Yesterday, I installed the Sharkwerks crosspipe / center muffler replacement for the 3.4L engine on my manual transmission / zero option car.



The 3.4L has a great engine noise, and great sound straight from the factory. It is very refined, but it is heaven in the upper RPM ranges. Not too loud, not too soft. Almost perfect, but missing the pops, burbles, and gurgles at overrun that the PSE offers. I wanted just a little more bite. Nothing louder, just more interesting.

Now, 3 mufflers is just a little much in my opinion, and I didn't want to spend $$$ on a full replacement exhaust. I debated going the easy route and getting the PSE, but the cost ($4k) plus labor was not something I wanted just for a little more excitement in the sound area. (And, frankly, I like the wide-mouth-bass oval tips better than the dual tips.)

I naturally landed on a center-muffler delete, and debated the various designs. In the end, the Sharkwerks pipe won out, as it was very reasonably priced, and I liked the sound on the website videos. And, it looked like a very easy DIY install. I placed and order, was was filled promptly, and began to wait for it to arrive.

On sunday, I started to tackle the center muffler removal. No jacks, just left the car on the ground. It was a very straightforward process - remove the tips, unbolt the flange, remove the connectors, and undo the straps. It went very smoothly, except I snapped one stud on the right cat (NE winters and harsh salt created a lot of rust and corrosion on the exhaust connectors...and I only used regular WD40 rather than a rust penetrator which was a mistake).


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I promptly panicked, and both posted on this forum (thanks drcollie, viper3838, and lunarx!) and sent an email to Sharkwerks. They responded, even on a Sunday, with some very good advice. I decided I didn't want to remove the header and play it ultra-safe, so I decided to drill it out. Pulled out my cordless drill and metal bits, and worked up from a 1/8" bit to a 3/8" bit. I tapped out the remaining piece with a punch and a very small hammer...it tapped right out. Mission accomplished, took about 1/2 hour to drill it out. I replaced it with a high-strength bolt.



I also discovered that I wasn't the first to break a bolt on my car. The dealership must have broken one of the sleeve bolts when they replaced my side mufflers under recall. It was replaced with a cheap bolt.



All in, took about an 1 hour to remove. Fairly easy. The pipe came on Monday, and I bolted it right up in 1/2 hour. Success!



Now, the test drive, which I performed today. How did it sound? Perfect. Not too loud, just a bit lower in resonance. And that wonderful burble, gurgle, and throttle overrun that sounds just like the PSE.

My "butt dyno" suggests that I got some decent improvement in the midrange (3k -4k RPM), where the stock torque curve (on the factory dyno chart) seems to dip. The car now feels much more linear in that range, which is EXACTLY what it needed for around-the-town livability. I no longer get a bit of hesitation when driving in that range. Up top, it feels about the same as stock, but with a bit more aggressive tone.

For me, this was the perfect exhaust mod, and well worth the money. I especially loved that I could easily perform the swap in my garage, and I didn't even need to jack it up.

 

I love the sound right now, keep wondering if I should do something similar. Thanks for the informative post and proof that it can be a DIY to boot!

 

Great, thanks for review CP. Surprised that you did not even have to jack up the car to install. Any chance of a sound video?

 

If you do it, buy the Rust Penetrating Spray, and let it soak in overnight, and hit it again before you start the removal. I was surprised at how little torque it took (my 3/8" rachet is only about 8 inches long) to snap that stud.


PorscheCrazy:
No sound vid. I don't have anything to record except my cell phone, and I feel like that would not capture the sound difference very well. I'm from NY as well tho...best to hear it in person.

I'd be up for joining a local meetup the next time we have one. I am also a PCA member. I just need to attend an event. Work always ends up getting in the way...

 

I have the same system and love it. Sounds awesome.

 

Congratulations on your successful DIY install!

 

Congrats =D
I ordered the Fabspeed Supersport X-Pipe Exhaust System myself, can't wait to get them!

 

How much did that X-pipe set you back if you don't mind me asking?

 

$795 + shipping.

And note- it isn't a x-pipe, which has a center merge. The sharkwerks pipe is a true-dual pipe.

There are pros/cons on each design...after some research:
* true-dual offers better low-end grunt, and preserves backpressure in the low RPM
* xpipes have a more refined sound (due to the merger of the exhausts), and better scavenging, which helps the exhaust gases flow out faster. Slight dip in low RPM torque, but larger gains in the midrange

 

Thank you CP for the information, that's something added to my knowledge library =D

 

CP - wondering if you have noticed any vibration issues with your new pipes. In looking over prior posts, noticed this was an issue. Thanks.

 

No, none. I have a manual transmission. Those complaints around vibration seemed to stem from the way the PDK modulated idle....but it did not seem universal to PDK owners.

 

Prime, did you ask the dealer if it would affect the warranty?

ChuckJ