Downpipe install DIY with pics!

[BostonDriver]

Don't give up! It's well worth the trouble once you get a good tune. Don't bother with Cobb's off the shelf tune because you'll definitely be disappointed after going through the trouble. Get a custom tune from randy at mountune... It's like night and day!

 

[Walling1]

Great install directions! I'm in the middle of it, should be able to finish it tomorrow.

I had to remove the heat shield bolts before I could get an O2 sensor wrench around the top sensor, because the downpipe heat shield was too close to it. It was fairly tight, but came off without too much trouble. The bottom O2 sensor came off pretty easily.

Now I just need to locate all the downpipe heat shield and heat shield bolts from the bottom. Had to get ready for work after searching for just a couple minutes.

I'll probably go ahead and do the motor mount and the rest of the exhaust while I'm working in the area.

 

[C. love]

Yup the info made this a breeze and got half of it done in an hour UNTIL the last F'n bolt (the one turbo to DP bolt that doesn't have a slot) decided to strip in the hole. After a life time pissing with it I was so pissed and frustrated I gave up. I was so pissed the crow bar in my hand was oddly being attracted to the car as if by magnetic force; I decided Id better quit before i had more expensive stuff to fix

 

[Fourm1]

That's not funny but it's funny lol

 

[14FIst]

Question, on the bracket that bolts to rmm and DP do you leave it on the rmm? Just curious because most DP don't have the bracket.

 

[C. love]

I would assume you take it off. If you cant tell I am less than happy with the whole scenario. I dont have shit hit the fan very often but when i do, it hits lol. Speaking to Adam of Adamtuned he is stating that power is actually reduced when adding a DP. I personally wish I would have never bought the thing and just got a tune and done.

My suggestion is dont do a DP unless you are gonna do a bigger turbo

 

[14FIst]

Ya I understand your frustration I've had things go wrong like that on one car before one thing after another it was a money pit. Hm interesting seems like that's the opposite of what the results peopIe get, i would assume without a proper tune you don't gain anything or lose power.

 

[jeff]

I would assume you take it off. If you cant tell I am less than happy with the whole scenario. I dont have shit hit the fan very often but when i do, it hits lol. Speaking to Adam of Adamtuned he is stating that power is actually reduced when adding a DP. I personally wish I would have never bought the thing and just got a tune and done.

My suggestion is dont do a DP unless you are gonna do a bigger turbo

Sorry for your frustration, I've done turbos and uppipes and downpipes and this thread cracked me up because I've been there, like a few posts ago when the crowbar seems to be drawn to beating the car in in times like these.

Question, your above statements is confusing - assuming you flashed an OTS Cobb map or got a custom tune, which again I'm assuming anyone spending the money and time on this mod would do, there's no way to lose power, but instead gain. What is Adam referring to?

 

[MrsDHM]

I would assume you take it off. If you cant tell I am less than happy with the whole scenario. I dont have shit hit the fan very often but when i do, it hits lol. Speaking to Adam of Adamtuned he is stating that power is actually reduced when adding a DP. I personally wish I would have never bought the thing and just got a tune and done.

My suggestion is dont do a DP unless you are gonna do a bigger turbo

Sorry for your frustration, I've done turbos and uppipes and downpipes and this thread cracked me up because I've been there, like a few posts ago when the crowbar seems to be drawn to beating the car in in times like these.

Question, your above statements is confusing - assuming you flashed an OTS Cobb map or got a custom tune, which again I'm assuming anyone spending the money and time on this mod would do, there's no way to lose power, but instead gain. What is Adam referring to?

Not sure what he means but you don't lose power when replacing the stock dp with a less restrictive dp. A less restrictive dp reduces exhaust backpressure and makes airflow more efficient.
The oem dp and exhaust system are pretty restrictive...theres definitely a noticeable difference replacing the stock units with high flow aftermarket ones. IMO they sound better too!

 

[C. love]

Sorry for your frustration, I've done turbos and uppipes and downpipes and this thread cracked me up because I've been there, like a few posts ago when the crowbar seems to be drawn to beating the car in in times like these.

Question, your above statements is confusing - assuming you flashed an OTS Cobb map or got a custom tune, which again I'm assuming anyone spending the money and time on this mod would do, there's no way to lose power, but instead gain. What is Adam referring to?

Not sure what he means but you don't lose power when replacing the stock dp with a less restrictive dp. A less restrictive dp reduces exhaust backpressure and makes airflow more efficient.
The oem dp and exhaust system are pretty restrictive...theres definitely a noticeable difference replacing the stock units with high flow aftermarket ones. IMO they sound better too!

You know guys/gals I too have had this same thought. My experiences with turbo cars has been 180 degrees from what he said. He really couldn't explain it from a mechanical standpoint. He offered his theory and said that every car he has done a catless DP with that had a stock turbo has seen losses instead of gains when the catless DP was the only variable. I have his tune I just went with the flow (which isnt like me at all but I figured this once wouldnt kill me).

