hi mer476, nice install - great picture! i've been considering COBB's hardpipe kit for some time now. did you have the pipes powdercoated FLAT black, or are they finally finished in flat black by COBB? earlier versions of the rare black pipe kit had a more satin sheen to them [AND those royal blue silicone couplers, which are finally black too!]. please let me know, i am just about to pull the trigger... cheers

ps. wanna share any other impressions since the install?

 

Installation was a pain. Make sure you follow the instructions to a tee. It came flat black from Cobb. I had to trim about a 1/4" of the BOV pipe so that the Cobb bracket would fit. Initially I had some leak issues until I checked and retightened all the clamps, especially the small clamp that goes on the silicone coupler attached to the turbo outlet. So far it has been good, the flow definitely feels smoother. Im getting it tuned at Cobb Plano on thursday, hoping for some good results.

 

During my install i had to leave home twice to buy bendy head ratchet wrenches. and mini ratchet wrenches. to get in to the tight places. the bottom pipe was the worst.

here's a picture of the tightest (Location) bolt.



so first off.. this picture is looking up in to the engine bay from under the car, after the front skid plate has been removed.

So the black plastic your seeing is the Transmission cooler duct on the Evo MR.. it covers up this bolt and makes it nearly impossible to get a wrench in there. also as you back the bolt out, the head will start to hit the plastic which makes it even harder to get out.. just keep turning the bolt untill you can feel it's out. then hit it to un-trap the bolt that's between the plastic and the hole location.

Obviously if you took the bumper off and the transmission cooler duct off.. this job would be simple.. I just wasn't willing to go to the effort. and with the right wrench you dont reallly need to anyways.

I will also say that the Cobb hard pipe kit does not bolt up to this location. so there's no need to get back in there..

here's another picture i found with the wrench onthe bolt

 

install was easy for me. i have a GSR so the bolt for the lower pipe is easy. i spent an extra 10 minutes to gently take off the bumper. removing the bumper probably saved 30 mins of trying to tighten t-bands in confined spaces.

issues i hit:
boost leak at turbo. took the clamp to cobb and they swapped me out for 1 size down.

one of the 4 bolt holes for the cobb nameplate had a bit of powdercoat in it. had to hit it with a tap to clean the threads.

biggest issue i had with install? i was working under a lamp and june bug dive bombed straight into my intercooler end tank. gave him a few chances to get out but eventually just had to vacuum him out .

i bought tbolt clamps for the bov hard pipe because the worm clamps i got were rubbish.