Amuse Titan R1 Dual Mid Box Fix
 

So this happened to my exhaust:-

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/e...o/IMAG0043.jpg

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/e...o/IMAG0049.jpg

And i'm not gonna lie, this was about the 5th time in a year of ownership so as you could probably tell I was mighty peeved. :brokehrt:

So I thought to myself, what to do, the options were:-

1) either get the mid box welded up again
2) make a new mid box with stronger Ti
3) Delete the mid box and replace with pipe.

I went with option 3 and got rid of the mid box because it gets rid of the problem forever reasoning that I don't think it does very much anyway. I therefore contacted Dixon ( :thumbup: )and got hold of 1m of 63mm, Grade 2 Titanium for a cool £170 collected ( :yikes:) and set to work on deleting the mid box. When I say I, I mean my mate Bob. :D Bob is a welder in Fareham nr Portsmouth and specialises in a challenge so deleting the mid box was right up his street! As the titanium pipe from Dixon was ever so slightly bigger than the 60mm pipe of the Amuse, we managed to cut the mid box out and then slide the pipe over the original both sides so that it was sleeved. This was then welded and Bobs your uncle (pun intended :D), no mid box to worry about anymore!

So here are some pics of the work Bob did:-

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/e...5-21114211.jpg

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/e...5-21114211.jpg

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/e...5-21114150.jpg

We didn't bother putting on the mid box hanger onto the pipe because it was so stiff on the car that I highly doubt it will get enough resonance to bounce and crack. The thicker bit of new pipe is strength enough.

Sound wise, it sounds pretty much the same at idle, nice and quiet, a reserved burble a quality exhaust should sound like. Once you go up the revs, all I can say is that it is like unleasing hell in VTEC, it screams like a banshee, but in a VERY good way, it sounds like the race S2ks you hear on best motoring, a bit like the single pipe Amuse 1000RR but probably a bit quieter. Either way, it sounds epic and I am very pleased with the result, it certainly sounds better than it did with the mid box in! :heart: :heart:

In terms of drone, well I don't think there is any.

So all in all, if your mid box cracks, then I think this is definitely the way forward if you own this exhaust, because I think it will get rid of the problem.

As a side, I have about 3/4 of metre of pipe left so if you want some, then give us a buzz and I will happily flog it to you!

Hope this helps someone!

Graham

Sound clip?

this is why I got rid of mine. Would love to hear the sound clip on this.

Tomorrow, ran out of time today and it would have been rush hour. I'll get one mid afternoon when its quiet tomoz

It's worth the wait! Lol!

Nice work - this is why I got rid of my three! I didn't have the time or patience to try and get a fix - well done! :)

This was one of yours Ian! Seemed a shame to scrap one of these beautiful exhausts...

:thumbup:

I appreciate your patience Graham as i couldnt live with a titanium exhaust, well in our climate :(

It means the car is ready for mapping mate!

If it lasts long enough to get to you, haha!

I think I dropped another 1.5kg by getting rid of the mid box, so I have made the lightest exhaust even lighter! It can't weigh more than 5 or 6kg now.

Looks good man, I look forward to hearing it at the mapping sesh :D (I'm matt at Tegiwa btw!)

I'll take a length of pipe too please mate, can you measure it and work out a price please?

Thanks!

Yeh, I'll measure what I have left, be around £100 ish I would have thought. But you will probably get another sale out of it so it would only be £50, but I don't want to cut it to exact size in case your welder needs a bit more or whatever. I'll bring it the mapping day!

Glad you like it, I was just trying to find you on facebook to email you the link!

So I went out and recorded a video with trusty track recorder for Torque Pro, expecting to export the video and get all the data from the ecu on the video but to my horror the quality is naff and there is no data even when I use the export facility and encode using all the software.

When I try to select a higher quality the app says it has failed to initialise the camera. Any ideas?

