Cody 82 ZXT Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 It's almost time for me to have a new downpipe made for my car. Any ideas of what this should cost me? Any things that I need to look for? I'm doing this to replace the one I broke when taking the thing aprt but, I'm hoping to make some extra power with it also. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Schmaydee Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 kinda depends.... ..it cost me about $350 for a 3" w/egr tube,o2,and pipe for my external wastegate... and having it installed.....in nashville....(usually you can take what i pay for something...divide it by "4" and thats what youll prbly be able to get it for).....s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Cody last year I bought from ScottieGNZ a SS flange mount that would fit my 280ZXT stock turbo (about $47). Scottie had to go thru hell to fab it for me along with numerious other individuals who needed a DP for a 240/280 280zxt install. Because the machine shop he used really messed him around. But he came thru; as he said he would (thanks Scottie ). But he doesn't do that anymore due to all the hassels he went thru. I would suggest use your old DP as a template and draw the form of the flange. Then locate a machine shop to fab it using SS. I enlarged the exaust hole to fit a 2 1/2" SS exaust pipe. I then bought from Burns Stainless a 180 degree 2 1/2" SS exaust pipe. Put plate on car. Cut exaust to size you want your DP; and make mark where you want O2 bung. I plugged off my EGR. Then go back to said machine shop and have them weld pipe to flange. Drill hole and weld O2 bung. Then go to parts house and buy a 2 1/2" to 3" exaust coupling and clamp to SS DP. Weld three bolt 3" flange, then connect to your 3" exaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted November 18, 2002 Author Share Posted November 18, 2002 Well, I've decided that I'll just make my own. Looks like I can buy the materials for about a 100.00 bucks and almost all of the tools I already have. I did buy a welder for 200.00 yesterday. It's just a small mig unit that should be enough to do this and other small piping or sheet metal jobs. Nothing big. Now I'll have a small welder and be able to do the job exactly as I see fit. I can make it with a flange to be able to bolt on a different piece that exits right behind the front tire for a day at the track or what ever I want. Also I've thought up about 10 other things that I can do now since I won't have to rely on anyone else to do what ever I need when ever they want to to do it. What lead me to this was that I went to make an appointment with the place that was going to do the work and thier price had almost doubled from when I first spoke to them about it during the summer. I guess they are on thier Christams pricing list now. Makes me mad!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Cody I'm sure you will have no problems. You do need to fab the Flange that bolts to turbo using a milling machine. Then If you use Stainless steel you will need to make sure your rig can weld SS. Or if you don't mind the looks you can just build it out of mild steel. I'm dying to see how my DP and 3" exaust I built will sound. But first need to finish replacing bottom skirts on my Z. Then finish 240SX TB install and I/C piping for my NPR I/C. I getting there slowly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted November 18, 2002 Author Share Posted November 18, 2002 I think I'll just make the first one out of regular mild steel then if all goes well and holds up I'll make one out of Stainless. I'm sure after I do it the first time I'll have some other ideas of how it needs to be done. I found a premade flange here and get the other piping from JC Whitney or Summit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie-GNZ Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 None of the flanges pictured will do you any good. This is what the flange needed to bolt up to the turbo looks like. These are the ones I had machined to make the last set of DPs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Scottie is big time right! Easiest way is to use your existing flange and trace it. Hey if you have a stock 280zxt turbo. I'll sent you the piece of cardboard I traced my original DP flange before I got the SS one from Scottie. By the way; Scottie I was able to enlarge diameter of the flange you sent me from the 2 1/4" to 2 1/2" so the exaust pipe I cut fit in without crimping the 2 1/2" down to 2 1/4" and the flange bolts still install without hitting pipe . Gotta get car running to find out!!!!! I'm chomping at the bits!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie-GNZ Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Good luck with it. The reason I did not do that is because it gets extremely difficult to get a wrench or socket on the nut to tighten them up, especially the inside ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffp Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Sorry for the hassle Cody, but you are going through all the stuff most of us went through before we said screw it and did it ourselves. I made my flanges out of mild steel and out od 304 SS The SS flange was a tough one. I ended up eating at leastone endmill per flange. If you decided to go with SS and have a shop do the work, tell them not to take more then .050 per cut or they WILL eat the mill up before they have completed the job, no question about it. Take your time and you will get what you want. Your welder will work well for the pipe. I would recommend the gasless welding wire, it seems to burn a little hotter then the standard Argon wire. It is a dirty weld, but you can grind off the excess easily with a die grinder, 47.00 or so for a good Mikita grinder at home depot. When you make your flange, the ones Scottie has look excellent, but there is more machining done