Dedicated Exhaust Discussion

[hoveringuy]

I'm guessing probably not but suitable for RHD also?

Not necessarily. The cool thing about designing these in CAD is that "if you can imagine it, you can do it!". Not a stretch to model the steering shaft in CAD and then design the secondaries around it.

[FirstClassJerk]

yep, sent.

The plan is that once I get everything test-fit I'll have CAD for the manifold to head flanges and the two secondary pipes after the merge. You'll be able to fabricate a set of S54 headers that just drop into an E30.

I'm guessing probably not but suitable for RHD also?

[hoveringuy]

hoveringuy - Very cool, you wouldn't happen to be willing to share the CAD for those flanges? I'm gearing up for a swap into my e36 touring and that seems way more appealing than trying to splice the S54 pipes onto a stock flange.

This sub is great BTW, I've already learned a ton. I've been surprised/disappointed there aren't more resources for this engine in e36's.

yep, sent.

The plan is that once I get everything test-fit I'll have CAD for the manifold to head flanges and the two secondary pipes after the merge. You'll be able to fabricate a set of S54 headers that just drop into an E30.

[Tinkwithanr2]

hoveringuy - Very cool, you wouldn't happen to be willing to share the CAD for those flanges? I'm gearing up for a swap into my e36 touring and that seems way more appealing than trying to splice the S54 pipes onto a stock flange.

This sub is great BTW, I've already learned a ton. I've been surprised/disappointed there aren't more resources for this engine in e36's.

[benz-tech]

That is just beautiful! Also that looks tight even with a treehouse style cab mount. I’m a little worried that I can’t fit stock cats in there😬

[hoveringuy]

Ok, this is crazy...

For LESS than the price of having these laser cut from SCS and less than just purchasing these off-the-shelf, I can have these 3D printed in stainless and also save 0.6lbs from a set of four....

$25 each from ProtoTi.com

(also, I'm not a huge fan of V-band clamps, at least here.)

[hoveringuy]

Welding the header to the flanges was WAY easy. Just a no-filler pass of the torch to fuse the two barrels together at 80amps. The inner barrel is already fused to the pipe at the factory.

3D printed stainless is the least-fussy thing I've every touched. No warping, no drama; almost like it was designed that way!




where does the metal come from? I don't know, it's like magic...

[hoveringuy]

Here's something I'm working on.... It's a 3-D printed stainless adapter that's "S54" on one side and "N52" on the other...

It has a slight amount of tilt-up for the header, like 1.5 degrees, so the runners clear the fatter N52 block.

Much less fabricating, I paid for $120 for both of them. I need to Tig these onto my headers and verify they don't warp or anything. More to follow...

[Striker01]

I'll rework the CAB heat shield while the headers and mid section are off for ceramic coating, it clears fine now but doesn't look very good.

[Striker01]

It hangs just slightly lower than the front subframe and transmission exhaust bracket.

[Striker01]

Finished up my new exhaust. Super happy with the fit and how it turned out. I'm sure muffler sound will change as I drive it some but initial impression is that it has a little more bass and is quieter. Didn't notice any drone on my 6ish mile drive. I like the side slanted tips, more like a stock 325. The only place it may touch is where it comes through the rear valance. It's close on the passenger side, I'd like it a little higher in the opening but then I run into more clearance issues with the large tips.

I really like the ball and socket couplers, have to check them after a few heat cycles to see if they stay tight and a couple of the bolts may need to be shortened a bit but no strange sounds on the initial drive.

With the stock straps this thing hung down below the opening in the rear valance. We decided to weld mounts directly to the muffler and modify the stock straps.





Got super lucky here, thought we would have to remove one pipe completely to get the welds done but my brother figured it out with his tungsten out super far.

[Striker01]

It hangs down a little lower than the 2" from the AA headers but we got it tucked as well as we could, I did switch to the treehouse style CABs, fit was too tight with stock ones; headers cleared them but no room for the heat shield.

Clutch job may be a headers off deal going forward but with the sway bar brackets dropped and one exhaust stud removed they will go in without a hassle.

Also got my brother a hand switch for his TIG torch, money well invested. So much nicer than throwing sparks all over trying to tack with MIG.

More to follow....

[Striker01]

Finally getting around to getting the N53 headers ready to go into the car. Headers are almost done, ran out of gas to back purge today, so front set is just tacked for now.

2.5" PLM cats mounted in stock position right after the collectors, then tapers down to 2.36" to mate up to the supersprint E30 S52 swap exhaust. Got a good deal on the supersprint midpipe and rear exhaust but it fits terrible and their claim of full stainless is false. Also how can an exhaust this expensive use MIG, yuck!



Trying out stainlessbros 2.36" ball and socket setup, instead of flanges or slip joints.

[Striker01]

Nice! N53 being a euro-only motor that's an N52 with high pressure fuel injection.

I think that's why hubcapboy couldn't find them. He may have been searching for N52 cars with them, there were quite a few sets overseas when I ordered these.

[hoveringuy]

First pieces for version 2 of my swap exhaust showed up. N53 headers. Primaries are just under 1.5”, 38mm OD. Collector is 2.5” and output from cats is 50mm, just under 2”.

Nice! N53 being a euro-only motor that's an N52 with high pressure fuel injection.