Fully catless PPE, Invidia, Tanabe clone...installed with first impressions
08-20-11, 09:56 PM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Fully catless PPE, Invidia, Tanabe clone...installed with first impressions
It sounds like ****. There, I said it. I spent 6 hours of my life and 700+ dollars to find out that it sounds like ****. Also, I have check engine lights about running too rich in bank 1 and 2 WITH the o2 'conditioner'.
The instructions were ok, except that there is no brown/red wire on the e6 connector of the ecm on pin 5. Doesnt exist. Theres a black and red but, it's awfully confusing trying to determine if they meant the color code or the pin location. Couldnt tell for a while. Its the pin location btw.
Installation using a lift with air tools still wasnt a walk in the park. You'd better have every shorty socket, long socket, ratchet wrench, short wrench, o2 wrench, spray penetrate you can find. Also, you'll need a inverse star drive 8 mm socket to remove the lower 3 bolts on the passenger side.
One of the stock o2's at the header location was apparently installed incorrectly from the FACTORY!!!! It was all boogered up. I had to do surgery on the threads with a rotozip.....it was that bad.
Anyways, first drive down the road and I've got a VERY ANNOYING loud buzzing sound at certain rpms. ALmost like an exhuast leak, but unforutnately it isnt. It's definitely coming from the mufflers. I guess I'll put some straight through resonators or high flow cats cause it honestly sounds like **** and I'm embarassed to drive it right now.
Just a heads up, stick with cats if you dont want your lexus to sound like a major ricer. I cant even tell if theres a power increase to tell you the truth, although it may have been masked by my extreme displeasure in the sound.
Nothing against ppe, they produced a great product and it no doubt frees up air flow, I just dont know if it was worth it to me.
My .02....do with it what you will
The instructions were ok, except that there is no brown/red wire on the e6 connector of the ecm on pin 5. Doesnt exist. Theres a black and red but, it's awfully confusing trying to determine if they meant the color code or the pin location. Couldnt tell for a while. Its the pin location btw.
Installation using a lift with air tools still wasnt a walk in the park. You'd better have every shorty socket, long socket, ratchet wrench, short wrench, o2 wrench, spray penetrate you can find. Also, you'll need a inverse star drive 8 mm socket to remove the lower 3 bolts on the passenger side.
One of the stock o2's at the header location was apparently installed incorrectly from the FACTORY!!!! It was all boogered up. I had to do surgery on the threads with a rotozip.....it was that bad.
Anyways, first drive down the road and I've got a VERY ANNOYING loud buzzing sound at certain rpms. ALmost like an exhuast leak, but unforutnately it isnt. It's definitely coming from the mufflers. I guess I'll put some straight through resonators or high flow cats cause it honestly sounds like **** and I'm embarassed to drive it right now.
Just a heads up, stick with cats if you dont want your lexus to sound like a major ricer. I cant even tell if theres a power increase to tell you the truth, although it may have been masked by my extreme displeasure in the sound.
Nothing against ppe, they produced a great product and it no doubt frees up air flow, I just dont know if it was worth it to me.
My .02....do with it what you will
08-21-11, 06:35 AM
#5
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
yeah, I was really surprised at how much it sounded like crap, because before, I would get compliments on my setup ALL the time. I'm certainly not uninstalling the headers so I'm hoping I find something that tames it down just a bit.
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08-21-11, 07:35 AM
#9
Yeah dont put stock header back just yet . Just do some experiments with it before put stock header back. Like put stock mid pipe back and u will be fine, i'm sure the loudness will be less . Do inspect for heat shield that vibrates and bend them a bit ..... dont know how loud the Tanabe clone exhaust or how nice it sounds , last option u can even try to put stock exhaust back also. Hope that help and put up some videos 
08-21-11, 11:40 AM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
I tried to get a video goin but the batteries went dead so, sorry. Anyway, I put the stock mid back on and it sounds stock. I guess thats better than fart can bumble bees. I'll probably end up modifying my invidia mid with some resonators.
