550 Maranello: Exhaust ideas | Page 8 | FerrariChat

550 Maranello: Exhaust ideas

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by mbyormark, Aug 8, 2018.

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  1. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
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    Apart from his apparently amazing engineering, Fabio was one of the most knowledgeable and helpful people on this board, a 575 HGTC owner, and a real gentleman.

    He fell foul of a rule about not selling your product here and was permanently banned - like a life sentence for shoplifting popcorn. Rob does not want to change his mind, and he is all 3 branches of government. This board and this forum’s loss.
     
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  2. Qksilver

    Qksilver F1 Rookie
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    Agree. Is there anything we can do with the mods to bring him back (and convince him to come back)? If the community unanimously agrees on the value and personality he brings to the content here, shouldn't that hold some weight?
     
  3. Jroe550

    Jroe550 Karting

    Sep 10, 2015
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    Hi Erik

    You’re right that they do have the controller that opens at 4000. And I agree, sooner would be better, but just the same I’m not disappointed with them.
    They do the trick and deliver what I want. I can still carry on a little conversation in the car.

    In terms of workmanship, I have Tubi style on my 328 and they were tougher to fit as the tolerances / dimensions were not quite the same as the OEM exhaust. I’ve been told that Fuchs in general respects the dimensions better. The 328 is definitely not of the same build caliber as the 550.
    I think the logistics will be fast, it’s just a question if anyone is in the company to send them. We are fully locked down here in Austria as I believe you are too...

    Sadly, It will be a while till I can use the cars...

    I don’t have any great outside audio of the system, but this link does tell you how loud it is in the cockpit.



    Cheers
    Jason




    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
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  4. m5shiv

    m5shiv Formula 3
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    Feb 25, 2013
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    I have met Fabio in person and he is a super cool guy and does amazing work. We were chatting about exhausts for my 612. A few weeks later in March of last year, I was taking my Peking to Paris car to London from Athens so that she could be shipped. We took the ferry to Ancona. On the way, we developed some issues. I emailed him from the ferry - he dropped what he was doing, and sourced some parts and tools for me and met us on the side of the road. And refused any payment or compensation. And the car made it safely to London and then Peking and then Paris.

    So, not having him on the forum is our combined loss.
     
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  5. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

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    #180 F456M, Mar 19, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2020
    Cool video Jason. You have some precise gear shiftes there. :) When I wrote 4000 rpms., what I meant is that the 550s opens up at 4000 when in original specification according to the user manual. A 550 will do about 170 kph. at 4000 rpm. when cruising in 6th, which is a bit too fast for normal highway cruising so that means the car is a bit too quiet for my liking. My idea a long time ago was to make a small relay that opened the exhaust when the car was over 50 kph. (30 mph.). I still believe it is a good idea as the road noise is mostly what you hear as the speed increases when in original specification. To have it automatic with a manual override would be probably the best solution.

    I have a problem now, and that is that the vacuum coming from the vacuum tank at the front is too low to engage the butterfly valve actuators. I can’t find any leaks and I have replaced the one way check valve from the plenum to the vacuum booster tank. Still minimal vacuum... I was working one year ago, but now the flaps doesn’t open anymore. I suspect it also affect the other actuator for the inlet which change the length of the manifold runners. That one seem to work when I open up the hood and I rev the engine, but again, then the engine is running first at idle with maximum vacuum. Difficult to check when running fast. What I see is that Fuchs have a separate vacuum tank to install at the rear of the car. I like this idea, because it will probably make the valves open faster... Probably not really neccesary but much vacuum close to the actuators should be pretty good.
     
  6. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

    Jan 8, 2010
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    Next project is to replace the rubber mounts for the gearbox as shown as part 54 in the picture. This to reduce road noice. I was driving a Bentley W12 Flying Spur the other day, and even if it is a quiet car, the engine sound was really glorious inside the car. I noticed that the very little road noise actually «amplifies» or make the little engine noice much more easy to hear. This winter I put on Dave’s rear rubber cushioned shock mounts as I have had, in my opinion, a lot of road noice that is more easy to hear than the engine sound. But the difference was actually not that much. However, it became easier to hear a rumble that have been there for quite a while, probably been gradually more and more for each year. When I go on the highway and especially new flat tarmac, it is not bad, but I can still hear it. When going on cobblestones, the rumbling is really bad even at walking speed. SO why do I write all this? -Well, I feel it is good to point out that good engine sound and the «feel» of the car, is just as much about elimination of all other sounds. It also help stereo sound quality a lot. I am not looking for the volume to be quite honest, but more the inside sound quality experience. Will write back when I get new mounts installed.

