Quick Pic of the Six

[six]

Thanks for the heads up

[six]

So, I installed my COBB turbo inlet pipe yesterday. It is making a huge difference!

As it turns out, the OEM inlet pipe is this boxy, twisted, convoluted plastic mess that looks like it was literally designed just to fill the space between the turbo and the intake. Imagine the turbo sucking air through a square bendy straw... that someone has chewed up the center of. The COBB pipe is this nice smooth, blue silicone pipe that matches exactly with my COBB intake!

Now, air intake is a smooth as ever. Throttle response improved immensely, and turbo spool is a lot quicker. Also, it elminated this "hollow" echoey intake sound of the plastic "box" with a muted combination of turbo whistle and rushing air. My car feels (and sounds) very different now with just the addition of the TIP. Amazing mod, I recommend anyone with a turbo car to replace their OEM inlet pipe. Now, I can't wait to put in the cat-back!

// Pictures to come...

[comingbackdown]

So, I installed my COBB turbo inlet pipe yesterday. It is making a huge difference!

As it turns out, the OEM inlet pipe is this boxy, twisted, convoluted plastic mess that looks like it was literally designed just to fill the space between the turbo and the intake. Imagine the turbo sucking air through a square bendy straw... that someone has chewed up the center of. The COBB pipe is this nice smooth, blue silicone pipe that matches exactly with my COBB intake!

Now, air intake is a smooth as ever. Throttle response improved immensely, and turbo spool is a lot quicker. Also, it elminated this "hollow" echoey intake sound of the plastic "box" with a muted combination of turbo whistle and rushing air. My car feels (and sounds) very different now with just the addition of the TIP. Amazing mod, I recommend anyone with a turbo car to replace their OEM inlet pipe. Now, I can't wait to put in the cat-back!

// Pictures to come...

Just in case... Pics of stock crappy-ass airbox plz. Kthx.

[six]

So, the Magnaflow goes in this weekend. I will post pics, maybe a video if I feel up to the task. Also, pics of the TIP as well... (and pics of the crap stock TIP also )

[six]

So, I attempted to install the Magnaflows yesterday, and it's on the car, and working, but I couldn't for the life of me muscle enough screaming cussing strength to fully attach the hangers on the mufflers to the rubber exhaust mounts. Even with liberal amounts of WD-40, the nub just refuses to go past half way into the rubber hangers. So right now, the car is running with the mufflers only half way into the mounts. Surprisingly, the tips line up pretty well, and everything still bolted together great without much tension in any part of the system. Would it be okay to run it like this for a little while, or should I worry that the mufflers would pop out of the rubber hangers? I used all the strength I had to attempt to insert the hangers all the way, and they don't budge, so I'm thinking they wouldn't budge out the other direction either... Correct?

[watkins]

Vice grips!

Things rattle loose pretty easy

[six]

Thing is, the vise grips don't fit in there. The tips get in the way. There is a hanger right above the tips, and I can't get anything in there, channel locks, wrench, vise grips, and barely even my hands. Thinking about taking it to the local muffler shop and have them help me muscle them in there, and do a complete re-alignment of the system. I wonder how much that would cost. Sounds pretty easy for them.

[watkins]

What about using a screwdriver and prying it on?

[six]

^ That sounds like an idea. I'll try it out when I have a chance. Most likely this weekend.

[comingbackdown]

Needle-nose vise grips?

I could find you something if you were in my driveway, man.
Truth be told, I haven't found anything I couldn't do in that garage, not yet anyway.
True, some of it involves swearing, grand amounts of calling the car and various pieces of it a multitude of racial slurs, and even making up new, profane, nsfw things to call it.

However, there hasn't been anything yet that has beaten me.

Pic? Might be able to make a good suggestion with that.

[six]

Inspired by Jomo's posts... I'll give you an update to the Magnaflows in my MS6.

As I posted a while ago, I attempted the install of the Magnaflow system by myself. I used ramps and I backed up onto them. It gave me plenty of clearance, even up to the cat under the front seats. So, underneath I went to try out different sockets on the bolts to the midpipe... 3/4", nope loose; 5/8", nope loose; 9/16", nope tight; 14mm, nope tight; 15mm, nope tight; 16mm, nope ALMOST THERE; 18mm, nope loose!... s***, I don't have 17mm! Then, off I went to get myself a deep 17mm socket. Back on the ramps, took off the midpipe not much a problem, car was less than 4 years old, bolts weren't even completely covered in soot. Unbolted mufflers, took them off, last rubber hangers effing thick, lots of swearing and kicking. Lunch time, beef chow fun, yummy.

Back to install... Bolted on new midpipe, took less than 3 minutes, simple. Inserted hangers into rubber mounts, pretty easy, lots of space, squeezed with my hands. Slipped on band-clamp, attached Y-pipe. Now, to the mufflers... almost done, I said to myself. Yeah right. Used jack stands to raise muffler to where they're supposed to go, tried inserting into rubber hangers. TOUGH, thick-ass stupid rubber. Used channel locks and ample WD-40 (used up almost half a can when things were said and done). Got in there half way. Okay, good enough for now, onto the other muffler. More cussing ensues. Fatigue sets in. Sweat dripping. Only got those in half way as well. S***. Rest time. Had some Hansen's soda, tried to gain energy. More WD-40. More swearing. More rest... Channel-locks, slips from WD-40. Vise-grip, no go, no fit. Hammer, no go, no space. Brute force from my burning arms and shoulders... Only got them in another centimeter or so. F' it, I said. Slipped on band-clamps, forced them onto Y-pipe, tighten system. Fit was actually not bad, I thought. hmmm... TIME FOR DINNER!

Back from dinner, afraid to start up car, fear of exhaust leak and ensuing loud explosion noises... Started up anyway, sounds pretty good! No stuttering, no vibration. Drove it around VERY gently... seems okay!

A week goes by, gently driving it around to work and stuff... feet got very itchy... they were used to pressing the go pedal much more than this...

I ended up taking my car to the local exhaust shop to finish off the install that I nearly completed. Since then, I finally had a chance to drive it hard (was afraid to when the exhaust was only partially installed for fear of it popping off in the middle of the freeway). The sound is great, and was exactly what I wanted: near stock sound levels, but ample amounts of growl. The effect is similar to adding a subwoofer to your clock radio. The volume isn't much louder, but the tone is much deeper. NO DRONE! I've heard the 3" turbo-backs for the MS6, and they were raunchy as hell, and not what I wanted. This system is the perfect combination of sound with just a hint of performance increase. It's a 2.5" system, still better than the stock 2.25" system. For $480, it can't be beat. Glad I didn't spring for the $1,000+ systems.

[six]

The Magnaflows have been on the car for a few weeks now, and I think they have fully "broken in" now (I don't know what else to call it... I guess they are now completely coated or whatever). It's actually a bit louder now, which I find pretty cool because during the first week or so, it sounded deeper, but almost softer than stock. It's perfect now. The tips settled in perfectly, no rattles, no squeaks, no vibration (which is a surprise, I thought there would be vibration).

The car pulls quicker and harder, earlier in the rev range. Throttle response (turbo spool) increased even more (it already increased some when I installed the turbo-inlet pipe). It feels almost like a different car.

I think if I drove a stock MS6 now, I would think it was sluggish and hesitant haha