Anyway, here it is, but I am not sure it gives a great representation due to the rubbish quality, i'll go out a bit later and get a HD video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiFl9SSSLvE[/youtube]

Yeah that's not fair on it is it, haha! Here is my standard one from outside

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sniJyjNRZY


Do you do any track days mate? To be honest I don't use the car daily, I don't mind how loud it is but I don't want to be black flagged :(

Matt

Get a test copy of RaceRender (free) and copy the data and video files from your phone to your PC and put it all together there - it's much easier. http://www.racerender.com/RR2/Download.html

Cheers LG i'll try that when I get a minute!

Just recorded some more footage in HD, just uploading up to youtube now...

That's a very gentle cruise through Mortimer. Nice to see you gave it more of a blast out the other side :D

I'm so pleased I passed up an Amuse R1 a couple of years back. I couldn't be doing with getting it repaired. Why do they seem to fall apart so easily?

Not sure, I think the mid box metal is just weak to be honest and the pressures and shocks from the engine moving on gear shifts is probably enough to rip it apart. Its pretty rubbish to be honest.

I think getting rid of it is about the only workable solution, anything else is just prolonging the inevitable. I think the exhaust is one of the best sounding exhausts for the S2k and is of course the lightest going, it is just a shame that the mid box is made of cheese.

Do you live near Mortimer then Jamie?

Youtube is taking forever, definitely higher quality!

The camera took a bit of a dive in this one! Great outtake! Haha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-sjO...hannel&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyiT3...hannel&list=UL

Sounds good!

I havn't really, I did North Weald with it and no one complained but that is not really a track day. I'll go out and measure it in the minute, but you will hear it at the mapping day anyway so you could probably tell. I hope not as I have a Js 70 Dual coming soon as well and this was going to be my track exhaust as I think the Js will be louder!

I just used my phone as a dB meter and it said it was idling at 75dB and then at 6000rpm it was at 90dB. Although I have no idea to how accurate this is.

It is not stupid loud, to be honest, the Amuse is a pretty quiet exhaust IMO, this just opens it up a bit, I still don't think it is as loud as a Buddyclub/Invidia or anything like that.

That hurt my ears just listening to it..... Doesn't sound particularly good IMO perhaps the recording didn't do it justice?

Yeh I think my phone is rubbish and YouTube compression and pc speakers is ruining it. I need to get a video by someone outside the car, think it will sound better then as you don't have all wind noise to contend with either.

Titanium exhausts do sound a bit ropey at low revs compared to steel though.

As with anything, exhausts never sound the same as in real life as they do on YouTube, you miss about 80pc of the frequencies. Everyone so far has said it sounds good and it drew a crowd of admirers when I went to the station. So meh, I think it must be the recording or its not your cup of tea! Dunno.

my resonator just cracked open on a track day :thumbdn: just payed a welder 100 bucks last week to weld the tubes back on to the resonator since they cracked more then half way around.... Is the tubing you have left over long enough? how much would you want for it shipped to the USA, New Jersey?

here is a pic...

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...kenexhaust.jpg

Jesus christ wrecked! Mine has started rattling again at 1500-2000RPM, just enough to be very annoying on a cold start. Having heard Graham's it's definately too loud for track so I'm going to sleeve a steel midbox in, maybe even the standard one :( Just sounds too good at WOT to get rid!

Hi Wrecked,

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, I work at sea and have not been online in ages.

To be honest, I don't know how strict the trackdays are out in the US, the exhaust is certainly not as loud as the Invidia/J's/Buddyclub duals and singles, in fact I think it is pretty timid till VTEC which is why I am getting a J's 70RS Dual to replace it. I think it is a good combination of loud when it needs to be and very civilised when you want it to be pootling round town!

As I am at sea, I would not be able to post it to you until Sept, which is probably too late for you? I don't mind posting it but you will have to wait a while for it and there is probably a supplier in the US that is cheaper and will be easier to get. FYI, you will need Grade 2, 63mm titanium pipe, 1mm sidewall (at least) and about 400mm in length. I think I used about 300mm because I sleeved it both ends.

