Up pipes are up pipes. I would avoid one with a flex in it as they tend to fail after some years. Other than that, it's all about the same thing for ups. And i never said that a catback "does nothing except make noise". I merely said that you could get an aftermarket downpipe to work with your stock system. It does make a difference. But from my understanding, anything under 300 horses is fine with 2.5" pipe. 300-400hp you should be looking at 3" pipe. Anything over 400, well, you get the picture!
Apparently the Grimmspeed UP has 20% more flow and the guys at NF recommend it. It has the flex though.
You should focus on other things than another different up pipe, if you already got the catted one out then why not save the money you would spend on the Grimmspeed piece and spend it on a turbo back or something else you want? Also, the best idea when modding is to gather parts for a while then install several things at once and get one tune. I guess I should have been more specific about the down pipe, an aftermarket down pipe will increase flow and improve horse power, but it won't be huge normis gainz.
So to get an opinion of the group here, I've got a catless UP and DP sitting in the garage (already have catback on). At some point I'll get to putting them on (when I've lined up a tuning date, I s'pose). So get the parts on, trailer it to meet this Nuke fellow (I live in Owatonna), and I should be good to go? PS - My apologies to the OP for sharing your thread. I feel like it was perfect timing as I was wondering the same things, but didn't feel it necessary to start another one of the same sort.
If I'm going to stop at stage two and not add a bigger turbo what is the benefit of the turbo back exhaust? The guys at NF are recommending the GS up pipe and to do the downpipe and to stop there for a daily driver. They haven't mentioned anything about a turbo back exhaust. From what I've read don't you need a lot more horsepower to take advantage of the turbo back exhaust and maybe even the GS up pipe? I really don't know a lot about these things. Share away!
You'll be good to go with just the downpipe and a tune from Nuke! It will be stealthier without a bunch of noise coming out of the back. FWIW, stage 2 is very reliable! You'll just have normal wear and tear to deal with, instead of motors to replace and what not.
Im right there with you XTEA. New member here. 2005 OBXT. Recent NF tune. I think I saw you car there two weeks ago when I was out with Nuke. Modding to a faster daily driver. Watching this thread closely. I'm shopping for struts and springs though to get this lowered and improve handling. We can share victories and horror stories. Cheers.
Our outbacks have some suspension issues. It'll look 10 times nicer lowered and will ride a lot smoother, but it'll still have its quirks. Finally have some outback members. I was lonely for the last 4 years of being the only outback. Well besides Dean's but his never made it out of his garage.
I didn't do springs. I did 04 model kyb in the rear. Maybe shoulda done springs. I'm thinking swaybars after tires and DP. I never thought about lowering though. I always thought that was a silly thing some people did with 4 cylinder trucks. Being 6ft I like the height to get in and out of. How much is lowering? What will it really do?
Its really about ride comfort. The tall outback suspension feels smooth on the straight a ways but it gives off a lot of body roll with just slight cornering. A nice spring and shock setup paired with a nice set of sways will make a big difference. The cost of lowering depends on what you want to achieve. If you're ever in town, sit in mine then drive yours again. You'll notice a big difference. I'm currently on Tein Flex coils with white line adjustable front and rear sways with Kartboy solid endlinks. monster truck height stock gap JDM Spec B rev A setup. (stock legacy gt suspension will achieve the same ride height) spring comparison. current setup
If I sum up the courage to get over my social awkwardness I'm going to attend one of those tuesday meet ups. I think I might go flaccid though with my 06 next to those shiny new STI's.
Yes.... this hobby is never cheap. You can tell yourself that you're satisfied but you'll never be. Its a money pit.
Derek at NF told me its better to put a grimmspeed UP on then the wrx catless I have now. I found one on ebay for $120 but it does have flex. NF is also going to sell me a used DP they have laying around for a good price. Id be fine with lowering a little, but if I want to sell later i think that would hurt the sale.
Pick your poison with up pipes... no flex = cracked flanges and fitment issues with flex = possible for the flex to begin leaking ...so each version has their downsides. Pick a quality brand and you shouldn't have issues with either.
Talk to your tuner/shop. They should point you in the right direction as it will be them doing the install/tune. In this case, NF will always work with you and recommend the parts needed for your goal. From my experience with NF, its not about them making mounds of money, they just want to help you achieve what you want in your budget. Stage 3, suspension, flex or no flex, they will help you out.
