X-Pipe Questions

Hey guys im thinking of going with the X-Pipe on my 99 550. Currently running a Tubi and sounds great at low rpms but quiets out at mid and hi rpms. Anyone running a tubi with an X-Pipe? Any info would be greatly appreciated, resonance, drone, vibration etc. Do not want it to be to loud and obnoxious but a little extra V12 sound could be nice If anyone also has one lying around and want to sell it please let me know.
TIA
Doug

 

Hi Doug, If you do a search you'll find lots of info. pertaining to your inquiry.

 

I put straight pipes on my 550 with 1st gen Tubis....obnoxious resonance at 2800-3600 rpm...like give you a headache, cannot carry on a conversation kind of loud. Then installed Burns stainless resonators (along with the Tubis) in an attempt to remove the nasty 2800-3600 sound....it made it quieter above 4K rpm, but no change at idle or the brain numbing noise at cruising speeds. Be careful and beware, unless you plan on replacing your 1st gen Tubis with 2nd gen off of a 575.

 

I have a related question: Does anyone sell the straight pipes for the 550 middle section (instead of the x-pipes)?

I have the stock exhaust on my 98 tdf blue 550 and want to try straight pipes connected to the stock tail exhaust units.
I've seen what FatBillyBob did, I'm looking for something like that.

I assume any local muffler shop could make them out of 2.5 inch (or 2.25 inch) stainless steel tubing. But does anyone sell ready-made center pipes?

I don't want to cut the stock center pipes unit (with the center muffler in it), so I'm looking for a bolt-on replacement for that whole section.
I'll save my stock center pipe for the next owner (if someday I ever sell the car - not likely!).

BTW, the previous owner of my car already did the mod where the tailpipe valves stay open (even at idle) except when the car is shut down - then the flaps close.
This gives the car a very nice subtle exhaust sound with no booming resonance at cruise. I'm just looking for the next small step up in sound.

Thanks.

 

Toggie,

I don't think anyone currently makes them. My tech used the stock center resonator unit as a pattern to mandrel bend, cut and weld 2.25" 321 stainless steel pipe into straight pipes. He welded a hanger to each pipe for suspension as with the stock center unit.

Barry

 

this point seemed to be absent from the earlier X-pipe/Tubi/etc. threads. Where are these 'valves' located on the 550 (sp. a 2001), and what is the procedure to do the mod? Anyone here actually done it? Or is this a reference only to the stock exhaust?

TIA,
Tritone

 

I have a Stebro X pipe and the Tubi final mufflers on my 456 and I like it a lot.
It is loud but not abnoxious and past 4000 rpm it becomes the 12 cylinder wail we all love.

 

I believe post #17 in this old 550 thread shows how to do it:
- http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=138500237#post138500237

I believe this was done to my car before I bought it.
I've compared the behavior of my exhaust flaps to another stock 550 in a side-by-side test.
My flaps open on engine start-up, even at idle, and stay open until the engine is shut down - then they close while the car is parked.

 

I'd like to hear this. Sound is a very personal thing. One mans drone is another mans music. I believe this is not acceptable to you but others may really like it. Oh and burns makes lots of race stuff. The resonators from burns may be too free flowing. What you may need is a POS like ferrari and that restricted can will quiet down the tubi. What you may be happy with is something between the ferrari POS and the burns. But that could be a lot of experimenting and $...

 

I think that even if you knew nothing about exhausts and looked at the center section you would not want it on your car. I thought like you and have the skills to do more work and make the entire piece. But after looking at the central muffler I knew this was never going on my car again.

 

Hi,
Consider to do the same changes on my 456M, and reading your feedback makes me even more enthousiastic. Do you have photos to share?
thanks, Jan

 

I do not have a picture of the car's underbelly, but I will try to post a picture of the Stebro X pipe.

 

Mine's wrapped up and stored in the shed.

 

I've got rear Tubi mufflers and a Hughes "silenced X-pipe" on my 550.

It sounds great and it's not too loud.
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Didnt I read that the x pipe actually makes less HP as the straight pipes? Or is the X pipe for the sound?

