Roadstersport Midpipe Installation

Installations instructions for MonsterFlow intakes, Big Brake Kits, shocks and more.
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hsiungfucius
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Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 9:23 am

Roadstersport Midpipe Installation

Post by hsiungfucius »

Does anyone have instructions for installation of the Roadstersport midpipe (not the racing one)? I just ordered it (along with the exhaust), but want to make sure it's something I can handle in my garage.

Thanks!
slartibartfast
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Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 pm
Location: Houston area

Post by slartibartfast »

Two bolts at the muffler, two studs at the header and wriggle it out of the hangers. That's it regarding removal of the OE pipe.

The Goodwin mid-pipe is two-piece and I believe I installed the front portion first. Whichever half has the hanger hooks is the one you want to install first. Don't tighten anything until both pieces are in place. An easy one-person job. Don't forget to slide the U-clamp onto a pipe BEFORE connecting the two halves!
Brian
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Post by Brian »

Excellent summation above. Will belabor the points with lots more wordiness below for NC midpipe install, much of the same applies to ND though more notes on ND in particular a few pages into this thread. New FIAT 124 RoadsterSport Midpipe is the same as NC in design, including precisely same gasket and hardware, so directions below perfect for our Fiat 124 Midpipe too.


Much the same easy install as the muffler. Note that install of our NC and NB midpipes is much the same...the only distinction being at the header connection point. Both NB and NC connection points from the header dump tube are TWO BOLT flanges....but the NC has sprung connectors as shown in additional posts below.

1. Unbolt braces blocking your access to the midpipe.
2. Unbolt the flange at both ends of factory midpipe (two bolts each).
3. Lower and remove factory midpipe.

4. Notice that replacement midpipe has a slip joint in the middle. The only mistake that folks sometimes make is that they shove the slip joint all the way together. Instead of doing that, realize that the slip joint is there as your friend so you can adjust length as you need it to match the flange of the stock header, aftermarket headers, and any muffler on the back end. The slip joint also allows you to adjust height that the midpipe hangs at. Make it short to raise the midpipe. Make it longer to lower the midpipe. And move it right or left by twisting at the slip joint. With these thoughts in mind, lube up the joint with dish soap and connect two halfs of the midpipe but keep the clamp in the middle just barely snug for now. Match the new midpipe to the rough length and orientation of the factory midpipe that you already removed by laying them side by side on the garage floor.

5. Now raise the new midpipe into the car, bolt the front half to the header exit, connect the single midpipe hanger, and thread the bolts for the rear flange connecting midpipe to muffler (open and slide the slip joint as needed to make this happen).

6. Now look at how it hangs. Adjust the slip flange so that the midpipe hangs where you want it. To tighten your bolts start at the front flange which connects to the header and get the flanges all nicely lined up evenly and then bolt those down first. Then head back and adjust slip joint until you get the flange that connects to the muffler nicely lined up and flat and bolt that flange down. Torque to about 25 foot pounds (if you don't have a torque wrench the Harbor Freight $15 torque wrench works really well for the price). If you are using our midpipe with Super Q muffler note that length that YOU set at the midpipe slip joint will control alignment of the muffler tips. Reason is simple, entry pipe for that muffler is on one end of the muffler. Make the midpipe shorter and it pulls that attached end of muffler more under the car, make it longer at the slip joint and it pushes that side of the muffler out, etc.

7. Lastly, torque the clamp that holds the slip joint and reinstall braces that you pulled for access. Slip joint bolt just 10 to 15 foot pounds and the same for the relatively small brace bolts.
Last edited by Brian on Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:37 am, edited 2 times in total.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
hsiungfucius
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Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 9:23 am

Post by hsiungfucius »

Thanks for the detailed instructions, guys. I'm looking forward to getting the midpipe and the exhaust in the mail soon. Now if I can only work up enough courage to do the header myself...
mx-5-06
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Post by mx-5-06 »

[if you don't have a torque wrench the Harbor Freight $15 torque wrench works really well for the price]

Do you sell the torque wrench Brian?
06 MX-5 Copper Red
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Brian
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Post by Brian »

mx-5-06 wrote:[if you don't have a torque wrench the Harbor Freight $15 torque wrench works really well for the price]

Do you sell the torque wrench Brian?
We don't. But I do have a few of these cheap harbor freight choices. These are the torque wrenches I take to track events. They are reasonably repeatable, take some abuse, and when they get loaned out and don't make it back it is no big deal.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
slartibartfast
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Post by slartibartfast »

Dang, forgot about the [flimsy] X-brace. I didn't occur to me to pre-assemble the pipe first. It weren't nuthin' to do it my way, but then I'm no stranger to the dirty side of a car. Wait, that would be the top of my car at the moment!
Brian
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Post by Brian »

slartibartfast wrote:Dang, forgot about the [flimsy] X-brace. I didn't occur to me to pre-assemble the pipe first. It weren't nuthin' to do it my way, but then I'm no stranger to the dirty side of a car. Wait, that would be the top of my car at the moment!
I had not thought of doing it that way (leaving X brace in place and threading front of midpipe up first, and then assembling the midpipe on the car). I agree that saves some steps of my method (removing the X brace).
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
slartibartfast
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 pm
Location: Houston area

Post by slartibartfast »

Oh, I did remove the X-brace, I didn't pre-assemble the pipe. Seems there's always more than one way to skin the proverbial cat.
hsiungfucius
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Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 9:23 am

Update on my midpipe install

Post by hsiungfucius »

Is there a trick to removing the bolts connecting the midpipe to the header? At first, I thought mine were just stuck on really tight because I could not remove it despite letting the WD-40 soak in overnight. I even tried using a breaker bar, but felt that I would be bending the bolt rather than turning it if I applied much more force.

Is this a regular bolt (i.e., counterclockwise to loosen)? I am trying to unscrew it from the rearward facing side...should I be loosening it from the header side?

Or, do I just have a really stubborn bolt that'll require an air gun?

Thanks.
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