^^^ that looks insance. :yum: i love how it looks like.. its just supposed to be there lol. props to being different :tup:

looks really good. I like what you did to the intakes.

Thanks guys! I wasn't quite sure what they would look like in person after choosing the color at the powdercoating shop but I canno't be happier as it really gives the engine bay much more class than the polished finish.

I took it for a few drives and wow... It sounds like an animal and it breaks the tires loose in second, much much more punchy up above 5k rpm. I believe that between the Berks and the Stillen intake, the balance between intake and exhaust noise is perfect but eventually, a Fast Intentions CBE is in the future.

Has a very stock low profile look, I like it. Now I want to get mine powercoated, LOL.

Go for it Chris! I also think that a black chrome powdercoating would look killer as well, but I think this OEM plus look suits my tastes for now.

Tanabe Y Pipe is In!
 

I got my Tanabe Y pipe from my favorite UPS truck this morning so I immediately got to work getting rid of that nasty stock pile of restriction and in with the beautiful new Y pipe. The car already has Berk HFCs installed so this mod was more to tie in the HFCs to the rear of the exhaust because I personally believe the largest restrictions in the OEM exhaust are the factory cats and the Y pipe.

After the stock Y pipe was removed, I didn't realize that the Berk outlet diameter was almost an inch larger than the oem Y pipe so that was killing my gains. The exhaust diameter in the OEM piece also had varied diameters, the smallest point of the Y pipe measured 1 1/2"!

My measurements for the inlet and outlet diameters of the stock Y pipe are as follows:

Cat to Y pipe: 1 3/4" for both inlets of the OEM y pipe
Y pipe to axle-back: 2 1/2"

Tanabe Y Pipe diameters:

Cat to Y pipe: 2 1/4" for both inlets
Y pipe to axle-back: 2 3/4"

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/u..._0001_1085.jpg
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/u..._0002_1086.jpg

Just to make a point, the diameter of the inlets for the Tanabe Y pipe match the Berks... Now look at that restrictive OEM piece.

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/u..._0003_1087.jpg

Comparison of the two at the smallest point of the OEM Y pipe:

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/u..._0004_1088.jpg

And Installed:

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/u..._0005_1089.jpg



In Car Conclusions:

With the ECU reset and the Tanabe Y pipe in, I felt a huge jump in power not only in the top end, but mostly the mid-range. The car just pulls so hard now that I feel the exhaust is very well rounded with the exception of the rear muffler section. The sound actually changed more than I was expecting; the tone is much deeper and less raspy, adding a bit of volume past 4k rpm. However, the exhaust is still fairly quiet under 3k rpm which is great for those who are interested in being low key when cruising but really letting the car sing up top. Fit and finish was excellent as well with nice welds and a very smooth merge at the end of the Y pipe.

I highly recommend the pairing of HFCs with an upgraded Y pipe for those that want to get rid of the two most restrictive areas of the OEM exhaust. Videos to come later!

Forgot to add: there was a slight hissing when engine braking/decelerating below 2k rpm with the Berks and the OEM Y pipe but that is completely gone now. There is not hiss whatsoever with the exhaust and I have to say I really like it!

Don't know why it hissed this time, if you rev the car it hisses but decelerating in gear does not produce that noise. Anyway, here is the warm start: (will get cold start tomorrow AM)

so how was the wait for the berk exhaust?

I will take that as a compliment, I wish I had a Berk CBE! This is only with the Berk HFCs and the Tanabe Y pipe and the stock muffler but ultimately I will be getting a full CBE to open it up completely.

ohhh..my bad I thought you had the exhaust. I cant read ..duh..

You have a right to assume, especially because my exhaust is a total of 4 different colors haha. It sounds great though and is so much more punchy than stock. Seat of pants, I probably gained 20rwhp with the HFCs and the Y pipe but I will dyno it eventually (probably at specialtyz).

Next up are lightweight pulleys and a Password JDM carbon radiator cover!

what kinda pully?

I am thinking about Non Stop Tuning crank and alternator pulleys. I am not sure about the side effects of Stillen's under drive crank pulley without balancing that out with an overdrive pulley. What do you think?