Best Exhaust Configuration from MIJ

[smyffie]

Hi All

I am hoping shortly to have a full exhaust and race cats etc from MIJ exhausts fitted to my B6 S4 cabriolet with manual box. I am now seeking assistance on how to have it configured to achieve best results.

Primarily I want a more traditional V8 burble at idle and lowish revs but dont particulary want is screaming like a banshee when flat out or have any droning at cruising engine speeds. Bearing in mind it will then be taken to MRC for a full remap where I would be more interested in improving the torque and drivability thru the rev range rather than absoloute peak power, am I better off going with 100 or 200 cell cats, using 2.5 or 3 inch pipe, and I am assuming it would be beneficial to have an X or H pipe between the banks but is one better than the other?

Also is there anything else I should be thinking about or aware of when having a custom exhaust made?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I know many of you guys have non standard pipes tho I know Milltek are the usual choice.

Thanks

Steve

[BlingBling]

Delete the pre-cats, 2.5" tube, 200 cell main cats, relocate the main o2 sensors behind the main cats, x-pipe. Also mark the sensor wires before they start cutting. Otherwise you will get a CEL for swapped connectors.

Keep a close eye on them and make sure they do exactly as you request because I nearly had a bad experience with them if it were not for my constant monitoring. When they were relocating the main 02's they initially had them at appox 4-5 o'clock, which would have meant them ripping of at the first sleeping policeman or when I parked the car into the garage. I pointed this out but was given some feeble fob off. One stern look of disgust after their response soon had them repositioned at 2-3 o'clock.

[xyber]

^^^ perfect, worth looking into the difference in sound created by x and h pipes. Not everyone likes x-pipes as they can sound abit raspy. I wish Milltek didn't position their cats up near the engine, I think they originally used the main cat position but swapped to cut costs

[R33]

I love my full MIJ, it's got 200 cell cats and the almost OEM look quad tail pipes. They get rid of the pre cats as standard with this setup. If your is a B7 it could be tricky, I got there at 8.30 am and left at about 10pm so it was a long long day but I was very happy with the results. Mine is an auto and it can drone at low speeds in a high gear when the revs are very low but at any other speed and on long motorway runs it's fantastic. Quiet with the family on board and loud when I'm on my own. I too need the MRC remap now!

[cobraBLACK]

What kind of prices are we talking for MIJ catbacks and full systems?

I want to hear more of the V8 but I'm not paying Milltek money.

[smyffie]

I love my full MIJ, it's got 200 cell cats and the almost OEM look quad tail pipes. They get rid of the pre cats as standard with this setup. If your is a B7 it could be tricky, I got there at 8.30 am and left at about 10pm so it was a long long day but I was very happy with the results. Mine is an auto and it can drone at low speeds in a high gear when the revs are very low but at any other speed and on long motorway runs it's fantastic. Quiet with the family on board and loud when I'm on my own. I too need the MRC remap now!

Mine is a B6 but out of curiosity why would things be more tricky on a B7 than B6? I was hoping to get a B7 rear valance so I could put oval or quad tailpipes on but they never seem to appear on fleabay, and the main stealers seem to be unable to help as they say there are three different part numbers it could be and couldn't be sure any of them would fit a B6 rear bumper anyway


Steve

[R33]

My full system including CAT's and downpipes etc was £950 fitted (and it passed it's MOT this morning!). I think the CAT back was £450, I was only intending a CAT back but decided to go the whole hog when I got there.

They said the B6 and B7 were not the same and they had done loads of B6's with no issue, mine was their first B7 S4. Getting to the top of the down pipe was SO SO tight and these few bolts took about 10 hours work to get off and back on, I even had a go, it was a nightmare but MIJ were great through the whole thing.

I'm in Marlow Bucks so if you're local feel free to have a listen!

[cobraBLACK]

I'm not too worried about performance, I'm more interested in the sound - did they tell you the difference in sound you'd get with a cat-back and full system?

