talizman

iTrader: (1)

Hi Mike,

I'm after a bit of advice regards power/noise increase on a PPP STi 8...

I appreciate that you are going to be slightly biased towards your own products, but if you can put your neutral hat on for a moment, I'd be much obliged.

I am pretty happy with the power and torque of my PPP 8, but I want the car's voice back! I feel it is too quiet compared to my de-catted MY00 and I miss the sound loads.

Hypothetically, what parts would I be better off swapping, in order to get the trademark rumble back?

I understand that the PPP downpipe/sports cat is just as efficient as a straight downpipe? In that case, this would obviously stay...

Would a de-cat pipe in place of the centre section/cat improve noise? (and maybe even power a little? )

I understand that your PPP silencer is developed for a compromise between optimum power gains and noise levels that are acceptable for daily use without driving you mad, but I'd like something a good bit louder.

Its my intention to perhaps change the backbox for another (much louder) one.

Warranty is not really a concern as I want to be 100% happy with the car as opposed to 80% happy, but with warranty intact.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

john coffey

Shouldn't you of bought a full H&S de-cat and a TEK3 remap then?
That would give you more power and that magnificent "dugga dugga" burble sound you crave.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

The car had PPP fitted when I bought. (ex-demo)

jason4656

sorry have to say on reading your post, somethings i really want, but if i had spent over 27k on an sti8, that means it has about 2-3 years warranty left why throw that away for sound? does the wrc prodrive back box from the wrx not fit on the sti? that gives an ok low rev rumble but not to loud when it goes up the rev band, just my thoughts, i wouldnt consider throwing the warranty away for a little more sound myself, but im not made of money

talizman

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't be "throwing the warranty away"....

I'd hang onto the PPP backbox should any warranty issues arise.

I find it unlikely that a backbox swap would cause anything to go wrong with the car to necessitate a warranty claim anyway.

john coffey

Face the facts Talizman, you are modding this car like no tomorrow you may aswell just bite the bullet now and get it to a point where you are 100% happy warranty or not.
In order to do this you need to sell the PPP ECU second hand and in return get it re-mapped by Ecutek and while your at it get a proper de-cat exhaust none of this prodrive stuff, what do they know about exhausts
You my friend are on a slippery slope....

talizman

iTrader: (1)

lol @ John.

Everything you say is sooooo true mate!

Big Goon

Talizman, be careful how much you reveal on here.

Technically if you replace something on your car with a non factory item and then tried to cover it up should something go bang you could be in big trouble.

There is a line of thought on here that if you replaced your backbox with a Firestorm (made by Scorpion who also supply Prodrive's PPP box) that you could have more noise and keep warranty intact, but it's never been proven.

If you stick to just backbox or maybe even the center as well then it's very reversable and highly unlikely to upset anybody including the dealer.

Scratch

iTrader: (1)

A friend who also posts on here has Sti8PPP and had the same problem, it was just too damn quiet.

All he's done is fit a firestorm backbox. The burble has returned, and it's one of the loudest scooby's I've heard, I can here him over 1 mile away from my house when he's got the loud pedal firmly pressed.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

I may be wrong, but is it not that case that if oyu replace a component, then the warranty on said parts is void?

For example if you fit aftermarket springs and your shocks become faulty due to this you are scuppered.

But, if you fit an induction kit for example, and the shocks become faulty, the warranty should be valid.

Either way, dealers aren't in the habid of knocking back warranty work, even if they knew that you had re-fitted your original parts for warranty work to be carried out....

Big Goon

There was a guy on here with an STi7 that had changed zaust/backbox and fitted a dump valve, his car unfortunately went bang and Subaru walked away from it claiming his mods had caused the engine to pop.

I know he was going to take them to court, but never heard how he got on.

I have heard that Nurspec R's *can* make PPP cars run lean and make them boost spike.

Some dealers are mod friendly and some aren't, some dealers like warranty work and some don't.

Big Goon

For instance I have replaced all my discs/pads/hoses/fluids for aftermarket jobbies, what happens if my caliper seizes ? **** knows.

But if your going to alter the exhaust, which in turn alters the cars breathing Subaru would take the line that your engine blew because of the non standard exhaust, crazy I know.

You say that you're only looking for an increase in exhaust note, if that's the case then you have plenty of choice and little danger of getting any trouble.

