Hey guys... I am having the hardest time with putting the OEM v band clamp that connects the downpipe to the mid pipe. Are there any tricks that I could be aware of it or anything? I just cant seem to have everything line up all the way around it. Ill get it tight and think everything is ok but then I have a huge exhaust leak. Just spent a little over 2 hrs messing with the thing. I got a brand new clamp cause I had messed up the first one to. Trying to connect a Riss Racing DP to a Stratmosphere CBE. Thanks for all the help. I'm about to just get it the best I can and then take it someplace for them to hassle with it.

 

Are all the bolts on your exhaust loose?. You'll need everything to be loose so you can get everything straight before tightening the v band clamp.

 

Read this
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d-is-crap.html

 

The Riss Racing downpipe is what I would call "barely bolt-on." It's not identical to the OEM downpipe flange dimensions. If you can't get everything lined up correctly or the pipes are under an incredible amount of tension when the v-band is fastened, that means it's a bad connection. If you hammer your throttle enough the connection will break loose from engine movement. From that point you need to go to a weld shop and get some flanges made on each side that fit together with no effort.

 

+1 to jkapinos. Keep things loose so you can manipulate the downpipe and the exhaust to get them matched up, then tighten down the V band. At least, that works for the stock parts. Not sure about the aftermarket stuff you are working with. If the dimensions are different like countryboyshane says, then you may have to look for other solutions.

 

+1 to jkapinos

the instructions that came with my milltek downpipe back exhaust said to have everything assembled, but not to tighten any of the clamps

then to start at the v-band clamp to tighten up the clamps

i had a friend helping me, he held the mid-section in position while i tightened the v-band clamp

there was also a note to use 1/2" drive rachet/breaker bar on the v-band clamp ... it needs to be TIGHT!

i used 3/8" drive on the rest of the clamps, but they kept coming loose/moving ... in the end. i used the 1/2" drive to tighten all the clamps

so far, i have not touched the exhaust since the first week after install, 6 months ago

scott

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d-is-crap.html

 

Thanks I will give this a try. I did actually see that other thread about it being crap and to use the 1/2 drive but so far I'm not having a problem of getting it tight. I'm having the problem of getting everything lined up all the way around. I got as close as to having 95% of everything sealed but that area around the actual bolt is where I was having leaks from. Maybe I'm not using the gasket thats included correct. Idk. Ill go out and give it another try today.

 

once i tightened mine with the 1/2" drive, the v-band closed up completely, no leak behind the bolt

scott

 

Yeah I went out and wrestled with it for about another 30/40 minutes today to no avail. Got it all the way tightened to the point where I couldnt see anymore threads but still could hear the leak. Gave up and took it someplace... little rinky dink place that does car repair. They got it up in the air and 3 of them messed with it for about another 20 mins or so and came and told me that the clamp is just to small and to get a bigger one. Kinda confirmed my frustrations with it though. I just thought maybe I was doing something wrong. Anyone know where to get a clamp to fit thats bigger than the OEM sized one? Saw one on the advance auto parts site but it was 46 bux.

 

The clamp doesn't create the seal. It pulls together the down pipe (female) part with the exhaust (male) part to create the seal. If the seal doesn't work, it's not tight or not aligned.

 

Akrapovic DP to Custom VIP DP-back. No problems at all.

 

Yeah thats how I thought it worked with the clamp. But for some reason the 4 people that have looked at it havent been able to get it properly aligned. I know when I was trying to do it, there were no more threads to be tightened and I could still feel air coming from the area where the bolt was. I havent gotten under the car since the shop I took it to tried putting it on. But they did tell me that the clamp was to small... something I was thinking to but thought maybe I just wasnt doing something right. It also seems the more and more that I tighten it the more and more misaligned it becomes to the point that it creates more of a leak. Thinking of trying out a 3" v band as it seems to provide more area for it to grab the pipes and bring them together.

