So, I Installed an Uppipe Today...

[mjalex007]

After doing a lot of reading, I decided to install an uppipe in my 05 BT. I looked at a variety of products for WRXes and STIs but didn’t really see great differences among them. Any of them will fit the BT To make a long story short, I bought an uppipe made by Crucial Racing from Oakos Automotive. I paid $250 with shipping.

I read this install takes a competent mechanic about six hours, which I figured would be what it would take me. No one calls me “motorhead” or “wrench man,” but for the last six or seven years, I’ve done all my auto and motorcycle work.

The Crucial Racing uppipe arrived by UPS and the first thing I noticed when I unpacked it was the “CEL fix” was missing. It’s nothing more than a 10-cent 2.2K resistor, so I picked up one of those at Radio Shack.

CR’s instructions plain sucked. There’s no way anyone could install this uppipe with their instructions (I tried). Midway through the install, I fell back to using Vishnu’s excellent instructions, although there are no photos to follow. I also used Perrin’s instructions, which included pictures, although their written instructions were vague in some places.

Man, it took me close to 12 hours with a lunch break and a trip to the store! One problem is that there is a lot of stuff to take off to get to the uppipe and the nuts and bolts are often hard to get at. The bigger problem was that I started out following CR’s instructions until I realized they were written by an idiot. I had to go back and redo a few steps because of them.

I still have to reinstall the heat shields, which will take another hour because many of those funky screws. I needed to test drive the car to check for leaks first. There are no leaks, thank the gods.

Next on my list is a cat-back exhaust. The only one I can find that will fit the Baja Turbo is Xcelleration’s (made by Random Tech, I think).

Vishnu says they are beta testing their ECU reflash for the BT and I’ll have that done when it’s available.

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[ez bturbo]

sounds about like one my installs...except mine not only take like twice what the mechanic could do it in, but about 50% of the time I screw something up and have to get my friend, who is a mechanic for a living, to help me out. Thats not because of bad instructions, just my lack of patience and mechanical skill usually.

I havent done anything to my baja turbo except drop in k&N. When the warantee is up (12k miles now, about 6 months old), all bets are off. I modified my previous three cars, so why stop now?

You are one of the few people posting here that ive seen that has done any performance stuff to the baja t on this board...keep us posted.

PS how much boost are you running anyhow?

[gentzleon]

hey man thats cool finally another baja owner doing mods. i have my 05 turbo and all im waiting for is a fuel management. i already got a built sti engine waiting to be put in. dont have much done to the engine but once installed will have bigger intercooler than the sti up/down pipe,complete custom exhaust.i already have all this siting in my garage waiting for the management.

[Chris N]

Why did you need a CEL fix for an up-pipe? I thought you only needed those for if you deleted the downpipe cat.
Glad you guys are doin up the Bajas. I'd like to hop up ours also but I have to baby that warranty, I can't afford not to have it.

[mjalex007]

Replies to the two questions above:

I upped the boost from 11.6 psi to 13 psi, which is all I'm willing to try for the moment.

You need the CEL fix because there is no EGT probe in this uppipe. Some makers sell uppipes with bungs for the EGT, and some no longer have them because the EGT is there to monitor the cat in the uppipe. Because this and the other aftermarket uppipes don't have cats, the EGT isn't needed. I've read that the EGT is fragile and could fail, sending bits into the turbo.

Caveat: As I mentioned, I don't purport to be a motor whiz. However, there is so little info about BT mods that I've had to venture forth on my own. I figure that I would do everything in small steps, Spending as much time as I did under the car for the uppipe has been a valuable learning experience.

[gentzleon]

hey here is a good one for u , my 05 turbo baja does 15psi boost havent pushed it anymoredue to break in. but im sure it does more. i know that alot of people are saying it does low boost but i just cant figure it out. i havent doen anything to it. only thing is i gott it shipped directly from fuji.???????? gotta dyno it, i feel lots of push beyond 13 psi u never know.

[Chris N]

Originally Posted by gentzleon

hey here is a good one for u , my 05 turbo baja does 15psi boost havent pushed it anymoredue to break in. but im sure it does more. i know that alot of people are saying it does low boost but i just cant figure it out. i havent doen anything to it. only thing is i gott it shipped directly from fuji.???????? gotta dyno it, i feel lots of push beyond 13 psi u never know.

Its funny you mention that. My WRX wagon was a lot faster than any other stock WRX I've ever driven or lined up next to (7 or 8). I remember reading here on Nasioc that some cars come with higher boost than others, for some unknow reason. I never had a boost guage though, so I can't comment on what my boost was.

mjalex007, thanks for clarifying

[gentzleon]

yea last time i got on it the gauge read 15 psi and i was bearly on it maybe ill push it one of these days to see where it will max.

[Chris N]

007,
Did you notice a lot of difference since the pipe install?

[mjalex007]

Yes, I felt a quite noticeable difference on my butt dyno. I have my boost controller set for 14 psi and that's made a difference too. The car pulls like a proverbial frieght train and I've got more stuff on the way to install.