Aftermarket downpipes!

[Miked218]

yes, do some research on this: Warranty Laws and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act

If you have an aftermarket exhaust and your brakes fail, they cant deny your brake repair because of your exhaust. Just know what youre getting into before you start modding your $40K+ car

normally what happens is if the manufacturer believes that the modified part is causing the issue they will require removal of said part before doing any warranty work or basically they would require the vehicle or problem area in question to be back in OEM or stock condition and if the problem still exists they will warranty it.

 

[Toddasaurus]

Visited 2 exhaust shops, the first one didn't even want to try after just glancing at the exhaust from underneath. The second one seems like a much cooler guy. He said he thinks he can make them (the HFC's) fit, but he's charging me extra to do the work, which I completely understand.

Even so, now I'm wondering if this is even gonna be worth the hassle and the cost. I really don't think the stock midpipes are much of a bottleneck at all... Oh well, this is what my OCD insisted on.

I'm hoping to snap some pics while it's still on the lift when he's all done.

 

[Toddasaurus]

One welded in so far. Looks pretty sloppy, but it's not like I could do any better (or even as good).




If these fail, then I'm just going back to stock midpipes. Haha.

 

[BlackedOutG70]

One welded in so far. Looks pretty sloppy, but it's not like I could do any better (or even as good).

View attachment 22466


If these fail, then I'm just going back to stock midpipes. Haha.

yeah looks very odd haha hopefully it sounds better than it looks.

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[Toddasaurus]

And here they are with both welded in.




Sound is very similar to stock, though you can hear it a little bit louder at idle and when at WOT. I think the biggest difference will be after the primaries are installed.

 

[Toddasaurus]

So, bad news. Installing primary downpipes is beyond my ability. I can't do it... In fact, ran into some major problems by snapping one of the studs on the passenger side turbo.



Waiting for new studs to come in (the nuts were completely frozen on the studs, so removing them ended up backing the entire studs out of the turbo, minus one of course).

Removing the passenger side downpipe was EXTREMELY tedious, but removing the driver's side downpipe looks like a nightmare - at best - if not impossible without removing the entire engine. At this point I have decided to cut my losses, and not risk any more problems by continuing in removing the driver's side downpipe. There just isn't any room... Perhaps a RWD drivetrain would allow me to get at it from underneath, but, even then it would be a monumental task.

Sorry everyone! It looks like I have failed. I am planning on selling my Lap3 downpipes (unused) at a loss for me. PM me if interested, otherwise I'll probably post them on eBay and/or the Stinger forum.

Here they are, they're beautiful...

 

[Miked218]

So, bad news. Installing primary downpipes is beyond my ability. I can't do it... In fact, ran into some major problems by snapping one of the studs on the passenger side turbo.

View attachment 22713

Waiting for new studs to come in (the nuts were completely frozen on the studs, so removing them ended up backing the entire studs out of the turbo, minus one of course).

Removing the passenger side downpipe was EXTREMELY tedious, but removing the driver's side downpipe looks like a nightmare - at best - if not impossible without removing the entire engine. At this point I have decided to cut my losses, and not risk any more problems by continuing in removing the driver's side downpipe. There just isn't any room... Perhaps a RWD drivetrain would allow me to get at it from underneath, but, even then it would be a monumental task.

Sorry everyone! It looks like I have failed. I am planning on selling my Lap3 downpipes (unused) at a loss for me. PM me if interested, otherwise I'll probably post them on eBay and/or the Stinger forum.

Here they are, they're beautiful...
View attachment 22714

You've got to be devastated! I'm so sorry this project didn't go as you and we all had hoped it would.

 

[Toddasaurus]

You've got to be devastated! I'm so sorry this project didn't go as you and we all had hoped it would.

Thank you sir, I appreciate that a lot. And you're right, I am completely devastated, along with feeling totally defeated and inadequate right now. Not to mention the anxiety associated with ruining my brand new car. It is completely fixable, but after experiencing this I don't want to take any more risks; hence my decision to sell the pipes.