I hate your car! It makes me want to do awful things to my bank account. I wont though. I think Dp + up is where I'll stop... Till next year
Hate is a strong word... So I guess I'm still not understanding what is wrong with the catless up pipe you've already installed... Care to share more about that?
Derek said the Grimmspeed UP is much better than the Stock WRX UP, and thats all he said. From the research I've done it has 20% more air flow capacity. I found a used one for $120 on ebay so I figured that was a cheap upgrade relatively. That plus a high flow DP should be right where I want to be. Any other upgrades I do will be cosmetic or to the suspension over the next few years. Replacing trim pieces that have scratches, replacing door cards that have nicks etc. I'd really like to find those child seat anchor caps for my OB too. Maybe even get some wood trim and the steering wheel with volume control. That lowered OB does look really sexy. I did appreciate the clearance on my old forester though so I'll probably stay where Im at.
I have got to find a dp for my bugeye. Then find out how much $$$$ I gotta throw into nuke's pocket to tune it.
Maybe you should consider just getting an external wastegate up pipe and wastegate instead of just the plain up pipe? Then you aren't just upgrading for the hell of it.. But do you man..
Keep us all posted on the upgrades. I'll be watching your posts and taking notes. My priorities are getting the outback to handle like a car and not a boat and being able to play music like it's 2014. this looks promising yet intimidating. http://www.avojdm.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=H6217AG911&x=10&y=16 Up and Down pipe are in my near future too. Maybe even shave the roof and go legacy GT rails.
Wastegate? I know thats on the turbo thingy but thats about it. What would be the purpose of the wastegate on the UPPipe if I stop at stage 2? The money is already spent on the used UP. I could sell it for this wastegate thing if you can educate me on it. The pricing though on that gets even higher. I thought I would upgrade the UP to the grimmspeed one assuming the higher flow would give me a few more ponies. Maybe thats pointless? If I sell the one on there now I can get probably walk away with it just costing me $75.00.
An External Wastegate (EWG) allows exhaust gases to be diverted prior to entering the turbo; thus creating a quicker turbo spool. GrimmSpeed's EWG has a larger diameter than the stock internal wastegate; this allows the exhaust gas to be released faster, which improves boost control, maintains maximum boost longer in the rpm range, and extends the life of the turbo. Moving the wastegate out of the turbo relieves the turbo from the massive amounts of turbulence that the stock internal wastegate creates.
You will need the following parts: EWG compatible uppipe and dump tube EWG (ie. TurboSmart or Tial) IWG block off You can get it all in a package from GrimmSpeed for ~$700: http://www.grimmspeed.com/external-wastegate-up-pipe-w-dump-tube-38-44mm-v-band-wrx-sti-lgt-fxt/
What is your point? We are strictly talking about aftermarket pieces here...of course OEM parts shouldn't have fitment/cracking issues. I'm just saying if you buy a UP with no flex section off of ebay vs. one from a quality brand, the ebay pipe may not fit as well nor hold up as long.
Ewg adds power with stock turbo? I did some snooping on the net and it's been suggested that its a waste of money without a bigger turbo.
If OP has no intentions of going beyond "stage 2", an EWG setup is going to be overkill. Not to mention, expensive. If you're running a catless UP right now, what is the issue?
No issue per say, just Derek at NF suggested i get the GS one and I found one cheap. Math done on the GS says its got higher flow so why not? http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/oem-catless-vs-aftermarket-up-pipe-debate-132863.html
I was trying to tell him that there's not necessarily a need or any point in getting the gs pipe if he already has a catless oem part. money could be spent elsewhere on other things.. But oh well too late now
Check with NF on the cost to install the new UP, that might help make up your mind as well. Do you have an aftermarket boost controller (aka a 3-port EBCS)? If not that would be the next thing I'd buy, it gives better boost control than the stock setup and will let Nuke get you a better tune, and they're not that expensive - Grimmspeed makes a popular one. I'm sure whatever DP that NF has or recommends for you will be fine. You can keep the stock catback, or upgrade to one of the quieter options, your choice. Based on the goals you mentioned, I'd skip the EWG setup for now and see how Stage 2 treats you - especially since winter is coming. You can use that money for other things Also, you mentioned not wanting a lot of noise - an EWG setup with an unmuffled dump pipe is extremely loud when you're on the boost, there's a reason why they called them 'screamers' in that video someone linked to
