So where are we with the spec exhaust issue?

#1

I have an exhaust leak and will be putting on a whole new exhaust system in the off-season. Sure would hate to do it twice.

#2

Check out this thread:
http://spece30.com/component/option,com_kunena/Itemid,86/func,view/id,17228/catid,3/

Bill Zawrotny wrote:

#3

Natalie Black wrote:

[quote]Check out this thread:
http://spece30.com/component/option,com_kunena/Itemid,86/func,view/id,17228/catid,3/

[/quote]

oops. Missed that thread, thanks!

#4

As of the 2008 season, the required exhaust for the 325i cars will be a two-into-one just after the stock downpipes turn rearward, and into one 2.25" pipe with one 2.25" glasspack or "Cherry Bomb" type muffler at the stock muffler location. It’s simple, cheap, and it works.

My local exhaust guy said the total cost will be between $100.00 and $125.00, installed. For you guys who live in the high-dollar areas of the country, it shouldn’t be more than $175.00.

After the Barber weekend (this weekend) we will announce the specifics of the system - where the bends (probably only two - maybe three) must be, etc. And any decent exhaust shop will have no trouble with it.

If you drive your car to the track (very few here I’m sure) and need an annual inspection, have the car inspected with a stock exhaust and then switch to this exhaust for the racing season. According to our initial tests, the car will be quiet enough to not attract "official" attention, if you don’t drive like a wild teenager.

The required system for the 318i cars will be announced soon.

Carter Hunt
Spec E30 Series Administrator

#5

Carter, I noticed the SpecE30 regulations section was updated to include the exhaust rule change for 2008. Your post is a contradiction to the new rule posted for 2008, specifically (9.3.4.1.4.2). Are the rules posted in the forum going to be updated to reflect what your most recent post says?

#6

I agree I did a 2 into 1 setup earlier when the new 2008 rule first posted in the regulations, and used 2.5 outside diameter pipe, and 2.5 inside diameter glasspack as the new rule stated that would be legal. My exhaust guy is fairly cheap and did the whole job for $70, but that does not mean I want to do it again.

#7
#8

Is there an aftermarket system that meets these requirements, or will it have to be custom-made?

#9

the rules will have to allow a connector to be installed ahead of the existing CAT location for those who want to replace the stock exhaust for inspections(and have their stock exhaust modified). I don’t see why we couldn’t make it such that the 2:1 Y is at the existing connector location at the rear of the existing CAT - in that case, drive-to-track people (there are more newbies who are emerging from HPDE than I think you’re assuming Carter) could just gut their cat and leave it in place and others could just have a 2 pipe extension welded in to replace the CAT.

And for those wondering, the flow area of a single 2.25 pipe is within .1 inch squared of a dual 1.75" stock pipe.

#10

:S I’m biting my tongue. :huh: I’m biting my tongue. :angry: I’m biting my tongue :blink:

#11

why the change in pipe size why not keep it 2.5 as it states in the rules now. :frowning:

#12

Hmm, there might be a problem here.

I could be completely wrong, but my understanding of the federal regulations is that any shop that does modifications to an exhaust that disables or removes a catalytic converter on a vehicle that isn’t strictly for off road use is subject to severe penalties. That would tend to suggest that the fraction of Spec E30’s that will remain street legal can only fiddle with the cat-back portion of the exhaust. If I correctly understand what Carter is talking about the mod to the exhaust happens before the catalytic converters. So any shop I might take my street legal car to would be well within their rights to refuse to (and legally should refuse to) make up the "required exhaust".

As a suggestion… A spec exahaust should be limited to a cat-back specification. And it should be a COTS system.

#13

With the recent news of max dyno numbers throughout the rev band, I really don’t see the need for a spec exhaust.

#14

Michael Skeen wrote:

I agree. I doubt a race is going to be won or lost because of the exhaust system. IMO, this is an issue that has snow balled into a bigger deal than it really should be.

#15

Really good point Mike! Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. :wink:

#16

Well Scott I won’t bite my tounge. I’m sorry, but this is just stupid. I hate to put it like that but it is. Why are we requiring a spec exhaust. If the philosphy is that so everyone can have them same exact system then you better have a vendor ready with systems on the shelf ready to ship, otherwise its not a spec exhaust. We claim this series is about keeping cost low but now you want me to go a spend money to have my exhaust re-done. It ain’t broke, please don’t try and fix it.

#17

I’ll try to bite my tongue as much as possible, but IMO ‘spec exhaust’ is overdoing it and in some aspects against SPECE30 motto. Out of all SpecE30 dyno sheets that I saw in last few years, there isn’t anything that can be conclusively be attributed to different exhaust setups. Some cars have higher dyno numbers then others, but it’s not (IMO) due to exhaust. By ‘old’ rules, even at best, if someone was to monkey around with exhaust they would gain 1-2 HP. It’s hardly worth the effort and $$$. Removing cat and replacing pipes (that are already there) will just make life harder for the guys who might drive to the track (and at the beginning of their spece30 carriers bunch of people did so…).

While I will support and play by the rules, I would rather see exhaust being left as it is, and have some other issues addressed (like RTAB setups…)

Regards,
Igor

#18

While I agree in theory, I do not think it is a worthwhile endeavor.

I guess I’ll be protest-able next year. . . . :dry:

#19

JP Coates wrote:

[quote]While I agree in theory, I do not think it is a worthwhile endeavor.

I guess I’ll be protest-able next year. . . . :dry:[/quote]

I think most of us will be at risk for protest next year. You’re going to publish max HP/TQ rules across the rev band and you have about 60-75 (very wild guess) cars already built. We’re still waiting for the rationale for doing a spec exhaust, as I don’t recall ever hearing it articulated. With the introduction of HP caps, any justification there might have been is now moot, so why proceed with this at all?

This is not a positive step for a series that has seen fabulous growth in 2007, IMHO

#20

As an aside, for those who want to do the street legal exhaust thing–I solved that problem at the local U-Pull-It junkyard. Salvage yards are not permitted to sell used catalytic converters, so they lop them off for scrap. Guess where they usually cut them on E30s? Right where we do! I bought another head pipe and will have my system made onto the end of that, while retaining the full stock system I can refit as needed to get that emissions sticker in the future. Other than being a bit heavy and awkward, swapping out the whole system ain’t that hard.