust me. The stock engine bay with a precat is significantly hotter than that with a downpipe.

 

I haven't had sex since August. I deffinitely need to order a down pipe soon. So what if I don't eat for a month.... I need sex.

 

I looked for "welcome to 5 years ago", but the best I could do was

Have you not read anything here in the past few years?

 

FD precat=nuclear furnace

 

Where the hell have you been? Doesn't everyone say to do this as the first reliability mod?

 

Oh yeah! I think my pre-cat was half plugged, 'cuz when I put on my dp it made ALL the difference in the world!

Does the midpipe really make that much difference? How about compared to a high flow cat? I've been thinking of a high flow catalyst and a N1 dual, depending on how ready I am to have a much louder car. Is the Random Technologies a good cat?

 

so what mods did you have before dp...?

 

I'm actually keeping the factory pre-cat in a garbage bag just in case I sell to someone who worships 'Stock'. The biscuit in it had some nasty fusing, and I loved the sound of the new DP more than anything else.

Anyone wanna answer the above Midpipe/catback queries? I am interested since it's my next mod..Thx

 

Well, my emissions ***** are pretty smart. Last time I took it in they made a big deal and called every tech over to look at it, and yes, they did pull out the mirror and look underneath (like they would have a clue what they were looking for) I'm keeping the pre-cat just in case. I know some guys in CA have been busted big time.

Like I said, don't be a cheese dick. I have known about it forever, but I just didn't think it would be that big of a deal. Plus I am one LAZY ****. My usual attitude is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". This is a fix that is worth the time and effort, and if I can motivate even ONE other owner to get off his butt and do this then Tally-Ho, HO.

Oh, it's an FD3S, not an FD. There is no such thing.

 

I'm dyslexic. (sp?). Stop making fun of me, my feelings get hurt very easily.

 

to the dp

 

Adding a downpipe is the first modification anyone should do to their FD. I actually put mine on 2 days after I bought the car. It not only helps the motor breathe better, cools the engine bay temps down and add's power, but over the long haul it will significantly help extend the life of your motor and it's accessories. The heat generated by the precat contributes to almost all of the stock FD3S' problems. By changing to a downpipe you'll give more life to all the underhood rubber/plastic parts including your solenoids and wire harness. Good to see you got the downpipe on Ron.

eric