Rochester's new G
03-03-2014, 06:19 PM
#316
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This is a repost from my lug nut thread. With the new rims, I've chosen to go with McGard Spline drive lug nuts, in composite chrome. Here's a pic of what they look like on the wheel.
03-03-2014, 06:35 PM
#317
RHFC install in two weeks.
DOMO
I had a long talk with my dealerships Sr. Tech today while the car was on the lift getting inspected, and the brake fluid swapped. He told me he'd pass the inspection next year with the cats based solely on the visuals. He said if there's obviously a cat there, the O2 sensors are in place, and the OBDC reading is clean, that's all he cares about. The cats could be gutted or aftermarket... Doesn't matter. The only constraint is that he couldn't install an aftermarket cat, but if it's already there... Meh.
Interesting perspective, coming straight from a NY Infiniti shop.
DOMO
I had a long talk with my dealerships Sr. Tech today while the car was on the lift getting inspected, and the brake fluid swapped. He told me he'd pass the inspection next year with the cats based solely on the visuals. He said if there's obviously a cat there, the O2 sensors are in place, and the OBDC reading is clean, that's all he cares about. The cats could be gutted or aftermarket... Doesn't matter. The only constraint is that he couldn't install an aftermarket cat, but if it's already there... Meh.
Interesting perspective, coming straight from a NY Infiniti shop.
03-03-2014, 08:38 PM
#318
Good news on the cats. I forgot all about inspections ... used to live in VA where we were subject to that but not in SC. Sometimes I wish we did have some kind of inspection, there are some jalopys running around here.
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Rochester (03-03-2014)
03-03-2014, 09:34 PM
#321
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I went through a forum vendor... Need4Speed.com. They were professional and persistent. Laura was good to work with on this deal.
Prices always vary, But if you want to see prices online per wheel, go check out GetYourWheels.com. It's a smaller operation, although they're building a good rep, IMO. They're asking $450 and $500 front to back for the staggered 19" setup. Keep in mind, total costs get flexible when you get a total package, rims, tires, TPMS mounting and balancing.
NFS did a better overall price than GYW did, but just by a little bit.
Prices always vary, But if you want to see prices online per wheel, go check out GetYourWheels.com. It's a smaller operation, although they're building a good rep, IMO. They're asking $450 and $500 front to back for the staggered 19" setup. Keep in mind, total costs get flexible when you get a total package, rims, tires, TPMS mounting and balancing.
NFS did a better overall price than GYW did, but just by a little bit.
03-16-2014, 11:28 AM
#322
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Ha! if this is the same Rochester that was on Maxima.org I remember you! Just browsing the forums because im thinking about getting one in the next week or so!
Last edited by Tee00max; 03-16-2014 at 11:35 AM.
03-16-2014, 11:39 AM
#323
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The G is a natural upgrade from the Maxima. It's a better car, while still a familiar platform.
03-16-2014, 11:47 AM
#324
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Yeah man, im sure im going to get one because I have to stay in the family! After I left my 2000 Max, I went and got a 2010 which I loved but that got t-boned and totaled about 2 weeks ago. I'm thinking about picking up either a Moonlight White or Black Obsidian with Graphite interior. Hard to find the S model around here so I might go with the Journey and install some S components.
03-17-2014, 12:47 PM
#325
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RHFC Installed
I had FI Resonated Cats installed this morning. No pics of the installation, no videos, but there is a picture of them on my living room floor a few pages back, if you want to see them.
They were installed against the OEM shorty headers, and the OEM catback. So this work was just for the cats. Nothing else. The reason I went with FI was for quality reputation and their J-Bung design to spoof the O2 Sensors. But also because FI is the only one making a resonated cat, and I've come to the interwebz opinion that if you want to avoid rasp in an aftermarket exhaust consisting of HFC and Catback, then the FI Resonated High-flow Cats are the way to go. In other words, I'm future proofing my exhaust upgrade down the line, for whatever exhaust I decide to go with. (And at this point, it's looking like ARK.)
Installation
The install was a b1tch. Although more so for my mechanic, because I didn't do the work. For whatever reason, one bolt on each cat got stripped, between the cats and the headers. In the end, they had to cut off the corner on the cat flange with the torch. Total PITA, but there was no collateral damage, and no damage to the header flange. Once the OEM cats were finally off, the new ones went right on easy.
