My BAD Warpspeed Y-pipe Experience!!
05-14-2001, 06:39 AM
#1
My Warpspeed Y-pipe Experience:
I ordered the pipe as part of a group deal. It was a Stainless Steel Y-pipe for a fourth gen maxima. I received the pipe in about a week (a little over). The first weekend that I got it, i was going to install it myself, but had lots of trouble removing the stock pipe, so I decided to let a professional do it.
The following weekend I took my car to a local speed shop and had the pipe installed. After leaving the shop I noticed a loud "cricket" sound when I accelerated, and a banging sound when I made right turns. I didn't take it back to the shop figuring the pipe maybe had to "breakin"
Eventually I realized that this was not normal and asked people here on Maxima.org. I found out that the sound made during right turns was the isolation bracket of the cat rubbing against the frame. That was because the Y-pipe doesn't angle at the cat correctly.
The next friday, I took a half day off on friday and looked over the pipe again. My friend helped me fix the rubbing noise by cutting and rewelding part of the isolation bracket and also adding washers to angle it away from the frame. I took the pipe down and checked all the gaskets and looked for any possible problems. In the process of doing this, I noticed that the welded on threadings for the O2 sensors were poorly put in the pipe. Looking into the pipe from the flange opening you could see that the holes for the threading were cut into the pipe and that they did not remove the excess metal from the inside. So in order to clean this up, I removed the O2 sensor and with pliers removed the shards of metal that were in the pipe. But in the process of this I accidentally dropped one of my O2 sensors. This was 100% my stupid mistake, but would have never happened if the pipe was properly constructed in the first place.
I reinstalled the pipe, but the "cricket" noise still existed. Finally I took it back to the shop. After looking over the exhaust they found a leak in the flex section of the pipe which was the cause of the noise. That day (Tues Apr 24) I emailed and called Warpspeed to tell them my problem. They agreed to send me a new pipe, but they didn't have any currently available. And they wouldn't have any till the beginning of the following week. So the next week comes and I send them another email (Wed May 2) asking when I should expect to receive my replacement Y-pipe. They say that they are having issues with there flex sections (like I didn't know this) and that they should hopefully have the new flex sections in next week.
Again I email them and the response (Wed May 9) is that Dallas is out of town till Friday night, and he'll get back to me. So Saturday rolls around, I email AGAIN and (Sun May 13) I finally get a response back. They want me to send them my faulty Y-pipe, so that they can put on a new flex section and check any other welds. What happened to sending me a replacement pipe? Now they want me to send them my pipe? What am I supposed to do in the meantime?
So all in all, I tried to save a few dollars by going with the Warpspeed pipe and in the end I got burnt. If I could do it over, I would have just spent the little extra money for a Cattman and avoided all the headaches. I have to admit that the people at warpspeed seem very willing to correct their mistakes, but I didn't want to deal with a pipe that has mistakes. I guess that's why the Cattman pipe is a little more expensive.
My experience:
Y-pipe - $305
Install - $70
Replacement O2 sensor - $75
Time spent:
Get the pipe: 1week
Install: 1/2 day
Troubleshoot: 1 1/2 weeks
Waiting for replacement pipe: 3 weeks and counting
See in the end I would have save money and headaches by going with the Cattman Pipe, so choose wisely when picking your Y-pipe. I feel embarrassed to drive my Maxima, cause this Y-pipe makes it sound like an old, crappy beetle.
I ordered the pipe as part of a group deal. It was a Stainless Steel Y-pipe for a fourth gen maxima. I received the pipe in about a week (a little over). The first weekend that I got it, i was going to install it myself, but had lots of trouble removing the stock pipe, so I decided to let a professional do it.
The following weekend I took my car to a local speed shop and had the pipe installed. After leaving the shop I noticed a loud "cricket" sound when I accelerated, and a banging sound when I made right turns. I didn't take it back to the shop figuring the pipe maybe had to "breakin"
Eventually I realized that this was not normal and asked people here on Maxima.org. I found out that the sound made during right turns was the isolation bracket of the cat rubbing against the frame. That was because the Y-pipe doesn't angle at the cat correctly.
The next friday, I took a half day off on friday and looked over the pipe again. My friend helped me fix the rubbing noise by cutting and rewelding part of the isolation bracket and also adding washers to angle it away from the frame. I took the pipe down and checked all the gaskets and looked for any possible problems. In the process of doing this, I noticed that the welded on threadings for the O2 sensors were poorly put in the pipe. Looking into the pipe from the flange opening you could see that the holes for the threading were cut into the pipe and that they did not remove the excess metal from the inside. So in order to clean this up, I removed the O2 sensor and with pliers removed the shards of metal that were in the pipe. But in the process of this I accidentally dropped one of my O2 sensors. This was 100% my stupid mistake, but would have never happened if the pipe was properly constructed in the first place.
I reinstalled the pipe, but the "cricket" noise still existed. Finally I took it back to the shop. After looking over the exhaust they found a leak in the flex section of the pipe which was the cause of the noise. That day (Tues Apr 24) I emailed and called Warpspeed to tell them my problem. They agreed to send me a new pipe, but they didn't have any currently available. And they wouldn't have any till the beginning of the following week. So the next week comes and I send them another email (Wed May 2) asking when I should expect to receive my replacement Y-pipe. They say that they are having issues with there flex sections (like I didn't know this) and that they should hopefully have the new flex sections in next week.