 

It's amazing my advice has been skipped over completely for tips to just tighten the living **** out of the clamp. The stock v-band clamp is meant to work together with the OEM downpipe and OEM exhaust. That's it. No other system. Others that have gotten it to work with different combinations of aftermarket parts are purely lucky. If 4 people can't get it together right that's a tell tale sign you need an exhaust shop to fabricate some exhaust flanges that mate together perfectly and are not under tension. Do it the right way I learned the hard way and did this. Since then, ZERO problems & ZERO leaks.

 

I didn't skip over Ur advice..just trying to find a solution to this. I just figured getting flanges welded on could get expensive. I did finally get under the car again today to check things out. And i was wrong...they did actually get the v band on like it was suppose to but it just doesnt seem like they tightened it as far as it could go. Still have some air coming out from the bolt area.

 

It won't cost you a lot. Maybe $30-60 for parts and labor.

 

Well a lil bit of a update on this... so I finally got back under the car a few days ago to try and fully tighten the v band. Well I was getting somewhere until it started looking like I was twisting the metal away from it. Unfortunately I can still feel a little bit of hot air coming from where the bolt is. So I will prolly go with a 3" v band. Has anyone ever tried that out? Any luck with it? I know everyone is saying that they have been able to use the OEM v band... but it just seems just a tad small for everything..hence the 3" v band. I have also not been able to find anyone else with the Riss Racing Downpipe mated to the Stratmosphere CBE on a R56. SO IF YOU ARE OUT THERE PLEASE CONTACT ME!!

I also have another question... even with the very small exhaust leak that I have, the combination of both the catless downpipe and CBE have pretty much made the car intolerable. Now before everyone thinks, I dont know what I'm talking about or that I'm the kind of person who likes really quiet exhausts. I'm definitely not. I do love me a loud/aggressive exhaust. Have had one on pretty much every car I've owned. When the car is cold the exhaust sounds amazing.. but it seems like the hotter the car gets the louder.. and I do mean LOUDER.. the exhaust gets. Now keep in mind I dont do much highway driving... mainly only in city driving. So the car only rarely gets past 60 mph. Theres sooooo much drone coming from the exhaust that I wanna rip my hair out. I've looked at so many different exhaust vids on youtube... of both the stratmosphere exhaust (with stock downpipe.. cause I cant seem to find anyone with a catless dp and this exhaust).. maybe thats why I cant find anyone cause of how bad the combination of the 2 are haha. I've looked up countless threads...vids... in car vids... outside of car vids... and nothing compares to the drone I'm getting.

I read somewhere that the stratmosphere exhaust is suppose to have a lot less drone than other exhausts. I know this sounds like a noob question but does a catless dp really add that much sound to the car? To the point of it being unbearable? I had catless dp's and exhaust on my Speed3 and my Subaru Legacy GT and its never been this bad. Maybe I should put some sound deadening in the back?

 

The catless downpipe certainly adds a lot of noise! I've run both catted and no cat, and it's way louder.

 

Yeah I was expecting the sound to be louder but just didnt expect the drone that I'm getting. Especially from a system that claims to have less drone than other systems. I've never really complained about the sound of a exhaust system till now. I can take the sound of a exhaust all day long. But with this car it seems like someone is jackhammering right near my ear the entire time I'm driving hahaha. The center console shakes and rattles and the rear glass sounds like I have a huge sound system in the back when I get on the car any.

 

Install a BSH motor mount and you won't notice the exhaust anymore ;-)

 

Yeah the Riss Racing pipe sucks. That is why I am selling mine and got the Evolve one. The bracket on the Riss Racing bracket broke off because it is one little piece of scrap metal. Plus I had to modify my stock heat shield to make the down pipe fit.

 

Sadly, it prolly be better than what I got

Ive heard the Evolve downpipe and JCW exhaust and that sounds pretty amazing. Just not sure which way I'm gonna go.

 

Is it me or does anyone else's exhaust seem to sound different at times? Because it seems like sometimes the exhaust is actually bearable and I think wow this is awesome. And then other times I wanna pull over and uninstall it right where I'm at hahaha. Nothing is different, same RPMs, same gear, same everything it seems. Yet different sounds? Just checking to see if I'm actually going crazy or not.