Ok guys I have a question. I'm about to hit the end of my warrenty and feel it is time for a dp/up. i already have the catback exhaust. One option I was looking at was the helix combo. buy. Im trying to keep one cat so im going for the catted dp, but my question is about the up. Iv been reading around, but want some more opinions. Iv read that the flex will eventually leak and that the rigid could leak from the beginning. Would you guys go with the flex or no flex up pipe???? Thanks.
Honestly, both are great and work well. The cases that you have read on forums are rare. Nobody can tell you if they were even installed properly or not. Also, it matters how the energy is being transferred to the uppipe or what application they were using the uppipe in (i.e. track, autox, or daily driving). If you are making a track car, almost all parts will break eventually. I use a solid HKS uppipe with no problems. I've installed it about 30k miles ago, or 2 years. Just buy whatever you can get a better deal on. or better yet... buy a gutted uppipe and save yourself a whole hell of a lot of money for the same pipe. I have a stocker that you could gut...:naughty:
here's an old uppipe discussion: http://wrxatlanta.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1877 also if you are interested in gutting your uppipe, you may find this useful: http://wrxatlanta.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1204
got a solid pipe (Crucial Racing Systems). Only leak I've ever had was from not tightening the bolts enough. Lock washers fixed that, no problems since. Solid theoretically give you a better flow, but without LOTS of power it won't make any difference. If you're looking at thermal coating, remember that you can't thermally coat a flex joint because it will crack. If you thermally wrap, the choice is yours. Regardless of what you pick, make sure it's 321 stainless rather than 304 stainless or cast iron. 321 will help you retain more heat and has better thermal resistance.
Why waste your money on some fooey aftermarket piece when you can enjoy the prowess of a modified stock pipe? It retains that "stock" look whilst providing you with all the benefits of catless freedom. If you're interested in a gutted UP, please PM me :wavey: :fawk: