Downpipe and sports cat - buying & fitting

[TomGTI]

 

[Fozzy]

Very interested to see what you think of this little mod? Was only looking at this the other day? Feel any different under acceleration or sound??

Dan

[edd30]

I want to get the engine pendulum mount (large & small) sorted out first, to minimise the chance of the DP cracking. This will have to wait, as there are loads of other things vying for my cash .... Ideally I'll have a fmic, hpfp too, which will probably mean the demise of the clutch, so a Helix FP and DMF will be needed too.

But before all that, I'll also do some baseline logging of EGTs and lambda to make sure the car isn't running too lean with the new pipe.

[Spankiee]

I've just bought the cheap sports cat off eBay. They always do second chance offers so I never bid over £150/160. I've done this a few times. I'll be getting it fitted next week.

[Georrge]

What will this do if I fitted this to my stock system?

[JMP]

I think this is the same dp I have been running for a couple of years. I have mot'ted it twice and it passed emissions both times. But it was close, I did heat it up very well before to make sure it passes.

Installation is very simple. You might want to soak up the turbo nuts before installation. I had no problems with them and applied copper grease etc when installing. There was a bit tension with the mount to the frame but it has held up well. Its mated to my stock catback and really opens up the engine. Good increase in power and fuel consumption goes down.

For the money I think this is by far the best mod for my k03 mkv GTI.

[edd30]

I think this is the same dp I have been running for a couple of years. I have mot'ted it twice and it passed emissions both times. But it was close, I did heat it up very well before to make sure it passes.

Installation is very simple. You might want to soak up the turbo nuts before installation. I had no problems with them and applied copper grease etc when installing. There was a bit tension with the mount to the frame but it has held up well. Its mated to my stock catback and really opens up the engine. Good increase in power and fuel consumption goes down.

For the money I think this is by far the best mod for my k03 mkv GTI.

re MOT that's the experience I've had with a similar cat & DP for my S3 8L, the bonus being it spooled up a lot quicker and the mpg improved by 2-4 mpg.
The one for my mk5 is waiting for me to put it on...

[Spankiee]

Got my sports cat fitted the other day. Seems well made and fits good. But I literally drove it 15 minutes to the garage to get the wings replaced so not had chance to let it bed in yet. Mates upto my standard cat back no problems. Until I get my BCS ordered to really liven things up.

It certainly felt different to drive. And sounds a bit fruitier.

[edd30]

Did you fit it yourself ? Did you have difficulty with accessing the nuts ? Any gotchas ? Any tips ? How much of the car did you have to dismantle ? Does the subframe need to be dropped etc ?

[Rob.]

I fitted my DP on axle stands on my drive. It was doable, but not a lot of fun! Trying to reach the flange studs and be able to put enough force into them, while lying on your back!

I put PlusGas on anything I could reach, didn't drop the subframe or anything like that. Unplugged a couple of sensors, removed a bit of beat shield. Followed a guide I found online (might have been Briskoda?)

[Spankiee]

just get a garage to do it. nice and easy on ramps and they do a better job if you know someone decent.

i removed most of my ITG cold air intake to give better access. topside of the engine bay then we put a long reach extension bar down the side of the block to crack off the nut that's hardest to get at. the other 3 are easy from underneath. you need to disconnect both lambda sensors as well which involves removing plastic guards underneath etc.

[edd30]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I've done it before on a S3, but it was a horrible job, involving a reciprocal saw, many blades and disconnecting the propshaft and dropping the subframe. Later I found I couldn't do up the dog bone mount as I moved the engine so much it wouldn't line up. Ended up having to loosen 3 engine mounts and starting the car to get it to re-centre !    Did all this on my driveway. Car was off the road for two weeks.

I vowed never to touch one again, till next time 

I'm trying to gauge how difficult a job it is and whether to pay someone else to do it.

How long did it take ?

[Spankiee]

It took me and my mate about 1hr 30. We didn't rush it just took our time and do it properly first time.

Sounds like you should know from past experience to get it on some
Proper ramps. I'm all for DIY but it's freezing and I CBA 

[rickyzetec-s]

Ive got one of these for fitting, but haven't even weighed the job up yet... Is there any other hardware required(clamps/gaskets etc) for fitting to a 2005 gti(axx)?

[rickyzetec-s]

I got around to fitting mine yesterday, the quality is great and generally the fit is good, but I'd say the overall length is maybe an inch to short for my liking. Because the exhaust is clamped to the std rear section by means of a slip joint, the two sections want to pull apart - I have secured the joint with 67mm exhaust u-clamps, that grip hold of both sides whilst clamping the joint too. No leaks. I had to cut off the original clamps anyway, as they were rusted quite bad, and ceased.

Anyway, the downpipe has made quite a difference to how the car picks up and how it holds more power through the revs, well worth it for the cost :-)