I finally received confirmation on the downpipe pricing from PPE Engineering.
These pipes are 2.5" 304 Stainless steel they will be offered with and without cats.
Introductory pricing will be $800 for cats and $600 for non-cat pipes.
Here's the way it will work from Paul@PPE:
Instead of doing a traditional group buy, I think we should just offer an introductory price for a set period of time. 20% off MSRP for 3 weeks, then at the end of the 3 weeks we will build all the orders taken. $100 non-refundable deposit when the order is taken and the rest due when the parts are ready.
It's kind of like a group buy but people won't wait on the side lines for others to get in first.
These downpipes will be completely tig welded and finished inside the flanges as oppossed to the "other pipes" which are mig welded with unfinished inside the flanges.
There will be a page on their site this weekend for pre-orders to be taken:
http://www.ppeengineering-onlinestore.com/ (http://www.ppeengineering-onlinestore.com/)
I will post pics next week of the first set completed that are black coated.
If you have any questions please contact Paul Prentis (Paul.Prentis@ppeengineering.onmicrosoft.com)
Just curious why not 3"? Turbo cars benefit from 0 back pressure and from what I have read these cars are really on the high side.
Quote from: Ricanracer140 on February 15, 2013, 05:55:01 PM
Just curious why not 3"? Turbo cars benefit from 0 back pressure and from what I have read these cars are really on the high side.
Won't fit
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Pre-ordering web page:
http://www.ppeengineering-onlinestore.com/category.sc?categoryId=85 (http://www.ppeengineering-onlinestore.com/category.sc?categoryId=85)
The pre-order is on the website now :D
Did mine :D
Video of the new pipes, they are being test fitted and pre/post dyno done tomorrow. My camera is bad but video is good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFJylj_GSZ0
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
:o Video is Private?
Thank you! Nice craftsmanship on these pipes, very clean. Hope you get your vehicle back soon so we can hear them come to life.
Quote from: SHOdded on February 25, 2013, 02:05:24 PM
Thank you! Nice craftsmanship on these pipes, very clean. Hope you get your vehicle back soon so we can hear them come to life.
Should have it back tomorrow afternoon according to PPE
Those are obviously the high flow cats? Anyone know if these would cause a problem with a visual inspection at emissions time?
Quote from: FaSSt9602 on February 26, 2013, 12:41:20 PM
Those are obviously the high flow cats? Anyone know if these would cause a problem with a visual inspection at emissions time?
No problem, as long as no CEL they'll pass. Here in AZ there's no visual for OBD2 cars unless you can't pass the OBD2 test.
Pre-dyno was done and pipes are installed, post dyno will be done tomorrow morning. I'm as excited as everyone else to see the results. :)
we're tomorrow morning... where's the damn vid!? LOL ;D
It's 7:14 AM AZ time, shop opens at 9am.... :)
Sorry for the delay guys, the first set of production pipes needed some massaging for perfect fitting, the jigs are being updated as well. Dyno possibly tomorrow morning, PPE has been spending all day updating the pipe layout.
Updated pictures of the pipes:(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5XmysmFieKQ/US6sqz1bE2I/AAAAAAACt_M/QtErhpx2z_M/s1440/IMAG0027.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6E8oXg4yRZw/US6sr3CR3xI/AAAAAAACt9A/I0zB2-NUV7E/s1440/IMAG0028.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qTrDCBAkjRs/US6ssyQk7vI/AAAAAAACt9I/HTtFpNUhVLs/s1440/IMAG0029.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SKMsA7NkQyc/US6st52J21I/AAAAAAACt9Q/0xPGdsa7hMY/s1440/IMAG0030.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_Y31uqsczKU/US6svOw7p1I/AAAAAAACt9Y/cc7-fs_ry2U/s1440/IMAG0031.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-69F_3WN5NbY/US6sv1t02FI/AAAAAAACt9g/F34WqJPoh0M/s1440/IMAG0032.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b9qA2b5tvF8/US6sxGlgtoI/AAAAAAACt9o/bpUcHofBB3A/s1440/IMAG0033.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tvfnWaRn0MU/US6syWJWShI/AAAAAAACt9w/Y6Nz61kbhsE/s1440/IMAG0034.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UfeKatuZxqg/US6s0XlGB9I/AAAAAAACt94/nt46RkP3T_c/s1440/IMAG0035.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZRU8z7hz9MI/US6s2GDOfuI/AAAAAAACt-A/QEHZhIOml78/s1440/IMAG0036.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6d-2yLfbPRU/US6s3keKWQI/AAAAAAACt-I/eK2vq9G4g38/s1440/IMAG0037.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-quSO1HRuSqQ/US6s5INvbhI/AAAAAAACt-U/_kj1b35WHWA/s1440/IMAG0038.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pnaAWotBMAo/US6s6PYp8KI/AAAAAAACt-c/Kr-n-U7A4QM/s1440/IMAG0039.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7i1FLKxcN1o/US6tL_lgG2I/AAAAAAACt-4/Fw8W1h3_2QM/s800/IMAG0042.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dnXfMjWIc7o/US6tVbAhFqI/AAAAAAACt_A/-jJfvI0KU5s/s800/IMAG0043.jpg)
Looks very nice!