Up to you, but its a risk as I have never been to a trackday with it yet...?

Graham

I'm not worried at all about sound levels. That is not an issue for me regarding this exhaust. I have the stock exhaust on for now but idk if i want to wait that long. I can't find any suppliers who sell titanium tubing in this size. Does your supplier have a website? Do they ship to the US? lmk

Yeh, I got it from Dixon, he is a trader on here.

Search google for DMS Racing. He is based in Erith.

In fact, here:-

http://www.dmsracingltd.co.uk/

(0044) 1322 435330

Very helpful and sorted me out. You don't need 1m, I just got that much because I didn't know how much I would need or whether I would need to bend some section rather than just sleeving around where the midbox used to be. Fortunately I was able to sleeve it so used less than 400mm.

I would get 500mm to be safe though, that should get the cost right down for you.

Graham

And also, the titanium from Dixon was much better quality than the Amuse...you can tell by the oxidation on the pipe, it is a deep deep purple which is a indicator of good quality titanium with few imperfections. Much better oxidisation than on the Amuse, it is very pretty colours! Shame I don't have a pic and won't have one till Sept! But, you won't go far wrong.

I'm not in Dixon's pocket or anything, it is just a superb product he has.

ok thanks for the info! I sent them an email. Waiting on a reply :)

Just did the same and e-mailed Dixon motorsport... I've got an Amuse R1 resonated (not the box type but cylinder type?) and had the inlet and outlet sections repaired but the internals are quite noisy (I've gotten use to it ahha but everybody tells me my car is rattling...). So I'm thinking of just deleting the resonator... I can't bear the sell the exhaust and get something else as nothing else sounds quite like it :)

Lol, I just got a ASM 70mm single, the J's never did turn up...haha!

Its gonna be hard to part with the Amuse, think I might keep it for shits and giggles because it is not exactly hard to change over the exhaust when you want some glourious Amuse noise! Depends how good this ASM sounds, will be different having a single...

why did you make the pipe a good 2 inches longer then the old resonator?

I guess that's just where he cut the exhaust to get the box out..

wouldn't you be able to see the pipe sticking off the resonator then? And I'm also worried when I get this repair done, it seems like it would be really hard to weld it straight so the exhaust won't be crooked. Any tips for that?

still cant find the pipe i need in the states for this.. I dont feel like getting one from the UK and paying 300 dollars when it should be 100 :thumbdn:

Oh wait reading the first post it says the new pipe is bigger so he sleeved it over the exhaust for those 2 inches.

If you fix the exhaust down a bit and spot weld it all the way round first you'll be alright keeping it straight.

Aye, we put the exhaust in a jig to keep it at the right angle (it does bend ever so slightly if you look at it) and then sleeved it.

Any decent welder/fabricator would be able to do this, it is a piss easy job. The tricky part is keeping it all lined up but if you have the exhaust clamped down properly to start with it is not that tricky!

Are all those welds on all that pipework from you?

If not, I'd be pretty pee'd off at spending a grand on an exhaust with that amount of welds on it. That's poor!

Which welds mate?

Its a 3.5k exhaust new! 1k for a JDM quality stainless exhaust is about the going rate, about what i paid for my ASM that I have now from MB.

Ti is notoriously fragile when it vibrates. Which welds do you mean, it was only the midbox that was the problem the rest of the welds are excellent.

damn 3.5k? i thought it was $2800 USD?? Luckily it came with my car so i diden't have to pay that :D Still pissed it broke and I CANNOT find this stupid 63mm tube anywhere.....

Can you not get it from Dixon like gbduo did?

The postage is pretty eye watering...

Aye same here. Still a lot of money!

Ah I was on my phone, couldn't see he's in the states!

I could've brought one with me in my suitcase lol

I stand corrected, for £3.5k I'd expect it to be a hell of a lot better.

I am probably showing my naiveness/newbieness to the Jap scene and Ti, Seen Powerflow systems ( :LOL: ) knocked up better looking than that with a fraction of the welding, and mandrel bends as a substitute.

