[rostrata]

Got the downpipe in a day or two ago and decided to put it on this morning. Install, as many others have stated, was stupid easy. A bit time consuming but otherwise not difficult at all. Think I might have even been a little insulted that instructions were included. 🧐

Fitment and finish were absolutely excellent. Didn’t even pull the bottom covers off the car. Just put the damn thing on jack stands.

Remapped the car (on MHD with flex fuel CAN) to indicate aftermarket downpipes and went for a drive. No drone. No rasp. Very close to stock unless getting on it. I wound up with a polished version and I’m glad I went that route. It’s pretty. Anyway, ass dyno definitely indicates more… ass. Not going to dyno it again for quite some time so all I know is I think I’m at a sweet spot where I’m happy. That’s all that matters.

Tech tip below if you you’re interested….

Helpful tip for those of you that may have issues with the v-band clamp and getting both flanges to come close enough to get the clamp tightened… use your floor jack at the slip joint. Keep the slip joint loose and the hanger bolts loose as well. Also drop out the 13mm bolt on the exhaust for some extra room to move. Then put your jack under the slip joint and slowly raise it up until you see the gasket crush and the flanges come together tightly. Tighten the v-band and then pull the jack out. You’ll likely need to retighten the v-band again as stress from the joint will shift once jack support is removed. Then tighten the hanger bolts, put the exhaust bolt back in and then tighten the slip joint. In that order.

PS!!! ALL the bolts are 13mm!! The G20, at least the M340, does not employ any E8/10/12, 14mm, or any other odds and ends. Just a couple of different length 13mm sockets is all you need.

Additional tip for getting the downpipe off if it’s stuck. A 24” piece of 2x4, pressed against the downpipe from the top of the vehicle, right against the O2 sensor flange, and a mallet. Hammer the piss out of it until you see it begin to twist or move. No damage to the stock pipe. A few splinters off a 2x4.

Also, as said above, the removal of the belly pan or and of the covers is not required. Sure, you can do it but it doesn’t really get you anything.

Lastly, if your replacement gasket is sitting loose and wants to fall out, a drop of CA glue (superglue) will fix that issue. No worries about exhaust leaks or anything. The gasket will be fine. The CA glue will burn off.