GOLFMK8
GOLFMK7
GOLFMK6
GOLFMKV

To Borla or Not to Borla

aloha_from_bradley

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Look at the thread on the link below. After working in exhaust for over 2 decades I can be almost certain that the picture the guy posted was not of a Borla muffler, but the picture of a cheaply manufactured header/manifold merge collector. On all Borla you can see the perforations of the cores, they are perforated entirely, not solid on the ends. In the picture you posted, there are no perforations, but solid tubing, that seems to curve instead of going straight as a muffler should do.

I do agree with you, they need to correct the design or come forward with an explanation. This is the same thing that happened with the Dynomax VT a few years back. It was a great muffler, no drone at all while cruising, but the flapper clanking on deceleration was annoying to the point that customers wanted them off, since Dynomax offered a lifetime limited warranty on them.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lce-header-rust-out-and-repair-attempt.515108/

View attachment 220312

The guy on Vortex that posted this image said it was a Borla system. I guess he could have been wrong.

Great info, though. Thanks for sharing.
 
Last edited:

Maiden69

Autocross Champion
Location
Texas
Car(s)
2020 GTI
So, apparently the picture is either of an off brand copy of a Borla header for the FT86/BRZ from early 2013, or from a Borla header that was not supposed to pass QC. I only had 1 issue with Borla, and it was an outside weld that was not fused on both sides, but an easy fix for me. That was around 2005 on a Techtonics cat-back for a 2005 GLI. I guess Techtonics didn't even catch it.

There are multiple locations that the picture was pulled from the posts, or maybe deleted by the owners.

Google image search
https://www.google.com/search?tbs=s...g9H-1Wc24cAE6A-E0_1-RRZLCKTw7OkowZs8b-g&hl=en

FT86 post with an inside merge picture
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1012323&postcount=34
 

aloha_from_bradley

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
So, apparently the picture is either of an off brand copy of a Borla header for the FT86/BRZ from early 2013, or from a Borla header that was not supposed to pass QC. I only had 1 issue with Borla, and it was an outside weld that was not fused on both sides, but an easy fix for me. That was around 2005 on a Techtonics cat-back for a 2005 GLI. I guess Techtonics didn't even catch it.

There are multiple locations that the picture was pulled from the posts, or maybe deleted by the owners.

Google image search
https://www.google.com/search?tbs=s...g9H-1Wc24cAE6A-E0_1-RRZLCKTw7OkowZs8b-g&hl=en

FT86 post with an inside merge picture
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1012323&postcount=34

The "secret agent man" song just started playing in my head as I was reading through this. Lol
 

Charlotte.:R

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte
Car(s)
'18 Golf R 6MT
Called Borla.

They told me to take it to an exhaust shop and have it inspected. It's most likely installed incorrectly, and to call back if it's installed correctly and still whistling.

I suppose he's right, and that the majority of these are DIY installs--mine certainly was. So I'll take this step and see if I f'd up the install.
 

NopeR

Autocross Champion
Car(s)
18 Golf R
Having installed a lot of exhausts, I find it difficult to believe someone could fuck up an installation. I mean, if it's engineered correctly and it's a quality product, everything just bolts/slips on. If you can turn a wrench, you can install a catback exhaust pretty damn easily. Seems manufacturers always default to, "you must have fucked it up" instead of just owning up to shit quality control.
 

Charlotte.:R

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte
Car(s)
'18 Golf R 6MT
Having installed a lot of exhausts, I find it difficult to believe someone could fuck up an installation. I mean, if it's engineered correctly and it's a quality product, everything just bolts/slips on. If you can turn a wrench, you can install a catback exhaust pretty damn easily. Seems manufacturers always default to, "you must have fucked it up" instead of just owning up to shit quality control.

Yeah, it's not rocket science, on par with changing the oil. This would be probably my 5th cat back install, so not an expert, but I'm also not really sure what there is to F up. He at least acknowledged they are aware that some people that are having issues.

I'm fine with going to an old mechanic acquaintance just to make sure, and I can check in on the car I sold him.
 

Golfs everyday

Autocross Newbie
Location
USA
Damn, I'm not on Vortex and didn't see this in the Borla thread on here.

I installed the Borla non-resonated system a few weeks back, and have the whistle at WOT starting at ~5.5RPMS.

I've been on the fence on what to do, but now I'm thinking I'll reach out to Borla.
Yours whistles too? I have no idea why mine does not whistle.. it's the Borla 140643 S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust System (Fits 15-17 Golf R) I bought a while back. The only thing I did was opened the valve and unplugged it so that it is always open. It sounds pretty good to me.
 

Charlotte.:R

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte
Car(s)
'18 Golf R 6MT
Yours whistles too? I have no idea why mine does not whistle.. it's the Borla 140643 S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust System (Fits 15-17 Golf R) I bought a while back. The only thing I did was opened the valve and unplugged it so that it is always open. It sounds pretty good to me.

Looks like a contributing factor is the MK7.5

I have the valves coded always open. It sounds great, except for the whistle at WOT/high rpm.
 

aloha_from_bradley

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Yours whistles too? I have no idea why mine does not whistle.. it's the Borla 140643 S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust System (Fits 15-17 Golf R) I bought a while back. The only thing I did was opened the valve and unplugged it so that it is always open. It sounds pretty good to me.

