5/5
Installation Time: Weekend
June 03, 2013
Gained 20+ RWHP and 25 ft-lbs of torque (tuned).
Short story:
I installed the exhaust by myself with no help using car ramps in front and jack stands in the rear. It was a long and tedious process to get the stock exhaust out without cutting and to get the new pipes to fit and line up just right. With my Flowmaster American Thunder exhaust, the sound is great and not overbearing. You can definitely feel the power. I had the car re-tuned by Bama Tuning and did not add any other modifications. On the same dyno as last year, the results area gain of 20 RWHP and 25 ft-lbs of torque! At 93 degrees, the temperature was 20-30 degrees warmer than when I last ran, so the results could possibly be even more.
Long story:
Without a lift, trying to get out the stock exhaust without cutting is a waste of time. It took me hours of changing the height of my car and repositioning my jack stands to get the s-pipes out. By removing my rear springs and shocks, I was just barely able to remove the stock exhaust without cutting it.
Once I had everything loosely installed, I realized at the pipes were hanging very low and I had to rotate the pipes that connect the H-pipe to the cats using a pipe wrench and a 3 pound mallet - I was determined not to take anything apart. After I got the exhaust tight to the body, I had difficulty trying to get the pipes to go in as far as they could into their sleeves - it was causing the axle to bump into the exhaust. Pounding on the parts with a rubber mallet didn't work and I ended up putting some dents into the piping from hitting so hard. I was able to solve the problem by wrapping a tow rope around the pipes and attaching them to a come along. Using my truck as an anchor, I pulled everything forward 5/8" (pulled from two different points, each about 5/16") which was just enough to clear the axle. My next problem was that the S pipe kept banging into the underside of my car on hard bumps. I solved this by taking 2 3/4" thick rubber blocks and shoving them between my exhaust and the bottom of the car and held them in with metal screws.
Even with all the trial and error, the outcome is great. The extra power and torque are very good for the price paid and the sound is amazing. It has been said by various people that the sound is just right when combined with my Flowmaster American Thunder mufflers. You can keep a conversation at a relatively normal volume and you don't have to be blasting your music to hear it over the exhaust. If you are looking for a good modification to get you more power and you have a good mechanical ability, get this.
Drive by video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrKav_9t4Lk
Year: 2011
Model: GT
Driving Style: Daily Driver
'Stangs I have owned: 1
New Jersey, USA
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