Question on exhaust instalation..

[steelcity]

I have my Megan catback sitting and I finally just got my Y-pipe yesterday. Im thinking of getting the HFC's next. Should I start installing what I already have or should I wait and do it all together? I still dont know when Im going to get the HFC's.

Also, does the exhaust make the car more of a gas guzzler when cruising?

[EdBwoy]

Is this your daily driver? If not, you should def start disassembling stuff on it just to catch some unforeseen complications.
Even if it's not your daily driver, I'd get under there and start pb blasting the hell out of everything every other evening
- advice from the rust belt. Exhaust work never takes as long as the Haynes manual thinks it will.

[steelcity]

Yea it is my daily driver unfortunately. That's why I'm asking. I don't want to get stuck without my car for a few days. It does sound like a good idea to start PB blasting though. What's the biggest pain about this job? I'm assuming just being under the car?

[Ilya]

Biggest pain? I GUARANTEE you will have to cut some bolts, etc. since you live in Chicago (similar winters to Upstate, NY). Make sure you have new bolts, nuts, washers, etc. at the ready. I'd go and get some nice thick ones (measure against your new Megan flanges) now. Since you're pretty much doing the whole exhaust...just make sure you PB Blast up to where the 'old' exhaust will stay...everything else you can just grind off and remove.

Then again, I have a lift with all sorts of tools thanks to my pops so...might not be as easy for you.

[manolo87]

Wait so what can be done to improve the gas mileage if you got a full exhaust?

[Ilya]

It's not really related. MPG goes down when an exhaust is installed because the drivers like the new note and WOT constantly lol.

[TOMatBMR]

Exactly, if driving conditions don't change then you SHOULD see an improvement in MPG technically.

[steelcity]

Biggest pain? I GUARANTEE you will have to cut some bolts, etc. since you live in Chicago (similar winters to Upstate, NY). Make sure you have new bolts, nuts, washers, etc. at the ready. I'd go and get some nice thick ones (measure against your new Megan flanges) now. Since you're pretty much doing the whole exhaust...just make sure you PB Blast up to where the 'old' exhaust will stay...everything else you can just grind off and remove.

Then again, I have a lift with all sorts of tools thanks to my pops so...might not be as easy for you.

With that being said. Im gonna drop it off to my mechanic. I know ill be there forever cursing up a storm with this heat. Whats the pros and cons of the HFC's? Power and loud? Will it sound like a rice burner? After exhaust im doing uprev and then im done.

[EdBwoy]

... After exhaust im doing uprev and then im done.

[steelcity]

... After exhaust im doing uprev and then im done.

Haha. What else can I possibly do?

[Wangtang408]

Plenum spacer, mrev2, CAI or Z tube, grounding kit

[Ilya]

MREV2 is pointless for the M35 from what my friend (who built a few VQ Maxima's back in the day) told me when I was looking. Otherwise I would have gotten it.

I'd definitely go Z-Tube over CAI...CAI's usually rob you of power.

[steelcity]

Plenum spacer, mrev2, CAI or Z tube, grounding kit

Haha. I already got the Plenum spacer, Injen intake and Unorthodox lightweight crank pulley. Thats why now I just want to put the exhaust, tune and thats it. Anything more turns into a project car.

I agree with the MREV2 Ilyakol. Whats the grounding kit?

[Ilya]

Grounds kits are something some people say does nothing and others say helps give the car a tiny boost. Honestly, it might help the electronics more than anything. It's a series of wires that you connect to various parts of the engine bay and the other ends to grounds.

If I was you I'd replace that Injen with a Z-Tube + stock box, do the exhaust, and then get UpRev'd. Car will purr.

[steelcity]

Grounds kits are something some people say does nothing and others say helps give the car a tiny boost. Honestly, it might help the electronics more than anything. It's a series of wires that you connect to various parts of the engine bay and the other ends to grounds.

If I was you I'd replace that Injen with a Z-Tube + stock box, do the exhaust, and then get UpRev'd. Car will purr.

Then I'm going to feel like I spent money for nothing on that intake

Should I get the HFC's? is my car going to sound like a Civic?

[Wangtang408]

Don't trip bruh, I have a CAI and I love it, of course look and sound, lots of folks on here are against it.
Of course, once you get the UpRev tune it'll open it up.
Go look at all them modded G35 with clean engine bay and tell me if you see one with a Z tube. F no!

