[DayumDanny]

Hey Everyone, I want to start by giving thanks to everyone who contributes to the NA Engine threads because I've learned a lot and its time for me to give back and contribute to the community.

BMW Performance Exhaust

Now to the good stuff, I'm driving a 2010 328i xDrive - e90 Sedan LCI. Performance wise, my car is completely stock.

First up is the BMW's OEM Performance Exhaust for the n52 (non turbo). I purchased it for a little over 1000$ shipped. Here is a picture of it when it was shipped:



Installation Difficulties: 7/10 - When I first got the exhaust in the mail, i was pretty excited and went straight to installing it. When i took a closer look I was pretty disappointed because the mid pipe was not tapered... I'm not sure if this is how they come shipped from the dealer but if you just clamp the pieces together you will get an exhaust leak. I then had to take the exhaust to a shop. They charged me about 120$ to taper the pipes so they fit in each other then they clamped and welded to ensure that there was no leaks. And if anyone was wondering, YES, you do have to cut your stock exhaust off. This could have easily been a DIY project but the pipes should be able to fit in each other not get lined up and then clamped.

Picture of Welded Pipes - Reserved.

Sound: 9/10 - As everyone already knows for the N52 Engine, BMW's Performance Exhaust is, or is not, One of the best bang for your buck exhaust. When I started it up, it sounded pretty amazing. Although its not as loud as I wanted to be, it is also due to the fact that I have put 0 miles on it. From what I know, you have to break in your exhaust by driving it.

Video of the exhaust: (Warm Start, Rev, Drive By) -

It sounds pretty good with just being installed and not fully broken in yet. On a side note, inside the cabin there is not much sound difference. It sounds almost the same as the stock exhaust. With your two front windows pulled down you can hear just a small difference in the exhaust note, its a little bit more throaty.

Overall 9/10 - I'm pretty happy with this purchase

[DayumDanny]

Supersprint Catless Headers

Just some background information of these headers:

http://www.supersprintna.com/product...earch_model/84

These headers fit all n52 engines (325, 328, 330) e90 or e92. Here's some pictures of it when I got it:




I am running these headers in combination with the performance exhaust.

Installation Difficulties 7/10 - Headers in general are pretty difficult to install on a BMW. It took me about 4-5 Hours to get the stock headers off and the Supersprints on. For a quick run through first you have to let your car cool down which takes for ever. You can handle the engine bay when you have your car recently running. You then have to take off all the engine covers. This was my first time trying taking of headers and I thought it was almost impossible I tried to remove them from the top. And then the bottom. I tried dropping my exhaust to pull the headers out from the bottom. I Finally jacked my engine up a couple inches out of the car and removed a couple oxygen sensors to finally be able to reach the stock headers and remove the bolts. The pictures below show how small the space is for you to remove the stock headers even with a ton of things removed.




Requirements - Some things i suggest is that if you plan on buying catless headers, whether its from supersprint, MMW, or OBX I suggest on getting an aftermarket catless exhaust. Stock exhaust and catless headers arent a good mix. It will be very loud the kind of loud that not even honda civics would want to have. Also if you are going to put in catless headers into your car just be aware that you car will throw up a Check Engine Light or an Error because the cat on your header is no longer there. You can either 1, drive with the check light and remove your headers everytime you go for maitenance or 2 get a tune. A tune will definitely remap your ecu and remove the check engine light. It will also benefit you greatly by remapping your throttle, and pull those extra horses from the headers.

Sound 6/10 - I have mixed feelings on the sound. For example, the start up is amazing. The moment you push the button to start your engine it sounds like a super car ( almost ). Normal Driving and sport mode driving its absolutely great. I give it a 9/10 for sound. Take the sound of the performance exaust and multiply it by 3 is what you would get with the headers. It sounds very much like a V8. I turn a lot of heads. I shift usually around 3-3.5k rpm. 5k rpm is the max because after that it starts to rasp. And the rasps is very very loud. It sounds very equivalent to a motorcycle at very high rpms. Some of you may like this but its not what I am looking for. Basically I like the low end noise that it makes but when you start to push the car up to 6k and 7k RPM it litterally screams.

Some of you might be wondering what does it sound like inside the car. Let me tell you with the windows rolled up, the sound is perfect. Its a nice throaty sound from in the cabin. It is not to loud. With the two front windows down it sounds like the regular PE Exhaust being reved while your standing outside the car but the sound is right in your ear.

Video Of Supersprint Headers + BMW PE Exhaust - (I took this video real quick sorry for it not being to proffessional, I'm going to upload a more proffessional video later)

Notes: When the car is not in sight, be sure to listen to the noise it makes even from 3-4 streets away



Overall 9/10 - I am very happy with purchasing these headers. BMW Performance Exhaust and these Supersprint Headers will be a good combination as long as your willing to put up with the rasps at higher rpms. These headers are hot. If your not careful of how you drive, you can easily get pulled over for being to loud. After installing these headers, I don't even play my music anymore. The rasp bothers me very much, I'm thinking of putting a resonator in but that requires me to cut my PE exhaust in half in order to weld a resonator. I'm not sure what my route on this will be but if you have input please chime in.

[DayumDanny]

Stock Headers -


Supersprint Headers Installed -


European Airbox Intake + K&N Filter - Reserved

Expected to be delivered 8/21/12

[C ///M]

Thanks for contributing the review; I really like your organization. Any time frame when you expect to get the headers and intake installed and a review up?

