Just got done w/ a resonated test pipe install, not too tough thanks to the following~
Black Bettys' Rust Eliminating Cocktail (50/50 Acetone/Auto Trans Fluid Mix)
30" extensions
2ft. breaker bar
4 foot cheater pipe (maybe)
Awesome Harbor Freight Impact joint driver




Here's the passenger side demon on the left, it was a bit more satanic then the drivers side.


I did the passenger side shortly after spraying the ATF mix and did the drivers side the next night. Took a 4 foot floor jack handle on my 2 ft breaker bar to get that passenger bolt off, had one hard crack, thought it broke free but the socket just violently slipped off the bolt, luckily I had just enough bite the second attempt, otherwise I would have been the be-atch

Drivers side only took the regular breaker bar and not too much effort, that ATF mix is SO much better than PB Blast (4x better from what I've read). I didn't have to remove anything except the engine cover to access the demons. I did have my wife help guide the extension down to the joint coupler on the drivers side since the steering shaft makes for minimal clearance, but otherwise it was a one person job.
Only thing I'd do differently would be using a syringe to accurately apply the ATF mix, I got that stuff over a lot more area than needed, lol. Now when I first fired it up it smelled like I blew my transmission w/ smoke seeping through the hood.
Here's the Resonated Test Pipes, they're from OBX, they have improved/updated their setup from a previous model that had two small resonators. This set has one larger resonator and the same Jpipe O2 port as Fast Intentions uses that should keep the CEL from being triggered. These also have an extra port for exhaust temp sensor. I used a Toyota drain plug M18x1.5 thread to plug them, as the plugs aren't included.

Initial impressions are very positive, seem to be well constructed and heavy, seem to be about the same weight as the cats. No rasp that I can hear, a slight hiss at cold start but none once it's warmed up. A very noticeable gain in acceleration and a nice throaty more aggressive tone throughout the rpm range. No CEL triggered.

Hopefully this one will stay in the win column, I'll try to get some sound clips soon.

 

nice work! be sure to shoot some videos of the new parts for a sound check!

btw, are the hardest bolts to remove from the inlet side of the test pipes (connecting to the headers)? I've never installed my HFC's in the past - always had a shop do it....

 

Want to get the G cleaned up and presentable before shooting any vid/sound clips, hopefully this weekend as it's been one steady windstorm today

As far as the bolts, there's only one bolt on each pipe that needs to be removed and the other two header side ones are nuts on studs. The nuts come off easily once soaked in that ATF mix, the bolts are the ones that can be demonic. Luckily I live in an area that doesn't salt roads and I rarely drive in winter crud so mine were probably on the easier side although I'm nearing 80k miles so . That Harbor Freight joint was a godsend, much better than the usual socket u-joints, and can't stress enough how much better that ATF mix is over PB Blast.

 

Give it a full throttle pull and you'll get the CEL lol. It took mine a day or two to show up. Nice write up. This will be very useful for the first timer!

 

Don't jinx him man! Lol looks great Brad and I can't wait to hear some sound clips! I'm definitely going to have to consider BB's 50/50 concoction when I decide to do mine this really was a great write as are a majority of the things your post here! Thanks!

 

Did three WOT runs and so far no CEL but time will tell I suppose, wish me luck
IIRC yours has the straight O2 ports, these elongated Js are supposed to be pretty good at not throwing CELS, but ????

 

I'll snap some pics next time I'm under my car, but I added a 90 and aimed it back against the exhaust flow similar to what you have. Still got a CEL within hours of driving.

 

Try the steel wool trick? The J shape puts it out a little further than a 90 degree elbow bung. But, everyone says, it's still possible. My friend went from FI resonated test pipes, no CEL , to ART pipes and got a CEL.

 

I'm glad you don't get any rasp. How did you seal up the header-cat flange?

 

I would guess that J pipe section would keep the CEL off. In my 03 Maxima I gutted the cats and just used Plug Foulers and did not get any CEL. I want to say that moving it away from the exhaust stream by some amount would be fine. If you do get the light maybe you can just mount a Plug Fouler on the end and check again? IF you did want to run a cat putting one down stream of the O2 sensors would do nothing for the CEL correct? Want to run a cat because I hated the strong fuel smell in the Max.

 

I wonder if an impact will get the demon bolt off with ease? Especially seeing that my cats have ~3,000 miles on them.

 

Used the Z1 gaskets w/ a thin coat of High Temp RTV Red, I reused the OEM 2 bolt Y pipe multi gaskets w/ no RTV. I'm getting an new Y pipe soon but wanted to try it in stages to note any changes in tone/performance.

You should have an even easier time of it, my passenger side probably would have been just as easy as the drivers side if I would have waited 24 hrs after soaking the bolts, but that side I soaked it only an hour prior. I didn't have the socket totally flush on that first try I'm fairly certain.

Your cats being so fresh and having an impact gun should make it pretty simple I would think. Now if you have a lift that would be a BINGO!

 

Nice job brad. Can't wait for a sound clip.

 

My car(~80K miles) had never seen rust and PB Blaster had been sitting on the bolts for 2 days, but a 350lb/ft electric impact did nothing. Maybe a pnuematic one will work though.

 

Brad does your car have a strong smell of raw Fuel?