I've rebuilt engines in the past from the ground up, and to have something like this stop me is painful. Evidently I'm not as competent as I used to be, or maybe I was never as competent as I thought I was; though I'm sure the increased complexity and packaging constraints of new cars like this doesn't help.

Luckily for me my wife has been very patient and understanding with me. It's a humbling experience that makes me appreciate my small family even more.

I'm still planning on all my other upgrades (ie intakes, intercooler, cat-back exhaust, and possibly water injection, brake pads and lines, wheels, and some minor suspension stuff), just no downpipes. I'll post updates on those things, but I've yet to get this all resolved.

:c

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[tarhoosier]

As my plumber told me, the most important point of his job is to know when the next step may take him in too deep.

 

[BlackedOutG70]

This

Thank you sir, I appreciate that a lot. And you're right, I am completely devastated, along with feeling totally defeated and inadequate right now. Not to mention the anxiety associated with ruining my brand new car. It is completely fixable, but after experiencing this I don't want to take any more risks; hence my decision to sell the pipes.

I've rebuilt engines in the past from the ground up, and to have something like this stop me is painful. Evidently I'm not as competent as I used to be, or maybe I was never as competent as I thought I was; though I'm sure the increased complexity and packaging constraints of new cars like this doesn't help.

Luckily for me my wife has been very patient and understanding with me. It's a humbling experience that makes me appreciate my small family even more.

I'm still planning on all my other upgrades (ie intakes, intercooler, cat-back exhaust, and possibly water injection, brake pads and lines, wheels, and some minor suspension stuff), just no downpipes. I'll post updates on those things, but I've yet to get this all resolved.

:c

This is awful so sorry, don’t you think maybe taking it to a professional performance shop to see what they have to say about it before giving up, downpipes are the most important mod for a turbo car I’d hate to see you sell the pipes and find out later that it could’ve worked.

 

[Husky]

Thank you sir, I appreciate that a lot. And you're right, I am completely devastated, along with feeling totally defeated and inadequate right now. Not to mention the anxiety associated with ruining my brand new car. It is completely fixable, but after experiencing this I don't want to take any more risks; hence my decision to sell the pipes.

I've rebuilt engines in the past from the ground up, and to have something like this stop me is painful. Evidently I'm not as competent as I used to be, or maybe I was never as competent as I thought I was; though I'm sure the increased complexity and packaging constraints of new cars like this doesn't help.

Luckily for me my wife has been very patient and understanding with me. It's a humbling experience that makes me appreciate my small family even more.

I'm still planning on all my other upgrades (ie intakes, intercooler, cat-back exhaust, and possibly water injection, brake pads and lines, wheels, and some minor suspension stuff), just no downpipes. I'll post updates on those things, but I've yet to get this all resolved.

:c

Sorry it didn't work out, but man you certainly made a valiant effort. Don't beat yourself up, it's wise to know when to stop. I applaud your efforts at even attempting this. Modern turbo cars are challenging to work on, and AWD makes it even harder.
And yes, those pipes are a work of art.

 

[Miked218]

Thank you sir, I appreciate that a lot. And you're right, I am completely devastated, along with feeling totally defeated and inadequate right now. Not to mention the anxiety associated with ruining my brand new car. It is completely fixable, but after experiencing this I don't want to take any more risks; hence my decision to sell the pipes.

I've rebuilt engines in the past from the ground up, and to have something like this stop me is painful. Evidently I'm not as competent as I used to be, or maybe I was never as competent as I thought I was; though I'm sure the increased complexity and packaging constraints of new cars like this doesn't help.

Luckily for me my wife has been very patient and understanding with me. It's a humbling experience that makes me appreciate my small family even more.

I'm still planning on all my other upgrades (ie intakes, intercooler, cat-back exhaust, and possibly water injection, brake pads and lines, wheels, and some minor suspension stuff), just no downpipes. I'll post updates on those things, but I've yet to get this all resolved.

:c

I understand all those thoughts and emotions you're going through. Don't beat yourself up over it and certainly do t let this discourage you or your experience past, present and future. Tomorrow is another day. I have great respect for you and your efforts.