Vibration
At idle, there's a noticeable vibration under my seat that wasn't there before. I suspect it has to do with that cross-piece that the OEM cats were connected to, and is no longer applicable to the new ones. It's not an unpleasant vibration, and it goes away outside of idle, but still... he might fabricate and weld the cross-piece to fit at some future point. At this time, don't care. Other than that, no changes, no issues.
[edit] Fast forward to December of the same year, when my mechanic created a customized solution to the problem. Here's the comment and photo:
https://www.myg37.com/forums/build-t...ml#post3856531
Sound
At idle, the car is just a little bit louder, but that really depends on the surrounding location... on the road, in a parking lot, in my garage. There's a difference at idle, but it's barely perceptible. When driving normally, the exhaust tone seems completely unchanged. When driving hard, the exhaust is noticeably louder, particularly at WOT. But it's hard to distinguish between exhaust sound and intake noise, because intake. All in all, unless you were to drive my car before/after, you'd be hard pressed to notice the mod.
Some would say that's perfect, but honestly, I'm a bit disappointed. I like noise, and this isn't it.
Gains
Alfredo's got the build thread where he dyno'd after every mod, and he saw significant un-tuned gains after adding the RHFC. My butt-dyno totally agrees with that, because there is a lot more grunt going on here. When you pull hard in 1st and 2nd gear, it pulls more and it does it longer. And when you go WOT on the highway, ripping 3rd gear to red-line... well, there's just more there than there was before.
Years of hanging out on this forum had led me to the conclusion that cats are the most significant bottleneck on these cars. Now that I've replaced mine, while retaining the stock cat-back, I completely stand by that opinion.
Final Assessment
So I'm happy about the added grunt, because it was more than I expected. But I'm very disappointed in the lack of exhaust noise, because it's much less than I expected. Right now I'm trying to reconcile reality with my expectations, and writing this stuff down helps with that.
The big mod for 2015 was supposed to be 4.083 gears, but now I'm thinking cat-back, just because I really want to hear my exhaust.
/review
They were installed against the OEM shorty headers, and the OEM catback. So this work was just for the cats. Nothing else. The reason I went with FI was for quality reputation and their J-Bung design to spoof the O2 Sensors. But also because FI is the only one making a resonated cat, and I've come to the interwebz opinion that if you want to avoid rasp in an aftermarket exhaust consisting of HFC and Catback, then the FI Resonated High-flow Cats are the way to go. In other words, I'm future proofing my exhaust upgrade down the line, for whatever exhaust I decide to go with. (And at this point, it's looking like ARK.)
Installation
The install was a b1tch. Although more so for my mechanic, because I didn't do the work. For whatever reason, one bolt on each cat got stripped, between the cats and the headers. In the end, they had to cut off the corner on the cat flange with the torch. Total PITA, but there was no collateral damage, and no damage to the header flange. Once the OEM cats were finally off, the new ones went right on easy.
Vibration
At idle, there's a noticeable vibration under my seat that wasn't there before. I suspect it has to do with that cross-piece that the OEM cats were connected to, and is no longer applicable to the new ones. It's not an unpleasant vibration, and it goes away outside of idle, but still... he might fabricate and weld the cross-piece to fit at some future point. At this time, don't care. Other than that, no changes, no issues.
[edit] Fast forward to December of the same year, when my mechanic created a customized solution to the problem. Here's the comment and photo:
https://www.myg37.com/forums/build-t...ml#post3856531
Sound
At idle, the car is just a little bit louder, but that really depends on the surrounding location... on the road, in a parking lot, in my garage. There's a difference at idle, but it's barely perceptible. When driving normally, the exhaust tone seems completely unchanged. When driving hard, the exhaust is noticeably louder, particularly at WOT. But it's hard to distinguish between exhaust sound and intake noise, because intake. All in all, unless you were to drive my car before/after, you'd be hard pressed to notice the mod.
Some would say that's perfect, but honestly, I'm a bit disappointed. I like noise, and this isn't it.