there then need be. Once you get the four holes made and the outer radious for the holes(taken from the stock DP) you then can use a strait edge and just draw a strait line from one radious to the other. That really helped me out on the machining because I was able to use a belt sander to make the outside edge of the flange, and it lookes very good on the car. Then scribe the center circle, and I would suggest 2 1/2" because it will seal excellent, and take that to the machine shop and have them cut the hole. The other thing I would suggest is on the DP side of the flange, cut the hole 2.600" .300" deep so you can open up the 2 1/2" pipe to a 2.600 OD and tap it into the flange, that way, the smallest hole dia in the flange will be 2 1/2" That worked out very well for me, true the nuts and washers are cloes to the pipe, but they will tighten excellent, and you can use a cheapy open end wrench (cut it to about 4" long) and be able to tighten the bolts down. I would also suggest using SS nuts and flat washers, just be sure not to really torque on them as they will be very difficult to remove in the future if you want to removwe them. That was a lesson I learned, they dont have to be torqued to seal and stay tight. I really wish there were more guys that want to buy my system because it turned out so killer, but I have a minimum build of 15 that my bender will do for me and I just haven't gotten that many people who wanted one. anyway have fun with it, and consider yourself lucky on this one, allot of us spent allot of money to witness a muffler shop hack together a 3" system and paid big bucks for it in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted November 20, 2002 Author Share Posted November 20, 2002 Thanks for all the advise and support everyone. Len if you woulnd't mind sending me the pattern I'd love to have it. I'll make one out of metal or something and send it back. E-mail me and I'll give you my address. Here's a pic of the intake pipe I made during the summer and yesterday. I had most of the welding done but, I had to wait till the car was in before welding on the last tube. The weld I put on was atlest as crazy looking as the weld I paid to have done. Oh well Live and learn right. I should have bought a welder years ago. This is going to be fun! Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Schmaydee Posted November 20, 2002 Share Posted November 20, 2002 ....ya know, ....you could get a block-off plate (use it for a flange)...remove the internal wastegate (put on an external one)....it would give you another in. or so to help w/the slope and help w/performance too....(but fitting on the e-wastegate could be a bitch)....i did that (had it done)w/my t3/t04b....i would think it would be do-able w/a regular t3....or whatever....s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Posted November 26, 2002 Share Posted November 26, 2002 Cody did you ever get my E-mail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbobluestreak Posted November 27, 2002 Share Posted November 27, 2002 I'm planning on doing this and I'm going to make mine out of conncution bent and to use it as a pattern out of 3in or 2.5in to the cat for now and then I'm going to make the rest of my exhaust out of 3in later but not now I'm just wanting to get rid of that crappy down pipe for flow. tbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted November 27, 2002 Author Share Posted November 27, 2002 Len, I guess I didn't get it. Try again. I've been getting a ton of spam lately and I'm trying to get rid of it. codyburden@aol.com TBS, I'm going to make a peice that bolts up to the stock downpipe and tot he cat. first so thst I can get through emisions and all for now. After that I'll have some flanges made and make another peice so that it bolts up to the other section of DP. It should be a little more like the stock setup as far as the fitment is conserned. Hoopefully that will make it alittle easier to assemble while crawling around on your back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted December 3, 2002 Author Share Posted December 3, 2002 Len, Got your letter today.. thanks for all your help. I'll post what I come up with as soon as I start on it. I have to fix the H.G. leak before I get started on anything fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Yea Cody; I've been reading about your pain and suffering (your leakey headgasket ). If I had anything to add I would. Just hang in there. I'm sure you torked the Headbolts in the correct order, to the right ft. lbs. Then awhile later after running engine you retorked them. That's all I could think of. Wish you luck. Times like this a person really loves working on Z's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleton-z Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 hey cody hi i am also in the proccess of doing the downpipe job for my 83 zxt and if you have any info once you are done it would be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted January 22, 2003 Author Share Posted January 22, 2003 I still haven't even started the downpipe. As usual when I plan something things come up and I have to put it off for awhile. It always takes me forever to get anything done. Hopefully By the beginning of summer I have it done and ready to roll. I've had to make some job changes and right now I'm holding on to what I've got till I feel more comfortable with where I am. Please keep in contact with me. Are you doing one for a ZX? Stock turbine housing? Maybe we can do two at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 Cody, If it's convinience please make 3.. hehehe.. I am looking for one for my 280ZXT also.. I've been missing out. I didn't know ScottieGNZ made the downpipes for the ZX. I could have gotten one from him .. Vinh http://vvu.tripod.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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