dwb993

iTrader: (13)

Nice, Aaron. Can't wait to hear it myself.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Nice job!
v3 pCDs ftw.

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

***PAGE 10 BOUNCE***

alright, got the v3 pcd's installed on saturday. here are some pics from the install.


*v3 pcds*


*install instructions*


*up and down she goes*


*remove radiator fan*


*remove strut bar*


*front cat*


*splash shields removed from undercarriage*


*v3 jpipe...no longer shiny...*


*jpipe off*


*shot of rear cat*


*rear cat off*


*front cat off*


*front/rear cat off*


*rear delete installed*


*jpipe put back on*


*front delete installed*


*front delete*

all done!

couple of tips for anyone else doing this. print off any piece of info you can find from this forum regarding this installation. pictures, words, random tidbits all are very helpful.
a week or so before you install these, add some "corrosionX" to every nut/bolt you will be taking off. it is a penetrating lubrication used for gun cleaning, and will make your life a lot easier. some of these bolts are hard to get to, let alone take off. this stuff makes it a breeze. thanks goes out to member, innaccurate.
after you are done installing everything, tighten the jpipe first, then the precats to the jpipe, then the precats themselves. make sure to use proper torque specs.

all in all, just take your time. the front cat was easy to get out after the heatshields came off. you just pull it out from the top. the rear cat was more difficult. you have to remove a few brackets that are in the path of the cat, and removing the heatshields was tricky...but just jiggle and wiggle and it'll eventually come out. at that point, the cat just slides right down from under the car. i removed both cats, and then removed all sensors and transferred them over. make sure to use anti-sieze on all threads, and aim your defoulers properly upon install. all of the DIY instructions/pictures on this forum really make this job a breeze. without them, idk what i'd do.

initial impressions after install. OMFG...sounded like a boeing757 taking off. after a minute, it calmed down to a nice rumble...sound is like sex.

the smell was overpowering and intoxicating, keep in mind that i was inside a closed garage...that didn't last long, so i drove outside into the parking lot.

went for a spin around the block, and hopped on the beltway. wow. i have a new found respect for the power these things offer. the TL is completely rowdy, i chirped tires without even trying to. these really do add a ton of low end torque as well as high end. i LOVE the extra oomph these things give me

the downside, car is stupid loud . at cruising speeds on the highway, it sounds great. at stop/go traffic and low gears/rpms...it is obnoxiously loud.
the girlfriend hates it .
also is very smelly, which i happen to like...others, not so much.... smell is only rough if you are idling for a very long time, and there is no wind. if you are cruising around, or even stopped for a while...you're fine. it's when the air is still, you are in a garage, or just simply sitting put for more than 3 minutes. luckilly for me, i hardly ever sit anywhere for extended periods of time. but like i said, i like the smell and you probably will too. altho i like the smell of gasoline as well, so idk...

keep in mind that i have a P2Rtbs,aemV2,v3jpipe,xlr8 non-res quads(v1), and now v3 pcds. individual results may vary depending on what kind of setup you have. i'm going to give it a few weeks and see if anything calms down (it won't) so i'll probably end up installing the biggest resonator i can fit on the exhaust. i have about 2ft i can work with.

no CEL's popped up, everything went perfect.

in the end, the power makes all of this worth it. i am 100% satisfied with everything, and it makes the TL that much more fun to drive. car is crazy quick now and loves vtec sooo much more .

thanks goes out to richie for making an outstanding product. you rock

here are 2 videos BEFORE i installed the pcds. one is an incabin run onto the highway, and the other is exhaust note at idle. both are pretty crappy bc i didn't have my camcorder, only iphone. so sound is lacking, especially in the exhaust note vid.
i will get after vids when i can, ran out of time saturday and was busy all yesterday.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Congrats on the install Aaron! Even before the PCDs, your car sounded fuggin sick!

My girlfriend hated my exhaust when I first got it on, but she's gotten used to it. Now she just complains when I floor it in a parking garage or tunnel

1islandparadise

AWESOME MAN!!! Keep us updated on the sound and smell. I want to do this now that I have a new dd but dude my drone is stupid loud already. Any plans on a dyno or track times?

Sandals

iTrader: (2)

Great Progress Aaron! Once your droped it will be perfect.

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

thanks, dave. looking forward to our install weekend. send me a text n let me know when you're free.

aww yeah!

thanks, tyler. i wish i could've gotten some better sound of the BEFORE, but time was pressing and i was in a rush.
and yeah the exhaust tone is 100% different with the pcds installed. everything is so free flowing at this point, i love it. just too LOUD tho!

whats up with your wheels?

will do donnie. i'll let you know if it subsides at all over the next few weeks, if not...i'll be installing a magnaflow10426 resonator. it should fit almost perfectly on the exhaust. the smell isn't really bad, i enjoy it. i don't want you think it is overpowering or anything, bc it's not. it's only noticeable if you are in a closed garage, or sitting idling for minutes. it's not bad at all.

thanks, alex. can't wait to pick up those megans off of you! thanks again man.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

nice!!

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I'll PM you about my wheels. I don't want to whore your thread out.

