Hello Nigel
Have you thought about going for Teflon coating on the inside of the downpipe once completed?
This will help with the temperature issue and might save all the pipe wrap.
It was an option offered to me years ago on a Caterham to move the heat out of the engine bay (to get around a vaporisation issue with carbs).

Roy

Hi Roy

I had looked at ceramic coating to the outside (I assume cheaper than coating the inside?)

Zircotec and Woof do it, but it costs about the same as the downpipe!

I'm not overly bothered about using pipe wrap - its mainly to stop heat soak into the oil cooler pipes, so I may just wrap the oil pipes instead

I wrapped both my pipes individually on the oil cooler as Didnt want to retain the heat after cooling.
Wrap the pipe too which might cover up some quick welds .
With heat wrap make sure you have no oil leaks or it goes up like petrol.

Well there is a name that is certainly a blast from the past

You may be better off using something like This Nigel?
Or this one with an even higher rating.

Not sure Roy ever went away, just went quiet for a bit (presumably spent all of his time driving his Sprinty - now has an epic 285,000 miles on it)

Well, at an epic 5.6 posts per year, you're probably right.

I lost my old login when the site did its thing years ago...... And did not feel like saying much since.

Hello Begbie, long time no speak

I do see Nigel from time to time as he now has a bed and desk set up at motormech

Roy

Lovely downpipes chaps.

You should see the elbow in my rs6 down pipes - awful!

Things are moving along slowly...

Paul's downpipe idea didn't work (using a 5-stud flange downpipe from an Impreza) - flange shape was different

So - I've bought a stainless T28 flange of the correct shape, and Paul is going to have a go at fabricating a true 3" elbow

I've also bought some good-quality heat wrap for the downpipe and some reflective heat-resistant tape for the oil cooler pipes

Head is now built and ready to go on next week, so there's light at the end of the tunnel

the sharp angle was only on the version that mated to the standard 2.25" v-band, the transition/alignment between 2.25-3in was very tight in the space allowed.



The 5 stud version was different, and a true 3in elbow. it used a 5 stud to 3in v-band adaptor, and then 3in all the way down to the cat.




I too have wrapped the DP, and foiled the oil cooler pipes.



Hope that helps

Ninja

Is there any place that will do an off the shelf 3" downpipe or are they pretty much only ever available custom made on the car?

W

It's better to get it custom made mate that way it's bespoke to your car you only have to have the down pipe slightly out by a fraction and you have now brought a big paper weight

full 3' downpipe.

Ben

Mine was full 3" from H+S

Same here, i just asked for a full 3' downpipe, simple.

Ben

I think this is the point guys. You ask for a full 3", and don't get it. I've seen a few in the flesh now and they don't look like much. Nasty, messy welding and not true 3" at the most important area.

I asked for and paid for a 3" downpipe, but I didn't get one.....

I'm guessing it was nearer 2.5" around the sharpest part of the bend.

Still, the H&S pipe is no more- Paul hacked off the flange to use as a starting point for a custom 3" downpipe - it's about 50% built now and just needs a little bit of tidying internally

With a bit of luck and a cancellation or two, the rest of the pipe can be built and the remainder of the car put together.

I've also had the rear subframe removed to fit PU bushes, I've had a new 24mm rear ARB fitted, new rear brake compensator, new front discs and pads and new front wishbones. Should feel nice and tight when it's back on the road (hoping to have it mapped on Friday)

wouldnt it been cheaper to sell the old DP and start a fresh?

it will be good to see yours after the mapping and what improvements are making.

could see Nigel well into the 500bhp club!!!

he will see you there then marco

hows the diff going?

HA i would love to be in that club!
thats the deep pocket club in my eyes

the diff, well after mapping i will share my experience with you all!

for now, all i will say is... A Quaife is the way forward for any one wanting to take the coupe to the next level.

im surpised the small number of people with them fitted are not letting the rest of the forum know how bloody amazing these things really are!!!!!!
but they know...
they know

Oh yes - we know....

I doubt if I'll be into the 500bhp club - I specced a meatier mid-range when Barbz was porting the head. It's all very well having big-number peak power, but if it makes the car less drivable then its pointless. My car was already as laggy as I was prepared to accept, so when a new head was needed, I took the opportunity to try to lower the spoolup point.

Yes, the bigger downpipe and bigger injectors will help increase the peak power, but if I came back from Leighton's with the same 450-ish bhp and a decent increase in the midrange, I'd be happy. Of course, if Leighton manages to find some extra ponies at the top end, I'm not going to tell him to throw them away....

well i havent driven a coupe with one in yet but ive still booked myself in next year while im away so should be testing it when i get back. if anyone isnt done a write up by then il do it.

Did Nigel get mapped today??

Not too sure...

Would text him but its far to late...

Nigel... Feel free to let us know the outcome!!!

Outcome was that this week didn't go as planned - car is still not back together - subframe is still on the floor and the downpipe isn't finished yet (I spent a noisy couple of hours smoothing off the inside on the pipe on Wednesday)

Paul's diary suddenly got very busy, so he just didn't have the time this week

However, he's cleared the diary for next Friday, so hopefully it will be finished by next weekend - I'll have to book time with Leighton for sometime the week after

Update

I got the car back last Saturday and I've spent the week running it in. Paul changed the oil and filter today, which has allowed me to explore a bit more of the performance.

For the whole of last week, I was running no more than half a bar and 4,000rpm max, so it was difficult to get much of a feel for the car. However, it was obvious that boost is coming in earlier - I'm seeing positive boost well before 2,000rpm

Now the oil and filter has been changed (and the sump plug helicoiled - sorry Paul), I've opened it up a bit more. I'm still running base boost (about 0.8 - 0.9 bar) but I've upped the revs to about 6k. The difference is now very noticeable - there is much more of a five-pot growl to the exhaust note and its absolutely flying. It really pulls hard from quite low down and just gets stronger as the revs rise. I have a feeling it will keep pulling all the way to the redline.

Handling is much improved (again). I've always said that the uprated rear ARB was the single biggest handling improvement I've made to the car - going up another 1mm to 24mm has made the car even less prone to understeer (although because of the new wishbones, the tracking was miles out - 4mm toe-out - steering was rather 'pointy'). It's now very planted, but with a very positive turn-in as well - just what I'm after.

The PU rear subframe bushes are also noticeable - in two ways. I can feel the rear end is now under control - it just follows the front and never feels like its doing its own thing - exactly what I was after. However, I have to report that road noise is also up a bit - unavoidable, I guess and it makes me very glad I didn't go for solid bushes.

So - another week of taking it relatively easy, then a remap, then we'll see what Barbz's new headwork has given me. Can't wait....

Sounds good, look forward to hearing how everything goes, good luck.

P.S Ive always heard people talking about when the get positive boost and anything below 2k revs is very good, although I must say on my car I get positive boost literally from take off at around just 1,200 rpm.

Yes.. Looking good by the sound of things Nigel...
Should make good power to go with the handling improvements..