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Thread: 540i E39 exhaust question

  1. #1
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    540i E39 exhaust question

    I Want to do a resonator delete on my 2001 540i but I do not like the raspy tone from deleting the Y pipe resonator. I do not want to spend the coin on a exhaust system as the performance gains are minimal at best for the money spent IMHO. Can anybody shed some light on this video for me? I am confused by the poster saying both rear resonators have been removed but the Y pipe is still in place. This is the tone/sound I am after. It was my understanding there are only two resonators on the 540i, the Y resonator and the small resonator by the muffler. Can somebody straighten my stupid butt out on this?

    http://youtu.be/_a33CLgP7GY

  2. #2
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    I do not nor have I ever owned an E39 however, I have a similar M60 motor. My exhaust was rusty from years in the north east. I did a resonator delete and V 12 muffler (e32 750il) mod. I gained a nice V8 tone but lost noticeable low end torque. These are well tuned machines and not brutish American muscle cars that can benefit from some glass packs.
    My advice... get tuned well made exhaust or leave it alone.
    Last edited by rowen210; 07-18-2014 at 01:49 AM.
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  3. #3
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    delete rear muffler. Leave everything else, or you'll hate the drone

  4. #4
    downeaster1's Avatar
    downeaster1 is offline Expert De-Vanos-er BMW CCA Member
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    It's going to be hard to see from the image below, but I replicated the M5 exhaust fairly cheaply. I replaced the factory cans with a flowmaster series 80 (for transversely mounted exhaust systems such as the camero) and looped one of the exhaust side ports coming off the muffler, around the spare tirewell to the other side of the vehicle and then used M5 look-a-like tips. Total cost was about $300 and sounds identical to an M5. Also, for what its worth, I'm a purist.



    EDIT: Better picture:

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    Last edited by downeaster1; 07-25-2014 at 10:50 AM.




  5. #5
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    Sounds identical to an M5?

    How does one make an M62 sound the same as the S62 by just using dual exit exhaust?

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  6. #6
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    or you can cut out the stock resonator and weld in a Aeromotive one
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  7. #7
    downeaster1's Avatar
    downeaster1 is offline Expert De-Vanos-er BMW CCA Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmerBreaker View Post
    Sounds identical to an M5?

    How does one make an M62 sound the same as the S62 by just using dual exit exhaust?
    It's pretty simple. Just listen to the youtube clips of people who have retrofitted M5 exhaust systems to their factory 540i. Sounds exactly the same. Granted, this way you don't have to bash out the spare tirewell.




  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by downeaster1 View Post
    It's pretty simple. Just listen to the youtube clips of people who have retrofitted M5 exhaust systems to their factory 540i. Sounds exactly the same. Granted, this way you don't have to bash out the spare tirewell.
    A dual exhaust is far from the only difference between the M5 and 540i though. The engines are different and perform differently and sound different. I've heard tons of M62's and even with an M5 exhaust they do not sound like an S62

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  9. #9
    downeaster1's Avatar
    downeaster1 is offline Expert De-Vanos-er BMW CCA Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmerBreaker View Post
    A dual exhaust is far from the only difference between the M5 and 540i though. The engines are different and perform differently and sound different. I've heard tons of M62's and even with an M5 exhaust they do not sound like an S62
    Obviously they are different. I'm just saying, they sound identical.




  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by downeaster1 View Post
    Obviously they are different. I'm just saying, they sound identical.
    Different but the same. Got it.

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