Ordered a berk test pipe last week, should be here any day now.

How many of you guys are running a test pipe and how do you like it? Are the gains at all noticable?

Also, any tips for the install..things to be prepared for, or is it pretty straight forward?

 

pretty straight forward..sounds nice , kinda smelly,, remmber to twist the o2 sensor a couple times b4 installing..

 

i had one!
it was awsome!!!
gets rid of drones and defintily helps with performance

 

thanks for the tip on the o2 sensor, i also bought some anti-seize compound to put on the threads before install so i should be ok in that department.

did either of you guys run the test pipe with a stock exhaust?

my exhaust is currently stock, i'm only running a cold air intake as far as performance goes. I'm hoping it still sounds good on a stock exhaust and that it's not too raspy!

 

as you know i have the berk TP and love it....except for the smell. It has made the drowning disappear and mid range seems improved.

cheapest best mod to date.

install is simply but those bolts with the springs are a BITCH

 

^ yeah i remember you saying you liked it. I bought some liquid wrench so hopefully the old bolts aren't too seized up.

I imagine the smell from the test pipe is worse with the top down, so hopefully having the hardtop installed will help me out a little.

 

A test pipe is great! It isn't great for the environment but will offer more response, better exhaust note, and a bit of a smell but you'll get used to it.

 

ok so i installed the berk pipe earlier today, here are my thoughts:

-Pretty simple install, hardest part for me was getting the seized bolts off the part of the cat that connects to the exhaust. Didn't have any trouble with the spring bolts.

-the smell is not too bad, it is a bit noticable but nothing that i can't deal with.

- On initial test drive i honestly felt no difference in power (I think it is partly because i reset my ECU after installing the part, so the car was running kinda rich due to the stock fuel maps so hopefully it will lean out a bit in time).

-As far as sound goes, in the cockpit there was very minimal, if any difference in sound (in fact i actually thought it sounded even quieter than before).

however, upon hearing my friend drive my car, i noticed the exhaust note is now slightly raspy while in vtec..not really liking it, i was hoping for a deeper more throaty sound.

I am running a stock exhaust with an AEM v1 cold air intake and it sounded awesome before the test pipe install, not raspy at all.. but if this pipe is truly giving me a bit more power i suppose i can live with it, it sounds great while not in vtec.

I will see how the pipe works out in the next few days and update this once i drive it more

 

^definately more raspy for me...which i dont mind because before it was a droaning sound.

 

Ian, did you ever have any trouble with the berk tripping a CEL?