Some pictures of my install this weekend. I ended up breaking one stud on the front turbo housing. Luckily it broke with about 3/8" sticking out, so I ground it off a touch to true it up, started a nut, welded it to the stud, and got it to pop free. The amazing part was I had exhaust studs from my old '99 Contour 3 liter swap and one of those worked perfectly!
I did have one fitment issue with the rear pipe not clearing the axle bearing mount on the passenger side of the engine. There's enough room that this pipe should be able to be moved rearward and corrected by the manufacturer. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of this but will do so to help the guys correct this before any more pipes go out. All I had to do was pop it with a ball peen hammer a few times to get enough clearance for the pipe to slip into place, but I would have liked it more if I didn't have to do this obviously.
More pictures. The one with the shop light, I was trying to show where the O2 sensor clip was on the lower edge of the head on the passenger's side. Can't quite see it in the picture, but it's there. Believe it or not, that was the hardest thing for me to get done.
Forgot to mention first driving impressions. Good increase in power, no change in exhaust note, though there is a slight whistle now. Those with an intake probably will not notice that though since an intake probably makes more whistle anyway. Spools a few hundred rpm sooner too, giving those 255\45\20 Hancooks more than they can handle.
Nice pics! Weird you had to clearance, I know of 2 others that didn't have to so it must have been a difference in either the car - some guy had the same issue with the Livenois pipes on his SHO or a small difference in the downpipe manufacturing. Paul and I looked for that bearing on my car according to SHO pictures and couldn't find it.
After the rear one makes the second bend to run parallel with the axle shaft, that is where the bearing housing is located. The pipe has easily a couple inches clearance on the firewall side to be moved that direction, at least on the Flex it does. Not sure about the SHO.
Is the early buy price still in effect?
I tried to find out on PPE site but there is no price listed, just the two options and the $100. up front charge.
Found the broken stud in my jacket pocket this morning. Broken one left, magic one right... I say magic because I had tried 5 times to weld other nuts to the stud and they all kept breaking the weld. Then I got the bright idea to cut an "X" into the stud, then put the nut on, then pounded a stainless steel nail into the middle of the "X" to flare it as much as I could, then pounded the crap out of the end of the stud with a ball peen hammer, THEN welded it. When it finally came out, I ran inside to show my girlfriend and said "Taaaaa daaahhh!!!" :biggrin:
Went to a muffler shop... getting the downpipes installed and a custom 3rd cat + resonator delete :-[
Should be done on Monday :D
Just to let everyone know, unless you have an overtightened nut on the from the factory like mine did, this is a VERY easy install. Even with the trouble I had, it was barely over a 3 hour job. No special tools, just a couple sockets with long extensions and a couple wrenches. With no issues you could easily do this in under 2 hours on stands in your driveway.
I contacted PPE Engineering by e-mail when I couldn't find a price on their site for either set of downpipes. The 20% discount is no longer available, except for one lucky person who will do a before and after Dyno check, but I still don't know what the new price is.
Based on my NESHO mid-pipe, I am sure that downpipes will gain you some extra HP, but how much is still unknown, and will the NESHO mid-pipe help more, help less, or hurt the downpipe increase.
Also wondering how much extra sound, and if there's any drone issue.
My NESHO pipe sounds good outside and in the front 2 rows, but is annoying in the third row.
Guess we need more data. I have decided to wait.
