Invidia Exhaust Bangs Like Crazy!
Guest
Posts: n/a
Invidia Exhaust Bangs Like Crazy!
I'm hoping that someone out there can help with a problem I'm having with an Invidia exhaust. I recently installed the complete turbo back Invidia system on my wifes 2002 WRX with a manual transmission. Everything seemed to fit well and from what I've read online we've got an early V1 system that has the two mounting brackets on the downpipe. The downpipe actually installed quite easily and the brackets required no bending and I was amazed at how easily it bolted up. Then I started looking at the clearance between the down pipe and the cross members. Well to make a long story short the exhaust bangs like crazy when I go over big bumps or dips in the road. I regularly take the WRX off-road and will be driving on plenty of snow covered washboard roads this winter and I've got to fix the banging / clunking / thunking soon! Too much more of this and I risk damaging the pipe (easy fix with the TIG) but it's just such an annoyance it's driving me nuts every time I feel it and hear it bang and clang.
To help fix the problem I've already installed a set of aftermarket exhaust hangers (thanks Irvine Subaru) and that helped a little bit. I adjusted the exhaust so that it's more centered between the crossmembers and that again helped it but by no means cured it. I'd hate to start cutting and welding on the stock cross members but I've got the tools and skills to do so - but I'd just rather leave it stock looking so when Subaru sees it they don't give me any crap for a modified cross member.
I'm hoping that someone out there has had a similar problem and was able to come up with a simple fix. If there is no simple fix I'll just start cutting and welding until it fits.
If anyone reads this that is in the market for an Invidia exhaust this might be something to consider when searching for the right exhaust for you. If I knew the Invidia was going to be such a PITA to install and make right I never would've purchased it.
Aloha
Jeff @ PLC
www.PerformanceLifts.com
To help fix the problem I've already installed a set of aftermarket exhaust hangers (thanks Irvine Subaru) and that helped a little bit. I adjusted the exhaust so that it's more centered between the crossmembers and that again helped it but by no means cured it. I'd hate to start cutting and welding on the stock cross members but I've got the tools and skills to do so - but I'd just rather leave it stock looking so when Subaru sees it they don't give me any crap for a modified cross member.
I'm hoping that someone out there has had a similar problem and was able to come up with a simple fix. If there is no simple fix I'll just start cutting and welding until it fits.
If anyone reads this that is in the market for an Invidia exhaust this might be something to consider when searching for the right exhaust for you. If I knew the Invidia was going to be such a PITA to install and make right I never would've purchased it.
Aloha
Jeff @ PLC
www.PerformanceLifts.com
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,780
From: San Diego
Car Info: Boosted Geo Prizm
Perhaps STi engine and tranny mounts? short of modifying the exhuast, there isn't much else you can do.
Perhaps just take a mallet to the pipe and make a dent in the problem area.
Perhaps just take a mallet to the pipe and make a dent in the problem area.
Guest
Posts: n/a
I don't think banging on it with a hammer or mallet is the correct solution. Does anyone know how much more road noise and vibration can be felt / heard when running an STI trans or engine mount?
From the looks of it I'll just end up re-engineering the crossmembers and bracing them accordingly - that will give me PLENTY of room for this exhaust and cure it once and for all.
Jeff @ PLC
From the looks of it I'll just end up re-engineering the crossmembers and bracing them accordingly - that will give me PLENTY of room for this exhaust and cure it once and for all.
Jeff @ PLC
VIP Member
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,425
From: Under your bed, in your closet, and in your head
Car Info: Corvette Z51
Sorry to hijack the thread a bit, but what's the story behind Invidia and RS*R? Are they the same company, or is Invidia the U.S. division of RS*R? Could someone clarify? Thanks 
Good luck on solving your problem, Jeff!
Good luck on solving your problem, Jeff!
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,780
From: San Diego
Car Info: Boosted Geo Prizm
Originally posted by 909
I don't think banging on it with a hammer or mallet is the correct solution. Does anyone know how much more road noise and vibration can be felt / heard when running an STI trans or engine mount?
From the looks of it I'll just end up re-engineering the crossmembers and bracing them accordingly - that will give me PLENTY of room for this exhaust and cure it once and for all.
Jeff @ PLC
I don't think banging on it with a hammer or mallet is the correct solution. Does anyone know how much more road noise and vibration can be felt / heard when running an STI trans or engine mount?