Gains
Alfredo's got the build thread where he dyno'd after every mod, and he saw significant un-tuned gains after adding the RHFC. My butt-dyno totally agrees with that, because there is a lot more grunt going on here. When you pull hard in 1st and 2nd gear, it pulls more and it does it longer. And when you go WOT on the highway, ripping 3rd gear to red-line... well, there's just more there than there was before.
Years of hanging out on this forum had led me to the conclusion that cats are the most significant bottleneck on these cars. Now that I've replaced mine, while retaining the stock cat-back, I completely stand by that opinion.
Final Assessment
- Pretty expensive mod, adding together the cost of the cats and a shop-installation. Particularly when there are problems (like stripped bolts.)
- A little more vibration at idle, that we can probably correct.
- Virtually no-change at all in tone and volume, except at WOT.
- A small but noticeable amount of improved throttle response, likely from an increase in torque. And a very nice increase in how much and how long the car pulls at WOT.
So I'm happy about the added grunt, because it was more than I expected. But I'm very disappointed in the lack of exhaust noise, because it's much less than I expected. Right now I'm trying to reconcile reality with my expectations, and writing this stuff down helps with that.
The big mod for 2015 was supposed to be 4.083 gears, but now I'm thinking cat-back, just because I really want to hear my exhaust.
/review
Last edited by Rochester; 12-30-2014 at 12:56 PM.
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03-17-2014, 01:22 PM
#326
That's pretty much what I expected. Yes you got HFC's, but the resonance is going to cut in to your sound. I suspect you'll find the sound you're looking for when you change your catback, with interest.
Sorry about the difficult install, that is also pretty much what I expected, considering the salt that gets under there and general unfriendly road conditions most northerners seem to experience. I think the biggest reason for a lackluster sound change is that the OEM exhaust is pretty heavily resonated and de-sexified. The typical owner for this car isn't looking for a roar, they want a nice, stately thrum.
Sorry about the difficult install, that is also pretty much what I expected, considering the salt that gets under there and general unfriendly road conditions most northerners seem to experience. I think the biggest reason for a lackluster sound change is that the OEM exhaust is pretty heavily resonated and de-sexified. The typical owner for this car isn't looking for a roar, they want a nice, stately thrum.
03-17-2014, 01:45 PM
#327
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I am very, very seriously considering moving the cat-back up the mod list, ahead of the rear gears. Maybe even this summer, although it's an expense I was budgeting for next year. The only other thing I was going to do this year was the Short Shifter and ****.
03-17-2014, 01:51 PM
#328
Tell me about it. The OEM exhaust is pathetic, with all those little crimps around the 2" flex section, and those big hunks of rubber like warts, intended to absorb vibration, and those heat-shields clamped down everywhere. The OEM catback looks positively awful.
I am very, very seriously considering moving the cat-back up the mod list, ahead of the rear gears. Maybe even this summer, although it's an expense I was budgeting for next year. The only other thing I was going to do this year was the Short Shifter and ****.
I am very, very seriously considering moving the cat-back up the mod list, ahead of the rear gears. Maybe even this summer, although it's an expense I was budgeting for next year. The only other thing I was going to do this year was the Short Shifter and ****.
03-17-2014, 07:02 PM
#329
Sound
At idle, the car is just a little bit louder, but that really depends on the surrounding location... on the road, in a parking lot, in my garage. There's a difference at idle, but it's barely perceptible. When driving normally, the exhaust tone seems completely unchanged. When driving hard, the exhaust is noticeably louder, particularly at WOT. But it's hard to distinguish between exhaust sound and intake noise, because intake. All in all, unless you were to drive my car before/after, you'd be hard pressed to notice the mod.
Some would say that's perfect, but honestly, I'm a bit disappointed. I like noise, and this isn't it.
So I'm happy about the added grunt, because it was more than I expected. But I'm very disappointed in the lack of exhaust noise, because it's much less than I expected. Right now I'm trying to reconcile reality with my expectations, and writing this stuff down helps with that.
but now I'm thinking cat-back, just because I really want to hear my exhaust.
03-17-2014, 08:02 PM
#330
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Guess not.
GoFightNguyen is right, now I'm wanting to do the cat-back before the gears. So that's the plan, 2015.