Quote from: EcoBrick Bob on April 24, 2013, 12:00:59 PM
I contacted PPE Engineering by e-mail when I couldn't find a price on their site for either set of downpipes. The 20% discount is no longer available, except for one lucky person who will do a before and after Dyno check, but I still don't know what the new price is.
Based on my NESHO mid-pipe, I am sure that downpipes will gain you some extra HP, but how much is still unknown, and will the NESHO mid-pipe help more, help less, or hurt the downpipe increase.
Also wondering how much extra sound, and if there's any drone issue.
My NESHO pipe sounds good outside and in the front 2 rows, but is annoying in the third row.
Guess we need more data. I have decided to wait.
The price for catted pipes is $1000 the price for non-catted pipes are $850.
I did not notice an increase in sound with my catted downpipes and stock exhaust, just more power.
I went with catless pipes and there still no drone, but I still have the stock exhaust beyond these pipes.
Quote from: EcoBrick Bob on April 24, 2013, 12:00:59 PM
Also wondering how much extra sound, and if there's any drone issue.
My NESHO pipe sounds good outside and in the front 2 rows, but is annoying in the third row.
Guess we need more data. I have decided to wait.
Performance wise I wont be able to tell as I'm getting my downpipes installed and a copy of the NESHO done at the same time. Noise will I'll be able to provide a sound clip/vid when they're installed on Monday so you'll have an idea.
non-catted PPE downpipes, custom 3rd cat and resonator delete.
That's only a few throttle blips but you can hear a bit of turbo whine. I'll try to get another vid while driving tonight or tomorrow.
That sounds bad ass! Great job
Quote from: 4DRHTRD on April 29, 2013, 01:16:31 PM
That sounds bad ass! Great job
just went for a test drive with a warmed up engine... well it's the only time it sounds bad ass!
when you start to give it some throttle it sounds like an old GM V6 2.8l engine which is annoying as F**K! At cruising speed, no drone and if you throttle up a little even with the windows closed you can hear the turbos.
Sounds like "RICER HEAVEN"!!!!
Can you tell the HP difference?
Quote from: EcoBrick Bob on April 29, 2013, 05:02:01 PM
Sounds like "RICER HEAVEN"!!!!
Can you tell the HP difference?
Ricer heaven would be lots of sound and no action... It isn't the case as there's definitely an improvement in engine and boost response but can't really tell about the HP gain as I couldn't push it due to traffic.
I guess I'll have to get a resonator re-installed... the stock mufflers aren't muffling much.
Have you removed the 3rd cat and the middle muffler? I have a NESHO X-Pipe. However, I can swap it out for stock section in about 30 min.
Quote from: EcoBrick Bob on April 29, 2013, 07:35:23 PM
Have you removed the 3rd cat and the middle muffler? I have a NESHO X-Pipe. However, I can swap it out for stock section in about 30 min.
All I have left are the stock mufflers.
I want to run 2.5" pipes to a Magnaflow internal x-pipe muffler in place of the stock third cat/res and see what that sounds like before I choose what to run out back.
That's what my Magnaflow Street System is like on my 09' G8.
(Kooks middie headers w/cats, x-pipe, mid muffler, & axlebacks)
For some reason it is louder on the road, but quieter at idle than my 08' G8 (Kooks middie headers w/cats, H-Pipe with stock piping to Magnaflow axlebacks.)
H-pipe seems to have a lower tone note than X-pipe, which likely affects what one hears at HWY speeds. Both are not obnoxious, unless you really get on them.
Highway driving report: It feels like I've lost some low end torque but it's no slug. You can hear the turbos pretty much every single time you flirt with the pedal. Drove with the back seats down, a tiny witty little bit of drone if you keep the engine at 2000rpm but if you happen to have the radio on just for a bit of background noise you wont hear it.
When the flirting stops and things get a little nasty ohhhh the joy! Hate the sound with a passion between 2600rpm and about 3600rpm but damn that thing is moving!
edit: I've ordered a magnaflow 11379 so it can be added after the x-pipe. hopefully this will remove the gawd awful noise.
edit2: tried to capture the noise with another video but it didn't register...damn wind noise.
Finally got a picture of where I had to clearance the rear down pipe.
Second shot a little farther back.
My car definitely doesn't have that
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
bnoon- what year is your Flex? Could there be some minor differences between years?
Mine is a 2011.