If you're doing FI catback does G3 make a difference?
 

I'm about to get a Fast Intentions catback with either a 12" or 18" resonator installed (staying stock cats for now). Is it worth it to also do the Stillen G3 (Gen3) intake mod at the same time? Will I see a benefit there? How about maintenance? Is there anything you have to do to the Gen3's filters? Is there a worry about them getting wet?

You will see a huge difference and I highly recommend it !

Thanks for the input! Know about whether water is a concern? How about maintenance?

Check engine lights aren't an issue?

How about the ECU? Does it deal with both a catback and a G3 without a tune or is it best to get it tuned as well (adding how much $ to the equation)?

I put down 301/245 SAE w/ just those two mods. I say go for it!

edit: I had CEL, when I reset the ecu using the "pedal method". I then reset it by unplugging the battery and it never came back.

As many threads have said, you don't need a tune. It's better if you get one, but its not a requirement.

+1 for the Gen3. If you get a tune too you can make some nice power.

i did FI CBE w/ 12" and g3's... no error code, great sound, more pep... go for it.

Ok I did both the FI catback and the Stillen Gen3! Picking it up after work today...

Its best to tune with your final 3rd breather mod (HFC). The way the filers sit you would need to drive your car into a lake. If your installing yourself careful when it comes to your ac lines and use hose to cover them or pay the price later down the road. Wow big changes about to happen to your Z. Congrats.

Well I can already tell it's faster after a 30 mile ride home and a couple of stoplight runs. But damn is it loud. I got the quiestest setup there is, right? Stock cats, with 18" resonators. I'm almost worried this is too loud and annoying. Does it get quieter or do you just get used to it?

:bowrofl: :p
It's the quietest Fast Intentions option yes, some people find it loud some find it too quiet, you are in the first group ;) And no, it won't really get quieter. If it's bothering you too much, you can consider the Stillen cat-back, which is considered to be quieter, but of course it always depends on your level of acceptance. I doubt you'd find an aftermarket CBE as quiet as stock tho.

When I first installed my Fast Intentions exhaust, I also thought it was too loud. But after a couple hundred miles of break-in time, it actually quieted down a lot. It was a very noticeable change. Now its actually a bit too quiet for me. Go figure. I may end up giving Tony a call to order a different x-pipe (12" or non-res).

Overall, I'd recommend giving your exhaust some time to break-in. It just might settle into a tone that's perfect for you. If after break-in you're still not happy with the sound, you can also try upshifting/downshifting as necessary to get out of the RPM range where droning occurs.

That's what I had seen in other threads, that it does get quieter. That's a good thing as I'm liking the power increase. I'll see how it does over the next couple hundred miles.

Hey guys don't mean to Hijack the thread but I have a quick question...

I have the FI 18" Res & AFE Drop Ins with Z1 MAF Tubes...

What would you do next (more bang for the buck):

HFC or G3 Intake?


:tiphat:

HFC and tune :tup:

Definitely HFC

Hey OP you have a really great setup there if you think its too loud imagine me (never ever purchased an aftermarket cbe) and I purchased Non resd CF CBE and TP hahaha way too loud as a first timer but like a member here said after breaking it in My oh My the sound is BEAU..TI..FUL :D

Thanks - I'm hoping it does quiet down some. Can anyone estimate a percentage reduction in noise (or even just annoyance) level? 25%? 30%?

I can't describe in percetage but how I would dezcribe it, it Sooths itself out like a Melody :tup: give it about 500 miles to settle in :)

The most annoying aspect is when you're idling along (in whatever gear) and you need to speed up a little - pushing the throttle 1/4-1/2 way results in horrid resonance inside the car that gives me a headache. Is that mitigated by break-in or does it stay generally the same? If it stays about the same I think I'm going back to stock exhaust.

As for the Stillen G3 - if I go back to stock exhaust is there still a benefit to be had from keeping the G3?

Why are you convinced there is a correlation betwen the two? Keep the intake.

Figured opening exhaust and intake together were necessary to see true benefit. But if you say keeping intake still carries a benefit good. That's why I asked. Thanks...

They work better together, but they both will give you power individually.

Just out of curiosity, is your car a 7AT or a 6MT?

7at

Based on what I've read in these forums, the drone tends to be worse on 7at cars. My car is also a 7at, and if I leave it in D or DS mode, the car always shifts to the highest possible gear. This is great for fuel economy, but as you've noticed, it puts you right in the middle of the headache-inducing "drone zone."

