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TwoPedalWarrior Build Thread

162K views 1K replies 40 participants last post by  TJ-MX6 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey All

Time to consolidate my builds and keep them to one thread.

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Past Build Threads

http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/243704-dynamat-where-do-i-stick-advice-pls.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/244696-espec-headlight-installation-aspec-1994-a.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/247397-espec-rhd-vs-espec-lhd-cutoff-compariosson.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/246902-espec-mod-lhd.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-ge...e-if-you-have-modem-lol-not-56k-friendly.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/244664-door-sills-little-monday-project.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/244994-how-not-fix-clearcoat-help.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/245154-new-stereo-install-w-pix.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/lounge/247690-little-monday-project.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/246977-how-fix-windshield-blade-chatter.html
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/249140-dyno-results-current-setup-vs-later-klg4-im-cat.html#post2404589
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-ge...aps-side-skirts-lsi-pods-etc.html#post2411833
http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-mx6-general/250802-how-have-leds-no-hyper-flash.html#post2418050
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I recently got a hole in my exhaust - original 1994 exhaust. Decided that since the car is in mint and low KM (130,000KM) Its time to treat her to something nice.

I found JoeyV's posting for a Brüllen Catback. This exhaust company was big in the Audi, Subaru world and bled over into other lines. The build quality is pretty damn nice. They've been regarded as better than Borla, and even the sound it is a nice low growel and picks up fiercly.

Now, they are out of business - why did I buy something from a company long defunct. Cause I chose to. I did my research and talked to a lot of people. Basically was told, buy it if you can.

This is a solid 2.25 system, ceramic coated exhaust and 4" tip. Only one or two members on this board had this system, they loved it.

I have brand new OBX headers on order as well. No point in attaching something this nice to stock headers.

Anyways, Porn below!





 
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#4 ·
Thanks guys.

Mazdaspeed69 pointed out that when I get my new headers, I won't be able to fit the passenger side AC fan back in.

- Did you guys replace it with a slim fan?
- Shave?
- Something else?
- Where did you buy the fan? (ebay doesn't really show anything) I suspect I can order through Lordco....

PS: I plan to keep AC.
 
#5 ·
Hey man; exhaust looks good and i can say first hand you will be happy with the OBX quality for the headers and downpipe... The one fan is an issue like i mentioned tho. i replaced mine with dual flex-a-lite fans and all is well and i still have the A/C.. i made custom mounting brackets and re-tained the OEM wiring as well as added a switch. :tup:

Flex-a-Lite Trimline Puller Electric Radiator Fan | eBay

something like this should work nicely but you will have to figure out the mounting - like i mentioned in my PM - i designed myself some custom mounting brackets and mounted my flex-a-lite fans to the stock mounting holes on the rad; works pretty nicely.

Or this...

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Flex-a-lite-...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a783b21fb
 
#6 ·
First of all...damn you get up early Shawn! Sleep in a little man :p

For the fan, I used the eBay headers, not the OBX, so I may not have encountered the same issue. The headers I used did touch the passenger side fan BOLT. All I needed to do was cut it off and that was it. Same thing for my brother on the Probe. The FAL fans are very good products and if you are going to get 1, I'd suggest getting both + the aluminum shroud.

Something like this:

90-95 Mazda RX-7 MT Aluminum Radiator Fan Shroud + 2x 12" Cooling Radiator Fans | eBay
 
#7 ·
First of all...damn you get up early Shawn! Sleep in a little man :p
Have to get up early to make money to spend on this car :p

I am hoping its just a bolt. I'm starting to get twitchy on more money, I have it - just my wife has been a good sport about this exhaust and header order, just hope there aren't going to be too many extra miscellaneous parts...

Thanks for the advice guys. I may just bit the bullet and get the fan. Never hurts to have a spare?

Just waiting on the OBX shipping confirmation, should have it in a week or so, post pix, then install.

Any thoughts if I should waste the money to get the car dyno'ed for a before and after... its an auto, but common :p
 
#9 ·
Ya, should do it for shizzle and giggles.

On the OBX note, I've had Zero communication from the guy I order them from on ebay for a couple of days ago. I might have to pull my order and by something/somewhere else for headers.....
 
#10 ·
OBX Headers Showed Up Today!!! Tomorrow I will be heat wrapping them with some titanium heat wrap. I have some metal ties, but I will probably use hanger wire to strengthen and secure the wrapping.

Install happens on Monday. Will post more pix later. and sound bites!

Over all I am impressed with the quality. This was something I was really hoping to be able to do on my own but I will be having a mechanic install them for me. At this time I don't have a garage to leave the car in to work on this over the weekend. This is my DD and my wife uses this car, we agreed to have a good mechanic do the work.







If these don't fit for some weird reason, beer stand. And it can double as an exhaust beer bong



 
#13 · (Edited)
yeah those are the generic "ebay" headers.

There is only 3 real brands that are sold, pacesetter, hotshot and SSAC (ebay). They say OBX, but what is OBX really? I had the same set, they said XO2.. exact same badging and placement. They ALL originated from SSautochrome - I suspect from oversea's.

Pacesetters are jetblack and are long tuber headers.

Hotshot's look like something that would be on a top fuel car.. very beefy and professional looking, also different collector ends.