    Thanks for writing guys. To spread light and real world experience over this exceptionally important aspect of these cars is very useful and interesting to follow.
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  7. Jroe550

    Jroe550 Karting

    Sep 10, 2015
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    Hi Erik,

    Is this an issue you’ve heard about on other cars? The low vacuum? Are you doing all your own service on the car?




    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
  8. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

    Jan 8, 2010
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    Hi Jason.

    No I have never heared about this issue before. The engine seems to run just perfect. The whole vacuum system is fairly simple. It takes vacuum from the right hans side intake manifold through the one way check valve. Then the vacuum pulls the air out of the metal tank so it is under pressured. The other pipe fitting goes to a T which «supply» vacuum to the one electronic actuator valve for the intake actuator and to the exhaust valve actuator. I have pressure tested the hoses and tank and actuators. Seems to be no leaks. The hose just don’t have real vacuum... Yes I do most things myself.
     
  9. m5shiv

    m5shiv Formula 3
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    @rob lay
     
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  10. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    Dec 1, 2000
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    you want to pay his sponsorship fee? he doesn't.
     
  11. m5shiv

    m5shiv Formula 3
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    Understood. Will discuss with him post pandemic.
     
  12. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

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    #187 F456M, Mar 20, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2020

    The reason was also that during his posts where he showed the pictures and later also the videos, he had a CEL issue and thought it came because of the new exhaust. Later it turned out it was a lambda sensor problem. That meant it was an «issue» and that the ECUs probably needed some reprogramming. This later turned out to be wrong when he had the issue fixed at a workshop. And no one had ever put this exhaust on a 456 or 550. I was at his shop in July 2015. I did not risk to blow up my engine and he had a guy who were going to install it on a 550 which was going to be modified for racing. So I waited. But then at the same time the Maranello market went up, and the guy did not continue his plans with the 550 track car and instead wanted to keep it in original specification. So he never considdered it ready for sale. Fchat had at the same time sponsors who were also offering sports exhaust for these models. Known brands but Fabios sound was impossible to beat because no one other than him offered the 6-1 headers. So the situation was maybe not ideal. Another thing was that Italy had lately at that time given owners of these cars a tax of about 3.000 euro PER YEAR in order to make the car legal to drive on the Italian roads, so Fabio was uncertain someone would pay another 10-13.000 euro for an exhaust. I knew it had a big potential outside Italy. That was why I went to see him and had three meetings with him in Italy and teste his 575 with two set-ups of the exhaust. The language and business culture which differ between America and Italy might also have played a role and might have caused some misunderstanding. I am sure Fabio would have been a good sponsor here. He is a sponsor at the other board, so the strategy made Fchat loose a sponsor to another Ferrari web forum.

    I wish Fabio the very best with his business and this is definately something worth investing in to make these cars much more fun. Another thing is that our old exhausts are now +/- 20 years old, and new is new. The reason he made it in the first place was that one of his original OEM exhaust manifolds cracked because of the restrictive design. When looking at the 575 exhaust with six catalyzers and the lack of the fantastic sound of the newer cars, combined with his experience from the old workshop in combination with his skills from CAD drawing for parts to the oil rig business, he decided to invest huge money and time to make something unique and better than his stock system. This cost is something we reimburst him when buying an exhaust from him.
     
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  13. niftyfivefifty

    niftyfivefifty Formula Junior
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    Mar 5, 2007
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  14. NE550

    NE550 Formula Junior

    Mar 23, 2017
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    Holy guacashmoly! That is ungodly! Looove it!!!
     
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  15. Jroe550

    Jroe550 Karting

    Sep 10, 2015
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    Wow!
    I assume that’s just the microphone from
    your phone from the cockpit?
    That is loud..I like it too. I’m sure my wife would never ride in my car again if I put that in my 550



    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  16. niftyfivefifty

    niftyfivefifty Formula Junior
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    Yeah just the microphone on my Pixel 3. I have a pro mic I'm going to use to capture sound today. It is crazy, but so much fun.
     