But again, It's a new area to me all together, so in advance I apologise and feel free to correct me.

Yeah, you try mandrel bending titanium.

Which welds are you referring to because there are some which i did, my mate did and were done by garages before me. Then there are original welds. I dont see any problem with any of them, but im function over form with the welds i did.

There are parts which are mandrel bent, but only large radius curves. Obviously the tight curves need to be cut and shut, this is the same with steel. You collapse the inner wall and stress the outer wall with bending tightly a pipe, even with a mandrel.

Its a product of the s2k curves in the chassis and tensile strength of Ti.

Most agree that the Amuse as an exhaust is very high quality, its just titanium is not great as a material for exhausts on daily cars.

That's fair enough bud, as said Ti systems I have no clue of, but at £3.5k.... to save 1 or 2kg's... I think that's a nut's figure for you one to pay to have problems like that :(

You save more than that, especially of you go STD to Ti, STD is 33kg and the Amuse is 6kg.

Most quality JDM stainless exhausts are around 13kg so you save quite a bit.

I got mine second hand and didn't pay that, but I can see why you would.

As for it breaking, its the risk you take with any after market part that has "for race car use only"

But I agree, for it to break is pretty shit poor.

Hence why I fixed mine for good!!

I just got off the phone with bulletproofautomotive in regards to this problem and I showed him your thread and he says your exhaust doesn't look authentic. Any thoughts on that?

Haha, it is.

It was bought by AquilaEagle, the Squeek had it and now I have.

I think the exhuast just looks different since it's old and the quality might have changed a bit from what they put out today. Anyway, I found some grade 2 titanium tubing that should work!!! :thumbup: finally. It's in the mail. here are the specs http://www.ticotitanium.com/products...m-welded-pipe/ it's the heavier 2.5in piping. Does that look good to you? have you had any problems with the exhuast since you fixed it?

Well done! Yeh that should work fine, just make sure whoever welds it puts the exhaust in a jig first because there is a slight bend in the pipe or the exhaust is on an angle around the midbox. You will see if you lay the exhaust down.

To be honest, I bought a ASM 70mm Single soon after I fixed it so I haven't really used the exhaust that much, it is in my garage loft gathering dust haha! Maybe over the summer i'll crack it out and give the car a blast with it, it did sound amazing. But then the ASM isn't bad either, haha! Spoilt for choice now!

I dunno about whether the exhaust has changed, it would seem the quality is still pretty hit and miss if your midbox cracked as well! haha!

What do you mean by putting it in a jig exactly? I'm just going to show my welder this thread so any info you have on how to get it straight would be appreciated!! thanks

Clamp both ends of the exhaust, where the mid box is so that when you cut the mid box out and put the pipe in, the original shape of the exhaust is maintained.

You put the exhaust on a table and hold it down so that when it is in two, it doesn't get in the wrong alignment or twisted or something!

yeah so I think I bought $120 paperweight... That tubing I got will cause more harm then good I think. I measured it at 6.41mm THICK!... It is about as heavy as the rest of the exhaust :censored: . The ID is 50.06mm as opposed to 58.25 on the exhuast :censored: . The OD is 63mm as opposed to 60.62mm on the exhuast. I couldn't measure the wall thickness of the exhaust since I didn't cut it but I would suspect It's no thicker then 1.5mm... So mad..

I returned the pipe and got something a little more suitable.. Had it welded in and it came out great. The exhaust is a bit louder then I was hoping it would be (however, I am also running a test pipe) but it does sound pretty good and I deff feel gains over the stock exhuast. Here is a pic and a crappy vid I whipped together real quick. I really want to get some high quality vid of a nice 100+mph fly by :)

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...1D8A628729.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciF8NTheEAs

Shouldn't Amuse be responsible for this? They are obviously selling a product which is not up to standard.

I think rather than fix them, complain?

Why should Amuse be responsible

the exhaust in question is years old

and has had multiple owners.

Chris.