[BlingBling]

^^^ perfect, worth looking into the difference in sound created by x and h pipes. Not everyone likes x-pipes as they can sound abit raspy. I wish Milltek didn't position their cats up near the engine, I think they originally used the main cat position but swapped to cut costs

The X-pipe analogy is bang on. I actually had a H-pipe. This was more of an after thought and I am happy that was the case. It makes for a deeper rumble as opposed to a louder rasp.

[R33]

I'm not too worried about performance, I'm more interested in the sound - did they tell you the difference in sound you'd get with a cat-back and full system?

Not really as I was going for the full system 10 seconds after I walked in thr door

I have an H pipe in mine and like the sound, not tried an X pipe so I can't comment on their sound.

[smyffie]

Hi all.
I know I'm resurrecting an old post but firstly I'd like to thank all of you who have responded to this and my other related thread.
Anyway I took thar car in to MIJ first thing yesterday and after a brief discussion of my requirements, the fella seemed to be in complete denial that they had ever deleted the precats or even took off the down pipes on one of these. (the owner was away on business so I was dealing with the head salesman) He was adamant that to do so would put the engine management light on and even put it into limp mode. Eventually after reading to him selected responses on this thread and showing him a photo of a miltek to show him where the lambda sensors need to go he decided it could be done and guessed it would take about five hours.
So I give them the go ahead and decide to wait...and wait ....it seemed they also had major problems getting my down pipes off so it was obvious this was gonna take a little longer...I was assured it would be completed by 5 p.m. I occasionally wander into the workshop to see how things are going ...imagine my horror then to discover (at about 6 p.m.) that one side was about three quarters completed but the lambda was in front of the sport cat instead of behind it. At this point I lost the will to live and their mechanics were adamant that the lambda cables were not long enough to reach so would need modification.
It was then decided I could borrow their van (with hardly any brakes or clutch!) to get home for the night and they will have another go today, so the main reason for this long winded 'story-so-far' is to ask if anyone else has had problems with the cable length when moving the lambdas to the back?!


Steve

[R33]

No problems with cable length, but I was there from the crack of dawn till late at night getting it done, like you the main issue was getting the downpipe off the manifold. My cats are up near where the pre cats are, and according to MRC this isn't a great place to put them but I've had conflicting advice on this one.

Good luck, keep us posted!

[xyber]

Best place for cats, tuning wise is as far back the downpipe as possible from what I understand, but smaller/cheaper cats can be used if they are closer to the engine and therefore hotter.

That's the only thing Im not overly keen on with my Millteks, but it was convenient

[BlingBling]

Hi all.
I know I'm resurrecting an old post but firstly I'd like to thank all of you who have responded to this and my other related thread.
Anyway I took thar car in to MIJ first thing yesterday and after a brief discussion of my requirements, the fella seemed to be in complete denial that they had ever deleted the precats or even took off the down pipes on one of these. (the owner was away on business so I was dealing with the head salesman) He was adamant that to do so would put the engine management light on and even put it into limp mode. Eventually after reading to him selected responses on this thread and showing him a photo of a miltek to show him where the lambda sensors need to go he decided it could be done and guessed it would take about five hours.
So I give them the go ahead and decide to wait...and wait ....it seemed they also had major problems getting my down pipes off so it was obvious this was gonna take a little longer...I was assured it would be completed by 5 p.m. I occasionally wander into the workshop to see how things are going ...imagine my horror then to discover (at about 6 p.m.) that one side was about three quarters completed but the lambda was in front of the sport cat instead of behind it. At this point I lost the will to live and their mechanics were adamant that the lambda cables were not long enough to reach so would need modification.
It was then decided I could borrow their van (with hardly any brakes or clutch!) to get home for the night and they will have another go today, so the main reason for this long winded 'story-so-far' is to ask if anyone else has had problems with the cable length when moving the lambdas to the back?!


Steve

Sorry to hear about your woes. Hope they sort out your car. I suppose the old adage "your pay your monies......."