I just got done installing my Tubi on my 01 NSX. Piece of cake. not bad to install and I loved seeing the underside of the car. It makes you appreciate how special this car is seeing all the aluminum and the delicate and completely adjustable suspension.
Sound. In a word... Rich! Not too loud, great smooth impressive sound.. Not ricy or tinny in the least. I was really a skeptic and waffled on getting a louder exhaust for a long time because I didn’t want an obnoxious noise that interfered with the stereo or conversation. I LOVE THIS THING. It's just the sound I wanted. The Tubi web site says they are dedicated to the art of turning engine noise into music. Come to think of it, it sort of does look like a band instrument
Fitment: The build quality and finish are jewel-like. The spacing of the tips within the rear diffuser is just about perfect. I did not have to bend any hangers.
The only issue I can nitpick is that the left two pipes appear twisted slightly with the left most one lower than the right one. However, they are equally spaced within the cutout in the plastic diffuser. The right side is perfect. I am not going to make an issue of this because it's slight and I’m not sure in a hand built exhaust if you should expect more.
Installation tips.
It took me about 2 hours start to finish. I read about the 6 14mm bolts that you have to spray with liquid wrench. Well.. I can't speak for 97-99, but on my 01 there are NO 14mm bolts. The OEM muffler is held on to the cats by a compression fittings held together by 4 spring-loaded bolt assemblies. Each pipe has 2 of these bolts and requires a pair of 12mm box wrenches. You CANNOT get a socket on them. Mine came off without a problem, but my car has not been in rain and was clean. If they are really rusty, i can see having to break them off and replace them.
I thought the rubber hangers would be a bear to get off, but they came off surprisingly easy. I sprayed some silicon lube on the top hanger rods (the ones on the car) and they slid off with ease. I had the muffler supported by the floor jack using a wooden board between the jack and muffler.
Prepare the Tubi
While the Tubi was still off, I wrapped the tail pipes using two old towels so that they would not scrape anything going into place. The Tubi requires two short extension pipes in order to fit 97 and newer cars. These "extensions" are not the same for all years. They are different for 00 and 01 cars. Each extension attaches to the Tubi using 3 17mm bolts and nuts. A metal ring "gasket" makes a seal between the two flanges. I assembled the extensions with muffler off the car, but only tightened them enough to hold the gasket in place. Let them loose so they can move a bit. Only after the muffler was in place, held by the four rubber hangers and the tip alignment was correct did I tighten everything up.
I put it on the jack, slid it under the car, had my assistant jack it up into place, and slipped the rubber hangers on. Alignment was as good as it gets. While my friend held the tail pipes in perfect alignment, I first installed the 12mm bolts/springs/nuts between the muffler extension flange and the cats. These bolts have a flange on them that goes through a larger hole in the extension flange. This "bolt flange then tightens up against the cat flange with the nut on the other side. Only the spring holds the extension flange to the cat. Be CAREFUL. When you tighten the nut, be sure that the flange on the bolt goes THROUGH the large hole in the extension flange. If it is not centered, it will catch on edge of the hole and if you don't see this and keep tightening the nut, you will bend the extension flange. One of mine did this, but I saw it in time before I bent the flange. Tighten these bolts securely using the two 12mm box wrenches. I can’t see how to torque them since you can’t get a socket on them. Next, I tightened the 17mm extension flange bolts. There are three for each pipe. Tighten each just a little going to the next and the next so that the gasket is compressed evenly. I torqued these 17mm nuts to 25 ft/lbs, but that was the figure given for the 14mm nuts on older NSX's. They feel plenty tight and do not leak, but I wonder if I should torque them tighter?
DONE start her up and check for leaks. None.. and when she started.. we both said WOW.. at the same time. I’m still smiling. Well.. there you have it. My Tubi experience. I can’t wait till next spring and the top comes off. Its gonna sound pretty cool!
------------------
keep the shiny side up
MikeC 01 #46
Sound. In a word... Rich! Not too loud, great smooth impressive sound.. Not ricy or tinny in the least. I was really a skeptic and waffled on getting a louder exhaust for a long time because I didn’t want an obnoxious noise that interfered with the stereo or conversation. I LOVE THIS THING. It's just the sound I wanted. The Tubi web site says they are dedicated to the art of turning engine noise into music. Come to think of it, it sort of does look like a band instrument
Fitment: The build quality and finish are jewel-like. The spacing of the tips within the rear diffuser is just about perfect. I did not have to bend any hangers.
The only issue I can nitpick is that the left two pipes appear twisted slightly with the left most one lower than the right one. However, they are equally spaced within the cutout in the plastic diffuser. The right side is perfect. I am not going to make an issue of this because it's slight and I’m not sure in a hand built exhaust if you should expect more.
Installation tips.
It took me about 2 hours start to finish. I read about the 6 14mm bolts that you have to spray with liquid wrench. Well.. I can't speak for 97-99, but on my 01 there are NO 14mm bolts. The OEM muffler is held on to the cats by a compression fittings held together by 4 spring-loaded bolt assemblies. Each pipe has 2 of these bolts and requires a pair of 12mm box wrenches. You CANNOT get a socket on them. Mine came off without a problem, but my car has not been in rain and was clean. If they are really rusty, i can see having to break them off and replace them.
I thought the rubber hangers would be a bear to get off, but they came off surprisingly easy. I sprayed some silicon lube on the top hanger rods (the ones on the car) and they slid off with ease. I had the muffler supported by the floor jack using a wooden board between the jack and muffler.
Prepare the Tubi
While the Tubi was still off, I wrapped the tail pipes using two old towels so that they would not scrape anything going into place. The Tubi requires two short extension pipes in order to fit 97 and newer cars. These "extensions" are not the same for all years. They are different for 00 and 01 cars. Each extension attaches to the Tubi using 3 17mm bolts and nuts. A metal ring "gasket" makes a seal between the two flanges. I assembled the extensions with muffler off the car, but only tightened them enough to hold the gasket in place. Let them loose so they can move a bit. Only after the muffler was in place, held by the four rubber hangers and the tip alignment was correct did I tighten everything up.
I put it on the jack, slid it under the car, had my assistant jack it up into place, and slipped the rubber hangers on. Alignment was as good as it gets. While my friend held the tail pipes in perfect alignment, I first installed the 12mm bolts/springs/nuts between the muffler extension flange and the cats. These bolts have a flange on them that goes through a larger hole in the extension flange. This "bolt flange then tightens up against the cat flange with the nut on the other side. Only the spring holds the extension flange to the cat. Be CAREFUL. When you tighten the nut, be sure that the flange on the bolt goes THROUGH the large hole in the extension flange. If it is not centered, it will catch on edge of the hole and if you don't see this and keep tightening the nut, you will bend the extension flange. One of mine did this, but I saw it in time before I bent the flange. Tighten these bolts securely using the two 12mm box wrenches. I can’t see how to torque them since you can’t get a socket on them. Next, I tightened the 17mm extension flange bolts. There are three for each pipe. Tighten each just a little going to the next and the next so that the gasket is compressed evenly. I torqued these 17mm nuts to 25 ft/lbs, but that was the figure given for the 14mm nuts on older NSX's. They feel plenty tight and do not leak, but I wonder if I should torque them tighter?
DONE start her up and check for leaks. None.. and when she started.. we both said WOW.. at the same time. I’m still smiling. Well.. there you have it. My Tubi experience. I can’t wait till next spring and the top comes off. Its gonna sound pretty cool!
------------------
keep the shiny side up
MikeC 01 #46
