2018 VW GTI SE Ep. 50: Installing the Unitronic Downpipe

[@abramkidane9387]

2 years later. YOU are the only youtube video i could find that showed where the nuts that held the downpipe bracket to the engine block was. so for that i thank you. loved the rest of the vid too.

[@LastHumansGarage]

Thanks Abrahamian. I like to make detailed videos.

[@abramkidane9387]

@@LastHumansGarage Keep at it please. youre such an amazing content creator and i benefit a ton from your knowledge. plus i have an 2018 SE in White too lol!

[@stathi13]

12:34 best part - I appreciate u made all of these DIY videos man. I'm studying before I install my CTS catted downpipe

[@LastHumansGarage]

Do the following 5 letters mean anything to you? "Papan"

[@stathi13]

@@LastHumansGarage yessir 👍

[@LastHumansGarage]

@@stathi13 thanks for that thing you sent to the channel dude, much apppreciated

[@JacobFrey]

This is LastHuman at his best, and happiest. Great install, really looking forward to the next video.

[@LastHumansGarage]

thanks, long time supporter and friend

[@LastHumansGarage]

you don't know how right you are..... wow

[@secretaasiannman821]

I just received this Downpipe last week so am definitely going to use your video to guide me through it!

[@LastHumansGarage]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@conorc4594]

Thanks for the advice on getting the nuts out from the top rather than the bottom of the car.

[@LastHumansGarage]

sure

[@kevinhutchinson8129]

LashHuman.... great video. I put the same system on my 2015 GTI SE 2 weeks ago and the install of the downpipe was terrible. the motor mounting bracket just wouldn't line up, though after bending it some I finally got it to fit. Still the downpipe is extremely close to the passenger side heat shield and the rear hanger is at kind of a weird angle... slightly tilted. After the install the heat shield was actually hitting the pipe, but I got it to crush in enough so that the 2 aren't touching. I tried following the instructions, but of course they really don't help as they talk about a 2 pc. downpipe. Unitronics needs to update their install instructions, IMO. I've got a support ticket in with them, so I'm hopeful to resolve my fitment issue.

[@LastHumansGarage]

strange.. you saw how perfect my fitment was.. the engine bracket is what you had trouble with? that is in the directions i think. you loosen whatever bolts are holding that bracket to the engine, and you can adjust it a bit. might have been as simple as that. the pipe is a hair close to the tunnel, but never had an issue with it, period. you can also smash down the silver padding a bit which i do on all my installs.

[@kevinhutchinson8129]

@@LastHumansGarage Hi LastHuman.... thanks for the reply. Yeah, I did all that. Loosened the engine bracket from the motor and took off the stock downpipe from the bracket. The install was attempted to be the same, per the instructions, but again, since the instructions are for a 2-piece downpipe, where you install the upper C-section first and then V-band clamp the lower flex section in and the newer pipes are one piece, you have to wing it. Maybe the pipe I was sent had the tabs at a goofy angle, maybe the bends weren't quite right, I don't know. I did have to crush the passenger side heat shield in all the way, but that still only leaves at most a 1/4" of clearance. Not at all like the Unitronics literature and photos show; where the pipe is pretty well centered in the exhaust tunnel. Since the pipe is pretty rigid, with very little flex in the flex section, its basically a case of mounting to 5 fixed points: up top at the turbo, the 2 engine bracket nuts and then the 2 rear sub-frame bolts the mount the rear hanger bracket. I found that after getting the v-band clamp on the turbo, the engine mounting bracket studs to the downpipe just weren't lining up on the passenger side and even with the flex section, the rear hanger/sub-frame bracket was a force fit at best. Frustrating. I've got a support ticket in with Unitronics on it.

[@kevinhutchinson8129]

@@LastHumansGarage Also, at 19:15 of your video, where you comment that there was 'no tension on the hanger bracket and before that were the tabs just slid onto the motor mounting bracket, in my case there was a HUGE amount of tension at the rear hanger (the left side didn't want to go in) and the passenger side mounting bracket stud didn't line up at all and was way below the tab on the downpipe. I'm going to get in touch with Paul at Deutsche Auto Parts (he's 1-1/2 hrs. away from me) and see if he'll inspect the install and the downpipe. Unitronics is making it sound like it's an install issue. Have to admit, their Perfect Fit (their and your words, sure fit perfect for you. Just so you know, I'm not trying to bash Uni.... just trying to understand why it went so well for you and was just the reverse for me. Unitronics installed to date on my 2015 Mk7 GTI SE MQB 2-door 6-speed (not including the turbo-back exhaust): Uni Intercooler Uni Carbon Fiber CAI Uni Coolant Reroute Uni Charge Pipe Upgrade Kit Uni Turbo Inlet Elbow Uni Stage 2 ECU Tune & UniConnect (not yet flashed)

[@zone47]

Nice to see you can do this without jacking the car up to the moon and back. I tore my rotator cuff so I'm going to have a fun time with this, left arm reach is limited but still think I can do it. Torque on that clamp will be in ounce inches.

