Recently bought a test pipe from a ff member. Finally got a free weekend to install it so I headed to the rent-a-bay to throw the car on the lift. Everything went great with the removal of the cat and putting the left-side spring bolt back on. When I went to put the next spring bolt on it stripped and bent... I've ordered 4 new spring bolts from honda to have back up for when I go to try again with it. The car now makes an AWFUL rattling sound between 2000-2500 rpm's. I'm just hoping that I haven't stripped the threads on the exhaust manifold side. Either way, when I get back under the car again I'm putting the stock cat back on. I absolutely HATE how loud the car is now... Installing a test pipe was a big mistake and I will never put another one on any other car I own. What do you guys think? Is it possible that I've stripped the threads on the exhaust manifold side? or is the material the manifold is made out of much stronger than the spring bolt?

 

You have to install both of the spring bolts just enough to stay in place and then alternate snugging each one a turn or 2 at a time and walk them into place until they both are snug.. If you boogered up the header you may be able to chase the threads out with a thread cutter or clean up tap..... It is crazy how much louder these little beast or with the cat removed isn't it?

 

Question. Would it be ok to use Anti-Sieze on the exhaust's spring bolts?

 

Oh yeah, It's loud lol. A little too much for my liking. I like the way it sounds especially at WOT. I just don't like that fact that I have to max out the radio volume to even hear it at cruising speeds of 70. I would like it a lot more if this was a track car... but as the fit is my dd... No bueno

 

Anyone else made this embarrassing mistake before?

 

I am pretty sure I used anti seize compound on the spring bolts on mine because I had installed an after market header followed by the cat delete pipe.... I had to put an Apexi exhaust control valve and a Vibrant resonator in front of the muffler on my car after doing all of the other exhaust mods... Driving between 60 and 80 was torturous even without my hearing aids and I was having full blown anxiety attacks anytime I saw a cop car... You can wear foam ear plugs to cancel the low frequency drone and still hear your music..... I don't even want to think about all of the stuff I have messed up while turning a wrench. I do remember that I had a hard time getting the header and cat delete pipe in place and had to loosen and realign the B pipe I installed because it would bang on the underside of my car on the smallest of bumps.

 

Mine is non-resonated center pipe, front pipe with 2nd cat delete and the canister out back, not at all embarrassing to hear mine. I actually wish it had a bit more bite to its sound output.

Might actually be putting my canister up for sale in the next couple months and replacing with a new piece of Ti from J's as well. Just like the pie-cut turndown more and the rounded edges of the canister.

 

By the embarrassing mistake, I meant stripping the spring bolt lol

 

Got it. Think anyone who has worked on anything has stripped threads at some point. Shit happens.

 

I have the Megan resonated down pipe and the huge resonator on the Megan B pipe and the big Vibrant into the Aero Turbine 2540I muffler..The sound has a lower tone with none of the Rice Krispy snap krackle pop sound it had before the new B pipe, and axle back with muffler and Vibrant resonator... The exhaust control valve tamed down the buzzing of interior parts. The vibration of the dash and windows was visible between 60 and 80 so I stayed a little under 60 in the right hand lane when on the highway and above 80 a bunch when I could.. Using the eco 5 setting on my throttle controller allows me to drive very quietly with the valve wide open and when closed off all the way when in town it's as quiet as stock when the windows are up and the A/C is on or it sounds that way to me any way... I'll have a better idea when I drive home from the VA Hospital wearing new hearing aids tomorrow afternoon... I should have a better idea of how it sounds then after 100 miles of driving on a highway... As it is now it is possible for me to listen to the stock radio at 70 with the valve 1/2 closed. It was 104 today and my A/C was working well in the closed recirculate mode on the #2 fan setting. In open fresh air mode exhaust noise is coming in through the fan vents but nothing like it did at first.

 

If you did strip the manifold, you can buy spring bolt repair kits from the auto parts store.

It comes with a bolt with smaller threads, and then a nut mounted on a tab of sheet metal, so it will lock against the pipe.

An yes, I've done that before.

Heres an example. Dorman 675-205 Flange Kit M10MM-1.5 x

 

Hmmm I am interested. What is the purpose of the bolt attatched to the sheet metal?

 

did you get a great power increase with the Megan Cat-delete and B-Pipe VS stock??

Marko?

 

if i remember right im the one that sold u the test pipe... im sorry to here u dont like it. i could have swore that i told u that it is a little deaper tone but i could be mistaken. i really didnt care or notice really a tone difference do to my engine mounts. i have 85a innovatie mounts and alls i hear is rattling in the car.

as far as the manifold... did the bolt break inside the manifold and is it still there? if so see if there is a way u can unscrew it if u cant then try like an easy out or something like that and clean up the threads with a tap. if that doesnt work then u might have to drill it out and helicoil it.

like texas coyote said u need to screw the sping bolts in a couple turns each so it tightens evenly. outer wise it will do it again.

also ur not the only one that breaks bolts. i see it on a daily basis. especially exhasut bolts do to the extreme heat. so dont feel bad or embarassed about that.

 

It goes on the manifold side, and the new spring bolt screws into it. The sheet metal keeps the nut from spining by wedging against the pipe.

 

Oh no, Don't get me wrong haha I love the way the tone is. Just a little too loud for my taste lol. I'm thinking tho that I will not be AS loud once I get the other side of the pipe secured to the manifold, 'cause it does sound like alot of the noise is coming from under the car instead of the exhaust itself. The bolt didn't break inside the manifold. It just striped the first few threads and bent the bolt. I'll take a a few pics of the bolt and throw 'em up here later. Can't right now because I'm at work but stayed tuned for that. Question tho Previc... The extra hole that you put in the pipe, that now has the plug in it that you supplied (big thanks btw) I'm having trouble getting the sockets around it. It's right in the path for the extension to reach the spring bolt hole. How did you get around the thing that you had plugged into that hole?

Also can anyone supply me with the exact type of bolts & nuts that I need for the B-pipe side of the test pipe? or part numbers from any hardware store would be awesome. The bolts that I got are a little too small and they were the biggest ones that were about an inch long at Lowe's.
Thanks,

 

as far as tools i used. i have a 24" 3/8 extension with a swivel socket. i went in over the sway bar.

and as far as the bolts try any hardware store. take whatever u have with u and ask for some help with finding a longer bolt. im suprised ur b pipe didnt come with any hardware. how was it attached to ur cat?

 

The cat utilizes studs and has it own nuts for the studs.

 

Get a proper sized bolt of the same thread and diameter that is just long enough to go completely through the hole with the damaged threads.. Grease it up and install it from the opposite side if you can get a straight shot at it and the header pipes don't get in your way and the bolt will open the the messed up threads so you can install the new bolt from the correct side after removing it... If you have some small diamond files it is possible to use them to unbugger the threads on the spring bolt that was messed up.

 

I've broken 3 of these spring bolts now. I just drill them out and replace with a bolt and washer. works 100%