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Thread: AMS downpipe install along with the testpipe..

  1. #1
    Not So Newbie
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    Wicked White Evo X GSR

    AMS downpipe install along with the testpipe..

    im planning to install AMS downpipe with the testpipe... anyone has this setup? what are some gains??
    im waiting to get intake and an intercooler until i get a protune.. till then i will be running COBB OTS map? would it be okay?

    i've owned an sti before and modded it but EVO is a totally different car and im trying to get the hang of it!

  2. #2
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    Mike W's Avatar
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    All the big wide mouth long down pipes make similar power. Same with a test pipe. A 3" pipe is a 3" pipe when it comes to flowing air and making power.

    The differences in brands comes down to convenience and reliability mostly. You cant see them so which one is cuter or more fashionable does not really come into play that I have seen. The two piece long down pipes like the MXP down pipe, allow the clutch to be changed without having to remove the downpipe from the turbo each time. Having a one piece long downpipe adds $250+ in labor each time you change the clutch for as long as you own the car.

    When installing any long full downpipe, you also run the risk of breaking or stripping out the bolts where it bolts to the turbo. Either on the first install, or every subsequent removal and install. When you mess up a bolt, the turbo needs to be taken off and the broken piece removed and the thread repaired. This can add another $500 to $700 in labor or if you are doing it yourself, add a week or two to your little weekend project.

    An EVO X had an appointment for a tune yesterday. He and his dad were just going to install their AMS DP over the weekend. Dad is a decent wrench he says, how hard could it be, no? Little father and son project. Well they busted a bolt in the turbine housing and ended up bringing the car in on a tow truck instead. Yesterday also we had an install on an Invidia O2 housing on an EVO 9. We let the car cool off, soaked everything in PB Blaster, went to take off the bolts that hold the stock O2 housing to the turbine housing and one of the bolts made a half turn and didnt feel right. More lube, worked it back in, tried back out. Nope, a little more lube, some out and in. Nothing. Stopped right there and asked the customer what he wanted to do. Just left it on. He didnt want to risk it further at this time. But on the EVO X the turbo has to come off.

    The type of flex section that AMS, ETS and others use (corrugated stainless steel bellows covered in a stainless steel mesh) will fail eventually. So far, any manufacturer that we have dealt with has replaced the failed flex section at no charge. But you pay the labor and the shipping to them and deal with the down time (two weeks usually) . The long down pipes with the longer flex sections (AMS, ETS) seem to last much longer. It is only heavily tracked cars that have had early failures that we have seen. While the short flex sectioned long DPs like the UR long down pipe, they fail much sooner. They were on the market first and we sold 5 right away. All five broke within 3-4 months. The flexing stresses are increased over a smaller area with a short flex section.

    The MXP long down pipe has a ball socket similar to the stock design and with the flex joint being higher up in the factory location, it seems to do better over time. (MXP was last to the market and had the foresight to simply ask a couple EVO X specialists what they could do better ) AMS is in Illinois, ETS in Washington, UR is in Canada, MXP is in Santa Fe Springs CA. Local can be a benefit if and when something goes wrong. MXP is the performance parts division of Mackin Industries. They are the US imported for Rays, Volk, Gram Lights, Muteki, KICS, Project Mu...)

    If you need to absolutely max out your stock turbo and are focused on a particular WHP number, then the long down pipe with a test pipe will help you on your quest. At a cost of course. If you can live with 348 whp instead of 352 whp... then maybe you can survive with a short DP and test pipe. If you do need a long widemouth DP, a two piece one will save you considerable money over the life of the car.

    If your Cobb OTS (Off The Shelf) map matches truly what you have installed on the car, then you should be safe. That is what the Cobb OTS maps are for. To be safe with the parts that they are meant for. When you deviate from the OTS map mod list, the more you deviate the more trouble you are asking for.

    Mike W

  3. #3
    Is the downpipe really that restrictive in comparison to the cat? I would think that you'd get the most gains from purely just a test pipe if bolt ons are the only things being installed?

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