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  1. #1
    Active Member Two Rings
    Join Date
    Sep 19 2012
    AZ Member #
    100791
    Location
    Easton, PA

    Borla exhaust installed - fitment hacks to position tips in rear valence

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    Had a shop install the 140403 cat-back system. 1.5 hours of labor, clean install, more on the shop in a separate thread soon. Here is a pic of the rear...AFTER I had to make minor adjustments at home to center the driver side tips to my liking:



    To get the driver side tips to line up in the opening, I had to make two adjustments: 1) installed a piece of 1/2" ID heater hose with a #6 clamp to position properly left to right...



    2) added 4 washers under the metal exhaust hanger bracket to lower the tips for clearance at the top of the opening...



    Not sure how long this is going to stay in position as I suspect the bracket will rotate around the bolt from vibrations over time.

    Overall, it looks fine but both sides are not 100% matched. The passenger side tips are ~3/8" lower than the drivers side.

    One odd thing is that after driving the tips "poke" out ~1" from heat expansion. Once cooled, they "retract" back to normal. Never really noticed this much movement before from a cat-back exhaust system.

    Also, I am trying to track down a v-e-r-y faint noise of some sort that is heard once in awhile when off throttle and hit a sharp bump. It is barely audible so not sure what it is. I suspect it is the cross-member contacting a pipe when I hit a bump a very specific way.

    As far as the exhaust sound goes, practically stock at cruise and idle - way quieter than I expected. A mellow, deep sound under acceleration and load, though not as crisp/sharp as I would have preferred. It sounds a little too muffled. I am hoping it opens up a bit after a few hundred miles and gets louder/sharper.

    Finally, butt-dyno feels like I lost some low-end torque which I didn't expect from a full-system with 2.5" diameter pipe. That's just .25" over stock so volume/velocity shouldn't have had a huge impact on low-end torque. Maybe ECU still needs to recalibrate so again, will give it a few hundred miles before making a final judgement.

    Overall, I'm a little disappointed with the fitment issues and subdued sound quality from a cat-back system at this price point. In retrospect, maybe I should have chopped out the OEM center resonator and replaced it with custom X-pipe to increase sound volume BEFORE dropping $2K on a cat-back system.
    2012 S4 Premium Plus | Phantom Black | Black/Silver Nappa | Carbon Atlas | 6MT | Sports Diff | Advanced Key | 18" OEM Wheels | Rear Side Airbags | V1 Hardwired | Roc-Euro Intake | Borla Exhaust | CR-15 Strut Brace | Up next...BBS CH-R 18"

  2. #2
    Veteran Member Four Rings 14S4GWM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 21 2015
    AZ Member #
    321669
    Location
    Maryland

    ^2k ouch, fitment with the final adjustment is tough. Takes 2 or 3 times to get it right.
    2014 S4 P+ Glacier White DSG/ EPL Stage 2 ECU/ TCU
    Black Optic/ B&O/ Sports Diff/ Carbon Atlas/ V1/ P3/ Carista/ ECS CF Intake/ ECS CF Diffuser
    Bilstein B8/ H&R OE Springs/ H&R 10-12mm Spacers/ Eurocode Sways
    C-Quartz/ Suntek PPF/ AWE Touring 102/ 034 X-Brace & Inserts/ / Akebono Pads/ CR-15/ VLED VX3 LED Fogs

  3. #3
    Veteran Member Four Rings Audibot's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 20 2010
    AZ Member #
    59252
    Location
    Maryland

    Had to do the same thing with hose clamps to get mine straight on the B7

  4. #4
    Active Member Two Rings
    Join Date
    Sep 19 2012
    AZ Member #
    100791
    Location
    Easton, PA

    I think I found the source of the noise. One of the bolts on the hose clamp is too close to the underside of the body. The picture on the right actually shows the contact point. I'm hoping that repositioning the bolt will clear the interference...

    2012 S4 Premium Plus | Phantom Black | Black/Silver Nappa | Carbon Atlas | 6MT | Sports Diff | Advanced Key | 18" OEM Wheels | Rear Side Airbags | V1 Hardwired | Roc-Euro Intake | Borla Exhaust | CR-15 Strut Brace | Up next...BBS CH-R 18"

  5. #5
    Senior Member Two Rings Wreckm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 30 2013
    AZ Member #
    127763
    Location
    San Gabriel California

    I just re adjusted my awe yesterday.
    When i was reading the instructions online again, i noticed the 2 m8 washers that i thought was extra parts. You know everything has extra parts :).. Only came with 2 washers and noticed you put a good amount. I do need to drop the side some more.
    And on the hose clamp locks. Awe's came with locks for the hangar, i just installed mine on the wrong side. It does make more sense on the inside... Looks like i need to put it back up in the air today..

  6. #6
    Established Member Two Rings Garro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 18 2016
    AZ Member #
    381279
    Location
    Round Lake IL

    Post

    Bring it back to the shop and let them heat up the metal and bend down the muffler with it installed and touching the valance.
    That is the proper way to fix it, my friend owns a muffler shop and that is the way they make the adjustment.

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