I plan on buying some piggie pipes here in the next month because i heard they lower the temp near your turbo and can prolong the life of it. I was wondering if i could take http://vastperformance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=65 and put magnaflow tips for some good sound since i dont have the 1200 for a full catback. Please excuse my ignorance in the subject for i don't really know what im talking about but thats why im posting. Not sure what part the piggie pipes are of the system even if they are a part of the exhaust system. Also can you see any performance increase from installing them?

Piggie pipes aren't specifically your exhaust. kinda sorta!!!
yes you are right, they will lower your temps and also increase your hp by about 20-30 crank. The cat back will fit to the piggies and can be done quite cheaply on a budget. Just don't expect full stainless steel or anything fancy.
Go to your local muffler shop to have the exhaust bent for you but don't tell them about the piggies...Some would frown.
i got a quote for $700 when i was looking at exhaust options....i just paid the extra $600 ish and got the APR cat back instead. My local muffler shop flat refused to bend 2.5" pipe saying it was too big and would rattle....Yeah right!!!!

I have VAST piggies (and their tip chip). I love the piggies, I defnitely felt the difference in low/mid range, much torquier. Car is quicker especially if you're chipped. They are loacted right behind the turbos and before the catback. Theyare sometimes referred to as turbo-back, or DPs/downpipes in aftermarket. I had mine done a couple of years back, and I have not had any issues with them, with cels, or passing inspections. VAST has great customer service. I had MY cores (stock downpipes) removed and shipped to them on a Monday, they got them on Wednesday AM, did them same day and I got them back the friday. On the car Saturday AM. I had a stock exhaust/catback then and I hardly noticed any sound increase. Even now with my APR catback the car sonds almost liek stock, very stealth. Removing the resonator and chsnging the muflers would make it louder, especially the muffler which are conservative.

So i would have to send something off to get these installed?

No and Yes you send them off to get the pre-cats (mesh in the pipe to reduce emissions) gutted making better flow. Then your local shop installs or you if your up to it. As for Cat-back I am going to do this soon so I'll let you know how everything sounds in a few days.

YOu have 3 options:
1- you go there and no issues, they do it all: removal, gut the precats, move O2 bungs, install back on car
2- you or your shop remove your cores/stock DPs form your car and ship them to VAST. They'll gut them, move the 02 Bungs, and ship back to you, yo or your shop install. YOU pay the listed price.
3- You just place the order, pay the listed price plus refundable core fee (used to be $300), they'll make and send you a set of piggies from another customer's cores (if they had one for an A6, they used to only have one in the rotation), your or your shop remove your stock Dps/cores, install the ones VATS sent you. YOU ship your stock parts to VAST and they'll refund your core fee.

Ok So out of curiosity is the reason you don't get a CEL because the sensor that was at the front moves down to the 2nd sensor position and the 2nd sensor moves behind the cat?

VAST moves the front O2 bung pass the precat.
If this is not done, and the preact is gutted, you WILL get a CEL

can the front o2 sensors reach that far? it seems like a streach!

you don't move the front 02. The second 02 is moved back and there is plenty of slack in the harness. you just need to cut one of the factory zip ties that hold it to the trans. There is only 1 place you can locate the 02 and not get a CEL and thank fully for us VAST knows where it is.

Are there instructions anywhere on replacing the piggies???

I had my piggies installed last week and did option #3 from formulagigi's list of options with Vast. I already had magnaflow tips on and did not notice much of a sound difference. I did the trial chip and man oh man let me tell you. I am def gonna get the fu program now. Totally different car. Revs much faster and it just moves. Get the piggies and tips and it will sound good. Won't sound like a ferrari or anything but its a good feel and good look

well unless u have a lift and 8 hours or so i woudl take the piggies to a shoop bc they are a PITA

ORIGINAL: joetm

well unless u have a lift and 8 hours or so i woudl take the piggies to a shoop bc they are a PITA
I can find the time as I also have an A4 to drive in the meantime. I don't have a lift but I have done work under cars that were on jackstands without issues.
I am looking at this as an opportunity to check everything under the car myself since I don't know the whole history of my A6.
Will I need special tools (I have all wrenches, including torque, shop lights, stands and jacks)?
I don't trust shops unless I personally someone there, and I enjoy the satisfaction of doing the job myself.

So, anyone knows where I can find instructions? TIA

well i kno i couldnt take it to my regular audi guy bc he didnt have a welder and said that if the flanges were off hed need to weld or something ??!! ... the whole reason the instal is a pain in teh ass is bc there is so much crap to remove before you can actually get to the pipes ... good luck not using a lift man ...seriously ... but if u do it yourself youd be one of the few so document the install for others

Joe Check it out. A fairly good step by step! http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng75.shtml

thats gutting them ... what about the install lol

ORIGINAL: trapped

Joe Check it out. A fairly good step by step! http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng75.shtml
I wish there were some pictures to go along with these otherwise great instructions.
I'll try to take as many as I can when I install my piggies. If nothing else this will help whe I reassemble if I should get confused as to what goes where...