From the looks of it I'll just end up re-engineering the crossmembers and bracing them accordingly - that will give me PLENTY of room for this exhaust and cure it once and for all.
Jeff @ PLC
Your making the job so much harder by even attempting to modify your crossmember. It's much easier to modify a piece of pipe then a cross member. Then there is the issue of possibly weaking the crossmember and your chassis, thus needing you to brace it accordingly.
Guest
Posts: n/a
The new Invidia line of products is in no way related to RS*R. Visit the real RS*R site and read the letter from the President.
I paid $750 for the complete system out the door. I knew that Invidia was a knockoff name and that they had nothing to do with RS*R but that didn't bother me at all. I figured if somebody wants to pay to get stainless steel cast for the downpipe bellmouth they are AOK with me. The robot TIG welds are beautiful and as far as quality goes it's better than lots of the other crap I had looked at. I'm new to the import car scene and was amazed at the crap I found for almost twice the price. The problem with the Invidia exhaust is not quality or fitment, it's tube diameter. If they used a smaller diameter tube it would clear the crossmember with more room to spare. The brackets aligned PERFECTLY and the exhaust hangers are all spot on and that made me pretty happy.
Right now I have two problems that are easily fixed with a little cutting and welding, something I do darn near every day on my own truck so it's no big deal. I was hoping someone out there could possibly save me from spending an hour or two wrenching on the wifes car. The clunk / bang doesn't happen when she drives the car but when I drive it the noise really pi55es me off. If you don't have the tools or talent available to really install this kit properly I'd avoid it and run something with a smaller diameter tubing.
Not to toot my own horn but modifying the crossmember is a piece of cake. I'll take the crossmember off the car and cut out some material (the rolled lip needs to go) and then brace the top side with some sheet steel and TIG it all into place. When done it'll be stronger than stock and I'll be out a couple hours and about $10.00 bucks in materials. I'll be building a new mount too using urethane instead of the super soft Subaru rubber unit. I had the car on the rack last night and noticed the oil pan is vulnerable to damage and will be making a small skid plate for that too. I've seen lots of small cars with crushed and cracked oil pans that were damaged when they hit large chunks of snow and ice on the roads - considering I'll be using the car for the ski/snowboard trips this year I might as well get it ready now.
Modifying the exhaust isn't the solution because anything that increases clearance between the tube will mean a decrease in tube size - and that's not the goal. Reducing the diameter by hammering is just a bad idea... and cutting out the current tube and welding in a smaller tube is just pointless because it creates a bottleneck.
When I'm done I'd be happy to post pics if anyone wants to see the results.
Jeff @ PLC
www.PerformanceLifts.com
I paid $750 for the complete system out the door. I knew that Invidia was a knockoff name and that they had nothing to do with RS*R but that didn't bother me at all. I figured if somebody wants to pay to get stainless steel cast for the downpipe bellmouth they are AOK with me. The robot TIG welds are beautiful and as far as quality goes it's better than lots of the other crap I had looked at. I'm new to the import car scene and was amazed at the crap I found for almost twice the price. The problem with the Invidia exhaust is not quality or fitment, it's tube diameter. If they used a smaller diameter tube it would clear the crossmember with more room to spare. The brackets aligned PERFECTLY and the exhaust hangers are all spot on and that made me pretty happy.
Right now I have two problems that are easily fixed with a little cutting and welding, something I do darn near every day on my own truck so it's no big deal. I was hoping someone out there could possibly save me from spending an hour or two wrenching on the wifes car. The clunk / bang doesn't happen when she drives the car but when I drive it the noise really pi55es me off. If you don't have the tools or talent available to really install this kit properly I'd avoid it and run something with a smaller diameter tubing.
Not to toot my own horn but modifying the crossmember is a piece of cake. I'll take the crossmember off the car and cut out some material (the rolled lip needs to go) and then brace the top side with some sheet steel and TIG it all into place. When done it'll be stronger than stock and I'll be out a couple hours and about $10.00 bucks in materials. I'll be building a new mount too using urethane instead of the super soft Subaru rubber unit. I had the car on the rack last night and noticed the oil pan is vulnerable to damage and will be making a small skid plate for that too. I've seen lots of small cars with crushed and cracked oil pans that were damaged when they hit large chunks of snow and ice on the roads - considering I'll be using the car for the ski/snowboard trips this year I might as well get it ready now.