EDIT: I guess I'll add, any reason you didn't wait for the headers? Probably would have been a good idea to do that at once. Also, if you have no looked into it yet, you should look into a software upgrade, definitely the best bang for buck. ActiveAutowerk Stg II or EuroCharged seem to be the top choices.

[johnniewalker]

Nice setup !

[DayumDanny]

Originally Posted by C ///M

Thanks for contributing the review; I really like your organization. Any time frame when you expect to get the headers and intake installed and a review up?

EDIT: I guess I'll add, any reason you didn't wait for the headers? Probably would have been a good idea to do that at once. Also, if you have no looked into it yet, you should look into a software upgrade, definitely the best bang for buck. ActiveAutowerk Stg II or EuroCharged seem to be the top choices.

Im confused are you asking why I didnt install the headers and the exhaust at the same time? Or are you trying to ask why I didn't wait to break in the exhaust before installing the headers?

Hopefully this answers your question, I installed the exhaust and the headers within a couple of days (2-3) after installing the headers.

I'm writing up the supersprint review as we speak. It is essential to get a tune after you install the headers, ill explain later.

[just4kickz]

supersprint...headers... moneyyy!

[Hooy]

[DayumDanny]

Updated - Supersprint Headers Review

More Pictures and Videos will be added later

[Route 16]

You could've asked speedfan about the loudness from the ss headers. After a short while he took them off for being to loud with his eisenmann set up. But good job on the install.

And those houses look ballin'!

[DayumDanny]

Originally Posted by Route 16

You could've asked speedfan about the loudness from the ss headers. After a short while he took them off for being to loud with his eisenmann set up. But good job on the install.

And those houses look ballin'!

Thanks man! I bet all my neighbors are going to be pissed off with all the noise this car makes. And yes, I did read some of speedfans posts and reviews of his supersprint headers except he wasn't going to pull the gun on BMW PE and SS headers combination. I don't mind the loudness i just want the rasp to be gone.

[C ///M]

Sorry i wasn't clear with my first post, but it doesn't matter since I misunderstood anyway. I thought you didn't have the headers yet, since only the review of the Exhaust was up. I figured you were saving the headers spot for when you got them, but you did exhaust what I would have thought which was logical and take care of the exhaust all together.

Hope that clears up what i was thinking.

Definitely great job with the installation and review. It's not quite the same, but the rasp is very similar to the E46 M3 with certain aftermarket exhausts. The U.S. E46 M3 rasped like hell from the factory, but it wasn't too loud. Some guys that threw on some aftermarket mufflers amplified it quite a bit.

If you don't like the rasp, I highly recommend one of SuperSprints straight flow-through design resonators (I might actually have one for sale in the somewhat near future, for cheap since I cut the connecting pipes which would probably work best for you since you just want the resonator. You could easily weld in a quick release/exchange setup so you can swap the resonator in/out in minutes).

You might also consider an X-pipe or maybe even trying to find a used UUC Rasp-X type setup for the E46 M3 and scavenge it for parts...

Nice work though!

[roundle]

If you could go back, would you have left the stock cats on?

What about the SuperSprint Headers w/ Cats?

And power-wise, does the car feel more powerful?

[DJ Apex]

i had the same issue with my headers and i installed a j pipe to remove 80% of drone and raspyness. ill post pics and vid soon

[D-Raw]

Originally Posted by DJ Apex

i had the same issue with my headers and i installed a j pipe to remove 80% of drone and raspyness. ill post pics and vid soon

Please do post them looking forward to your setup

[benzo23]

I dont really care for the sound the headers make a bit to raspy for me. But props for the excellent reviews so far on both. Your first video of just the performance exhaust only has to be one of the best recorded sounds of one under load i have ever heard on here. It sounds fucking incredible. Cant wait to see your review on the euro intake.

[CombatNinja]

All credit to you for having the guts to make real power with the N52 Do you have a power goal in mind? I agree on the sound of those headers, not sure if I could put up with that. Maybe the PE is the issue at this point?

[mike-y]

you could probably get a resonator/glass-pack welded into your exhaust that will greatly reduce that high-rpm rasp. I used to have this done on all my hondas so that they didn't get that loud farty sound.

something like this, just make sure to match it up to your exhaust piping diameter:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-50-Vibrant...ht_1705wt_1134

[CombatNinja]

Originally Posted by D-Raw

Yeah it is the PE exhaust, the stock resonator is removed so that's what's probably causing all the noise. I do no have a certain amount of power In mind but I do know after my euro airbox and the AA tune drive it a bit before bringing it to the dyno.

Maybe Active Autowerke's new exhaust would be better? I guess you just dropped a grand on the thing so it is probably staying. I predict you will fall just short of 200 awhp if the car is an automatic.

[DayumDanny]

Active Autowerkes exhaust is really similar to the BMW PE it's almost the same design. I need something that can muffle the sound

[DayumDanny]

Originally Posted by benzo23

I dont really care for the sound the headers make a bit to raspy for me. But props for the excellent reviews so far on both. Your first video of just the performance exhaust only has to be one of the best recorded sounds of one under load i have ever heard on here. It sounds fucking incredible. Cant wait to see your review on the euro intake.

Thanks, it's funny because I used an iPhone 4S to record it. But yeah all I want is the exhaust to be muffled and drone/rasp free at the higher rpm and it will be perfect

[redlinedbimmer]

so how happy are you with the power gains? I thought the power gains are supposed to be pretty dramatic....?