Decats Fitted.....................Mmmmmmm
Discussion
Well, this morning at about 7:30 the Royal Mail delivered my Decats from "NTEL" for the Tuscan........By 9:30 they were fitted and by 11:00 I was out terrorising the local country wildlife. I know the Speed 6 isn't the engine that set the world alight, but god does it sound good with a decent exhaust system.
Firstly the quality of NTEL's engineering is absolutely first class, they really are a precision fit, and the quality of the finished product (Welding, Machining on the Manifold Ring) can't be better.
Cruising at about 75 - 85mph (On private roads of course) is no louder than the standard cats and standard exhausts. When you press the accelerator hard....... you get a really crisp sounding exhaust note (More like a bark). On the over-run you get the traditional pops & bangs that TVR's are renown for......Only Louder.
As for performance increase, to be honest it's hard to tell, but the engine certainly seems crisper and seems to respond to throttle better.
As for fitting them, providing you don't have any problems with exhaust backet nuts/bolts being rusted up, then it's a two hour job (Not Rushing & doing abit of cleaning before fitting the decats).
Take off both exhaust cans.....This allows you to drop the front of the exhaust system without the exhaust cans touching the body. Take off both stainless steel under-trays, undo the exhaust hangers on the rear cross member of the chassis, (The but leave the hangers that are in the wheel arches attached, this allows you enough movement to undo the cat securing bands (The big "O Bands") and drop the front of the exhaust to remove the old cat. Then I used a drill with a flap wheel on the clean both the inside & outside of the exhaust pipe, spray in a little WD40 and slide in the decat, lift the exhaust system up again, and fit the large end of the decat back onto the manifold......Turn the decat a few times to make sure you have a perfect fit, and re-tighten firsly the Large "O Band" (Decat - End of exhaust manifold), this allows you to then slide in or slide out the exhaust system onto the tailpipe section of the decat to get the right adjustment on the system. Refit the rear exhaust system hanger (Rear Chassis Cross Member). Put the exhaust cans back on, and make any adjustments on the exhaust hanger "L Bracket" (TVR's bent piece of threaded bar....LOL) to adjust the rear of the exhaust/cans to get the right height and any left or right positioning. Once it's hung in the correct position go back and tighten up the final exhaust camp that secures the exhaust system to the tail end of the Decat. (By doing this last, it allows you to move and position the exhaust system with stressing any of the joints. Then repeat the same thing on the other pipe. (Obviously you need to remove both of them first, and then refit in the reverse order ..... When refitting, do the highest pipe first... You'll see what I mean if your doing the job. No real problems at all.
Tools needed :
17mm Socket & Ratchet to undo the two under-trays.
10mm Deep Socket, Ratchet and 4" extension bar, to undo the Exhaust Cans, Cat "O Band Clamps & Exhaust System Clamps.
10mm Socket and 10mm spanner to undo the Exhaust Hangers on the rear chassis cross member.
Here's a few pics of NTEL's Decats, compared with the original cats......
Firstly the quality of NTEL's engineering is absolutely first class, they really are a precision fit, and the quality of the finished product (Welding, Machining on the Manifold Ring) can't be better.
Cruising at about 75 - 85mph (On private roads of course) is no louder than the standard cats and standard exhausts. When you press the accelerator hard....... you get a really crisp sounding exhaust note (More like a bark). On the over-run you get the traditional pops & bangs that TVR's are renown for......Only Louder.
As for performance increase, to be honest it's hard to tell, but the engine certainly seems crisper and seems to respond to throttle better.
As for fitting them, providing you don't have any problems with exhaust backet nuts/bolts being rusted up, then it's a two hour job (Not Rushing & doing abit of cleaning before fitting the decats).
Take off both exhaust cans.....This allows you to drop the front of the exhaust system without the exhaust cans touching the body. Take off both stainless steel under-trays, undo the exhaust hangers on the rear cross member of the chassis, (The but leave the hangers that are in the wheel arches attached, this allows you enough movement to undo the cat securing bands (The big "O Bands") and drop the front of the exhaust to remove the old cat. Then I used a drill with a flap wheel on the clean both the inside & outside of the exhaust pipe, spray in a little WD40 and slide in the decat, lift the exhaust system up again, and fit the large end of the decat back onto the manifold......Turn the decat a few times to make sure you have a perfect fit, and re-tighten firsly the Large "O Band" (Decat - End of exhaust manifold), this allows you to then slide in or slide out the exhaust system onto the tailpipe section of the decat to get the right adjustment on the system. Refit the rear exhaust system hanger (Rear Chassis Cross Member). Put the exhaust cans back on, and make any adjustments on the exhaust hanger "L Bracket" (TVR's bent piece of threaded bar....LOL) to adjust the rear of the exhaust/cans to get the right height and any left or right positioning. Once it's hung in the correct position go back and tighten up the final exhaust camp that secures the exhaust system to the tail end of the Decat. (By doing this last, it allows you to move and position the exhaust system with stressing any of the joints. Then repeat the same thing on the other pipe. (Obviously you need to remove both of them first, and then refit in the reverse order ..... When refitting, do the highest pipe first... You'll see what I mean if your doing the job. No real problems at all.
