luckyAKAhappy

I've had them sitting in my garage for the past 2-3 months and finally found some time to install them (made sure couple of friends were over ). I made sure to read everyone's stories of installs to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into since I've never done anything to a car before.

Well, let me tell you...who the heck said this was a simple bolt off/bolt on process that shouldn't take no more than 30 minutes???? WTF?? Yeah, simple bolt off but getting it back on was a major pain in the rear. First off, getting the J-Pipe to go back onto those 6 bolts was almost impossible. We had to use a rubber mallet and hammer that sucker to sit up flush with the pre-cats?. (Richie's install note said As you can see below, my car wasn't up very high. Manuevering under a car, on your back is not the easiest thing to do. After finally getting the J-Pipes to sit up, there was one nut on each end that could not be tightened with a socket wrench. The socket wouldn't fit since the nut was too close to the pipe itself (I guess the pipe being wider was a culprit). What a pain that was. I hope all was tightened enough. We even had a torque wrench but didn't tighten to specifications. We just hand tighten until it couldn't tighten no more. We were all too lazy to read how to use the torque wrench. LOL. (Any problems with this or should I go back under and tighten to 40 pounds or whatever it should be?)

After several hours of work...that's right, several hours and my neck stiff from being under the car...I was finally done. Phew!! I test drove it and loved the husky tone of the exhaust. No hissing and hope it doesn't show up. Haven't really gone all out so when I do that, I'll report back.

One thing I noticed after my initial test drive was the smell of something burning. I was like.."damn it, what did I do wrong". The smell was coming from the exhaust. A really bad burnt smell. I read the maual that came with the exhaust (I never read manuals) and it explained that during the initial break in period, there will be a smell from the exhaust. Hopefully it goes away.

Question..anything wrong with using ramps and jack stands? My friend didn't like the ramps as he seen a couple of them collapsing. They're rated at 2 tons each. And the jackstands themselves. Should they be at the jack points or inside under the frame?

I'll post more pics when I get home. Just a couple of pics.

Love the shine of the pipes and exhaust.

jweb12

iTrader: (2)

Congrats on the install! Did mine exhaust over the weekend too. I ran into a couple problems but had that taken care of yesterday. I hear you on it taking awhile to do. Plus, I was working solo because I decided last minute to do it since some other plans fell through.

The burning smell will go away. I still have a little after a few days, but it's already gone down. It's just materials from the fabrication process burning off, mine smells like the gases you get when welding.

As for the nuts you couldn't get on all the way, I had a couple where there were minor clearance problems with the j-pipe collectors but I could still manage to get a socket on them. They don't need to be super tight but if you have some that are just hand tight, you may want to try to snug them up a little. The heat cycling will probably sieze the nuts on the studs eventually but the vibrations they'll see could loosen them before that happends. Like I said, doesn't have to be super tight. I did mine to 40 ft-lbs but Mike (ATLP) told me a quater turn or so past snug would be sufficient.

Your ramp/jack stand combo use seems alright. I don't know of any issues doing that but I'm sure somebody else that knows better will chime in.

luckyAKAhappy

Thanks jweb...yeah, the smell is similar to a welding. I'll have to go back under to make sure. I'm just glad, I didn't get any hissing sound, no CEL and my car didn't die. LOL. I still have my aspec suspension, and aspec skirts to install. I better give myself all day for those since people say it takes couple of hours for the suspension. I'll just multiply it by 5. LOL

CHiNaMaN440

iTrader: (1)

when I installed my j-pipe and test pipe. It was almost impossible to take off since all the bolts were so rusted out. Putting it in was alot easier. Totally opposite of your install.

Did you reset your ecu?

luckyAKAhappy

I've had my car since the end of 2006 and have only driven it 3k miles. I have 2 other cars that I use more often. Plus it's garage kept so it's not exposed to the elements. I found the bolts came off very quickly.

Ummm..no. I thought it only had to be done if I get a CEL. No? Should I disconnect the battery?

milk man

... wow congrats on everything i would be lying if i say i wasnt jealous lol...

prob feel a nice power boost looks great, good choice on exhaust diff wanna see some pics of the exhaust on the car

they say after any mod you should reset the ecu.... but make sure you have your radio code

CHiNaMaN440

iTrader: (1)

After any performance mod, in order to benefit from your new mods. The ecu must be reset to adjust itself for the more greater airflow

but yea, make sure you have your radio code

jweb12

iTrader: (2)

....and the navi code if you have navi.

When I did my install, I disconnected the battery once I got the stock parts off. Figured I'd wait until I was able to get that stuff off since there wouldn't be any reason to reset the ecu if I couldn't. I'll be honest, so far I don't feel a LOT difference with my setup except during heavy acceleration. Of course, I had some other issues I was dealing with after the install so I was generally more focused on those while driving post install. But, it's still too soon to draw any conclusions. I still can't stop looking at the new tips hanging out the back either.

luckyAKAhappy

^^I have my codes memorized from all the time my battery went dead (from the cheap OEM battery) and having to jump start it to just having to jump start it when I haven't driven the car in 4 weeks.

I'll do that tonite. Thanks

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

you don't have to pull the battery to reset the ecu. Do a search. I'm lazy.

luckyAKAhappy

LOL. It'll take me less time to remove battery terminal than for me to look up a different way and having to remember that when I get home.

djbonsu

iTrader: (3)

CT exhaust = ....im still debating on this exhaust or the ATLP base...

NICE WORK on the install tho

HONgDA

iTrader: (1)

This looks like an updated exhaust by comptech because the older ones had a resonator and premuff. Tanabe change theirs to no resonator too. Do you notice any drone?

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

actually I never saw the ct having both, I remember them have a midmuffler only no resonator

http://www.ct-engineering.com/store/product411.html

this page never changed only the company logo

luckyAKAhappy

I honestly don't know if it was or wasn't an updated one.