Dude. I tried telling you. This isn't an isolated incident. I've been in contact with around a dozen people who are having this issue. Talked about options, been in correspondence with Borla's customer service manager, the works.

Regardless of MK7 or MK7.5, they shouldn't sell a $1700 system that whistles. They also shouldn't be continuing to sell the same faulty system to others just hoping only a handful will contact them about it.
 

aloha_from_bradley

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Having installed a lot of exhausts, I find it difficult to believe someone could fuck up an installation. I mean, if it's engineered correctly and it's a quality product, everything just bolts/slips on. If you can turn a wrench, you can install a catback exhaust pretty damn easily. Seems manufacturers always default to, "you must have fucked it up" instead of just owning up to shit quality control.

Yeah. For real.

The ONLY thing you can do is not tighten clamps to spec which may cause a leak. But I've never heard an exhaust system that leaks, whistle.

You can not install the rear hangers properly and have uneven tips, I guess?

But for the most part, it's really hard to fuck up an exhaust install. Borla knows they have an issue, they are just dancing right now.
 
Last edited:
Location
All AROUND
Car(s)
MK VII 7R
For what its worth, here is my take on exhaust systems particularly on the MQB platform
ever since getting my MK7 R, the first mod I wanted to do was a Cat-back system.

I have looked at dozens of press release videos from different brands while getting impressed by the likes of Bull-X , Levella, Remus to name a few I never justified paying the ridiculous price tag ($2000+) for these systems especially knowing what is the cost of manufacturing these in huge quantities

The prices are somewhat justifiable for a few of the brands like Remus,SuperSprint, Akra because the amount of R&D, History and time it takes them to put out an almost perfect exhaust.

while other brands like Fi, Armytrix have the worst sounding exhaust in the market on this Platform and having been called out several times on the forums that these systems are not developed properly and in some instances will rob your power. ($ 3800 for a turbo-back :eek:)

with that being said I decided to go a different route after seeing the Underground Exhaust system's approach in Germany, in a nutshell, they modified the OE exhaust to achieve different sound levels, so here is what I have done with mine, I call it the FSE (Fruit Salad Exhaust) :cool:

Gutted Rear section
Gutted Resonator
AWE Valve controller
CTS Downpipe (Catted)
CF Exhaust Tips

Before
572ce55b6165ba1f9abd4299a0ee678f.jpg


During
942ef96f9d487a4ffb4957599eec00e9.jpg


After
81db80997cb51f1460cf035eaf3b6b9d.jpg


Before
19dfbb55c2e4e7f75dcf7022f0bb9fa3.jpg


After
1d78011d7180595d34fa029089e0526b.jpg


All closed up
e4a4f112d053b8529335b4c6f16e6920.jpg


Video
https://streamable.com/rhhkv
(DP not installed in this video)

I'll take better quality once the weather gets better with different drive modes.
 

aloha_from_bradley

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
For what its worth, here is my take on exhaust systems particularly on the MQB platform
ever since getting my MK7 R, the first mod I wanted to do was a Cat-back system.

I have looked at dozens of press release videos from different brands while getting impressed by the likes of Bull-X , Levella, Remus to name a few I never justified paying the ridiculous price tag ($2000+) for these systems especially knowing what is the cost of manufacturing these in huge quantities

The prices are somewhat justifiable for a few of the brands like Remus,SuperSprint, Akra because the amount of R&D, History and time it takes them to put out an almost perfect exhaust.

while other brands like Fi, Armytrix have the worst sounding exhaust in the market on this Platform and having been called out several times on the forums that these systems are not developed properly and in some instances will rob your power. ($ 3800 for a turbo-back :eek:)

with that being said I decided to go a different route after seeing the Underground Exhaust system's approach in Germany, in a nutshell, they modified the OE exhaust to achieve different sound levels, so here is what I have done with mine, I call it the FSE (Fruit Salad Exhaust) :cool:

Gutted Rear section
Gutted Resonator
AWE Valve controller
CTS Downpipe (Catted)
CF Exhaust Tips

Before
572ce55b6165ba1f9abd4299a0ee678f.jpg


During
942ef96f9d487a4ffb4957599eec00e9.jpg


After
81db80997cb51f1460cf035eaf3b6b9d.jpg


Before
19dfbb55c2e4e7f75dcf7022f0bb9fa3.jpg


After
1d78011d7180595d34fa029089e0526b.jpg


All closed up
e4a4f112d053b8529335b4c6f16e6920.jpg


Video
https://streamable.com/rhhkv
(DP not installed in this video)

I'll take better quality once the weather gets better with different drive modes.

So what you're saying is "not to Borla"
 
Location
All AROUND
Car(s)
MK VII 7R
So what you're saying is "not to Borla"
Specifically when also reading about the whistle issue that comes with I and how they have handled the situation given that it's not an isolated issue would say Not To

I have used their exhaust on my MKV R32 was good for a couple of years until some welds broke loose somewhere and it created a very annoying sound whenever I blipped the throttle. Changed under lifetime warranty no questions asked.

Really good system for the price back then..
 
Top