997 Turbo Intercooler and Y-pipe Upgrade (Do88)

[Paul_S]

Hi All

What a ballache of a job, but it is typical that I make things harder than they need to be....

As posted elsewhere, I had a boost leak on the Turbo so as I was going to have to dismantle a few bits anyway I decided to take advantage of Black Friday and bought the upgraded Intercoolers and Y-Pipe from DO88. The car was laid up for some other mods so no rush to fit but last week I started the job. I found the O-Ring on the left Intercooler to Y-Pipe hose was broken so I am assuming this was the issue (I found the hose was loose when I was upgrading the engine mounts, so it makes sense that was the source).

Getting everything off is easy enough, and modifying the intercooler shrouds was OK if a bit messy, but putting it all back together is painful. I watched so many videos finding where people are re-mounting the intercoolers, I eventually worked out the technique but the first one took me over an hour. Then I had to fit the new hoses between the Intercoolers and the Y-Pipe which is where it gets even harder and I need to check some things with the gurus on here...



The hoses need to be oriented, and then the Y-Pipe mounts over them. I cannot get the right hose to line up properly, it is all clamped down but the Y-Pipe is not sitting in the mounting hole because the hose lifts it out. It looks ok but I just cannot get it to seat. Does anyone have a recommendation for the technique here? Do I pull the right intercooler away slightly to make some room, as it seems like the hose is poerhaps not oriented exactly straight? Is there is a good lubrication method to help or is it just twisting and brute force?



I don't want to remove the Y-Pipe again, the left hose in the picture above is perfectly seated. All of the hoses are clamped up and secure, so right now I think it would perform fine but it doesn't look right. DO88s instructions are useless.

Have I done anything in the wrong order? Is it Yipe and hose connections first, then fit the intercoolers? I can't see how that's any easier or better but I have the opportunity to try.

 

[Mezgerite]

I haven't fitted the DO88 Y Pipe as they don't add any power. It's the MAF to turbo hoses you should upgrade. Normally it's Y intercoolers to Y pipe first and then Y pipe to throttle body. Make sure you use a new Y pipe to throttle body pipe, and get it pressure tested to ensure no leaks. The amount of times we have had cars on the dyno for tuning, and as soon as they see any boost they pop a hose.

Rick

 

[photek]

I just went through the same trauma, except on a 996 TT...and with the added fun of plenum/bigger TB and some other hoses

I the installation in the same order as you, and experienced the exact same issue, the left hose was fine - the right was a royal pain in the arse. I ended leaving the left hose connected to the Y pipe and intercooler, disconnecting the Y pipe from the throttle body and loosening off the Y pipe mountings which allowed me to create a bit of space on the right side.

Brute force was used to twist it into the correct position, it took an embarrassingly long time to get the hose correctly mounted and oriented - otherwise there was a strange bend in which I'm sure would not have been good for airflow.

 

[Paul_S]

I haven't fitted the DO88 Y Pipe as they don't add any power. It's the MAF to turbo hoses you should upgrade. Normally it's Y intercoolers to Y pipe first and then Y pipe to throttle body. Make sure you use a new Y pipe to throttle body pipe, and get it pressure tested to ensure no leaks. The amount of times we have had cars on the dyno for tuning, and as soon as they see any boost they pop a hose.

Rick

Cheers Rick - the Y-pipe was practically free taking the BF discounts into consideration so seemed to make sense while I was there, as I would have to remove the old one anyway - so the issue would be the same with the oem pipe, which is how to get everything lined up again.

I don't have any plans to tune the car, this was just a nice upgrade for some modest improvements as I was diagnosing the boost leak already there. The way the DO88 hoses connect there is almost no way of popping the hoses as the hardware has a massive lip the hoses clamp over although the throttle body end where it connects to the Y Pipe is likely a weak point I guess.

I'll take @photek advise and undo the TB to Y Pipe again and give everything a wiggle around to make a bit of room, and I'll try and lube up the conenction to see if that helps. I don't have a massive kink in the hose, i'm sure it would fine as it is but it annoys me.

 

[Mezgerite]

Yes, TB is the weak point!

 

[911UK]

Never heard of DO88

But do agree, written instructions on part upgrades are very light

 

[photek]

Never heard of DO88

But do agree, written instructions on part upgrades are very light

do88 make very nice intercoolers and hoses, and most recently have started producing y pipes and plenums : do88

They actually make reasonable instructions available online in PDF format, for example here's the 996 TT y pipe instructions.

Last year for black friday they had a good deal of 20% (or 25%?) off everything..