As for drone...not really. I thought I would recognize drone but I guess I can't or I don't have any? The sound itself, doesn't really seem that much different than stock when I'm in the car and the windows are rolled up. I can tell when I get out and listen to it and at that point, it sounds huskier. Don't know how else to put it. I was in no way looking for loudness, reason why I went with CT and not the others. The tips are really gorgeous. The pictures don't do it justice. I'll report more when the mufflers are broken in more.

luckyAKAhappy

I've seen the pictures for ATLP and the square tips do look nice but if that was the look I was going for, I would have just kept mine stock. I like the roundness.

luckyAKAhappy

My photography skills leave a lot to be desired..but a few pictures after all was said and done.







New wheels I haven't put on yet.




I have a lot more but didn't get a chance to upload to photobucket.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Video?

luckyAKAhappy

I tried with my crappy camera. I would have to redo it with my video cam to get better sound. The problem is my wife thinks I'm nuts for doing what I'm doing and don't want to record me. She says to me.."what are you? 16?" I tell her no, I'm going thru my mid-life crisis and I'm getting over it with modding my car instead looking for young girls. LOL. I'll post one soon.

milk man

^ lol thats a good one


nice ... everything seems like it's coming along good... any plans for a drop?

luckyAKAhappy

Only A-Spec suspension that's been sitting in my garage for the past 4 months. After spending several hours installing the j-pipe/exhaust that should've taken 30 minutes, I'm reconsidering doing the install of the suspension. If people are taking a couple of hours for the suspension, it might take me all day. And time is a hot commodity for me which I can't afford to waste. I guess I'll have to spend couple hundred to have a shop install it.

milk man

^ talk to stillhere153 he could help you out big time....car is gonna be sick...

FiveLiterCheater

I really wanna hear how this combo sounds! Comptech tips look so fresh when they're clean...makes me wanna polish them now

djbonsu

iTrader: (3)

^^^....YES!!...video PLS!!

HONgDA

iTrader: (1)

Nice sidewinders, you don't see them anymore. The tips are very nice, If I wasn't waiting for the ATLP base exhaust I would definitely pick up the Comptech due to the tips alone.

luckyAKAhappy

You should've seen the look my wife gave me when I held the mufflers up to admire the tips. She shook her head, and walk away. LOL.

luckyAKAhappy

I would've put the wheels on but I forgot to buy lugs for them.

I just heard Scotterson's car with the ATLP exhaust. Nice. A tad bit too loud for me but nice. I guess you can't go wrong either way.

Elegant TYPE S

iTrader: (2)

Nice... post up some good sound clips... driving, WOT and cruising! CT is awesome for those that want minimal cabin noise.

HONgDA

iTrader: (1)

on the lugs

Do you have an intake? If you don't have one, I'd suggest an AEM V2, it has a deeper tone than the regular AEM. And it doesn't that 2-3k rpm whistle.

luckyAKAhappy

Thanks...I can post tonite the neutrel/park revs but will need my buddies to video the moving sound clips.

luckyAKAhappy

Yeah...I've been looking to buy lug nuts but kept putting it off since it's been so cold here.

As for intake, none yet. I'm not too sure about the AEM V2 since I don't want to be hammering anything anymore. Might just go with Fujita or Dragon. As long as the whistle is not a whine...I can deal with. I'll have to listen first. Next up is installing the rest of my aspec kit. Another simple install...right? LOL.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

^^ A-spec install has been the easiest install I have done so far on the car , you'll be fine.

jweb12

iTrader: (2)

Get those wheels on man, they look nice.

I'm in the same boat, now that the exhaust is on I have the a-spec kit to work on next. But, for me that will wait until I cut the drone on my exhaust and figure out if the noise I'm getting under certain conditions is in fact my intake.

For anybody in the know......is the AEM the only intake with the whistle? I have to research this on the forums to determine if that's what I'm hearing.

pffpffpass

iTrader: (2)

Honestly the suspension is way more time consuming than the exhaust.. Well at least for me it was..

Correct me if im wrong but the Aspec suspension does not come with top hats right?
If not then that is basically like a waste of time because it takes forever and is very tedious to take those damn things apart.. And I have an air rachet & impact gun..

If you are not the fastest with a wrench.. I would recommend having it installed..
BUT!! if you have 4-5 hours to spare you can totally do, its just time consuming..

Take everything off, uncompress old one..
Switch top hats, re-compress.. install shock..

You have to do each one individually because you only have one set of spring compressors.. Not to mention if you have never taken your back seat out, ITS A BITCH.. The write ups are crucial to doing this install in under 3 hours.. There are some good resources on here with good pics, so make sure you have those available before you do this..

mglax13

iTrader: (3)

A-Spec comes with top hats, so that cuts down on time and work.

audi_to_TL

iTrader: (2)

I have the exact same set up and love the sound and increase in performance.
My burning smell went away after a few days.

luckyAKAhappy

It's a simple drop in...no? Don't need spring compressors, or any other tools? Jack up, remove bolts from under the hood (for the front), slide out old suspension, drop in new suspension and tigthen with bolts. No? Same with back?

LOL...Maybe I'll do the back first one day and the front another day. Any problems with having different suspension setup in the back and front?

luckyAKAhappy

If it entails what you state to change suspension, I would never do that.

NedShneebly

not to hijack, but are the top hats really that bad? I'm putting my Koni Yellows on tomorrow.

I put H&R springs on a while back and that was the same steps as sliding new shocks in. Am I in for a rude awakening on these top hats?

pffpffpass

iTrader: (2)

No the top hats are not hard to do at all..
They are just tedious and time consuming..
If you did springs then you should know about taking them off and putting them back on..