Modifying the exhaust isn't the solution because anything that increases clearance between the tube will mean a decrease in tube size - and that's not the goal. Reducing the diameter by hammering is just a bad idea... and cutting out the current tube and welding in a smaller tube is just pointless because it creates a bottleneck.
When I'm done I'd be happy to post pics if anyone wants to see the results.
Jeff @ PLC
www.PerformanceLifts.com
Guest
Posts: n/a
I agree 100% that a 3" tube is overkill for the motor the car has in it right now. But if I do end up modify the tubing I'll go another route. Another option I've got available is to use up the last 5 or 6 feet of stainless oval exhaust pipe I've got let over from a NASCAR project. I was saving it for a different project but it might work real well for this one. That'll be this weekends work.
If it's worth doing it's worth doing right... and I just don't think hammering / denting / crushing the pipe is the right way to fix this. Would just smooshing the pipe to make it fit be the easy way? Probably. I've given up on easy and this project and just accepted the fact I need to devote a few hours to it.
Aloha
Jeff @ PLC
www.PerformanceLifts.com
If it's worth doing it's worth doing right... and I just don't think hammering / denting / crushing the pipe is the right way to fix this. Would just smooshing the pipe to make it fit be the easy way? Probably. I've given up on easy and this project and just accepted the fact I need to devote a few hours to it.
Aloha
Jeff @ PLC
www.PerformanceLifts.com
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 833
From: At the store trading the box of tissue in on some brawny!
Car Info: Platinum 02 WRX, Progress springs,JIC Bullet exhaust , STI shifter, Accessecu, Rota Sub Zero
My Solution
Here is some good advice from someone with the same problem.
My JIC was clanging around too and driving me nuts , and it is NO cheap knock off!I found that the larger diameter resonator had only a m.m. worth of play in the channel and would clang on downshifts and start ups.One roll of header wrap and two hose clamps fixed my problem.I took a two foot section of wrap and wraped my resonator overlapping the wraps to get a tight fit , I did thiswith the exhaust mounted to make sure I had enough in the right spots.I finished the wrapping up with two 4" hose clamps and bye- bye clanging.
Aftermarket products , especially race geared products have some draw backs to achieve their ultimate goals.A person with a stripped out WRX sporing a full cage and so on doesnt give a hoot about a little noise, those of us in daily drivers do! Don't take a hammer to it , just go get some header wrap and clamps and wrap the problem areas you have.Piece of cake!
My JIC was clanging around too and driving me nuts , and it is NO cheap knock off!I found that the larger diameter resonator had only a m.m. worth of play in the channel and would clang on downshifts and start ups.One roll of header wrap and two hose clamps fixed my problem.I took a two foot section of wrap and wraped my resonator overlapping the wraps to get a tight fit , I did thiswith the exhaust mounted to make sure I had enough in the right spots.I finished the wrapping up with two 4" hose clamps and bye- bye clanging.
Aftermarket products , especially race geared products have some draw backs to achieve their ultimate goals.A person with a stripped out WRX sporing a full cage and so on doesnt give a hoot about a little noise, those of us in daily drivers do! Don't take a hammer to it , just go get some header wrap and clamps and wrap the problem areas you have.Piece of cake!
Guest
Posts: n/a
I'm not sure if the WRX is the same as my 98 2.2, so forgive me if this comment is retarded. One option might be to cut a small section of pipe out of your downpipe so it raises it up a little higher. Some re-angling of flanges and bending of firewall might be needed, but that's how we fixed this problem with the HKS on my friends 97 turbo outback. More work than just padding the pipe, but sounds easier than modifying the crossmember
7
7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Fearing Subaru would not like the modified tranmission mount (I'll do that once the warranty is up) I actually fixed it using fiberglass cloth. Pretty similar to the header wrap that was suggested. It's a similar cloth used for boat hull repairs and it contains ZERO resin - just pure fiberglass cloth. I was able to wrap the crossmember in the specific area that the tube was hitting with enough fiberglass cloth that it's now really difficult for the exhaust to move, let alone rattle or clunk. This is a bandaid fix until I can rework the transmission mount and crossmember. I really don't care for the stock trans mount and the addition of a engine / trans skid plate will be a welcome addition and will be easier with a different crossmember.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
PURIST
Sacramento & Reno
88
Dec 20, 2007 11:21 PM
