My Uppipe install (with pictures...)

[mccorry]

That's cool... I just didn't want you to be disappointed....

[AKLGT]

ha ha ha. thanks. :) the only disapointment i may have is the pita is it gutting the thing! lol

[Guest GT4ME]

mccorry, I cringe everytime I see the photos without jack stands. Pls. buy a couple.

[mccorry]

OK everyone.... I have 2 sets of stands. The car WAS on stands when I was underneath it. The pictures without stands were taken from the side of the car. I was guilty of putting my arm and camera under there for 1... I work on cars and restore old cars as a hobby.... I know how to use stands. ;)

[abakja1]

I have a question about re-using the gaskets for the passanger side exhaust manifold to engine and to the crosspipe,...Can I reuse the OEM ones?? I currently have only 4k miles and am going to do up/dp install soon, so will I get a leak if I reuse them??..I guess Im asking cause I could save the ~$40 from picking up new ones from local Subaru,. Also,..I have the included up gaskets from Helix and wonder if the OEM gasket is also like the "stacked" gasket I got,...Looks like 3-5 thin metal gaskets stuck together,..Will I get any leaks from this as I remember reading something from Russ at Crucial that everything will need to be torqued more than OEM specs to not get any leaks,..but Im going with OEM specs first and retorqueing again if there are any leaks...I dont plan on using any spray on gasket substance except maybe a dab of "make a gasket" to properly center gasket ontop of flanges,... Any answers about the gaskets?????

[Crucial Racing]

abakja -- you should be fine reusing the manifold gaskets. Usually those seal up with no problems for people, except for some random circumstances where people end up with small leaks no matter what they do. Actually embossed gaskets like the copper ones we sell do a very good job of sealing just about anything, even if you have flanges that aren't completely flat. It's cool to take them off and see how the embossing was pressed down different amounts in different places on cars with flanges that aren't "true" or have dents/scratches/etc. Anyway, I'd expect your stock manifold ones to be totally fine. The copper gasket spray stuff really does help. And it's like $6.50. Spray it on either side and let it dry for like 5 minutes. It becomes really tacky, which is convenient because the gaskets will stick in place, making your life easier when you're upside-down under the car and you left your third hand somewhere else :) Definitely torque the head bolt nuts to factory spec. The heads are aluminum and you always want to be careful on the aluminum parts since it strips easily. The rest of the exhaust is all grade 8 to 10 hardware and you're bolting together super thick flanges... it can handle more than the measly 28 lb torque spec. When you take the stock nuts off, you'll know they were torqued from the factory to much more :lol:.... but of course, don't go over the top. ...I know the first post was from quite a long time ago and the leak has since been fixed, but anytime you hear a sound like the Cobra supercharger (good description, actually!) or banshees eating a barbed wire salad, you have an uppipe leak. That crazy sound is caused by the exhaust pulses shooting between the two flanges and causing them to vibrate against eachother like a dual reed :eek: Jeremy

[Mr. T]

I know the factory torque spec on the exhaust is 28 lb but what is the factory spec on the head bolt nuts?

[Crucial Racing]

Actually it looks like the exhaust nuts torque spec is only 26 lbs, not 28.... that's crazy.

 

The head stud nuts' spec is 28.9.

 

Here's a pic from the Factory Service Manual for reference:

 

Jeremy

[mccorry]

Thanks for the good info, Jeremy!

[mlloydlgt]

The result.... THE NOISE IS STILL THERE! ARGH!

Go to www.pde-usa.com ....they have some instructions on the correct order to "re-tighten" everything. They made it very clear to me that this is the best way to get things done in a leakfree manner....

 

Their tech help, BTW, is #1.

 

1. Finger-tighten the top up-pipe flange enough to contact the gasket only. Do not tighten with a wrench as yet.

2. Finger-tighten the passengers side exhaust manifold. Do not tighten with a wrench as yet.

3. Tighten the bolts connecting the up-pipe to the passengers side exhaust manifold. Use a wrench and tighten fully.

4. Finger-tighten drivers side exhaust manifold to the cylinder head. Do not use wrench as yet.

5. Tighten the passengers side exhaust manifold to the driver side exhaust manifold. Use a wrench and tighten fully.

6. Tighten the five nuts on the top of the PDE up-pipe connecting it to the turbocharger. Use a wrench and tighten fully.

7. Tighten both exhaust manifolds at the cylinder heads. Use a wrench and tighten fully.

 

Mike

PDE-1001_install.pdf

[Crucial Racing]