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[Toddasaurus]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses - it all means a lot to me. Hopefully by next week or the week after my car will be up and running again and I can post some write ups on my catch can, intake, and Velossa Tech snorkels that all just arrived!

 

[danygenesis]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses - it all means a lot to me. Hopefully by next week or the week after my car will be up and running again and I can post some write ups on my catch can, intake, and Velossa Tech snorkels that all just arrived!

Heads up my friend. Things happen. Continue with your other mods and good luck!

 

[matpal]

Hey guys, I am a total noob with the modifications and was hoping someone could bring me up to speed on some abbreviations I keep seeing but can't figure out what they mean:

HFC
WOT
ARK

Thanks

 

[OMG70]

Hey guys, I am a total noob with the modifications and was hoping someone could bring me up to speed on some abbreviations I keep seeing but can't figure out what they mean:

HFC
WOT
ARK

Thanks

Might not be the thread for this, but...

HFC = High flow cats (= catalytic converter)
WOT = Wide Open Throttle
Ark = some manufacturer of an exhaust system that gets referenced quite a bit. Aka not an actual abreviation

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[Torqued]

Jumping in on this conversation....Sorry ahead of time, this is going to be a VERY LONG read but hope you stick with me on this. I think it's important and someone else might appreciate the knowledge share...........I, too, have the same concern with not wanting the exhaust too much louder than it is as stock although would like the performance and efficiency gains of purchasing a tuner with the right mods. I don't race btw. I read, on C&D, they rated the stock exhaust at 80dB. Depending on what dB chart you look at, 80dB is similar to a kitchen garbage disposal, a vacuum cleaner (HA! which one?), an alarm clock (again, which one?), a busy hotel lobby, a screaming child, a jackhammer at 50ft away. Most of the exhaust systems, and there aren't many out there, I've looked at for the G70 are closer to 90dB and higher. 90Db is closer to an arc welder, lawn mower, convertible ride on the highway, orchestra pit, boiler room. The institutions specializing in hearing claim that 85dB is the loudest sound you should be exposed to on a regular basis. Persistent exposure to sounds louder can cause hearing loss over time. Another point of reference since I think it's a more universal sound is that an Ambulance Siren is 120dB.
I was just looking at the Lap3 Downpipes and emailing back and forth with Lap3 (David Chung) I've DM'd him on FB a few times in the past and in some posts however, I wanted to see what a direct response was by using the "contact us" feature direct from the Lap3 website.

My initial inquiry was asking what I can expect with a Lap3 v2 tuner, the required HKS 45IL Plugs and just their Primary Downpipes running on 93 octane (which is all I've ever put in the car).

Here is his response: "all cars are a little different, but we have been seeing anywhere from 430-450whp with a primary downpipes on 93 octane. Gasoline quality is the most important portion when it comes to netting the best result."

My response to him : Thank you for your response. I've used 93 Octane exclusively since driving the car off the lot regardless of the gas cost knowing how important it really is to performance and longevity of the car. Genesis recommends 91 or higher but they also claim 87 is ok too. This leads me think the stock ECU is either adaptive to the octane being used or the stock tune is inefficient and while, I'm protecting my investment with top tier gas, I feel like I'm getting less performance than I should for using 93 compared to someone saving over $1,000/yr in annual gas cost by using substandard or lower octane gas. With that said, it's my perception that purchasing the Lap3 v2 Tuner for my G70 3.3L along with the HKS plugs as required on the Lap3 website for the Tuner and keeping everything stock, that I'm supposed to be able to get better performance, better mpg and higher whp. Is this all correct? Secondly, reading the Lap3 Downpipes offering for my car, it states the stock downpipes are the bottleneck to the entire exhaust system because the stock pipe diameter is only 1.25" and the Lap3 downpipes are 2.4". If I buy the downpipes with the larger diameter and leave the remaining stock exhaust in place, what's the next bottleneck? Is the stock 1.25" downpipe connecting to 1.25" mid pipes then causing another bottleneck? or are the stock midpipes 2.4" meaning the mfg intentionally for some reason created that specific bottleneck to reduce performance by using smaller downpipe diameter? I'm confused. My concern isn't making the initial investment of the plugs, downpipes and tuner, my concern is making an investment that turns into an investment of never ending upgrades required to eliminate all the bottlenecks and get the most enjoyment, performance and mpg. Again, thank you for your response and looking forward to continuing this conversation and eager to learn and understand from "the best" before I start a potential never ending cash bleed.

