Test pipes: definitive information?

1) Test pipes will add very minimal sound with the stock muffler. I added test pipes first and barely noticed the difference in sounds. It made the idle smoother and maybe the heat was a bit lower but I don't think it will be night/day change. I changed my muffler to a Nouvalari which is not obnoxious, does not drone on the highway at all and brings out the Ferrari music when you are opening the throttle a lot more. Personally I found the stock muffler to be way too restrictive and is like a cork in the system. 2) I have no warning lamps (I have Fabspeed test pipes but imagine they are all very similar in quality/construction 3) Cat ECU-leave plugged in. Always good to have the ECU help if need be and it will not cause any problems. Bets to have it plugged in in my opinion. 4) heat-don't really think a big change there 5) Precats-I have Japanese spec car with no pre cats so someone else can assist here. 6) I am not qualified to answer this 7) My mechanic did the test pipe installation but it sounded easy-Maybe a rear bumper drop but honestly it looks quite simple 8) Engine barely different with response. I found the muffler change made a bigger difference but maybe the added music is what I really equate to more power rather than actual power. Idle smoother. Overall engine up and down the rev band is smoother by a small margin.

 

on my 94 512tr I have a custom made capristo. it was custom when it was made, but I think it wld be like a level 3 exhaust under todays naming convention. bradan put test pipes on for me and it def made the car louder and more crips. I don't think he did any dyno runs so I cant speak to hp. I didn't do anything to the ECU. and I have never had any lights on the dash.

 

Depends on what version -- non-US/CDN/AUS/CH versions (like Alex's J version) have the factory precat test pipes and active cats (http://www.ricambiamerica.com/parts_catalogs.php?M=FE&P=&V=diag&I=991); whereas, US/CDN/AUS/CH versions have active precats and active cats (http://www.ricambiamerica.com/parts_catalogs.php?M=FE&P=&V=diag&I=992). www.Hyper-flow.com offers/shows test pipes for the TR precats and (different) test pipes for the TR cats -- and have a bulletin showing they now have the same for 512TR (but I'd buy the factory precat test pipes if they are cheaper where you are -- unless you want the extra bling -- JMO).

 

Steve's points are all well made but if you have a US version this would apply as well. From the stand point of power the worst part of the system is the precats. Hyperflow makes good replacements, more expensive than some but well designed for flow.
In this configuration it will sound better but not too loud. It will also pass tail pipe testing for smog. The next bad part are the man cats, not terible but a sound improvement can be made by getting rid of them. Say goodbye to passing smog.

The stock Ferrari muffler with bypass pipes makes more power in real dyno testing than most of the aftermarket mufflers. It is pretty well designed. And it sounds good if you like me want to be able to burn a few tanks of gas in a day and not just cruise to the coffee shop and look cool.

If you keep the O2 sensors check engine lights will not be an issue.

 

They did not even ask me which version Nouvalari I wanted when I ordered directly from them. Eventually I will do a video but I promise it is not obnoxious at all. It only shouts when you want it to. Superb system. Feel free to ring them and give them my name and ask which one they made for me. Highly recommended

 

youtube, if I remember correctly, has video of different Nouvalari equipped cars. If I do decide to get a different exhaust system, Nouvalari is the one for me...love the sound but also like the quiet stock system.

 

Test pipes all the way.. Yes test pipes.. Change the muffler and make her loud.. WTF... When your banging the hot girl you sticking a sock in her mouth? No.. Put headphones on the let the rest of world listen to her groan.. Its like telling the hot women on tennis to stop groaning and grunting during the match.. Come on man.. Grab a set..

R

 

I've had hollowed out the pre-cats on my TR about 2 years ago, replaced the cats with high flow cats, and put a Nouvalari exhaust. Sounded pretty good to me, and the car was definitley more responsive and more powerful than with the stock system.

