I'm at the shop right now having an x pipe put in. pics to come later. This guy is supposed to be really good and he's making the X-pipe from scratch. This is the only exhaust shop in North Carolina that has mandrel bending equipment.

 

you're going to luv it Rev.

 

Here's the new X-pipe. It looks a little distorted in the picture. I took it on my camera phone. In real life everything looked perfectly straight and square. I think it's just a bad angle. He used some really fat pipe. I don't know what the diameter was, but he had to reduce it on both ends. I watched him bend everything and then cut it and weld it up. That light was really bright and my eyes feel all itchy now!



I was surprised to see that the existing muffler didn't really have any baffles or anything blocking the flow of the exhaust. I could see straight through both pipes. I kept it in case I ever decide I want it welded back on. He was looking at my exhaust system and commented that the resonators look exactly like these Borla brand resonators that he sells. He even went and got one and held it up next to the existing resonator. They were identical. Same size, same inlet/outlet positions, everything looked identical. He thought that maybe Jag was using Borla exhaust parts without the Borla name on them. He also pointed out that where the pipe goes up over the rear axle it really gets pinched down. I looked at it and I was surprised by how small the pipe gets there. Isn't there an alternate method where the exhaust is run under the axle rather than over it?

As for the sound, I'm actually kinda disappointed. I was expecting it to be a lot louder under hard acceleration. I can definitely tell a difference, but it is very subtle. At idle and during normal driving it sounds exactly the same as it did before, which is good. I just wanted it to sound even throatier with wide open throttle. So... what would happen if I had him remove the next two mufflers? Has anyone here done that?

 

Sam, that looks like a really nice job. By-the-way, I could not recall but did you ever install the Nameless high flow cats? That is the only change I have made to my exhaust system and they definitely impart a much louder growl when you hit the gas.

 

My muffler shop specializes in custom exhausts so they had X pipes in all sizes on the shelf. When I had mine done I got the same results as you describe. Loved the fact it was fairly quiet at slow speeds and did not rumble at highway speeds. Get on it and it does growl, even more than you think. Have some one else drive by you and floor it just before they get to you and you will see what I mean. Get into a wide underpass and floor it and you will hear it in the car.

 

I looked at their website, but I don't see myself spending $800 for something that would only give me a tiny boost in HP and a better sound.

Hmmm... I hadn't thought about that. I'll have to try flooring it somewhere where I can hear the reflection of the sound.

 

Removing the inner resonators will definitely get you considerably more sound at minimal cost...many of the aftermarket systems have them eliminated.

Likewise the aftermarket systems go under the axle to eliminate the restiction. My Mina system just has the outer mufflers.

 

OK, which ones are the mufflers and which ones are the resonators? I thought the resonators were the things right in front of the exhaust tips.

 

I was kind of using the terms interchangeably. JTIS call them intermediate muffler and rear muffler.

I was talking about removing the intermediate muffler.

 

"X" vs. "H" seems to make a difference.. I'm no engineer, but from all I've read here, the "H" makes a bit more of an external statement! DaleD

 

The silencers are in front of the cage and centre, the resonators are the 2 furthest back which have your tail tips attached.

If you remove the 2 in front of the cage you will bascially have a straight through system, this will be very loud.

If you want more..... have them replaced and the 'squashed' pipe, combined with the X pipe you now have, which I must say does look rather 'beefy', will give you a much better sound, you just need to be careful not to go overboard.

This is the gamble you pay when making up your own system.

 

No reason to be sorry,you are my man because I respect your opinions.The shop had no problems with the X pipe,like he told me its a lot easier to make it smaller then to try an make it bigger.By the way,the reducers are only on the front,then they ran 2.5" pipe to the axel then they reduced it back down to match up with the factory piping.

 

Does your setup still have the pinch where the pipe goes over the axle? Last night I looked at the car to see how the pipe could be run under the axle, but it doesn't look like there is enough room. However, it looks like the flow could be improved by going over the axle and just using a larger pipe.

 

It takes time to grow on you, expectations are high when its first dropped from that lift and you take off. After a couple weeks, you'll gradually appreciate the exhaust note when you start it up in the garage and take off from a stop sign - a classy growl. Then on the highway...a kickdown makes a noticeable impression. When I first completed the x-pipe addition, I also wished for more, anticipated it deeper and meaner...immediately regretted not going with the H instead, but now, I only wish I had the extra volume on fewer occasions. I often try to recollect how creepy silent the car USED to be, and if I can't remember, I just replay my pre-mod ignition video I made.

 

Someone here had the H pipe and the sound had some popping noise in it. He switched to the X pipe and it was a much more smooth sound. I prefer the X pipe myself.

 

Right now I'm actually thinking I wasted my money. I floored it with the windows down while driving past one of those big walls on the freeway. The only noise I could hear was from the engine compartment. I didn't notice any exhaust noise bouncing off of the wall at all.

 

Go to Adamesh and buy the over axel section, not very expensive and a direct replacement, a man with your talents would be able to fit it yourself.

 

I have the Adamesh pipes. They sound good. Not as good as the Mina but a lot better than stock. And the price is right. Sam, you would have no problem fitting these yourself. In fact, it's so easy it's not even worthy of a video.

 

Sam,

Yes the pipes have a pinch.After I had removed the center muffler and the other two intermediate mufflers and replaced it with 2.5 inch pipe I stopped so I could see what type of drive ability issues I would have,such as error codes etc.
So I left the pipe from before the drive shafts to the rear mufflers as stock.After driving the car for a month that way I was happy with both the sound and had no error codes or preformance issues.
The added roar make me Feel like I have like I have more horsepower,but really I think I drop the pedal harder to hear the cat make beautiful music.
I decided to not over think the install and just enjoy the results and leave it alone.

 

Sam, did you take out the intermediate mufflers and leave in your rear mufflers? I can't tell from your pictures.