Great part is those generic ebay NA headers, and the generic Ebay Turbo pipe headers.. are all the same and can be interchanged.

A little tip - Have your exhaust shop use Stainless hardware on the collector flanges. The hardware supplied with the headers are usually cheap junk. Go stainless to complete a stainless rust proof setup, it will cost a little more but why put on hardware that will rust all over your shiny pipes and break off :tup:
 
#34 ·
There is only 3 real brands that are sold, pacesetter, hotshot and SSAC (ebay). They say OBX, but what is OBX really? I had the same set, they said XO2.. exact same badging and placement. They ALL originated from SSautochrome - I suspect from oversea's.
You missed Bosal ;)

SSAC is the original copy cat, they started all the copy produces, OBX is either a rebadged SSAC or someone who buy from the same factory as SSAC. The founders of SSAC is from PA I think, both ME and one of them is Chinese, who went back to China to find factories that can make all these copy produce for his American partner. I got these info from one of the factory owner when I used to import stuff from China :)
 
#14 · (Edited)
King6 thanks for the advise. I had ordered the "eBay" ones that joeyv recommend. They arrived damaged I had a chance to look at them before I sent them back and the welded edges weren't as clean as the Obx ones I have. They didn't look as clean as the above.

I've scoured the forum, even read the posting about your headers from some years back. And suming up everything I've learnt on this site, I chose Obx.

If I had time to do the install myself, id buy the cheaper ebay ones and have buy tools to heat bend the egr collector, I would. I'm just in one of those lucky spots with smart money management where I could throw it at something a bit more expensive and pay someone to install them.

I know this forum is loaded with many people who have done great installs, like you, on their own. I just don't have that luxury right now.

Intime I hope to be able to do more work on my own. In the meantime, I pay a premium to get the stuff done that all you good guys have done. I don't want to be seen as someone who just buys the "pretty" parts and slaps it on for the heck of it. So this is ramble because I feel a bit judged. At the end of it all I've got a car i put serious effort in keeping up.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Nice looking headers boss; :tup: that brings me back a few yearrrss now.. the quality still looks good.. and i have first hand seen ebay headers that my roommate had for his probe a couple years back and the quality was very questionable in comparison to my OBX's... You should be very happy and plus OBX offers a lifetime warranty :).. The welds on the ebay ones did not look as clean and they were very messy and not cleaned up at all on the inside (which i would assume restricts flow) - I have been running my OBX's now for 4-5 years and have about 50- 55,000 km's on them; and i still love the sound. Put a cold-air intake on with that full exhaust installed and you will bump your MPG up quite a bit :tup:
 
#18 ·
mx6mazdaspeed69 - thanks bud. Also thanks for the reminder I have an auto :p No CAI for this guy. Auto tranny is in the way. I've tried short ram and other than sound, no difference. I've gone back to the stock air intake. Happy with that & the drop in k&n
 
#19 ·
Least you got a K&N in there.. any plans for a high flow cat or just running OEM..? lol your cat is prolly still in good shape knowing you car but i thought i'd ask.. The exhaust should still help MPG's a bit - and the sound will make it well worth it! :tup:
 
#22 ·
Hey King6 - Thanks - appreciated. Took your advice and sourced out all SS hardware to bolt this thing up.

Here is my ghetto wrap job on the headers. CF_Z recommended wet wrapping these and use hangers. The hangers were a bit tough, but they did a better job than the metal zap strap things. Only had a couple of headers.

The process was a bit frustrating on the first header. Plenty of swearing, didn't help I was starving. Anyways. They turned out IMO. I cleaned them up a bit and snipped a couple of the hanger ends after these photo's were taken.

The package is going in tomorrow for install. Pickup mid afternoon!


 
#24 · (Edited)
Ok... car is still in the shop for the last two days. They've been a mechanic short.

They are just wrapping up the EGR mod. They are going to bend a pipe and flare it, then reattach. They ran out of time today for it, but will finish up tomorrow morning.

Great news though

- They said taking apart the stock exhaust and headers was stupidly easy. Nothing seized, no rust nothing broken. Super easy to take apart. Said taking apart was like the car was just put together the day before.
- The front headers fit perfectly. I have good clearance for the passenger side AC/RAD fan.

Anyways, here is a quick porn pic. Not fully mounted, but gives you an idea.

Tomorrow I will post the final pix and soundclips.

 
#26 ·
Hi All

Picked up the car yesterday and was almost happy and then had to take the car back and hour later. But it does sound amazing - will post the sound clips later

Only when driving, there is a grinding rattling sound. Ya, not a good start. It doesn't happen when the car is in Park - I can rev the engine and nothing happens.When driving @ 80KM /h @ 2200RPM - the noise can be replicated easily

Only driving or in Drive (at a standstill) will I hear the sound I mentioned. I know it isn't the engine. Not sure if something is coming in contact with the drive train?

I can also hear the sound more so when taking a corner

Justin L and I think that something is rubbing against the exhaust - possibly the hangers need redoing.

So anyways... very sad - but the guys at the shop said they would take care of it. At least I know my engine is fine.
 
#27 ·
Any chance you can take some pics of the fan and the passanger side rad fan with the front header? :tup:
 
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