The thread in question

http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/threads/6647-Tune-Tuning-Review-and-Information-Thread/page7

I still have the DP and have thought even from a sound standpoint perhaps I will just throw it on and see what happens worst case scenario is I have to put the stock cat in the car...again ha. I said a million times I wasnt gonna touch this car well a few grand later I am a liar so although I have zero intentions on a bigger turbo that may change in a year or a few days who knows. Thats the only reason I haven't smashed the DP after my pain in the ass stuck bolt debacle

 

[jayrod1980]

I believe what Adam said wasn't that you lose power but that a Catback and Downpipe together reduce back pressure too much on the stock turbo. He stated with his experience tuning even his own Fiesta is that you negate the gains of a Catback with bigger Downpipe.

 

[chalituna]

So I'm re-installing the stock downpipe today and it was much easier than I remembered.

One tip I like to add to the diy when removing stock downpipe, remove the lower heatshield out first, then you'll have much more room to remove the downpipe through the lower tunnel.

 

[Brura22]

Any tips on the top bolt.. i cant get mine tight enough. Getting a nasty exhaust leak.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[14FIst]

Not sure what he means but you don't lose power when replacing the stock dp with a less restrictive dp. A less restrictive dp reduces exhaust backpressure and makes airflow more efficient.
The oem dp and exhaust system are pretty restrictive...theres definitely a noticeable difference replacing the stock units with high flow aftermarket ones. IMO they sound better too!

I would like to see dyno sheets and more information on this. I've seen Adams information on the topic of the down pipe it does not necessarily lose power but because of the small turbo it needs the backpressure that the stock DP provides there's some science behind it. bigger is not always better. The dp you can prob feel a difference in power but you lose power falls off sooner, That's why I haven't purchased a DP until it's proven otherwise.

 

[dyn085]

I would like to see dyno sheets and more information on this. I've seen Adams information on the topic of the down pipe it does not necessarily lose power but because of the small turbo it needs the backpressure that the stock DP provides there's some science behind it. bigger is not always better. The dp you can prob feel a difference in power but you lose power falls off sooner, That's why I haven't purchased a DP until it's proven otherwise.

All you have to do is look at any compressor map. Backpressure is an enemy to power and turbocharged engines have basically zero scavenging effects post-turbo. There's definitely some science to it but for some reason it eludes most of us.

No downpipe is going to magically make the turbo flow less air simply by improving turbocharger efficiency (by improving pressure ratio). Gains aren't going to be drastic due to the baby-turbo, but there is a reason that turbo racecars have the shortest exhaust run possible...and it's not because they are mislead and think they need backpressure.

Compressor map. Pressure ratio. Compressor efficiency. These are all a few terms that we, as a community, need to learn and be familiar with.

 

[jeff]

I would like to see dyno sheets and more information on this. I've seen Adams information on the topic of the down pipe it does not necessarily lose power but because of the small turbo it needs the backpressure that the stock DP provides there's some science behind it. bigger is not always better. The dp you can prob feel a difference in power but you lose power falls off sooner, That's why I haven't purchased a DP until it's proven otherwise.

I researched all of this a good bit. After studying multiple dyno charts posted here and there I concluded that there are gains to be had with a DP on our cars. But the gains are around 3000 rpm, just where we don't need it. There is a loss of power around 5000 rpm, just where we do need it. All of this assumes stock turbo. I decided against the DP for this reason, I want my car to move when I floor it, not spin the wheels. But to each his own. While my 2 point brace helps almost eliminate wheel spin with my setup (213/295 v dyno), I bet a 4 or 6 point brace could bring even further reduction of spin and help with traction, making more low end power useable. Down the road I might end up with a DP and exhaust, who knows. At this point I'm pretty happy with the car.

And happy for those who chose the downpipe route.

 

[dyn085]

I'm surprised at how often people say that they can't control their throttle and don't want power in the rpm range that they daily-drive in. It almost makes me wonder how people got by without electronic nannies back in the day. I would rather take as much as I can get everywhere I can get it based on the compressor map.

Even Adam and Mishimoto have said there's no loss by installing one, just no significant gains.

 

[jeff]

I'm surprised at how often people say that they can't control their throttle and don't want power in the rpm range that they daily-drive in. It almost makes me wonder how people got by without electronic nannies back in the day. I would rather take as much as I can get everywhere I can get it based on the compressor map.

Even Adam and Mishimoto have said there's no loss by installing one, just no significant gains.

What's up Duane!!!

It's really just a driving preference. Sure I could control the throttle by not flooring it but what fun is a car if you can't floor it? I'd dare say most of us buy performance cars like the FiST because we live that feeling of putting the pedal to the metal. To each his own....I enjoy being able to go WOT and still have traction and control of my car.

 

[dyn085]

I keep a good alignment and good tires on my car so I really don't have any issues with WOT. In all fairness though, I really only go WOT three times a day and I don't stoplight race so I'm always in third or fourth. I have kept my boost levels within the compressor map for longevity, but that's just me. Definitely a driving preference as I prefer to have access to all of my power all of the time, and if it's too much I just lift for a split second and all is well again.

 

[madfiesta14]

215/40s helped me, still have wheel hop, hopefully RMm and 2 point brace will help that. I went with DP firstly I scored one for dirt cheap, and secondly I plan to upgrade turbo at some point, and also for sound