Messing with induction/decats/maps etc can be a slippery slope unless you have money in the bank to replace an engine out of your own pocket, I don't so have left well alone.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Talizman
The STi8 prodrive exhaust removes both cats but replaces the downpipe one with a free-flow item. The 2nd cat is replaced with a pipe but the original heat shielding from around the cat is retained. The only original part of the Subaru exhaust that is retained is the small silencer (resonator) in the section before the rear box. Replacing this with a straight-through pipe section should bring the db's up a bit?
JohnD

rav4640

i just had a look under my sti8 ppp, the downpipe cat has been changed, the two boxes after that look standard to me cos thay still have black paint/underseal on them , and then the prodrive backbox

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

After the downpipe is a section with the 2nd cat. and the lambda sensor, this is replaced with a plain pipe (retaining the lambda sensor) and the heat shield that was around the cat. is re-fitted (complete with underseal overspray in most cases!) The next section has the resonator and is the only part of the original system that is retained.
JohnD

p1doc

not being sarcastic but do you really expect mike wood to say use a tsl /scoobysport exhaust and if your car breaks down he will tell subaru it is ok-prodrive products only methinks
martin
ps find a nice dealer

talizman

iTrader: (1)

If you read my post again, I didn't ask Mike to recommend his competitors, I simply asked which parts of the exhaust system I would be better off replacing for power and sound.

If Prodrive don't make the section recommended, I will buy from a "competitor".

I don't remember asking Mike to tell Subaru that my car is "ok" when it breaks down either....

What posts are you reading?????

greasemonkey

In fairness, P1Doc has a bit of a point. You are basically asking a Prodrive employee to comment on parts which are not offered by Prodrive, and which would invalidate a Subaru UK warranty.

Making recommendations on such things would probably put him in a slightly sticky position, especially seeing as this is a public forum.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

I take your point GM, but I'm basically asking him if its worthwhile replacing a part that his company doesn't cater for anyway.....

sammyh

iTrader: (1)

John a downpipe and Tek 3 or simulat should give around 340bhp if tuners claims are to believed.

Goon - hows tricks?

hades

Drill a few holes in your existing silencer, that way it will still be prodrive, but will be noisier

Serious, the backbox is by far the biggest contributor to noise, and one of the smallest contributors to power. Put the right backbox on, the car will be loud, but power etc will hardly change. Technically, changing it to anything not fitted by Subaru / prodrive invalidates the warranty, but I think you've gathered that already from above!

MikeWood

To answer the original questions

I can't recommend you change any of the Performance Package components as we haven't tested any other exhaust parts to go with the rest of the package.

The rear silencer has been designed to give no restriction to gas flow, still give the sound that we want and still be quiet enough to get an E mark and hence be legal (everyone knows the potential issues with using a non E marked silencer on a bike and the same rules applied to cars)

Remember that the exhaust sounds very different outside the car, just try getting someone to drive your car up the road whilst you listen and I think you may quite surprised!

I have spoken to several people recently that have decided to do what you are suggesting but wish they hadn't as they can't live with the extra drone/noise that some silencer give.

The choice is yours but there is a warranty implication as no other parts are approved.

Mike

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the advice Mike.

Now........

Whats the phone number for Blitz?

greasemonkey

Have to agree with Mike's comments regarding the difference between interior and exterior exhaust noise levels.

There's a WRX with a silly tailpipe living reasonably close to me, and he must wake the entire neighbourhood when he drives through late at night (which he does rather a lot). Can understand why cars like that get on some people's nerves.

If you want more noise in the cabin, what about removing the boot carpet, and any easily removable undercar deadening?

[Edited by greasemonkey - 11/25/2003 9:15:54 PM]

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Think I'll get an "assistant" to thrash my car up and down the road while I stand on the kerb, to assess just how much louder it is from the outside!

JIM THEO

I agree on this, you'll be surprised how much noisier is your car outside, in my MY00 PPP the noise inside was quite "normal" while outside all the people reported how "F16" it sounded!!!
JIM

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Theo you should here mine then, I heard it for the first time last weekend as cheeseboy was driving it about a mile way and we thought a group N rally car was in the area

By the way if anyone wants a straight through Group N rally car Backbox, mid section or DP I can help you out

Re-Bitten Hero

Yep, yours is very noisy Steve! But it does sound good, although too noisy in the car IMHO. I prefer the quiet lubba-lubba of mine, until you give it some when it turns into an F16 (the MY00 PPP effect )

Also try driving round with the rear windows down => blissful sound without being windy

R