Install Notes: CCTA Ultimate Racing Resonated Downpipe + Unibrace UB

[Aries Pope]

Thanks to plac for installing my Ultimate Racing downpipe (metal cat and resonator) and Unibrace UB today! He treated my car like his own.

Thought I'd share a few notes here to help people considering similar installs in the future (already posted in my build thread). Plac's DIY is CBFA so there's a couple minor differences when you do CCTA if you plan to use it.

The CCTA pipe's a little trickier than CBFA even though there's one less sensor... The upper O2 bung on the stock is right next to the turbo flange nut, so you need to take the O2 sensor out of the stock DP first to get good access to the flange nut. The UR relocates it back a few inches, so you have to put the O2 on the UR DP before you put the DP onto the turbo flange to to get access to it (so the opposite).

UR pipe fit great. Very nicely made. I am very happy with it.

Also learned that the Unibrace UB did NOT clear the new Ultimate Racing resonator. At least the resonator I got. Luckily, I had ordered the deep nut and spacer kit which gave about 5mm of clearance or so. Quick phone pics:

View of the spacer between frame and brace:

Here's the final clearance from the back:

And the front:

Hoping to get my APR Stage 2 flash next weekend when I get my APR IC put in! Already feels a lot freer flow on the highway at speed, and definitely much freer when I let it rev over 5K --- a lot less congested feeling there. I like the little bit more growl when I open it up, looking forward to seeing how she feels with the Stage 2 tune! Civilized sounding when cruising around town, just what I was looking for.

I'll post more about the Unibrace UB to follow, when I get a chance to try some windy roads. Already though the door squeaks and body flex when I roll over the bump on my driveway have cleared up, which is already a win! :thumbup:

 

[plac]

Ur resonator details. he has the original style UR resonator like my first 3, which has no lips on the ends of the case. But, it is a little smaller than the resonators i had. it still hit the Unibrace for sure. My own resonator is smaller still, so i must have got some kind of one off resonator. Still don't know if mine will fit a Unibrace on it. i didnt like the way that spacer kit and nuts felt at all. just personal preference. the nuts were very unsure when tightening, and gave an uneasy feel worrying about breakage. The tightening just wasnt as smooth as the regular nuts. but its probably fine. his also has a slightly poor fitting hole, in the front. the unibrace i tried on my 2011 had the same issue. Maybe the 2011-up studs are slightly different. To rememdy this, Unibrace needs to enlarge all 8 holes just 1mm in diameter. That will ensure to cover the weird stud differences i've seen on the newer cars. I barely could get one of the nuts on.

 

[fatty@golfmk6.com]

UB is awesome. I smiled every time i took a turn XD

 

[GTIProject]

This isn't helping my decision to not go stage 2 this spring.

How is the sound with the resonated DP + stock CB? I'm okay with a deeper sound, but hate droning.

 

[Modshack1]

The CCTA pipe's a little trickier than CBFA even though there's one less sensor... The upper O2 bung on the stock is right next to the turbo flange nut, so you need to take the O2 sensor out of the stock DP first to get good access to the flange nut.

FWIW, I had no need to do that when I installed mine...

 

[plac]

FWIW, I had no need to do that when I installed mine...

i coulda done it, but it would have taken an extra 10 mins just for that nut. i got the O2 broke loose in 5 seconds luckily.

 

[davesxx01]

This isn't helping my decision to not go stage 2 this spring.

How is the sound with the resonated DP + stock CB? I'm okay with a deeper sound, but hate droning.

You will have no drone what so ever with the UR resonated DP and stock exhaust. I ran mine that way for quite a while.

 

[Bender1]

Plac - will the UB clear the AWE TBE without the spacers?

 

[plac]

wouldnt have a clue. never tried it.

 

[LightningRhod]

Perfect. This was the exact setup I was looking at since my engine is CCTA and I was looking at the same downpipe and UB. Sub'd.

 

[GTItraveler]

Hello Bender, as the TBE is 2.5", it looks like the resonator 3.5" – 4" Ø. Unless someone has tried it and I am wrong, if the resonator in the mid pipe area is in fact cylindrical, I suspect it will fit and you will not need the spacer/deep nut kit.

 

[Aries Pope]

This isn't helping my decision to not go stage 2 this spring.

How is the sound with the resonated DP + stock CB? I'm okay with a deeper sound, but hate droning.

I like the sound a lot. With the resonator it's almost the same volume as stock, but the tone is deeper and more growl. Note that this is stage 1 flash still until I get in for stage 2 next weekend, which I think adds a little sound.

I went into the highway hills yesterday to test drone. Lots of slow up grades at highway speeds. Only once I noticed a mildly annoying resonance at around 72 in 5th gear, but it was gone pretty quickly (speed up or down a little, shift to 6, both solved it). The rest of the time the sound was not notable. My wife never really noticed the new exhaust sound until I went WOT on a few on ramps and revved over 4k, which is where the new DP starts to shine.

Definitely the right choice for me right now. I may consider adding more sound with a CBE later, but I think rubber is more important right now so saving for new wheels and tires after the rainy season (I guess it's still called winter out here). I really want to hear the UR with res paired with an AWE or Magnaflow CBE in person before I decide.

Oh, there's a minor "I have a small cat" smell which I definitely noticed a few times when starting and at long lights or stop and go with the roof open, but which didn't bother me at all. But I knew that smell before and actually don't mind it. If smells bother you, check one out in person first.

 

[fatty@golfmk6.com]

Plac mentioned earlier that the resonator above is similar to his previous ones, but different to the one he has now. Does anyone know if the product numbers on the website was the same? or if it was just a fluke that plac got a smaller resonator.

 

[plac]

Plac mentioned earlier that the resonator above is similar to his previous ones, but different to the one he has now. Does anyone know if the product numbers on the website was the same? or if it was just a fluke that plac got a smaller resonator.

doesnt let you choose a resonator style when ordering. only thing different about my order is i have a ceramic cat version. maybe it comes with a different style resonator. there are pics of all 3 styles somewhere on this forum. all the ones in the firts 10 pages of the UR downpipe review thread are the original, and largest one available.

 

[Bender1]

Hello Bender, as the TBE is 2.5", it looks like the resonator 3.5" – 4" Ø. Unless someone has tried it and I am wrong, if the resonator in the mid pipe area is in fact cylindrical, I suspect it will fit and you will not need the spacer/deep nut kit.

Thanks Bruce!