Sandals

iTrader: (2)

We all know you do want to

jptl04

iTrader: (1)

Aaron, congrats on the install, scratch another mod off the never ending list.

sounds like youre enjoying the power despite the smell and louder exhaust. i almost got impatient and ordered a set. but the smell mostly deterred me. although its hard, im being patient and waiting for the hi flow version of these in hopes the smell and sound will be minimized a bit. thanks for the tips, and put that V1 to good use now that you'll have a heavier foot. enjoy and drive safely.

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

yeah, tyler loves throwing threads off course...

thanks, jaime. check!

in all honesty, the smell really isn't bad. it's not like you smell it inside the cabin or anything, it stays outside of the car and really doesn't bother me. you can choose whatever route you want, i just feel like the pcds were the biggest bang for your buck. i'm confident that they lay down more power than the hi-flows will. what i'm trying to say is don't let the smell/noise deter you from buying these. i'm going to install that magnaflow res pretty soon to combat the noise anyway.

still haven't gotten a chance to hardwire the v1, but it is def turned on everyday from this point on. i'll get in my car and tell myself, "alright aaron, maintain n drive normally like everyone else"...and then i start the car and totally forget the promise i just made to myself.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Stepien20

iTrader: (1)

ive seen that picture like a million times and it never gets old

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

I hope you bought this car because its going to be hard to part with.

-Just a though, get rid of that Throttle body spacer. Believe it or not, its actually killing your HP. Your bringing in all of this air, but how are you compensating fuel? Others may argue/bicker/tell me that the website said 5 whp or some crap but why would a company sell something and say it doesn't work?

-Dyno doesn't lie and I have been working with this car for over 3 years now testing new things. Also by adding these PCD's your unleashing the catback and J pipes potential.


BTW, do these have that "tinging" when you start up? I hated when my V2'S did that so I had paul build me a custom set for around the same price and it doesn't ting anymore.

Inaccurate

I am putting money on the bet that the sound will be greatly reduced in about 3 weeks if you drive your car daily.

The human brain is a powerful and funny thing.

I still remember when I first installed my CAI. I thought it made my car toooooo loud during wot. After a month of daily driving, I didn't even hear it anymore.

Same thing with my PCD. I was somewhat embarrassed by the rasp after I first drove it. But after about 3 weeks of daily driving, the rasp was greatly less.

Same thing with my TL Diet when I removed stuff that caused the interior to become massively loud. After a few weeks of daily driving, I no longer think of it as being loud.

In the examples above, the sound didn't go away. But, my brain had re-adjusted to the sound to the point of not perceiving it as loud any longer.


Granted my PCD was with the oem catback. Your xlr8 non-res quad exhaust will probably require more time (6 weeks ) before it sounds acceptable.

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

This is funny because its true on so many levels.

For one (in arrons case) we get used to what we have and NEED more, as in the mod bug. Guarantee you are like me and if you drive in your GF's car and see a TL, you get upset and want your car and appreciate it more when you see what a stock one looks like and how far you have came.

Also, I have seen threads that people install the straight pipe third cat and "feel" power.

Same thing for sound, going from comp tech to custom stainless from paul it was louder and I was kinda upset (no rasp of course) but now I want louder.

Back when I had the STI, it was in the shop for a week and I had to drive my fathers suburban. After I got my STI back it was a rocket again, but before that I was used to the power and it was slow to me.

Its also funny because I have a bad lower back and my GF is telling me that in her body and mind class they taught her that 80% of pain is all mental..I told her no, it hurts..The mind is a very powerful thing.

mrlal8

iTrader: (2)

niiice writeup man
you got no cel light? someone i know just got his installed today but the cel light went off. thats the only thing i am afraid of...even though i pay someone off to pass my car the owner of the inspection station still refuses to let anyone with a cel light pass lol. my inspection is in may so i might have to wait till i pass inspection to put these on

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

Who ever installed them, did it wrong. There should be no cel, this is what the de-fouler is for or his o2 sensor is going. What does the cel read?

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

classic

hey bruce, yeah i bought the car and don't ever plan on selling it. 42k on the odo and i'm going to driver her to the ground. i'd wanted a 07-08 type-s for a very long time, and now that i have one, sky is the limit.

PM'd on TBS shennanigans...

what do you mean about the dyno part?

these V3's do not have a 'tinging' sound when you start up. they are just batshit loud. every morning i start my car, i want to put my windows down and scream out "SORRY EVERYONE" to all my neighbors.

inacc, thx again for all your help with these & i totally agree...we adapt to what is around us, especially noise. it's like when installed my exhaust..."OMFG that is so loud!"...now i don't even notice it at all. same deal with the intake, jpipe, etc. BUT in my defense, these pcd's do make the car noticeably louder!

so what's the verdict, doc? am i going to just 'get used' to the sound? or do you think it'll actually calm down a bit?

again, totally agree.
i am constantly looking for the next thing to do on my car. there is always something next on the list. it's just something i love to do. it could be as simple as an oil change to something more complex like wiring my headlights, it's all fun for me. it's like what i tell the girlfriend when she gets annoyed about my car, do you want me going out to the bars and getting shitfaced...?...or sitting in my garage playing with my car? everyone needs a hobby.

