PRL Motorsports Front Pipe - Fitment Rattle - Installation error?

[ecarranza11]

Awesome I’m gonna take a look at it soon as the rain passes through

Yea let me know if you have any questions on how mine was installed wrong the first time

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[Fiiggy_3]

Yea let me know if you have any questions on how mine was installed wrong the first time

I’ll hopefully take note of how everything is now and make adjustments from there. But thank you!

 

[MacKharoni]

I had some rattle on my hatch too. What i did was screwed the bolt on the rear of the front pipe first and then screw the front pipe to downpipe last.

 

[Matt Noke]

So I just installed the dp and have a loud knock on cold start up and when in reverse!?! I have a boomba motor mount and I think I've installed correctly judging by the pictures on this thread. Would it matter that my bolts holding the dp/ OEM frontpipe to the hanger bracket are backwards compared to the pictures of others installs? Any ideas of what I should do?

 

[Fiiggy_3]

I truthfully haven’t had time to check mine, but if I’m not mistaken I have my bolts the same way.. I’m gonna try and check soon I hope

 

[Matt Noke]

I truthfully haven’t had time to check mine, but if I’m not mistaken I have my bolts the same way.. I’m gonna try and check soon I hope

No huge rush I won't be able to get back under my car until next weekend when I have time off from work. But thanks in advance for checking

 

[Myx]

**Back from Dead**


I just ordered a new Front Pipe since I'm going to have my old 3" Injen Hybrid exhaust installed back on again tomorrow. I called PRL Motorsports and asked if they included anything with the Front Pipe so people could avoid this type of situation and they said they didn't because it should be straight forward.

So, I just finished printing out a few pics above on how it is supposed to look and not look installed and labelled them so my mechanics don't make the same mistake again. Be sure to refer to these just to be sure it's not being installed incorrectly or check it yourself if you do get it installed to avoid this from happening to you.

Thanks again for the pics.

 

[ostudent]

MOD EDIT: After reading this thread in full I added "- Installation Error?" to your title because that appears to be the case here. I didn't want PRL to get any negative press for an issue that was not their fault.


I had some fitment issues today with the PRL Motorsports front pipe today. I made a quick video and uploaded it so you can see the location that I'm talking about. It is the connection between the front pipe and the stock midpipe (Or B-pipe it may be called?). There was a 1" gap between the two that could not be connected. Not sure why this was the case.

Also, right at this same location the PRL front pipe flange contacted the heat shield there. I had to have that slightly modified so that while the PRL front pipe moves, it would not hit this and rattle. If you have any rattling issues with the PRL front pipe itself, check this location and see if the heat shield is coming into contact with the front pipe itself.




The PRL Motorsports front pipe and downpipe I had installed, was installed just fine. No issues there. These are just things that my shop encountered. I will try to post several pics later and possibly an extra video or two. I have to run out with the Misses to take care of several things. Just sharing!

Hi everyone, just installed my dp too and my front pipe now is hitting the heatshield like the last pic at low rpm. wonder if that bracket people who install wrong side r they have it on the type r too? is there any other stuff i should check? Thanks! @PRL Motorsports

 

[PRL Motorsports]

Hi everyone, just installed my dp too and my front pipe now is hitting the heatshield like the last pic at low rpm. wonder if that bracket people who install wrong side r they have it on the type r too? is there any other stuff i should check? Thanks! @PRL Motorsports

Make sure to adjust your DP/FP/ and exhaust in unison to get optimal fitment, having a friend handy to help adjust it while you bolt it down will help tremendously.

 

[ostudent]

Make sure to adjust your DP/FP/ and exhaust in unison to get optimal fitment, having a friend handy to help adjust it while you bolt it down will help tremendously.

I have lift up my Type R and have same issue that @Myx had. Damage with the driveshaft and rattle coming from hitting the heatshield. Once again I do not get any notice or instruction about that. I have check the bracket is connected to the proper side of the flange already. So I got no idea on how to fix this issue. again I do not have this problem before I install the DP, will the fitment issue come from DP and causing the FP having issue? But I do not see any problem by vision. any recomendation? this is not really a straight forward Install if there is needed a adjustment on it. any recommendation on how to fix it? this stupid is making my Type R very annoying now!!! @PRL Motorsports

 

[PRL Motorsports]

I have lift up my Type R and have same issue that @Myx had. Damage with the driveshaft and rattle coming from hitting the heatshield. Once again I do not get any notice or instruction about that. I have check the bracket is connected to the proper side of the flange already. So I got no idea on how to fix this issue. again I do not have this problem before I install the DP, will the fitment issue come from DP and causing the FP having issue? But I do not see any problem by vision. any recomendation? this is not really a straight forward Install if there is needed a adjustment on it. any recommendation on how to fix it? this stupid is making my Type R very annoying now!!! @PRL Motorsports

The previous recommendation was one we give every customer that is installing our exhaust components, if you'd like to call into the shop to discuss further we can explain that way as well to help assist with your install, thanks!