Again I email them and the response (Wed May 9) is that Dallas is out of town till Friday night, and he'll get back to me. So Saturday rolls around, I email AGAIN and (Sun May 13) I finally get a response back. They want me to send them my faulty Y-pipe, so that they can put on a new flex section and check any other welds. What happened to sending me a replacement pipe? Now they want me to send them my pipe? What am I supposed to do in the meantime?
So all in all, I tried to save a few dollars by going with the Warpspeed pipe and in the end I got burnt. If I could do it over, I would have just spent the little extra money for a Cattman and avoided all the headaches. I have to admit that the people at warpspeed seem very willing to correct their mistakes, but I didn't want to deal with a pipe that has mistakes. I guess that's why the Cattman pipe is a little more expensive.
My experience:
Y-pipe - $305
Install - $70
Replacement O2 sensor - $75
Time spent:
Get the pipe: 1week
Install: 1/2 day
Troubleshoot: 1 1/2 weeks
Waiting for replacement pipe: 3 weeks and counting
See in the end I would have save money and headaches by going with the Cattman Pipe, so choose wisely when picking your Y-pipe. I feel embarrassed to drive my Maxima, cause this Y-pipe makes it sound like an old, crappy beetle.
05-14-2001, 03:59 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,046
BUT the only flaw I see in that logic is that the cattman is better. You don't know that for sure. LOTS of cattman pipes have had problems, but in all fairness he has sold tons more so a smaller % of probs may show up as more complaints by volume.
Also...my cattman pipe flaked off like 75% of the jet hot coating in less than 2 months. He too wanted me to take off my pipe and send it back. What was I to do in the meantime? I never took it off. Also...there have been many with flex probs on the cattman. I *think* DanNY is one of them.
Mike S.
Also...my cattman pipe flaked off like 75% of the jet hot coating in less than 2 months. He too wanted me to take off my pipe and send it back. What was I to do in the meantime? I never took it off. Also...there have been many with flex probs on the cattman. I *think* DanNY is one of them.
Mike S.
05-14-2001, 05:32 PM
#4
yup..enough said
Originally posted by Mike S.
BUT the only flaw I see in that logic is that the cattman is better. You don't know that for sure. LOTS of cattman pipes have had problems, but in all fairness he has sold tons more so a smaller % of probs may show up as more complaints by volume.
Also...my cattman pipe flaked off like 75% of the jet hot coating in less than 2 months. He too wanted me to take off my pipe and send it back. What was I to do in the meantime? I never took it off. Also...there have been many with flex probs on the cattman. I *think* DanNY is one of them.
Mike S.
BUT the only flaw I see in that logic is that the cattman is better. You don't know that for sure. LOTS of cattman pipes have had problems, but in all fairness he has sold tons more so a smaller % of probs may show up as more complaints by volume.
Also...my cattman pipe flaked off like 75% of the jet hot coating in less than 2 months. He too wanted me to take off my pipe and send it back. What was I to do in the meantime? I never took it off. Also...there have been many with flex probs on the cattman. I *think* DanNY is one of them.
Mike S.
05-15-2001, 06:40 AM
#7
But I'm more ****ed about the change of events
Dated: Apr 24
"Bryan:
I will send you another pipe next week, you can return the other in the box it comes in. We will refund the return shipping cost of course.
I left a message on your phone as well. I'll check out the flex section.
regards
Dallas"
THEN:
Dated: May 13
"Bryan:
If your box is in good enough shape send the pipe back to us and we will install a new flex joint on it, while we are at it we will inspect the welds on the inside and replace the rear section. The pipes which we have replaced the new lined flex section on to have no hiss, no bees in the can sound at all.
We have spent the last week making jigs for our new 304 stainless pipes and replacing flex sections.
We will pay shipping both ways of course.
Send the pipe to:
WarpSpeed Performance
PO Box 244
Avoca, AR 72711"
It's the fact that they said in the beginning that I would just get a replacement pipe, seems simple. But then three weeks later, they want me to send them my faulty pipe so they can fix it. What happened?
Dated: Apr 24
"Bryan:
I will send you another pipe next week, you can return the other in the box it comes in. We will refund the return shipping cost of course.
I left a message on your phone as well. I'll check out the flex section.
regards
Dallas"
THEN:
Dated: May 13
"Bryan:
If your box is in good enough shape send the pipe back to us and we will install a new flex joint on it, while we are at it we will inspect the welds on the inside and replace the rear section. The pipes which we have replaced the new lined flex section on to have no hiss, no bees in the can sound at all.
We have spent the last week making jigs for our new 304 stainless pipes and replacing flex sections.
We will pay shipping both ways of course.
Send the pipe to:
WarpSpeed Performance
PO Box 244
Avoca, AR 72711"
It's the fact that they said in the beginning that I would just get a replacement pipe, seems simple. But then three weeks later, they want me to send them my faulty pipe so they can fix it. What happened?
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