A 3" pipe will probably just make the exhaust a little quieter. I don't see it making any more power. 2.5" is working fine for the 250+ whp club on the R53 (Where restrictions in the cat-back are more important than on a turbo), so I can't imagine how it would add any power to the R56.

 

so just stick with a 2.5 mid pipe.

 

bump and i was hoping way could find a lil time to chime in on this.

 

Way did chime in on this back on the first page.

From his post:
"Yes we use 2.5inch. Reason is that 3 inch is over kill and adding weight to the car. I don't want to argue, if you want to really ponder turbos, back pressure, turbo spool and everything turbo read the book by Corky Bell, called Maximum boost. You'll learn alot."

He knows what he's talking about with that, 2.5" FTW!

 

thats not what im getting at. my question was more about mating 2.5 up to my 3 catback i have without a loss of performance. i believe what he is saying and i have just placed a order from him again. turbo wrap. im in the market really soon to get a downpipe and want to get the most i can out of what i get.

 

The general consensus with 3" piping on the MCS is that it's overkill, the engine is just too small to push enough air out of the exhaust to maintain backpressure.

I doubt it will HURT power, your exhaust is just going to be quieter.

You'd have better luck giving Wayland a call, he's quite as much of a forum grazer as the rest of us .

 

OH K I SWORE i wasn't going to jump into this again and even cooled down for a few days to let things settle. BUT I MUST poke a tinsy bit:

Use the same picture but lay the gasket over the opening:



You will see what I mean.

Also, excess welding creates addl. heat and can cause fatigue. In this case back welding is NOT needed and again the gasket covers the transition is matched to the outlet on the turbo. (I am at home but on Monday can likely get the photo needed for the explanation.)

I would agree that from a strict taking it out of the box we should further remove the excess piping, and or peen the transition. BUT from a functional standpoint it is A-ok. Also look at the depth of the flange itself. Thick surface to mate properly to the turbo.

The O2 sensor placement. WE use LARGER plumbing than the WMW and thus to keep the sensors happy to the ECU, we must properly place them into the exhaust stream for both heat and proper readings. So while not ideal, it is a must. Also, don't be fooled as the O2 sensor ALSO must go into the hole and could be considered a restriction. However, I hope all can agree that is MUST be there.

So nothing to get worked up about in my opinion (excuse my bias.)

Also looking again at the picture below:



Check out the area around the hole/welded area and how it gets dangerously close to the holes for the hardware. That SMALL area is CRITICAL for proper gasket sealing and the minimal area there will SURELY cause a leak, if not immediately over time.

Also, that shows how little material is available for the pipe / weld to mate to. Warping and gasket failure likelihood goes up again. This is THE one connection to the scorching hot turbo outlet. YOU MUST HAVE MORE MATERIAL THERE to prevent failures. (WMW can certainly take my advice to make a new version, and I would not be the least bit offended.) The DP is not super fun to install and remove. So having it right the first time is a huge plus. (again I AM NOT PERFECT and not saying we don't have issues sporadically)

Finally, look at the roughness to the surface. This is an issue again for gasket life. In some application we have on our Subaru side the machined faces of the flanges can be mated without the need for a gasket with zero leaks. I believe the ALTA version could as well but would then not be gasket matched port wise to the DP and Turbo. The flange from WMW above would NOT work in that case even if it was an option.

Not trying to pick nits, but since the stones they be a thrown my way, I felt I at least and to add some addl information to the photos shown above.

Flame away my friends! Flame away!

Chat soon!

 

Though it took me over an hour to read all this, I did learn a few things.

1) The internet can still be an ugly place.
2) A cat back system is for sound only (spending 700'ish dollars for 5whp doesn't seem like a deal to me)
3) You can't make everyone happy. Someone's GONNA BlTCH

4) Guess I'm stuck with the stock cai and exhaust.... I just wanted good sound and perhaps some improvement.

5) All in all, I'm impressed that though there were disagreements among different camps, ya'll actually kept a straight head for the most part.

6) If anyone finds a happy medium on a catback, lemme know.

 

Even after reading this entire thread, I decided to go with the 3" Alta catback. No, 3" is NOT going to hurt your performance. That is ridiculous.

Also, the difference in 3" to 2.5" for weight is not an argument at all. come on... the difference in the metal is about the difference between what you ate for lunch. Most people should just empty their trunk of crap to make up that difference.

The sound for just the catback in my opinion is sublime. I'm not much of a ricer-boy... too old for that. However, there is a VERY noticeable improvement in throttle response and top end... where I think the R56 started running out of steam too early. I find I am regularly shifting at 6.5k now because the power doesnt appear to trail off like it did before. It is hard to measure Hp gain with my ***... so I cant say about that... but it certainly didnt lessen it. I feel my car is pretty strong anyway.

Lastly, the quality of the Alta exhaust was wonderful (as is the packaging). It is obvious they know their stuff. They arent trying to sell crap and really took the time for a nice system. I think it was definitely worth the $700. Took about 2 hours to install (thats because I fiddled a lot with the mid pipe).

So, some people think... dont drink the Alta cool aid... however, there appears to be another flavor of cool aid out there too. Both companies have reputable individuals. This pissing match is just plain childish.

-s

 

+1 to that, and nicely said.

 

would it be possible to get some more photos & info on the WMW Exhaust?
I'm looking at getting the WMW in black. but looking at the photos the rear box & tips look very different from the standard polish finish.

to be honest i like the look of the black much more. the tips even look more substantial. what size are the tips....more photos? I'd like to see them straight on and even mounted to the car to see how it fits the cutout.

thanks.

here's a pic of the 2 side by side.


here's a pic of the 2 overlayed.

 

anyone know if the WMW TBE is made of 303 or 304 stainless?

 

so since you're talking about the WMW tbe, idk if you have seen or heard it, but here is mine...



(mind you it was taken using a camera primarily meant for still photos, and it's at the mercy of youtube)

I believe i was the first one purchased after the demo car, and Way was impressed....the tbe has completly changed how the car drives, sounds, and looks....from that and the wmw heat wrap I was pushing 9-11 lbs of boost, an now im averaging 11-16..... I chose to go stainless due to the fact that my car wouldnt look right with the stealth...

 

Isn't great to have competitions?

Otherwise we would all be stuck with MS Window and AT&T

 

For those that did not see...Invidia now has an R56 cat-back. Anyone who had an R53 that had one knows how great they sounded!

I purchased one this morning from JSC Speed and should be here early next week...I'll get sound clips, pictures, and impressions as soon as i get it on!!

 

We're not stuck????

I hate MS...