funny you said something about seeing stock TL's out on the road, i find myself constantly looking at the differences and realizing how much work i've put into my own.

anyway, i guess i'll give it a few weeks and see if i can deal with the exhaust note...if not...magnaflow time.

x2...what does the code read?
if installed correctly, no CEL should pop up. these are designed to eliminate that concern, which they do.

so i'm with Ack, it was installed incorrectly, or something is not tightened down, leak, etc...tell your boy to go double-check all his work, make sure everything is torqued down and defoulers are aimed properly, harness' plugged in, etc.



here is another vid AFTER the PCD's were installed. i still need to get an outside run so you can truly hear how it sounds, bc these incabin rolls don't let you hear anything.

ChrisJ

Did the supercharger go on after this picture?

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

^yes those are the only pics i had on my phone. what do you mean afterwards?

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

Its probably a roots type, those are popular for vettes.


Arron, at around 10 second is what Im talking about. Its like a tinging rasp, was that before the PCDs, or after?

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

^which video? from today?

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

Yeah, the latest one.

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

^that has been there since i installed the v3 jpipe. it only lasts for a second tho, and then goes away, and it only happens when i gun it. i don't even notice it tbh.

Inaccurate

The technical term is "Beastly".

jwr0ng626

iTrader: (1)

sounds awesome! time to add this to my list lol

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

Probably a bad flex pipe. I was told that was the reason why my old set up made the "tinging". After I got the new one by paul, I don't have it anymore.

Its true what they say, "once you touch one thing, you will never stop".

ChrisJ

Which setup did he end up going with?

Centri's are much more popular...Thats the stock LS6 intake manifold so its not a roots...PD blowers are more popular for small displacement engines to help make up for the torque...IE why it works so well with the 281CI engine in the Mustangs and why the centris work so well for bigger CI engines like the vettes 346CI engine...The only roots supercharger for the C5 I have seen is a magnacharger...I know kenne bell makes a kit for the C5 but they are expensive and not as easy to come by as the vortech's and prochargers...

Didnt mean to whore your thread I am a recovering domestic boost junkie...LOL

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

that is correct! it's funny how you said i woud start to like the smell after going catless, and i do...i actually look forward to a wiff of it at a stoplight or something.




DO IT!

idk man, i examined the flex portion pretty closely this past weekend when i had it off the car, and it looked fine. are their any other ways to determine if it's faulty?

i think that sound you are hearing in the video IS the deletes, i listened to it again...and then drove around some last night, and it just sounds like the rasp i have now.

no problem man, i'll find out which route he went and let you know. the car is actually up in NJ right now, at the shop that did all the work to it. we are getting an itemized list of everything that was done to it, so that the next owner knows what he is buying. that said, i'll find out when i can and let you know. i do know there was about $20k of extra loot dumped into this car, and all that went towards making the car stupid fast.

CubanLynx84

iTrader: (2)

I can't get any of your vids to play send me links if you can Aaron

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

Thats what I meant, the Centri S/Cs. My buddies father had one and it was ridiculously fast, and I mean scary fast.


Its not bad a bad flex persay, its the material that was used. This is verbatim from a reputable shop, "the flex portion of the pipe is made from cheap material, which is why it sounds like its "tinging"". They were right because it went away after I went custom and we spent about 5 hours there mix, and matching my parts and it led to be that. What we did was put my whole set up together with my stock J pipe and it went away.

Please don't take this the wrong way as I don't bad mouth and I also don't sell this stuff so I am not trying to "hurt" anyones business. I am just giving my input of what I was told and the facts. I won't say what pipe I had, or the version for obvious reasons.

1islandparadise

Aaron, I just noticed recently that I have that similar tingy sound also, but only WOT. I thought it was my CAI.

bLaCk iCe

nice mods....

mrlal8

iTrader: (2)

how are the de flouers supposed to be positioned? I need to get the pcds itll make my comptech sound like i want it to sound. wondering why they cel went of in persons car...everything was tightened properly and no leaks

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

yeah idk what the sound is from. i'll have the car on a lift again soon so i'll check it out and do some more tests to see if i can reproduce the sound. i was also thinking...that when the v3 jpipe is bolted on...those 2 flex portions are awfully close to one another (side by side) and maybe they are transferring noise back n forth, or maybe they touch a little bit during WOT. who knows?

yeah i hardly even notice it, but now that you guys are bringing it up...i'll try to get to the bottom of it.

thanks man.

front defouler should be angled almost vertically, but not totally straight...10 o'clock.

rear should be angled straight up vertically.

^you can see what i mean in my pics above...

it's possible that his o2 sensors were damaged during install, they are pretty fragile.

TWiSDiT

iTrader: (4)

aaron, so when u gettin the megans on??

gonna be slammed before the College Park Meet??

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

yeah i should have them on before that...

not gonna slam it tho...just no tire gap all the way around...right?

TWiSDiT

iTrader: (4)

lol sound good.. maybe we can refer it to at least "tucking"??