Yet, from an air flow standpoint, it always bothered me to know that the air was flowing from the headers into a relatively large empty cavites (in the hollowed out pre-cats) and then back into a smaller pipes to go to to the sport cats, ect.

Also, past 4000 RPM the exhaust note was being attenuated quite a lot, never knew really why and thought that's the way it was.

Well, ladies, it was the hollowed out pre-cats all along...

I recently purchased the OEM Ferrari pre-cat test pipes part #142166 and #142167 to remove the hollowed out pre-cats and avoid what I thought could be a nest of air turbulence disturbing the exhaust flow.

Holly cow. The difference is massive.

Not only my Nouvalari now properly sings all the way to the red line, but the sound itself became so much sharper and proper V12 sounding. I really feel like I have a new exhaust!!

So, DO NOT HOLLOW OUT PRE-CATS OR CATS. Believe me! Put proper test pipes!

 

OMG, you never fail to entertain me. Funny post, and good advice.

 

Or lose the precats and cats altogether.

 

Some claim that an engine designed to run with cats should have cats. It's the only reason I have high-flow cats, yet pre-cat test pipes. Any thoughts?

 

Our engine was not designed to run with cats. I don't think the engineers wanted them but had to for emissions purposes. I can attest to my car being 100% cat free that it is not annoyingly loud. It is very civilized and the music is only accentuated when you want it to be. Lovely lovely lovely. And the other reason I can argue that without cats is better is my engine runs smoother at idle and across the rev band. This engine does not want cats. Get your ***** elsewhere.

 

Cats belong with lonely women living in a one BR apartment.

I gave up my cats and precats 15 years ago.
I think the car runs much better cat-less and it has been problem free.

Put your cats up for adoption.

 

This is a very timely thread as I just had my precats changed to test pipes yesterday. Shortly after I got my '90 tr about 7 years ago I got rid of the main cats and it did very little both sound and power wise. Last winter I transplanted a crate 'M' motor into the car and installed a Fuchs silencer. (Done by our own Newman, thanks for a great job, no issues to this point.) The car sounded much better but could stand to be a bit louder so I had my local Indie install Hyperflow precat test pipes. Wow. This is what the car needed. It sounds so much better right through the rev range, especially from 5k to redline where it just rips. The butt dyno thinks it feels more power too. The pipes were about 2k and the install was 3 hours, so for less than $2,500 I'm really pleased with the outcome. Just an opinion, but I'd say the pre cats are the 'bottleneck' of the tr exhaust system and possibly should be the first consideration when looking to improve the factory set up. The tech was impressed with the test pipe quality as well.

 

Anyone ever think about this....

Precat on left bank goes into the cat that crosses to the right side of the car>>>>then cross the car through the muffler>>>to finally exit on the left. It seems like an unnecessarily long pathway.

Why not go left precat>>>straight into a small muffler that would exit the right side?

right side precat>>>>straight into small seperate muffler that would exit the left side?

Seems like this would drop a lot of restriction and weight from the car. Has anyone ever seen or done this?

 

Alex, I'm a little shocked that it doesn't sound much louder than stock! Plus the sound is quite different I think. I'm a little puzzled!

I threw real quick 5 short video clips of my TR. The first one is 100% stock with all cats/precats/factory muffler, then the following 4 are with no precats/high flow cats/Nouvalari muffler. Does your car sound similar?

I wouldn't say the nouvalari setup on my car sound the same, just 25% louder! Any thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6SEiYWO-sA

 

Hi Alex, Nouvalari makes sport and super sport versions for the TR. Mine is the sport version as I didn't want the exhaust sound to be too aggressive.

I agree, an all stock 512TR sounds better than an all stock Testarossa, I've had the opportunity to hear both and there's a clear difference.

I'm not sure Nouvalari has different versions of their exhausts for TR vs 512, as they are interchangeable (same dimensions, same fit, etc, at least for the catalytic versions of the TR). My guess is that they are the same products.

Would you be able to record your car a little to hear the difference?