Fabspeed bypass pipes - worth it??

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by 23109VC

If I were to have about $500 burning a hole in my pocket, and used it to buy these bypass pipes and put them onto my 2000 2.7L 5 speed - am I really going to notice any difference in speed or sound?

i've read claims of 8hp and more torque - which some people could feel via the butt-dyno.... just curious if anyone here thinks that on a 2.7L car, this mod would actually make the car feel quicker?

I'm in CA - so I need to stay smog legal. Pelican parts website says the secondary cats are unnecessary, that it won't throw a CEL and that it will still pass smog. That true? why did Porsche put those cats there if we don't "need' them?

does it sound tons better once these cats are gone?




I'm also thinking of putting the Pedro techno-torque onto my car - wondering if the combo of that plus the bypass pipes might give the car a little more zip!

thanks.

Having two sets of cats is like having two more big toes ! They serve no purpose but to satisfy "Uncle Sugar" and his OBD II requirements. Get rid of them, and free up some excess weight and perhaps create a better flowing exhaust while retaining some needed back pressure.

[jmatta]

Wow, that tire is not getting patched, how far did you drive on it to make it look like that?

I drove a little over a mile under 25 mph to get to a safe spot. I run around -2.5* camber in the rear which helped rip it up a bit. I knew the tire wouldn't be repairable anyway, but didn't want to ruin the rim, so I took it easy on the shoulder. Looks like the tires when they flat them in F1!

I think the Fabspeed pipes area great investment in sound and perhaps HP, though I have no evidence of that. It did take significant weight off the rear and did I mention the sound?

[sd_boxster]

Today, Mrs. sd_boxster told me over breakfast how happy she was that our Boxster sounds "throaty". While out walking this AM she came across a guy in a stock Box and described his exhaust note as "just sad."

Fabspeed, I have a slogan suggestion: "Exhaust mods even the wife will love!"

jmatta, not sure how you got your wheel into the frunk, as my 17" wouldn't go. I haven't tried since... maybe I was too busy being irritated about having a flat to puzzle through getting the wheel to fit, though it being round and all limits the number of configurations one has to try...

[jmatta]

not sure how you got your wheel into the frunk

Perhaps it was because it was so flat and compressed...I was very careful the lid closed without issue.

[Banana S]

I ordered a set of Fabspeed secondary cat bypass pipes this week and received them today. My observations, in no particular order:

- The pipes are VERY nice quality. Very impressive, although for the price I suppose they should be.

- No instructions came with the pipes, which doesn't really bother me, but some people might find that disconcerting.

- Porsche's choice in hardware sucks. Just sucks. Sucks hard. Really. There are ten (10) bolts holding the stock cat bypass pipes to the muffler and the headers. Seven (7) of the ten (10) bolts broke immediately upon trying to remove them. (And I sprayed all of them with WD-40 first.) One (1) nut was so rusted that I could not get the socket on it firmly, and I ended up rounding the edges of the nut. Had to use a Sawzall to remove that nut. The remaining two (2) nuts, which happened to be the two (2) nuts that are hardest to reach (at the top of the flange connecting the secondary cats to the headers), were TACK-WELDED to the headers! Yep, some genius attached the secondary cats to the headers, then once the nuts were tight, he tack-welded the nuts to the headers. Brilliant. I was able to remove one of those two nuts with a combination of a Dremel tool, a Sawzall, and a die grinder. I'm going to finish removing the last nut tomorrow, after I buy another Dremel tool. (In fairness, this one was on its last legs anyway.)

- Because the four (4) bolts closest to the muffler broke (or had to be cut off with a Sawzall) when I tried to remove them, I'll need to pick up four new nuts & bolts at the hardware store tomorrow while I'm picking up that new Dremel. To those planning to do this install yourselves, I'd recommend picking up those four bolts beforehand.

- It's been said plenty before, but it bears repeating: The Fabspeed secondary cat bypass pipes are MUCH lighter than the stock secondary cats.

Can't wait to finish the job tomorrow and see how it drives & sounds.

[2K3_Boxster_S]

Originally Posted by Banana S

One (1) nut was so rusted that I could not get the socket on it firmly, and

Just curious what year is your Boxster? I recently removed entire exhaust including headers and every bolt broke lose with ease. I think my car has been garaged its entire life also. maybe that makes a difference.

[Banana S]

Mine is a 2002 and spent its first 6 years in Chicago, where I believe it was driven year-round. When I had the PPI done a year ago, the mechanic even said that he rarely sees Porsches with the degree of cosmetic road-salt corrosion on the bottom of the car that this car had. (Although he also told me not to worry about it, and that it should not deter me from buying the car.)

I take it you did not have the two tack-welded bolts on your car?