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  17. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

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    I take it for granted that there is no annual inspection by the DOT in your area? :)
     
  18. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Erik- Have not heard of any noise level checks in the US except by the local police. Compared to the Harleys here, it takes a really, really loud V12 exhaust to get a ticket.
     
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  19. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Fiammmmmmenghi ?

    Freaking aWeSoMe

    :D
     
  20. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
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    Rob, Why don't you let him rejoin (if he wants to) for the price of a Rossa membership, on the basis that if he wants any sponsor benefits, he pays a sponsorship fee?

    Everyone worth their salt on this board would support that, and if he transgresses, fair game. But you are punishing us, not him, by keeping him banned, and I guess he is too proud to say that himself. This isn't the most active or exciting forum on Fchat as it stands, and an owner who is an engineer and a valued poster being banned is crazy.

    Why am I even wasting my time asking...
     
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  21. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 25, 2002
    13,196
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    I will be the odd man out:

    First, I love the exhaust headers. Truly a work of art. The sound is pure bliss!

    That said, I’m concerned the lack of double walling will radiate too much heat into the engine bay...Particularly with stop and go / low speed traffic.

    I wonder if he / we / someone can you come up with a solution to that. To be honest my complaint is all an academic problem... I need to first get a 575.
     
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  22. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Fabio has made heat shields, but in general it has not been a problem.
     
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  23. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

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    #198 F456M, Mar 27, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2020
    Ok, here we go again... After some time waiting for a set of valved Fuchs rear mufflers for my 550, they arrived Villefranche today, and I put them right on. I could not wait as I have been quite excited after reading «no drone» on their web site. I have Hyperflow sport catalyzers, a Quicksilver «X-pipe» that I actually made a modification to last summer and that was to cut a slot in the center and weld in a wall to separate the exhaust so it is now basically with straight center pipes even though they stay together. So now I was hoping this would be «just perfect»... Quess what, the result was negative. Drone both with open and closed valves. Really loud and no crisp nice sound at all. To me it seems that the engine with the original header design does not make a great sound in the first place. Ir the sport catalyzers reduce the pulses sometime. The funny thing is that I have driven a 550 without catalyzers and it was fine. Just a little on the loud side, but bot anoying or with drone. But it is like this car can not get me satisfied no matter what I do. Still after seven years, I don’t like the sound. And the sound now is now beautful at all. The only real cool sound was the 456M with stock catalyzers + Stebro 1 foot long oval «X-pipe» + no rear mufflers. That had a great sound to it both on accellerating and decellerating.... so simple and easy to do and inexpencive. Now I have been through four sets of rear mufflers, three sets of mid sections and both original and Hyperflow catalyzers..... It takes money, and lots of time. I just understand how ****ing stupid I am messing with these things. I guess there is only one thing to do... DZ96 with 6-1 + Fuchs seems to have found the perfect combo.
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  24. Cribbj

    Cribbj Formula 3

    Erik, drone in the 550 seems to be more prevalent with straight pipes than with an X pipe. I'd bet if you welded in a cross pipe to let the two sides communicate again, your drone would be gone. When I took off the stock resonator assy in my 550 and put in an X pipe, I was very happy with the result, and my rear cans were Quicksilber.

    Then, just for sh*ts & grins, I decided to pull the X pipe and try a set of straight pipes and the drone drove me batty for 2-3 days until I got the X pipe back on.....
     
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  25. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

    Jan 8, 2010
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    Hi John. Thanks a lot for the clarification. I have my center resonator sent to me so when it arrives, I believe it will be better. As the car is now it is too loud even with the valves closed. But the difference is much bigger with open/closed valves than with the original mufflers. Maybe, and I say maybe, it will be just perfect with the center muffler on. A little more quiet when closed and a real sound when open, although not the crazy sound like now. When i took that center resonator off a few years ago, the car lost some of its special «550 character». I found out that it actually makes a sound although it reduce the sound from the mufflers. I kind of miss the sound it made. What I don’t miss is a certain rattling noise at one single rpm. level. That is part of why I took it off. When I took it off and put the Stebro 1 foot long «X-pipe» on, the car became more quiet than with the original center resonator/muffler. I was seriously disappointed!! Strange. Now the good thing is that it is like a kid waiting for Christmas every time I decide to change the exhaust. :) And the wrenching skills improve for every time!
     

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