[SIZE=2]We recommend swapping #6 and #7 in order. A lot of cars have issues getting the manifold to seal 100% with the head, and since the passenger exhaust manifold is solid iron and have no degree of flex in it, the uppipe should be bolted securely and evenly to it first, then it to the cylinder head, then the uppipe to the turbo because the turbo is free to move around. Important to have the two brackets that hold the uppipe/turbo to the engine block loose as well... they are the very last thing that gets tightened.[/SIZE] [SIZE=2][/SIZE] [SIZE=2]We also recommend simply dropping the entire manifold as one piece instead of separating the corners from the cross pipe. That cross pipe is a huge pain in the butt for a lot of people, both removing it and getting it to seal up again and dealing with the heat shields, but taking the manifolds off of the heads is quite easy.[/SIZE] [SIZE=2][/SIZE] [SIZE=2]Jeremy[/SIZE] [SIZE=2][/SIZE] [SIZE=2]btw -- there is DEFINITELY power to be had from any aftermarket catless uppipe compared to the stocker. About 15 whp on a tuned car. Cobb's graphs show this because their stage 2 does not include an uppipe. They estimate 285 at the crank and cars with their stage two [I]plus[/I] an uppipe dyno at over 300 to the crank when you do the % increase in WHP vs. a stock car average and then add that same % to the factory crank numbers. The 1/4 times also show the difference as most Stg 2 (that is turboback and tuning) cars will not match an STI in trap speed or ET, but add an uppipe and people start seeing lower ET's than a stock STI, also backing up the > 300 chp estimate.[/SIZE] [SIZE=2][/SIZE] ...and because I like writing novels :)... EQ Tuning just installed an uppipe on its new [otherwise-stock] WRX. Went from 185/190 whp with one of their own base map tunes to 205 w/ the uppipe and a new tune.... and actually 220 ftlbs which is CRAZY for a WRX with only uppipe!... yah, it was a Crucial just for the record but that's not what I'm trying to say. Any aftermarket uppipe [b]will[/b] be grounds for an incease in power :)

[RayDhaIn]

Just did the UP & DP installation last week (thanks for shipping them so fast Crucial!!). I managed not to jack the engine to take out the stock UP. I think it has to do with the EGT sensor.Take it out first (it's PITA though), then you should be able to wriggle it out.

[JSCspeed]

I would reccomend using brand new, OEM Subaru gaskets and following the service manual's reccomended torque specs, etc. (when possible) -- it's a surefire way to avoid leaks.

[subastyle]

now do the uppipe bolts that bolt into the turbo come of so i can use them on mu invidia catless uppipe????

[mccorry]

They are just studs. You can either double nut them out, or use some needle nose vise grips.

[subastyle]

so i can use the same ones

[mccorry]

Yes... or you can go buy some studs at the autopart store. Your call. The original ones might be difficult to get out. Make sure you use some penatrent oil on them.

[Crucial Racing]

Yeah they're a PITA to get out. They're usually rusty, too. That's why we include new Wurth studs w/ our uppipes. If you'd like, we'd be happy to sell you a set even though we don't usually sell them separately... just PM/e-mail if you're interested or end up having a hard time getting yours out. ....do autopart stores actually carry these semi-obscure metric studs?.... Jeremy

[subastyle]

did my uppipe i can feel the diffrence a lot more not as much lag..i reccomend this to all gt owners

[2006Specb122]

I read somewhere in the insructions that when doing the UP you'll need an o2 sensor wrench.

 

Did everyone find this to be true?

 

If so is it easy to find at any auto parts store? Is it subaru specific or any wrench deisnged for 02 sensors will work?

 

I don't ever remember getting an o2 sensor wrench and i've done exhaust swaps on other cars... so I dunno!

[subastyle]

i used a 02 socket just made it easier..i dont think its subaru specific

[whitetiger]

All you need is a 7/8" closed end wrench.

[mccorry]

All you need is a 7/8" closed end wrench.

 

+1

[dbolen]

Guys,

 

Some more tips on the up and down install....I did mine about 10 days ago. I had the up-pipe for quite awhile(the one off of ebay) and it looks similar to the one in the pics.

 

I used rhino ramps and they worked great.

15,000 on the 05lgt mt I had no cross threaded bolts, had no problems getting them off.

 

The night before, pull the turbo heat shields off and spray everything down with

liquid wrench or pb blaster....DON"T use WD40 for this, it sucks.

 

#1 tip Take the EGT probe out of the up pipe FIRST! If you can't get it out, then

stop until you can. You *really* need a 14mm brake wrench.

 

#2 tip Put the heat shield bracket on your down pipe BEFORE you put it in the

car and trim your heat shield where you can see everything. I

could have saved a lot more heat shield and a lot more time if I had

done this!

 

Remember that the up pipe comes out the bottom.

My O2 sensor was not very tight at all but has a "shield" around it that

makes using a wrench somewhat difficult....get the "real" socket for it.

 

I used the top up pipe gasket that came with the up pipe and the original Subie

bottom gasket. The fit was pretty close with a couple of wiggles. Check the

stud length where they stick up in front of the down pipe tho. I had to shorten mine some in order to get the down pipe on.

 

I used the Crucial down pipe and had no problems with it at all.

 

No leaks at all. I have been wrenching for more than 30 years, so I torqued the

bolts and studs pretty seriously. Used the torque wrench for sure on the head bolts.

 

Oh, blew it on the reflash to Stage 2 after a long day, but got it the next morning.

Personally, I can't say that 1'st and 2nd improved all that much, but after that

it's just plain awesome! 3rd gear and up, you never lose the torque!

 

Cheers, dave

[derffred]

i did my uppipe and downpipe install last weekend, do you think it would be okay to retighten the bolts, this weekend? or should i do it asap.. also, which bolts work themselves loose?