My Uppipe install (with pictures...)

Hey guys... just completed installing a new up-pipe in my LGT tonight.

Ended up taking me about 4 hours in all..... I took some pictures along the way and will try to explain what I had to do to get the job done....

 

I've got a loud screeching, however. That isn't normal, is it? Any ideas?

 

 

1.) First of all, I removed the motor shroud and the intercooler (turbo connection, intercooler outlet, and BOV).

(pictures are below in order......)

 

2.) After that, the heat shields were removed from the turbo.

 

3.) Next, I had to remove the downpipe to get to all of the uppipe flange bolts. To drop it, you have to remove the two bolts from the connection to the mid pipe and unbolt the two hanger brackets (both off the tranny).

 

4.) Once the downpipe was out of the way, you must unbolt the 5 nuts from the top of the uppipe (where it bolts to the turbo).

 

5.) The uppipe will only come out the bottom after you remove the passenger side exhaust manifold. To complete this, you must first remove the heat shield (be careful to note the O2 sensor and the ground strap). Then you can remove the manifold.

 

6.) Here you can see a comparison of the stock uppipe to my replacement.

 

7.) Once you get the new uppipe in, re-assemble everything in reverse order.

 

Good luck.....

Very comprehensive post, and a great read. Good job! What are you impressions besides the turbo noise. Do you still have your heat sheilds off? I hope the pipe on top is the replacement! :)

yes u can hear the trubo much more clearly now with an aftermarker upipe,, enjoy

But it is REALLY loud. Is that normal? I'm new to turbo's, so forgive my ignorance. I just don't want to break anything... I put the factory heat shields back on the turbo (all but 2 bolts still went in). No rattles. Honesty, car spools up much quicker, but I haven't driven it much 'cause my buddies think something may be wrong (the turbo noise).

One word of caution, never ever rely on just a jack for supporting your vehicle especially if you are going to be underneath the vehicle. I lost my best friend last year when a jack failed while he was under his vehicle. Make sure to use jack stands and chocks.

Did you read DM's post about his up-pipe trials and tribulations? Here: [url]http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5002[/url] In it he describes a noise like you do, and what resolved it. Forgive me, I don't remember exactly, but it's in there. ;) Also... what brand of up-pipe is that? It looks like it has an EGT bung... are you still using the stock EGT sensor, or the resistor?

No EGT anymore...running the 2.2K ohm resistor fix.... it is an ERZ uppipe. Thanks for the link...will check it out...

Is it a high pitched noise, kind of like a screaming wind noise. It may be that you have an uppipe leak, usually the result of not tightening bolts correctly or not using new gaskets. I had so many problems with getting my uppipe on my WRX to stop leaking I ended up putting the stock one back on for awhile, then finally trying it again but using a STI uppipe to make sure it would work right.

The noise increase shouldn't be that noticeable. At least mine doesn't seem that much louder. Why do they have seven bolts holding the turbo heatshield on? I could only get five back on. Chris S.

Well...from your description, I would say that it is an exhaust leak. Any pointers on finding out the source? Also, anyone have a good online site to order Subaru gaskets? Guess I'll be pulling it back apart tonight....

a proven way to find the leak (if it is an uppipe leak, my condolences, nothing's worse than that) is start the car, put your head under the hood, have someone rev the throttle, and smell for exhaust. or dab some soap water on the connections. did you use new gaskets? is it a REAL loud screaming noise? if so, it's an uppipe leak, if it's just kinda a whistle, it's just the turbo. nice looking uppipe, was thinking about that model myself.

You can also blow smoke near any of the mating surfaces. I've done this to find exhaust leaks. Of course, this assumes you smoke ;) BTW, did you use new gaskets? If not, try that- I'm going to use these when I do my uppipe/downpipe: [url]http://www.crucialracing.com/products/gaskets.php[/url]

It is a screeching / howling noise... as you describe. I re-used the factory gaskets.... since the ones that came with the uppipe didn't look as solid. The OEM ones still looked perfect. I did make the mistake of not following the suggested install method (which bolts in which order). I have it all back apart right now. I plan on cleaning all the gaskets, using some high temp copper spray on them and then following Vishnu's instructions to re-install. I would really like to use new gaskets, but yesterday my dealer said it would be a 3-5 day wait for the parts. I don't have any here, so I have to re-use the old ones (since I have to drive the car to work tommorrow). Argh!

Different aftermarket uppipes probably sound different. The Bosal I'm using has OEM style heatshields whereas many others do not. The heatshields may help keep the noise down. That braided joint looks pretty flexible. I can't imagine that the uppipe to turbo or turbo to manifold would be leaking. One thing to check (especially with non-Subaru parts) is the flatness of the flanges. Mine wasn't perfectly flat where it meets the turbo, but the gasket seems to make up the difference (I used some copper silicone gasket material as well). Chris S.

Is there a reason why we shouldn't use Permatex Ultra Copper on these troublesome flanges?

I applied a small bead of copper silicone around the inside circumference of the gasket (at both ends of the uppipe) just for some extra protection.

 

The green circle represents where I put the silicone.

(sorry about the crappy photo)

Thanks for the EXCELLENT photo. Has anyone had leakage after using ultra copper silicone? If not, then this should be standard practice - and avoid a LOT of grief!

That stuff is only good to 700 F!!

You're correct about the 700. They do recommend it for exhaust manifolds though.

Yes, please put jacks under there. Nice pictures. I will be doing the upgrade soon.

By the way, what uppipe did you end up going with? Can you use any 2.5L (Sti) uppipe?

I second what Firenutz said- get some jackstands under there!

After all my research and replies I have received, my understanding is that this is probably an uppipe flange leak. I do not know what flange it is or how to determine that. I did find, however, that I torqued some of the flanges in the wrong order. SO......today I went out and pulled everything apart again and started over. I used spray copper sealant on the gaskets when reassembling and followed the torque procedures very closely. The result.... THE NOISE IS STILL THERE! ARGH! :mad: Starts up (when accelerating) around 2,500 RPM and holds steady until you lift. So, I am ordering a full set of Subaru gaskets tonight to prepare for re-doing the work once again. What the heck am I doing wrong here?

Permatex Ultra Copper gasket maker is rated to 700 degrees fahrenheit intermittent for sealing gaps up to 1/4 inch. Since we'd only be using it as a sealant and not a full thickness gasket, it may not have a problem. After searching the net, it looks like some buick guy was blowing exhaust manifold gaskets and switched to Permatex Ultra copper with good results, other naisoc guys have used (and recommended) it for wrx uppipes to prevent leaks. I haven't seen any reports of the sealant burning or blowing out, despite potential exhaust gas peak temps of 1500 degrees fahrenheit. It's supposed to be sensor-safe in general, but above 700 degrees I suppose it might decompose into a sensor-unsafe compound, though I haven't found any reports of O2 sensor failure attributed to this stuff specifically, but silicone sealants in general are said to reduce O2 sensor life. Is there a higher temp rated sealant than the Permatex Ultra Copper?

There's special stuff just for sealing exhausts, I can't think of the name off the top of my head, but you can find it in the exhaust repair section pretty easily.