Okay, go to the bathroom, take a break, drink a shot, go watch the GodFather Trilogy then come back to this post......

His response back to me:
Mike, your normal driving MPG will increase as the car takes advantage of timing and fueling adjustment we have made via pro-tuner mapping. The bottle neck come down to the next midpipe after upgrading the primary downpipes, and then the factory catback. You want to keep a little bit of back pressure, as these garrett G series turbos start burning oil without them. We suggest starting with the HKS plugs & Pro-Tuner, primary downpipe, and our upcoming meth kit to get most gain for the investment amount

My response back to him:
that makes sense to me and fits inline with my logic. So I'm guessing the the increased diameter of the primary downpipes creates slightly more power and performance (nanoseconds?) until it hits the next bottleneck which in this case is the midpipe because now the diameter reduces back down to 1.25" all the way through the catback, mufflers and out pipe, correct? Understanding that Lap3 is the benchmark, and since I haven't read much or anything from or related to Lap3 regarding CAI's, is it also fair to say that spending up to $500 on some of the CAI's out there is probably a waste of money?

His response back to me: Most bolt-ons are just gravy on top...but is it worth it? To some, 0-5hp may be worth $500. Some, may not. Most open air filters do their jobs, but the gains over cost is nowhere near as good as what we sell. We typically don't sell parts that don't make power. The primary downpipe is nice to upgrade as the diameter of it is much smaller than the rest of the exhaust system, and the primary cats are extremely restrictive. Hence it's worth upgrading vs other parts of the exhaust system.

My response back to him:
I can't thank you enough. I finally have a better understanding now. I almost started with purchasing $528 Agency Power CAI's, not going to do that now, money better spent with Lap3 instead. Are there front and back cats? Would installing the new primary downpipes delete two front cats? If Lap3 only sells parts that make power, why doesn't Lap3 sell a full exhaust system instead of just primary dp's? Seems like there are less than 8 full cat back exhaust systems for the G70 3L and they all increase the sound to a minimum 90 Db which is too loud for me and my neighbors liking and my research says the stock exhaust is 80 Db. My problem now is trying to find either a full cat back exhaust system less than 90 Db or Frankenstein a system together which will just cost more.

His response back to me:
There are cats on primary downpipe, and secondary cats on midpipes. We haven't noticed much of difference with catless midpipes, but primary downpipes did make difference in real life racing applications. Catbacks are up to you if you want more sound. If you are worried about sound or rasps, I just recommend doing primary downpipe and leave the rest of the exhaust system stock.

And that was the last communication we had. It was today through email back and forth quick replies over the course of five hours. Impressive responsiveness.

After soaking all that in, processing it and unpacking everything, I'm very attentive and eager to hear some meaningful feedback from some of the top members in the forum about this topic.

Couple things, first do some research on fuel and octane. 87 is not substandard crappy gas, you put the octane your engine was inteneded to run. 93 is no higher quality than 87. However, if u plan to run a tuner u should run 93 IMO to give you some added protection from detonation with the added boost. That said, running 93 with no tune will net you exactly nothing but a lighter wallet.

Second, i would suggest the jb4. Its way way cheaper and just as good. Lap 3 claims more hp, but that is just because it has some more aggressive settings...all of which if you really want to get aggressive, you can get with the jb4 too (but I would advise against it). Just run map2 with 93 and you are gtg. If you are feeling frisky, throw some e85 or race gas in to run map 3 and 5. Map 5 is nasty, but i wouldnt advise running that normally. You really shouldnt run alot of e85, and race gas is obviously cost prohibitive to use normally.

 

[TEAM_ARK]

For your reference :
www.arkperformance.com

We're currently having special price all the KDM parts. Including CATLESS Downpipe for the G70.

Any question, pls DM me or email to info@arkperformanceusa.com