 

[Myx]

The previous recommendation was one we give every customer that is installing our exhaust components, if you'd like to call into the shop to discuss further we can explain that way as well to help assist with your install, thanks!

I may have to give you guys a call tomorrow. I haven't been totally in the clear since making sure the cat converter 'Stays' were installed properly. On a handful of occasions after start up on a cooler morning, my front pipe would come in contact with the same shaft piece I previously mentioned. Other than those incidents, driving around was fine. This is with both cat converter 'Stays' properly installed on the front side of the downpipe (like in the pics).

I just had an Si turbo installed and had a closer look at the front pipe. It seems that it worked it's way out of one of the rubber hangers it was resting inside. Also, what I didn't mentioned previously on this 2nd front pipe install is that the cat converter 'Stay' piece that connects to the front pipe and oil pan couldn't reach all the way to the oil pan. I had to have a bolt put in place between the cat converter stay and the oil pan in order to have something the cat converter stay to connect too. THIS may be causing a problem in and of itself as I have not seen anyone else having to do this.

This is the 2nd Front pipe that I had installed (first one got banged up pretty bad from hitting the intermediate drive axle during long drives to and from the tracks). I'll be taking a couple of pics tomorrow and try to post (if my phone doesn't die). I'll try to get to the shop first thing in the morning. Really want to bring this to a completion and get this behind me.

It kinda amazes me that shops have problems with installing this seemingly simple piece of the exhaust. One that is a direct fit. I haven't climbed underneath to get my hands on it personally but it may boil down to this soon.


BTW: I'm going to put special emphasis on the two statements tomorrow below....

1. Was the downpipe-to-turbocharger connection left loose so that the downpipe could be appropriately rotated/clocked to allow for proper fitment through the downpipe/midpipe assembly connection? This is the most common install error, as we have received quite a few calls and emails about this.
2. Was the downpipe bracket (Cat Converter 'Stay') connected to the proper side of the flange (PRL Downpipe flange)? We have seen a few customers install the bracket to the wrong side, causing the downpipe to be pushed the wrong way, causing front pipe fitment issues.

The last time I was at a shop, I specifically handed them a piece of paper with this information. Somehow, I'm not totally confident they ensured #1 was done. They told me that there is only one way to install that downpipe, which is straightforward. No 'clocking/rotating' it to get the front pipe to fit. So it wasn't loosened before the front pipe was fitted and the converter 'Stays' (Brackets) installed in place. Which is probably why the converter stay on that connects to the oil pan couldn't reach it and needed a nut installed to make up the space in between.

 

[Myx]

Extra nut that was between the cat converter 'Stay' (or bracket) and the oil pan was removed and the bolt tightened down as much as it could go. No more rattling. Also, the rubber that connects the front pipe hanger was completely torn through. I ended up getting a new one from the dealership and had it installed. All is well. I never did get the upgraded mount but I still do not want to transmit any more vibrations to the cabin area. So will see how this goes. All is quiet for the time being.

Too much was going on at the shop to consider loosening the bolts to the front pipe as well as the front pipe and 're-aligning' them all or 'clocking' the downpipe to try for better fitment. I may have to do this myself. Don't want this being performed in a 'rushed' atmosphere.

 

[MacKharoni]

Extra nut that was between the cat converter 'Stay' (or bracket) and the oil pan was removed and the bolt tightened down as much as it could go. No more rattling. Also, the rubber that connects the front pipe hanger was completely torn through. I ended up getting a new one from the dealership and had it installed. All is well. I never did get the upgraded mount but I still do not want to transmit any more vibrations to the cabin area. So will see how this goes. All is quiet for the time being.

Too much was going on at the shop to consider loosening the bolts to the front pipe as well as the front pipe and 're-aligning' them all or 'clocking' the downpipe to try for better fitment. I may have to do this myself. Don't want this being performed in a 'rushed' atmosphere.

I cut the hanger piece off on the front pipe since it don't reach to the factory rubber peice

 

[Myx]

I cut the hanger piece off on the front pipe since it don't reach to the factory rubber peice

Glad you mentioned it. First I've read about this. I've had the rubber insert replaced. The hanger is going through it now, from looking down through the engine bay. Looking up from the bottom would give me a better look at it though. Thanks for sharing!

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