08-25-11, 06:37 AM
#11
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
invidia mid modified
They are the vibrant 12" by 3" straight through resonators. Me and my buddy just cut the invidia and took a 12" section out of each. If you arent too concerned with looks, a little mig welder on about 45 amps works very well. I think it still turned out great especially after we ground it all down. I did hit the weld areas with some high temp black paint to keep it from rusting though, so it isnt pretty any more. Oh well.
It is MUCH better now. I really cant believe it, but it took down the buzzing alot. I mean, it's actually drivable. I still feel like it gets too buzzy in the upper rpms, so I might try a high flow cat eventually. For now, though, its a job well done.
I'm definitely gonna do a vid for you guys later today, I think.
No codes btw, and the car feels much stronger!
They are the vibrant 12" by 3" straight through resonators. Me and my buddy just cut the invidia and took a 12" section out of each. If you arent too concerned with looks, a little mig welder on about 45 amps works very well. I think it still turned out great especially after we ground it all down. I did hit the weld areas with some high temp black paint to keep it from rusting though, so it isnt pretty any more. Oh well.
It is MUCH better now. I really cant believe it, but it took down the buzzing alot. I mean, it's actually drivable. I still feel like it gets too buzzy in the upper rpms, so I might try a high flow cat eventually. For now, though, its a job well done.
I'm definitely gonna do a vid for you guys later today, I think.
No codes btw, and the car feels much stronger!
Last edited by 06isDriver; 08-25-11 at 12:14 PM.
12-26-11, 04:39 PM
#13
invidia mid modified
They are the vibrant 12" by 3" straight through resonators. Me and my buddy just cut the invidia and took a 12" section out of each. If you arent too concerned with looks, a little mig welder on about 45 amps works very well. I think it still turned out great especially after we ground it all down. I did hit the weld areas with some high temp black paint to keep it from rusting though, so it isnt pretty any more. Oh well.
It is MUCH better now. I really cant believe it, but it took down the buzzing alot. I mean, it's actually drivable. I still feel like it gets too buzzy in the upper rpms, so I might try a high flow cat eventually. For now, though, its a job well done.
I'm definitely gonna do a vid for you guys later today, I think.
No codes btw, and the car feels much stronger!
They are the vibrant 12" by 3" straight through resonators. Me and my buddy just cut the invidia and took a 12" section out of each. If you arent too concerned with looks, a little mig welder on about 45 amps works very well. I think it still turned out great especially after we ground it all down. I did hit the weld areas with some high temp black paint to keep it from rusting though, so it isnt pretty any more. Oh well.
It is MUCH better now. I really cant believe it, but it took down the buzzing alot. I mean, it's actually drivable. I still feel like it gets too buzzy in the upper rpms, so I might try a high flow cat eventually. For now, though, its a job well done.
I'm definitely gonna do a vid for you guys later today, I think.
No codes btw, and the car feels much stronger!
These the resonators? http://vibrantperformance.com/catalo...roducts_id=292
01-03-12, 11:23 AM
#14
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
yeah those are them, but honestly I ended up ditching the invidia hybrid all together. It was actually for sale some time ago, but noone showed interest. I ended up adding a flowmaster hushpower to replace that small single resonator along with those 12" resonators you see there and it was STILL to annoyingly droney and loud with my PPE headers. I bet it would sound sick on a car with stock manifolds.
I finally just went back to the oem midpipe and couldnt be happier. I ended up replacing my mufflers at the back with just some straight through style and that combined with the oem midpipe and PPE headers sounds the best IMO.
It's still loud when I floor it, especially with my intake, but quiet enough to where a conversation at 70mph isnt a shouting match.
I finally just went back to the oem midpipe and couldnt be happier. I ended up replacing my mufflers at the back with just some straight through style and that combined with the oem midpipe and PPE headers sounds the best IMO.
It's still loud when I floor it, especially with my intake, but quiet enough to where a conversation at 70mph isnt a shouting match.
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