To counter this, I've started driving in M mode all the time. By manually shifting the car, I can keep it in a lower gear to avoid the drone. In addition, the lower gear gives me better throttle response when I need to accelerate. :tup:

Take a video of your car driving away. You'll find that it sounds different and quite good. Think of all the people you drive by and will let down if you go back to stock exhaust.

Agreed - I find myself doing the same. Bummer that it negates some of the benefit of having the auto tranny.

This is another time I wish Nissan would wake up and give us a "sports" mode tranny button like the Evo has. Three or four settings for how aggressively you want (or don't want) the tranny to seek out taller gears would go a long way to being ale to stay in D but get the result we're after.

Ok for those who care or later find themselves in the same position, I want to let you know the answer to this problem is that Fast Intentions (and possibly other manufacturers) are building their exhausts minus a very important item - a Helmholtz resonator. This type of resonator attaches to the main pipes at a 90-degree angle, and is capped on the end. He shape doesn't matter (J shaped, etc) as long as it's the proper length - basically what you need is to know the frequency of greatest drone (say 120 Hz for example) and then shoot for a resonator that is 1100 / frequency / 4 which gets you a tube length which will have a natural resonance 1/4 of the wavelength of the worst drone. Since this tube is closed on the end that doesn't attach to the exhaust pipe no exhaust really flows, it rather a standing wave is established (like when you blow over the top of a Coke bottle) which cancels much (or all) of the drone. Similar to noise-canceling headphones.

Why FI and possibly others are leaving this out? I'd guess it's the inability to determine the proper frequencies since the catback may eventually be combined with other items like an HFC, different exhaust header, etc. Thus what would work with stock cats and headers wouldn't necessarily work (at least as well) with aftermarket replacements of these items.

My beef isn't so much that they leave them out, it that so many fans of FI in this forum make FI exhausts out to have NO DRONE which is absolutely nonsense as I can tell from having it installed two days ago. At a minimum people need to have REAL information before blowing 1100-1200 dollars on an exhaust that can induce headaches or at a minimum be highly annoying. I'll probably get flames for this since FI seems to be so well regarded here but I wish someone would have warned me before I wasted money having this installed and now will be paying labor charges again to have the stock system out back on (or to have Helmholtz resonators welded on) plus loss for restocking fee since the exhaust can't be sold as new anymore.

For the curious who want to see the outcome of the calculation above, for a drone that is worst at 120 Hz:

1100 / 120 / 4

= 9.16667 / 4

= 2.29167 feet

(times 12 for inches)

= 27.5 inches for the length of he Helmholtz resonator tubes

OP, while we wait for F.I. response to your post, I would like to note a couple of things as you are effectively one of the very few (the only one?) F.I. customers who are not completely happy with the product :)
- each individual is different so they noise you perceive could be very different from the one I perceive
- there are many alternatives with the type of exhaust you are mentioning, iirc I believe Motordyne has one; forum search should have pointed you to that
- F.I. have never claimed their exhaust has NO drone, even on their website they say NO rasp but they mention they use resonators to cut down the drone (not to remove it)
- if you searched the forum, you would see people mentioning drone with F.I. I am actually one of those who said at least once that the exhaust with 12'' resonators does definitely drone
Again, please don't think I want to be a j**k about it, but F.I. exhausts are probably the most reviewed and the ones with the largest amount of opinions on this forum. I believe that when you are planning on spending +$1k on a product you have to be a well informed buyer and that should mainly come from doing good homework, which translates in searching, reading and searching again.

Also an advice, you have probably barely used your exhaust. I am sure there would be people here willing to buy it off of your hands for the same price you paid to be able to have it shipped right away instead of having to wait 3 months, just sayin' ;)

That's a good point... Hadn't thought of that!

:-)

Very well put!

Thank you, Tony

http://www.the370z.com/intake-exhaus...ml#post2463611

I also mentioned here the 18" SS FI's drone to be just tolerable for me.

no. test pipes! :P

G3 intakes

Well I was leaning towards the HFC because a post that said with a 7AT the test pipes can give you more drone than HFC and also raw fuel smell.

i don't smell anything. and if i do smell gas, it smells good :) #racecar

this is the setup i want.

:iagree:
3 AGONIZING months and sleepless nights!

Getting my 12" res cf cbe and nonres hfc nextweek! planning to order the gen 3 intake too. How much does it cost to install this whole set up? sorry to ask here dont know much autoshops here in VA beach and hate getting robbed =)

I had the FI CBE alone and it was great. I just paired it with Stillen G3's, Stillen UD pulley, and Motordyne ART pipes. Ever hear a car that you said...damn I wish mine sounded like that?

I now own that car! I am so pleased it isn't even funny. No one will be disappointed with that set up.