Pacesetter LT/Sweet Thunder install......first impressions
04-30-2005, 02:02 AM
#1
Pacesetter LT/Sweet Thunder install......first impressions Well, I did the install today. It took about 5 hours plus the two hours yesterday removing the old exhaust. Getting the old manifolds off was easy except for the passenger side rear bolt. What a PITA! Once it was off, the header slid in with no problems. It was almost scary how easy it went in. The driver side posed a slight problem......I had to grind the tab off the engine block before it would slide in. Once that was ground down though, no problems. I used the 24" o2 extensions and zip-tied them out of the way. Overall.......too easy!
Drove to the muffler shop with open headers, YIKES was it loud. I thought my car was going to fall apart.
Got the TD's installed.......I went 2.5" all the way with an H-pipe and dumped before the axle. WOW! Hail to the SWEET THUNDER 
The sound is amazing, like jaw dropping. Certainly on the loud side, but very little drone and interior resonance. Sound good even on the A4.
Now for the fun......can you say SOTP difference!! Night and day. There is absolutely no lag off the line now. You hit the gas and wham, RPM's immediately jump up. And man does the car go
Traction is a small problem, but nothing that can't be manipulated. And golly does she sing at WOT. Look out, here I come! I recommend this mod to anyone. A must do! Wednesday night will tell what the 1/4" gain was.
One last concern, the shop that fabbed up the TD's went immediately to 2.5" from the 3" collector on the header. They also had to crush the driver side pipe slightly to clear the floor. Is this bad? Am I choking my mostly stock car? There wasn't really any transition, just 3" to 2.5" like that. Not really worried, but don't want to be losing a lot of power because of this. There you go, my impressions. Sorry it is so long, I just wanted to get this out. Thanks
Drove to the muffler shop with open headers, YIKES was it loud. I thought my car was going to fall apart.
Got the TD's installed.......I went 2.5" all the way with an H-pipe and dumped before the axle. WOW! Hail to the SWEET THUNDER The sound is amazing, like jaw dropping. Certainly on the loud side, but very little drone and interior resonance. Sound good even on the A4.Now for the fun......can you say SOTP difference!! Night and day. There is absolutely no lag off the line now. You hit the gas and wham, RPM's immediately jump up. And man does the car go
Traction is a small problem, but nothing that can't be manipulated. And golly does she sing at WOT. Look out, here I come! I recommend this mod to anyone. A must do! Wednesday night will tell what the 1/4" gain was.One last concern, the shop that fabbed up the TD's went immediately to 2.5" from the 3" collector on the header. They also had to crush the driver side pipe slightly to clear the floor. Is this bad? Am I choking my mostly stock car? There wasn't really any transition, just 3" to 2.5" like that. Not really worried, but don't want to be losing a lot of power because of this. There you go, my impressions. Sorry it is so long, I just wanted to get this out. Thanks
04-30-2005, 11:46 AM
#4
TECH Enthusiast
Originally Posted by WS62000
Is it possible to get a sound clip. I'd love to hear an H-pipe setup!
yeah Id like to hear them too , are you on ls1sounds or anything ?
04-30-2005, 10:54 PM
#6
Just take a clip, and go to ls1sounds.com. You can email it to him or send it though a file transfer service. Chad can post it up for you. I am interested in hearing your setup as well. I have an A4 with single chambers and have always wondered what sweet thunders sounded like.
04-30-2005, 11:14 PM
#7
Originally Posted by 67SS&99Z28
Just take a clip, and go to ls1sounds.com. You can email it to him or send it though a file transfer service. Chad can post it up for you. I am interested in hearing your setup as well. I have an A4 with single chambers and have always wondered what sweet thunders sounded like.
How does your exhaust go together? Do you have a transition from your header collectors to the 2.5" tubing? Or does it just neck down immediately behind your headers? Mine necks down immediately and I wondered if that affected the performance at all?
