535i experimental exhaust

[hatched91]

hello, if you've seen my pervious posts, i've been experiementing with exhaust, i figured i'd share my results. when i bought my car it had the b&b tri-flow catback exhaust. it wasn't loud enough for my taste, so i cut out the cat. that created a louder tone, but not throaty. so i decided to go 2 1/4" from the downpipes to a Y pipe about the center of the vehicle to 2.5" all the way back to a flowmaster 40 series. now it sounds MEAN at an idle, but from 1800rpm to 3200 rpm it's extremly raspy and sounds like garbage! i'm giong to have a resonator put in to try and calm it down. i'll repost when that's in. if i still can't get a better tone, i'm going to get a borla muffler.

[ILoveMPower]

I would try out a stock resonator, as I've heard that basically cures any vibration/raspyness. And definitely I'd like to hear a sound clip or video if you have any way of making one... I was thinking of trying flowmaster on my own 535 :)

-JK

[Alexlind123]

I have been thinking of a couple flowmasters myself.

[Qube]

I wasn't aware that Borla had something for e34? Or are you doing custom work?

[Alexlind123]

I wasn't aware that Borla had something for e34? Or are you doing custom work?

Read his post all the way through, and see if you can still ask that second quesiton with a straight face.

[hatched91]

yeah i figured a resonator would take care of it. my friend had a dodge neon srt-4 with dual straight pipes with borla xr-1 bullet mufflers ($175 per muffler OUCH) but for a 4 cyl it had an extremely throaty sound. i'm wondering if i should try an xr-1 muffler first, then add a resonator if necessary. i'll try to get a sound clip. more than likely a video with sound.

[winfred]

when i got my 535 it had single pipe with a flowbastard where the cat should of been and a glass pack where the muffler should of been, the only time it didn't sound like ass was at idle and maybe when id rap the throttle from under the hood, it wasn't really raspy it just sounded like **** and was ****ing loud, ****ing loud works on a small car sometimes but i find is kinda dumb on a good sized car. i went with a 750il catback that i modded to fit a stock cat
http://members.cox.net/wdixon27/750%20high%20tips
http://members.cox.net/wdixon27/750%20low%20tips
http://members.cox.net/wdixon27/750catback1
2.5" pipes, those cool square tips and a nice deep sound


I was thinking of trying flowmaster on my own 535 :)

-JK

[Alexlind123]

What about keeping everything stock except for the rear muffler, and replacing that with one flowmaster for each side?

[hatched91]

i thought about it because my friend was selling two flowmasters for $20 each. the problem is there is no room. i suppose it MIGHT be possible to cram both of them there the stock muffler goes, but i doubt it. something more practical would be to go a dual in single out flowmaster. my suggestion would be to use a dual in single out 30 series flowmaster with a nice tip. with the stock resonators in there it'll take out the rasp, and with a cat it won't be too loud. but i wouldn't use a 40 series flowmaster, possibly 30 or 50 series.

[hatched91]

i have a friend that has a hooker muffler brand new in the box he's asking $40 for. it's a dual in single out. i don't know how it would sound. i think it runs about $120 new.

[hatched91]

okay nevermind about that. i went to have a resonator put in. it turns out that the muffler shop i went to previously that installed the y pipe and 2.5" tubing back to the flowmaster solid mounted the exhaust, no rubber. they also used "exhaust band aid" to cover the horrible welds. so the new muffler shop i went to did a beautiful job! they cut out my Y pipe, welded in the dual in 2.5" to 3" single out hoooker muffler and made the adaptors for about $40. it fits perfectly and the welds are immaculate, couldn't ask for a better job.

SO to sum it up: i have 2.25" tubing coming from the downpipes for about 1ft, then into a hooker muffler (dual in single out) to 2.5" tubing back to a 40 series flowmaster. this set up is not throaty, not raspy and not loud. it has a very mellow tone to it. also, i thought it looked weird that my muffler was hanging down to where you could see it from the side, so i'm going to chop it off, if it's loud and throaty, then i'll be satisfied, if not, i'll have the muffler re-welded on higher up by a good professional shop, not a 5 year olds welding job

[hatched91]

also, i might try having a resonator installed at the end with a tip after it. that might give me a throaty, not raspy tone.

[hatched91]

OH, i also noticed a BIG power decrease in using two mufflers as opposed to one. with the straight pipes to one muffler, it was a definite horsepower gain i could feel.

[hatched91]

okay, so i cut the flowmaster off. right now it's 2.25 tubing into a dual inlet single outlet hooker muffler. fits great! it has 2.5" tubing coming out of the hooker muffler all the way back to a tip. this is a GREAT sound! very throaty, not too loud, sounds incredible. a little too much kackle for me, but i'm not going to complain. very throaty, and not too loud! she purrs.

[hatched91]

i had the tailpipe cut off to give a less jap tone when it revs low, and it definitally helped. i've seen sidepipes, do you think that would look stupid?

[Alexlind123]

Could you please post sound/video clips?

[Jon K]

I have a single 3.0" no cats ending at about the center support bearing.. it sounds mean :)

[Michael999]

Jon K, no mufflers on yours at all? where is this centre support bearing, so you cant see a tip at all from outside the car?

[genphreak]

i had the tailpipe cut off to give a less jap tone when it revs low, and it definitally helped. i've seen sidepipes, do you think that would look stupid?Stock has no trouble with 'Jap-tone'. And it generates heaps of power, has the X-pipe built in, doens't bang, resonate or rattle, flexes where necessary, doesn't create heat spots where there is no heat shielding... is tuned to the engine. The only after market system I'd use would be a scrounge together of decent stainless componentry that mimics the stock system exactly (a la SuperSprint, Eberspecher, Eisenmann) or go with a competely OE (stock) system. The thing is properly designed and tested by teams of trained professional engineers, not pieced together by monkeys paid $12 per hour. Good luck playing around, but it really won't keep you covered from all angles (power/noise/heat/economy/fit)
FWIK it really isn't worth the trouble, the stock setup is damn cheap anwyay...

[wjbell]

Stock has no trouble with 'Jap-tone'. And it generates heaps of power, has the X-pipe built in, doens't bang, resonate or rattle, flexes where necessary, doesn't create heat spots where there is no heat shielding... is tuned to the engine. The only after market system I'd use would be a scrounge together of decent stainless componentry that mimics the stock system exactly (a la SuperSprint, Eberspecher, Eisenmann) or go with a competely OE (stock) system. The thing is properly designed and tested by teams of trained professional engineers, not pieced together by monkeys paid $12 per hour. Good luck playing around, but it really won't keep you covered from all angles (power/noise/heat/economy/fit)
FWIK it really isn't worth the trouble, the stock setup is damn cheap anwyay...

True and well said.

[hatched91]

yeah, i do agree the stock system is very well designed. i wanted the sound, not to get as much power as possible. it is possible that i lost power, but not enough to matter. anyways, i'm really happy with the way it sounds.

[Andrea K]

Jon K, no mufflers on yours at all? where is this centre support bearing, so you cant see a tip at all from outside the car?

For now, my exhaust stops at about halfway down the driveshaft. No muffler right not. It makes for a very loud car I don't recommend you do it. Also the fireballs under the car are a little excessive but hey.

[Jon K]

^--- That was me forgot to log out of andreas account