[ryanakata]

Post updated 6/22/2014 10:39EST.

Summary of events.

I yanked the stock one out in about an hour, had hell getting the new one on with the old clamp, used some pliers and the force of the hulk and got it on. Once everything was bolted up the exhaust in the rear is out of alignment. Loosened the VBand clamp but cannot rotate it anymore as the O2 sensor his the exhaust tunnel and I have already trimmed the aluminum shielding away to keep the wires from being smashed into it.

Car is driving, power is great, sound is amazing, and the flap on the drivers side exhaust rattles like hell on startup. A downpipe with a brace mount would help in alignment, but the VRSF is almost perfect and for the money cannot be beaten.

[Schmidty335i]

when i installed my DP last night i put the vband clamp on the DP not where it connects to the turbo but the actual pipe so it wouldnt be in my way when i was messing with it. then once i got the DP firmly pressed against the turbo it pretty much held itself there with out even having the clamp on yet. so i just reached up and moved the band up the pipe to where it connects to the turbo put one side on then the other and there was a big gap and the screw wasnt long enough to reach to attach the clamp so i got a screw driver pressed it against the outside passenger sided of the clamp and hammered it a few times and there it was i had just enough thread to catch and it tightend up perfectly. i wish i would have taken pictures, i think that would have explained it more than my nonsense haha.. hopefully that might help you a little.

[Jsoboti]

Originally Posted by ryanakata

I yanked the stock one out in about an hour, and for the past hour I have been trying to get the new one in and need some advice.

The flange on the downpipe seems slightly larger than the factory one, and I can not get the bolt to start into the clamp nor get pliers in there to try to squeeze it in.

When I push the downpipe flush to the turbo, the exhaust mounting points are hitting the bottom of the car no matter how it is rotated, I can't get it off of the car.

With the vband semi-on, and the exhaust support bolted back up loosely, there is a good bit of gap between the exhaust and the downpipe. So much that I had to pull the exhaust toward the front of the car a good bit just to try to get the bolt started.

I need some tips in getting this vband clamp installed so I may can try to force the rest to fit, any tips?

I had similar problems, ended up supporting the bottom of the engine and removing the engine mount to make more room. I then basically just muscled the clamp onto the flange of the DP and turbo and got a big pair of pliers to squeeze the ends of the v band together enough to get a few threads in. then i tightened it down pretty hard and it pulled everything together.


As for the gap between the exhaust and the DP that is normal, have someone push forward on your exhaust tips and it will float on the rubber hangars and the fitment will be fine ones all tightened down

[ryanakata]

That is the problem though. I can leave the clamp off and I cannot even get the downpipe to sit flush against the turbo as the end hits the bottom of the car. I may contact VRSF as I may had gotten a bad one. I never thought I'd spend 1 hour getting the old one out and 3 hours fighting a fitment issue. I do not want to put the factory one back on but it looks like I may be having to do that and possibly swap it out or order a different brand.

[Jsoboti]

Originally Posted by ryanakata

That is the problem though. I can leave the clamp off and I cannot even get the downpipe to sit flush against the turbo as the end hits the bottom of the car. I may contact VRSF as I may had gotten a bad one. I never thought I'd spend 1 hour getting the old one out and 3 hours fighting a fitment issue. I do not want to put the factory one back on but it looks like I may be having to do that and possibly swap it out or order a different brand.

Can you be a little more specific with which part is hitting which part of the car? Maybe take some photos so we can get a better idea

[ryanakata]

Its where the 4 bolts and 2 flanges bolt to the factory exhaust. No matter how that is positioned once the vband clamp is on the turbo, it is hitting the underneath of the car / exhaust tunnel.

I've since been trying to get the factory downpipe back in and do not have hands small enough to get the clamp back on.

At the moment the plan is leave the car here at my parents, which is 2 hours from home, order a different brand, and cross my fingers, and return the VRSF.

[Jsoboti]

Sounds weird, try sending some pictures to VRSF they may have some info for you. do you have access to a lift?

[ryanakata]

Anyone have any clue what snaps in underneath here?



I was going to remove the box to hunt my screw I dropped but quickly realized there is more to it than removing the 4 bolts and rubber grommet.

Whatever was there in the red box snapped and dropped below.