So I installed my downpipe tonite on thr fxt and its hitting the transmission crossmember. The same downpipe had no issues on my wrx. I tried searching on google but no one seems to know why this happens for some but not others. Its a helix downpipe btw.

Looking for any input short of grinding the crossmember and adding a lot of headwrap around it.

 

How much clearance do you need?

 

1. Put the vehicle on ramps or stands so you can get under it.
2. Support the trans with a jack.
3.Slightly Loosen the 4 bolts which hold the crossmember.
4.Loosen the bolt for the down pipe mount.
5.Use a rubber mallet to move the the crossmember as far away from the downpipe as you can then tighten the 4 crossmember bolts.
6.Use the play from the from loosened down pipe mount to move the down pipe as far away from the cross member as possible.
7. Tighten the downpipe mount bolt.
8. Check for Clearence by wiggling the downpipe with a pry bar or your bear hands.
9. Give it a test drive. Remember to also check while in reverse as the motor will move accordingly.

I had this issue and it drove me crazy tryin to figure it out.

 

Right now its touching. Id like enough to be able to drive and not having it touch or rattle against the crossmember

Will give this a shot tommorow. Im also going to try to buy some extended hangars and see if that works.

 

Hangers will probably just stress the exhaust and over time possibly cause a leak at the gasket where the dp connects to the cb. Check the alignment first.

 

The hangars are mostly because Ive read that you need to use extra long ones for the FXT. I'll check alignment but the cars sitting on coilovers. When I smogged it with the stock downpipe, I had no issues and plenty of clearance (swapped downpipes because I thought the cat was bad but it was actually the front o2). Im wondering if I just have a bad fitment downpipe.

 

Yes in that case you may need the hangers regardless. Let me know if you need help. I've had to do it a few times.

 

what year fxt is it? mine fits fine without hitting anything it does get close to some part but not touching. When i installed mine i thought something was wrong because it was different looking than a wrx, but everything was fine. You do need extended hangers for the axleback.

 

Its an 04 fxt. So last night sometime after I left the shop the exhaust hangar broke and exhaust fell on the floor. Luckily it didnt damage anything and there is a flexpipe in the maddad midpipe so all is well. I took the midpipe off and rebolted the DP and now there is no fitment issue. Maybe it was the hangars all along? Ill order some extended ones later today after I get the axleback hangar rewelded in opposite direction and update the thread on how it went. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

I had the same issue with my helix dp. I fixed it by just loosening the bolt on the hanger nearest the back of the dp, pushing the dp as far as I could away from the transmission (it's an oval shaped hole for the bolt that goes through that hanger) and tightening the bolt super tight as far as I could away from the transmission. Never heard the sound again.