[Ilya]

A lot of people are against it because it scientifically has been proven (in other car forums) to rob power due to heat. And if people get the long version (that goes down behind the bumper) they are also opening themselves up to hydrolocking. IMO, and many agree, you're better off with the RAM air duct + stock filter box with nice clean filter + z-tube. A CAI is a race car part that people put on cars that aren't anywhere near race car level. Race cars need filters like that for obvious reasons. Not enough air can be supplied via the standard means. But they also have heat wrapping, etc. to combat the heat. They don't just put a CAI in and call it a day.

Think of it this way...you have a pipe in a lake that is moving ice cold water. However, surrounding that pipe, is super hot water (it's the apocalypse afterall or something). What do you think happens to the water inside the pipe? It doesn't get as hot, but it certainly gets warmer. That's what you're doing with a CAI...unless you do other things like using heat wrapping (to keep the engine bay heat out), etc. etc.

Because the CAI is made of aluminum (almost always) it transfers heat easily...where as the OEM stuff is made of a plastic that tends to keep the heat out.

It DOES make the car sound good and does look good...but unless you have SERIOUS engine work done, I personally don't show off my engine anyway so it's kind of a moot point.

If 'looks' and sound is what you're after, then CAI is for you. If you want a little bit of sound and a more efficient air delivery system, the other option is better. It's all good though, we all mod how we want .

[Wangtang408]

That's the beauty of having an injen intake, you can make short or long.
Everybody got their own taste and spend their money how they want.
All I got to say is that I feel the difference when I step on it.
Have fun modding cuz it ain't cheap...

[steelcity]

Yea I went short with my Injen too. God forbid hydro-locking.

[Wangtang408]

I live in Cali, we are in a serious drought, no rain here.
Hydro lock?? Yea if you submerge your cone.
My cone sits right behind the fog light, my car lowered and it still have almost a foot from ground to the cone and our cars got splash cover. Hydro lock my a$$

[Ilya]

Listen, I'm not going to argue with you or debate this with you. Look around the internet on how many cars with bumper level CAI's have hydrolocked their cars due to sucking water into the intake. I know a few 4th gen Maximas (95-99) that have had this happen over the years. All it takes is one nice puddle. You have a drought now, but how about in 5 years from now?

Like I said, my job here (especially as moderator) is to give all sides of the story and help users know as much as possible. Its your choice (and his) if you want to get a CAI, but I personally would not...having been around built cars and forums for around 10 years. I've seen all sorts of things happen.

More power to ya. Enjoy and drive safe.

[CPJ LB]

just some personal opinions based on the mods and dyno's that I've done in the past (on my old 06 M35)... it was a 'combination' of mods that yielded the most performance and fun for me.

I was able to realize gains with:
Z tube
5/16 plenum spacer
MREV2
BERK HFC's
Motordyne xyz pipe
Megan Midpipe & axle backs

**keep in mind, I did routine maintenance on the car as well:
New spark plugs
New valve cover gaskets
New PCV valves
Clean MAF and Throttle bodies
New belts
Synthetic Motor oil & filter, differential fluid, transmission fluid
New Battery

**modifications that helped with the overall performance:
suspension upgrade
Grounding kit (better shifting)
remove spare tire and excess weight of the car

**modifications that were on the 'to-do' list:
G37 differential swap
Transgo shift kit

[steelcity]

just some personal opinions based on the mods and dyno's that I've done in the past (on my old 06 M35)... it was a 'combination' of mods that yielded the most performance and fun for me.

I was able to realize gains with:
Z tube
5/16 plenum spacer
MREV2
BERK HFC's
Motordyne xyz pipe
Megan Midpipe & axle backs

**keep in mind, I did routine maintenance on the car as well:
New spark plugs
New valve cover gaskets
New PCV valves
Clean MAF and Throttle bodies
New belts
Synthetic Motor oil & filter, differential fluid, transmission fluid
New Battery

**modifications that helped with the overall performance:
suspension upgrade
Grounding kit (better shifting)
remove spare tire and excess weight of the car

**modifications that were on the 'to-do' list:
G37 differential swap
Transgo shift kit

Have you ever dyno'd your car after all these upgrades?

Is the Transgo shift kit instead of the grounding kit? and is that differential swap an easy swap?

[CPJ LB]

^ Yes. Please search my posts.

your second question ??? there have been a lot of posts on this forum regarding the Transgo shift kit and differential swap....