Tools needed :
17mm Socket & Ratchet to undo the two under-trays.
10mm Deep Socket, Ratchet and 4" extension bar, to undo the Exhaust Cans, Cat "O Band Clamps & Exhaust System Clamps.
10mm Socket and 10mm spanner to undo the Exhaust Hangers on the rear chassis cross member.
Here's a few pics of NTEL's Decats, compared with the original cats......
Edited by Jim Green on Wednesday 1st April 16:18
Edited by Jim Green on Thursday 2nd April 18:54
I’ve now had 2 sets of NTEL decat pipes.
One set on a MK1 Tuscan with NTELs end cans also.
I’ve just recently had a set fitted to my T350, with a JP sports back box.
Both sound absolutely awesome, but the T350 is has a slightly more base note to it and not quite as raspy. When you hit the peddle all hell breaks loose!
Whatever you do get some!!
One set on a MK1 Tuscan with NTELs end cans also.
I’ve just recently had a set fitted to my T350, with a JP sports back box.
Both sound absolutely awesome, but the T350 is has a slightly more base note to it and not quite as raspy. When you hit the peddle all hell breaks loose!
Whatever you do get some!!
Jim Green said:
Tools needed :
17mm Socket & Ratchet to undo the two under-trays.
10mm Deep Socket, Ratchet and 4" extension bar, to undo the Exhaust Cans, Cat "O Band Clamps & Exhaust System Clamps.
10mm Socket and 10mm spanner to undo the Exhaust Hangers on the rear chassis cross member.
Sorta glad I didnt see a 19mm spanner there Jim! Trust you got them back ok and glad you got it all sorted!17mm Socket & Ratchet to undo the two under-trays.
10mm Deep Socket, Ratchet and 4" extension bar, to undo the Exhaust Cans, Cat "O Band Clamps & Exhaust System Clamps.
10mm Socket and 10mm spanner to undo the Exhaust Hangers on the rear chassis cross member.
The original cats are not as heavy as I expected, but compared to the decats, they weight about ten times as much. I'm guessing they weight about 8lbs each. There were main reason for me making the change.......When I saw the heat damage the original cats caused to the chassis (Cats produce much more heat than a traditional manifold, secondly I believe they make the engine more responsive (Less Back Pressure), and of course they make a damned awsome sound.
From the info I got from here .......... and abit of advice from a well respected engine mapper....... there is no need to have the engine re-mapped, but if I did i would probably see about a 5% increase in power.......so about 15 - 20 bhp, which isn't a bad power gain on a naturally aspirated engine, for the cost of a pair of decats and a map.
From the info I got from here .......... and abit of advice from a well respected engine mapper....... there is no need to have the engine re-mapped, but if I did i would probably see about a 5% increase in power.......so about 15 - 20 bhp, which isn't a bad power gain on a naturally aspirated engine, for the cost of a pair of decats and a map.
If you didn't remove the rear silencers, then it would take two people to do the job, you underneath the car sorting the cat end, and a buddy making sure the rear cans don't hit the body, and also holding them horizontal with the underside of the car while you re-connect the new decats and insert them into the exhaust system.
So yet....... It is possible, but takes two people to do the job.
So yet....... It is possible, but takes two people to do the job.
biper said:
Hi Jim, thought I would just say hello as 'Fast Fuller' told me you had bought the TVR.
Barrie
Barrie Piper, God it's been a long time since I last saw you matey, I think I was still racing, and that was at least 15 years ago. Good to hear from you. Yep, I saw "Fast Fuller".....LOL, about three months ago (He doesn't change does he) down at Barry's just after I'd bought the Tuscan. It was a hard choice what to get after the Cosworth which I had for 15 years, and the the M5 (E39) which was a fantastic car, but just now extreme enough after 450bhp of Cosworth. Always appreciated TVR's, but knew that the need alot of attention, but can be perfected for an old mechanic like me who has plenty of time on his hands......LOL. So took the plunge and not regreted it yet, and it's kept me occupied for six months now (Ripping off the shonky items.... electrical connectors, fuel lines, bushes, engine loom etc etc etc and replacing them with decent items). Barrie
Have to meet up one day, probably at Barry's and catch Fuller there at the same time.
All the best Jim
Edited by Jim Green on Friday 3rd April 14:00
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