[@LastHumansGarage]

dood, i had shoulder surgery almost a year ago.. i would not even think about this job if my shoulders were not 100%. even when you're good, the job wrecks you the first time.

[@Gregg0112]

Lots of cars have an unmonitored secondary converter. Can’t wait to hear the car when your done

[@LastHumansGarage]

i fired it up at the end, but you prob already saw it

[@Gregg0112]

LastHumansGarage yea sounds pleasantly quite. I can’t wait to hear the dsg

[@mbst118]

12:44 That squeaky sound tells me it was not easy :D

[@LastHumansGarage]

couldnt find any sound at 12.44

[@donaldgeorge6656]

Really enjoyed this. Great job!

[@LastHumansGarage]

thanks man

[@scottnoreen4292]

Did u have to pull off axle heat shield

[@scottnoreen4292]

NVM I got mine I got it out i.e recommend it just to give access to bracket got it with a baby rachet and took 5min to pull out on stands thanks for the bending the exhaust tunnel helped alot

[@scottnoreen4292]

I found that if using jack stands it it easier to lower the pipe from the top till you can't reach then go under for the rest and for install I put the pipe in the tunnel then grabbed it from atop

[@LastHumansGarage]

i cant remember, but i think i did not.

[@LastHumansGarage]

best way to get that pipe out is remove the O2 sensor from the bottom before the pipe is all the way out. for that last twist.

[@larrymarket9658]

Did you get a CEL after install?

[@LastHumansGarage]

no, if you have a stage 2 tune, you usually cancel that CEL

[@GTI_CHHA]

Flawless install, congrats! Thanks for mentioning me on the secondary cat :-). When I went Stage 2, my GTI Mk7 PP was dynoed before and after the downpipe swap: it made an additional 20HP and about 20Nm on the stock map. As you have dropped a second cat, the effects may be even better. I am curious if you can feel the gains!

[@LastHumansGarage]

you prob watched the next video where i discussed what i felt.

[@blower1]

Nice install.....those torque wrenches are too big to do small values, unless you get them calibrated regularly they will be way out on the smaller settings. I've always found this when I've had 3/8" or 1/2" torque wrenches. I bought myself a little 1/4" precision one which only went up to 25nm ( 18 ft/lb's ) and it would always click off where the bigger ones would just keep going to the point I stop as I think the bolt is going to snap.

[@LastHumansGarage]

hmmm really? my first one i started with usually gives me a nice 7 ft lb click..

[@philcosta5876]

Another great instal video

[@LastHumansGarage]

thanks man

[@brandynshroyer4240]

How did you get that second mounting bracket off man I’m struggling

[@LastHumansGarage]

its tough

[@ACHILLESR32]

That fitment 👍, was the mk6 unitronic pipe fitment just as good?

[@LastHumansGarage]

Yes, we’ll 98% of this one

[@MrXYDER]

Really informative thanks for taking us through it, but for some reason I was expecting it to be louder... But hear alot of the engine noise in the video maybe a shot from the back to hear it a bit better?

[@LastHumansGarage]

oh its a lot louder when driving. i am considering a resonator, but its close.. almost perfect. not very loud at all.

[@LastHumansGarage]

after driving for a full day, i decided it is way too loud for my taste, so i'm working on solutions.

[@0Ejay0]

You need an electronic torque wrench for what you were trying to do

[@LastHumansGarage]

i have smaller torque wrenches for more sensitive torque specs

[@flgavilan2002]

The last giving birth moment. 😂

[@LastHumansGarage]

it was nice. i did the job again last night. now i know how to do the whole job in an hour or less.

[@ecoshine2012]

Great video 👍🏼👏

[@LastHumansGarage]

thanks man

[@russellmcmahon1193]

Nice job! I know what dp im getting for my 7.5

[@LastHumansGarage]

its very nice as you saw. i just gotta do something about the extra noise. the stock sound was exactly perfect for me. any changes and its a lot louder.

[@PRO4XKEV]

V clamps should be torqued to 60-70 In lbs.

[@LastHumansGarage]

the unitronic spec is 7, not 70. and i barely got the 7 when i rechecked today. 70 or even 30 would snap those little studs.