How to keep California exhaust valves open

Just remove the rear diffuser/under tray. Each side of the exhaust has a vacuum valve solenoid. There is a hose connected to each. Just remove the vacuum hose and plug it with a screw or golf tee. Took me 10 mins to do. Very easy

 

plug the tube or plug the muffler where it was pulled off?

 

You will pull the hose off the valve, this will allow it to stay open. You need to plug the hose because it is a vacuum not where it came off.

 

I know it's simple to just unhitch the car's exhaust valve control but there are a few caveats:

- if you need to drive a long distance and just want to comfortably cruise at least part of the way, you're stuck
- there is always a resonance frequency at which an exhaust will drone, having the exhaust valve open full time will make it even more of a nuisance
- sometimes you need to or want to go about as quietly as you can

 

I have mine open all the time and to be honest, it doesn't drone at all. It's not that noticeably louder.

 

I opted for the Capristo kit. Yes, it was a few dollars more than a couple golf tees, but definitely worth it for the control. I highly recommend it.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but the install for the capristo kit requires removal of the rear bumper.

 

I understand. The regular exhaust actually sounds quite good but it does exhibit a resonance frequency. All exhaust systems do as it is natural part of the acoustics of exhaust pipes. The standard exhaust uses a resonator which reduces this resonance, however the resonance is still there at a lower level. If you are sensitive and pay attention, you will notice the frequency at which the resonance occurs.

If your car also has a sport muffler, this resonance will become quite obvious when the valves are open; and if you also have sport cats it will be even more obvious.

The people who make valve controllers make them for good reason.

 

Your correct in regards to the resonance however I personally can't hear it when I'm driving, maybe it's due to the fact that my 911TT had a loud system and I got use to it. I prefer a louder exhaust tone and for now, opening up the valves will do for the time being until I decide on a aftermarket system, preferably a non valve system. FWIW.. It takes me 5 mins to put the tubes back on should the resonating annoy me

 

I didn't watch my installation (which also included sport mufflers) but I believe you only need to remove the rear-most undertray (#10 in the Ricambi diagram below) along with the wheel well covers.

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Here is a screen scrape from Forza Componeti webpage discussion on installation. It appears the CaliT unfortunately does require bumper removal.

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Yes, I agree if you are already used to your louder 911TT then you would be OK with the noise. FWIW, my car is louder than regular Cali30s and I manually open and close the valves many, many times on a long drive. So it just isn't practical for me to skip the charge on a valve controller.

If you have a full aftermarket exhaust on the Cali, it will be much louder than the 911TT so unless the driver is totally indifferent (or deaf), installing the remote valve controller would not be an option.

 

Can you confirm this with the installer? I ask only because I was going to have a custom exhaust made but they said the bumper needed to be removed. They did remove the outer most undertray but needed more room. I don't know if they are just trying to gain more shop time

 

What do you mean by "custom exhaust"? Do you mean just pipes or the muffler as well? If you swap mufflers, you MUST remove the bumper.

 

Sorry, I may not have been clear enough in my earlier message - the Cali/Cali30 do NOT require bumper removal for the valve controller install, but the CaliT DOES.

 

I detached the vacuum hoses. Took a few minutes to get cover off and back on. Like the changes to the exhaust note. I can hear it going through the neighborhood. Not too much drone at speed. Hope the pictures help. 5 T-30 torx screws and 7 small hex head bolts. Panel slides off easily.
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CALI T does not require bumper removal. Dealer put mine on lift, remove 8- 10 bolts and then you can get in from underside, pull off hoses and plug them .Entire process took 15 minutes. If you have ramps u can do this yourself very easily.

 

Thanks for your input and clarification on pulling off and capping the hoses.

However, I think it would help to clarify further. I was replying to scriber17 who asked about the INSTALLATION OF THE CAPRISTO (AND FORZA) VALVE CONTROLLER KITS as explained on the FORZA website, not simply pulling off the vacuum hoses and capping them with golf tees.

 

I had two Cali's and now a Cali T. I can open the exhaust anytime without any modifications at all. In Sport the Cali (or the T) will open, and leave open, the bypass simply by going over 3,000 rpm. It will open up earlier with your foot a bit in it. Want to close the port, let the rpm drop below 3K. Running down the expressway and want to impress the redhead in the BMW next to you, just downshift a few gears and touch the accelerator. It works, you simply have to learn how to drive your Cali! This works on my FF as well. In Comfort mode it will get quiet a bit faster, again you need to learn how the car works (by driving it). If you are not putting 5,000 miles a year on it you must be saving it for the next owner.

 

You ARE the man! Words to live by...T

 

Below zero in NW Ohio again tonight, salt and snow everywhere and I'll drive either the FF or the Cali T to the office tomorrow. If I'm lucky I'll have to go to the post office on the way to lunch to add miles of fun. These modern Ferraris are perfect daily drivers, even in winter, if you take the time to learn how they work.

 

^ Rick... Maybe a dumb question, and apologies for off topic, but do you take precautions about salt and corrosion on your Cali? For example, rinse the underside with water from time to time?
T

 

It's off-topic but if I may interject, I think rinsing the undercarriage in freezing conditions is probably questionable with modern Fcars because they all have plastic undertrays and (hollow) side sills. Even though the mostly aluminium structure Fcars do include steel parts, unlike with ferrous metal, salt will not attack aluminium so either it's not really necessary or it may actually complicate matters if the water gets around the plastic parts and freezes behind them.

I think it's best to just let the car sit at around 4°C, have any frozen debris slowly drip off, while you park it for the day/night. Then wait for a prolonged thaw to settle in and then wash the car properly and let it dry - but those thaws are very rare until March, at least where I live. So I rarely wash my Winter car (RAM 4x4).

Aluminium will very readily oxidize but luckily not like ferrous metal which weaken when oxidized. What you don't want is having the oxidized aluminium regularly "sand-blasted" or chemically removed by debris because that removes the protective oxidized layer and immediately cause the freshly-exposed aluminium to oxidize. So it's a very good idea to wrap your aluminium-body Fcar.

What I'm not sure of is the degree of galvanic corrosion from road salts (which vary in composition) as it depends on the particular aluminium alloy and how it's applied. I would assume Ferrari is expert at formulating and using special alloys, otherwise salty solutions will apparently accelerate galvanic corrosion.

 

Question
The dealer told me that if you remove the vacuum and keep the valves allways open than I would loose power as the California t is programmed to used the pressure of the low rpm and closed valve to boost the car ?????

Any one has any knowledge if that? He pretty much said it would slow my car ?