Looking for input from owners of the 3" Pacesetter downpipe

[TwoLiterV8Eater]

Summit is selling the Pacesetter 3" mandrel bent downpipe for 1g DSM's for 194 bucks, I am looking for people that have one and what you think about the quality of it, does it rust, does it leak, is it a POS, or is it nice?

I have a nice 2.5" unit right now along with a 2.5" testpipe, but with my new turbo it is a nice restriction and I would like to eliminate it and move up to a full 3" system.

 

[Zex4g63]

The pipe is still 2.5 at the o2 housing and at the convertor. It necks down. It will get rusty and ugly looking. Also it is 2 piece held together with a band clamp that never seemed to stay tight.

 

[TwoLiterV8Eater]

Wow thats crappy. I can understand it being 2.5" at the 02 housing because it needs to mate up with something, but the rest seems unacceptable. Thanks for the warning. What downpipe did you switch to?

 

[Zex4g63]

The Apexi N1 has been fine for me. It eliminates the convertor. There are many choices out there tho. Just my preference.

 

[Ben K]

If it's the 3" piece I've seen and messed with, it is 3" all the way to the flange. You can't fit the nuts for the downpipe on it. Very hard to install.

 

[DSMJim]

Just build your own exhaust system much easier and you don't have to deal with anybody's problems. That way you can ensure it's full 3" as well. If you making a street system you can also gut a cat and slide it over a piece of pipe to make it look like a cat and run a straight pipe from your turbo back to a muffler of your choice. All the piping will cost you about $150 tops and then a muffler.

I'm surprised guys on here don't make up more of their own stuff. I would never buy somebody elses exhaust system or intercooler pipes and that type of stuff. It's easy to make, you can make it how you want and give you a sense of accomplishment after your done..

"What type of exhaust do you have" ooh. That's a Jim-tech full 3" Turbo back.

 

[honduraneclipse]

Originally posted by DSMJim
Just build your own exhaust system much easier and you don't have to deal with anybody's problems. That way you can ensure it's full 3" as well. If you making a street system you can also gut a cat and slide it over a piece of pipe to make it look like a cat and run a straight pipe from your turbo back to a muffler of your choice. All the piping will cost you about $150 tops and then a muffler.

I'm surprised guys on here don't make up more of their own stuff. I would never buy somebody elses exhaust system or intercooler pipes and that type of stuff. It's easy to make, you can make it how you want and give you a sense of accomplishment after your done..

"What type of exhaust do you have" ooh. That's a Jim-tech full 3" Turbo back.

hmm.... not all of us have access to welders or pipe benders ... and when we try to go to exhaust shops they ridicule us from trying to get 3 inch exhaust on a 4 banger...." the 3inch wont fit now a v8 is a different story" exact words when i asked for a 3 inch catback

 

[ArticNemesis]

and when we try to go to exhaust shops they ridicule us from trying to get 3 inch exhaust on a 4 banger...." the 3inch wont fit now a v8 is a different story" exact words when i asked for a 3 inch catback

Amen! I about punched the last exhaust shop i went to when he started on that b.s. I told him to just put it on, and him and another guy there just went on talking crap the entire time he put it on.. Only guy that does mandrel bending though, so i didn't have much of a choice.

 

[PSIcho]

I just recently bought and installed a downpipe from Eurodesign on Ebay. They're 2.5'' then expands to 3'' after flex joint. I don't believe they're stainless steel but for $89 can't really ask for much. Also, it's a cat eliminator. They come with all gaskets and bolts needed to install, these are identical to the ones ExtremePSI sells. We'll just see if it stands the test of time.

 

[cait sith]

I'm trying to think of anything that pacesetter has actually made that's "quality".

 

[DSMJim]

Originally posted by honduraneclipse


hmm.... not all of us have access to welders or pipe benders ... and when we try to go to exhaust shops they ridicule us from trying to get 3 inch exhaust on a 4 banger...." the 3inch wont fit now a v8 is a different story" exact words when i asked for a 3 inch catback

You can buy a small tack welder for around $100 check out your local Buy & Sell shops (Pawn Shop) for a small welder. You don't need one that takes gas to just tack your pipes in place before you pull them out to have a welding shop weld them. (which every town has trust me)

You can buy pre-bent mandrel pipes from all over the place (We sell them) in many different varieties. I can get 3" 2.5" 2.25" and 2" for everything from your exhaust to intercooler pipes.

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Thats a 3" piece with enough bends to do your entire downpipe and som e of your exhaust. I typically use 2 of these to make up an exhaust system. Then just buy a straight length of 3" stainless pipe from your local exahust supplier (not midas, check the yellow pages for a wholesale supplier, ours is called National Exhaust)

I just cut what sections I needed with my chop saw, lined it up and tacked it on, then cut the next section lined it up and tacked it on again. Pretty easy. I then took them to the shop to weld them up myself, however I could have gone anywhere to have them welded if I didn't have access to a welder.

Trust me you can do it yourself, thinking that you can't and not figuring out how is why shops make lots of money and you pay big bucks for intercooler and exhaust "kits"

Be a DYIer trust me its much more rewarding than buying it from somewhere else. Just trying to help fellas

 

[heavyD]

Pacesetter is SHIT. You would be better off making your own if you don't want to spend money.

 

[mitsuspeed]

Originally posted by cait sith
I'm trying to think of anything that pacesetter has actually made that's "quality".

agreed........ they ve always had the rep for being "the cheap way out"

 

[91TSi FWD]

Think of it this way, you usualy get what you pay for. The Pacesetter exhaust systems are cheap in more than 1 way. They only usualy last a good 4 years before rusting through, unless you get the crematic(?) coating on them, which will bump up the price another $75-$100.

 

[TwoLiterV8Eater]

I know Pacesetter isnt generally known for good quality, thats why I asked if anyone actually owned one. Turns out the few people that posted on this thread agreed it was not good quality. Time to keep looking, or make it myself

 

[Cablefed]

It works fine for me. Chances are I will be doing a cat eliminator and 86ing the pipe, but I had no problems with it bolting to the O2 housing or the cat with the clamp. Then again my car never sees rain or snow.

 

[AWDTireSmokeTsi]

I have a 3 inch pacesetter down pipe and its actually pretty good. The only that sucks is they give u a shitty clamp and you have to "sandwhich" 2 gaskets on the turbo to prevent it from leaking. But iI like it

 

[nine5raptor]

Originally posted by DSMJim


Then just buy a straight length of 3" stainless pipe from your local exahust supplier (not midas, check the yellow pages for a wholesale supplier, ours is called National Exhaust)

I always get mine from Midas. Ask if you can get some piping out of their scrap bin...I've gotten all of my (straight) intercooler piping for free