So, maybe a dumb question, but please school me. What are the pros/cons of opening the 430 exhaust valves? I'm assuming that there is a good reason that Ferrari incorporated them into the original design and understand that sound may be enhanced with them opened throughout the rev range, but what are the trade offs?
The only con I have heard on here is that there is a lack in torque low down on the rev range... Other than that I have not heard of any cons.
Its pretty much all green; 1. Louder, more F1 sounding (neighbors may not like it) 2. Less back pressure, better at high RPMs, could reduce torque at low RPMs unless the ECU is remapped. Have not seen any real data to back this up, and on my 430 could not detect any difference. Who drives aggressively at low RPMs in a 430 anyway? If you want the power, crank up the revs into the tuned range. 3. Less heat in the engine bay because much less heat is put into the silencer (muffler) I recommend the $600 Capristo RF valve system, so you can be quiet or loud.
Strange, I still get the drip, and my valve is almost always in the LOUD configuration. I just dont get the drips from all 4x just 2x.
Hmm, that's a little odd. Mine were closed originally and had the drip from all 4. Then the dealer plugged them and it went away completely. The last service (at a different dealer) closed them again. Didn't ask why but I assumed it had something to do with the warranty extension? Either way the drip came back from all 4 tips.
Plugged the vacuum attach point or the bypass valve? I think you mean the vacuum hose attach point, right?
The little circular pieces on both sides of the exhaust can. There were two hoses running to them, and when the dripping stopped and the car became louder they had little caps on them. Sort of looked like a tire cap.
There's definitely a drop in low speed driveability. For example, when I back out of my driveway (on cold start), my car nearly stalls when the bypass valves opened (unplugged). I don't get this at all with the bypass valves in the "normal" setting. The slickest setup I've seen is on my friend's scud. The dealer installed a switch to the left of the steering labeled "SPORT" that controls the bypass valves. Cost was about $1000.
Capristo has a "slicker" system, using a RF remote (mount anywhere) and the RF receiver in the engine bay behind a panel. The capristo system has two modes: 1. Loud 2. OEM ECU Control, just like factory. Sometimes loud and sometimes quiet. *Danger: If you just put a toggle switch on the electrical drive lines for the valves, which sounds like the scud system you describe, you could end up with closed valves (quiet) at high RPM, which will not be good. The exhaust system was not designed to have 100% of the exhaust sent through the exhaust silencer. It will choke the system, causing unintended heating and back-pressure. Actual damage, I dont know, but I would not do it. **The capristo system is very well engineered, plug and play, and $600
That's a good point about the switch bases system. I don't know if the dealer built in a fail safe override so the valves open passed a certain RPM. I've looked into the Capristo remote and it's nice. There's a good DIY posted by Stefvan and it looks pretty straight forward other than gaining access to the LH solenoid.
I have the Capristo remote as part of the full Capristo system I've just had installed and it's very slick! I have just the 2 buttons configured for 1) ECU settings 2) Open. It's a small remote control unit which you can attach to key ring or leave in the car. I gather you can install with any OEM exhaust or any other manufactured sports exhaust. So a very neat well engineered solution and better than a manual opening of the valves I think. Better still put on a full Capristo exhaust if you want the ultimate sound. It's on a totally different level from OEM exhaust in terms of sound!
Or buy one of these kits, the same operation as Capristo but a third of the price. Been using one for nearly 2 years now and works fine. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/ferrari-parts-collectibles/398632-ferrari-430-remote-control-exhaust-valve-system.html
When I had my F430 I would, from time-to-time, plug the hoses with a golf-tee and enjoy the sound. I did definitely notice more sluggish off-the-line performance. I'd say I kept my by-pass open about 50% of the time b/c sometimes you just want to escape from all the noise. On my 16M, I'm not touching a thing...
Thanks a million for all of the input. This forum and it's members are invaluable! Still have a lot to learn and certainly enjoying the Fcar experience.