 

Ken,

Some people on here claim that running "straight pipes" makes more power than an X-pipe. If that's the case, I wonder why TUBI, Fabspeed, Stebro
and others are only selling x-pipes for 550s instead of straight pipe sections??

I would guess that either one of those options are much better than keeping the stock center resonator.

That thing is really big, heavy and restrictive (see photo below).

PS: My 550 recently recorded 418 horsepower at the rear tires, so the x-pipe certainly isn't hurting the performance.
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I have the same setup as Gary and it works great. I have the earlier version Tubi mufflers and when I added the xpipe the exhaust sound improved, less droan and sharper sounding, the car also felt noticable faster.

Stan

 

Hey Gary is that the same type of X-Pipe basically that everyone sells or does it have a small baffle/muffler to it, sort of looks like small glasspacks. Why is it called "silenced W-Pipe"
Thanks

 

The reason is because some people find the drone of the tubi and straight pipes unbearable. The x-pipe is known to delete this problem across the board on stebros too. Basically in an exhaust system you can restrict your exhaust anywhere aft of the heads. Each turn of pipe or resonator changes the sound of the pipe just like a musical instrument like a trumpet. So what did tubi do with the 575 tubi that runs oem straightpipes in the center? I bet the 550 tubi flows better than the 575 tubi and has less packing. I bet the 575 tubi weights more than the 550 tubi. Just a couple pounds of isulation make a big sound difference. I am only guessing on the 575 vs 550 tubi. But for sure it is wrong to assume that tubi did it for more power. We do not know what compromises where made in the muffler design. There is always a compromise. Even Fabspeed who does the awesome 355 headers admits to some loss of mid range power for more high end power. Their thinking is that people who want the performance are doing more wide open throttle so that's where they want the power. If you are doodling around town you may as well stick to stocker headers. I think that is a good choice.

 

Fatbillybob, all I know is while my Tubi sounds great compared to those ass cans we pulled off the 456, above 3000rpm, the car is too quiet. Hell, on the ride home, even with the minor window gap, I heard nada on the freeway home.

Xpipe or straight pipes, they 'be coming to my car in the future. Would love to hear the owner that has the Xpipe and Tubi's on his 456.

 

Well we could cannibalize the fittings on your center muffler and weld up some straight pipes. We could also buy a x-pipe section from any of the muffler parts guys like burns stainless in costa mizery and weld up an "X" if you like that.

As it was explained to me the straight pipes suit the V12 dynamics for max power. The "X" is a idea used with no testing from the known fact of how "X" and "H" pipes improve V8 power. What works best for the V8 is not what works for the V12. But even me with no understanding of exhaust dynamics can understand how the "X" could mute out the exhaust drone many do not like. If you look at the 550 center section it is not only a muffler but also it is squished at the ends to cut down flow even more. To the poster who did not like his 1st gen tubis with the burns stainless resonators I wonder if you would like the quieter sound of crushing the ends of the burns resonators say 40%. It really does not take much to mess up an exhaust flow or change its sound.

 

Yeah, screw the X, when you started up your car with the straight pipes, sounded good. I'd rather have that rumble sound with (hopefully) a more high pitched wail at high RPM.

We'll try a project over the summer with straight pipes - and replace my 02 sensors (I think that's the current problem).

 

Hi Jan, I have tried to upload a picture of the X pipe, but with no luck.
Send me a PM and I will e-mail it to you.

 

Go to Microsoft Powertoys http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/Downloads/powertoys/Xppowertoys.mspx

scroll down to Image Resizer, click "run", then all you do is right click on an image, select "small" (the default setting) and its resized to a size that uploads immediately.

 

The X-pipe that I installed does have two small "mufflers" built in and the whole assembly is ceramic coated.

I bought it from Hughes Supercar Services in Australia for about the same price as a plain X-pipe from other suppliers (Fabspeed, Tubi, etc..).
Very high quality construction and a perfect fit. My local muffler shop was able to install it in about an hour.

Phil also sells a ceramic coated X-pipe without the silencers.

Phil Hughes- [email protected]