Riss Racing X-pipe - Initial Impressions (~50 miles.)

[LateBraking]

A not-very-serious-but-still-heartfelt review.

Sorry if my thoughts are incoherent. I just got back from eating a feast with the Mfest guys. Food coma! Boiling crab, good stuff.

So, after I finally get an opportunity to bring my car into Riss Racing's shop, I sit around for a good portion of my day exchanging jokes with Daniel and making his job generally harder (sorry man). I got to drive off with Riss Racing's catless X-pipe at the end. They were out of the polished section, so I ended up getting the temperature-coated catless portion. Whatever, I'm not picky.

The first thing I got to say is that I love that interchangeable pipe portion. I haven't had a use for it yet, but I like it already. I feel like running catless right now, cool, it's catless. I feel like running catted later, cool, I can buy the catted later. Gotta love that.

When Daniel fired up my car to check for leaks, I was pretty stupified. Stupified, because it sounded stock-quiet, and I was expecting something....anything different. I'm hearing nothing....nothing....nothing...then he hits the accelerator pedal. BWAP! I swear, it felt like someone came up to me and shoved me back. That thing is loud. I was worried about rasp, but the rasp isn't bad. There's a little bit, but it's a nice kind of rasp, not the hollow irritating kind of rasp found in another X-pipe that I've heard plenty of. (I name no names.) Being on stock mufflers, it retains a stock kind of noise, but with a slight tinge of rasp mixed in, (I actually like it, surprisingly!) and it's a whole lot louder.

Did I mention it's a whole lot louder?

Anyways.

When cruising on the freeway at light to partial throttle, it really does sounds like a stock M3. You can't really hear any obvious differences. Best of all, no drone! I was surprised at how livable and drivable the thing is. But when you get on the throttle, it sounds like thunder. Daniel tells me that after it breaks in, it'll be 20% quieter. Oh well. It'll still sounds amazing, I'm sure. I'm so glad I got this thing.

Can you tell I like this thing? Yeah, I like this thing. My butt-dyno likes it too. I was originally planning to dyno stock and then compare, but then I got too impatient and just slapped the X-pipe on. It's definitely noticeable power though.

My only beef with it? I got a CEL. Did my 50 mile drive, and it popped up. But hey, my choice to run catless. Maybe if I get tired of breathing in fumes, I'll go catted soon, eh? Isn't that neat? I can switch?

Crappy iPhone pictures ftl!





Yea, I need to invest in a proper camera. I know. Eventually, Eventually.

Oh, by the way, before I forget, Daniel said that the $1,199.00 promotion price is ending soon, and it'll go up to the $1,399.00 regular price. Figured I should pass that on to everyone.

[EagleEye CA]

Sound clips? Stock exhaust?

I have a question about check engine lights in this instance. I know its for emissions but wouldn't the ECU put the car in some sort of safety mode and actually lose power instead of making more power?

[LateBraking]

I've had that happen to me before, when I had the idle valve issue. It'll go into limp mode, and lock your RPM's at 4,000.

With the X-pipe, I got CEL, but no limp mode, so, for now, I assume not. Most people on the forum say it's harmless and just annoying. I'm pretty sure they're right.

I'm pretty sure I stated above that I have stock muffler, unless food coma is making me go nuts.

Sound clips, I think MrHarris has plenty up, so I figured it'd be redundant. But if you're okay with more "crappy iPhone" stuff....

[EagleEye CA]

thats good to know. I know for the older cars CEL wouldn't do anything but warn you that you had a potential problem but I am curious about the newer tech savvy cars such as the M and how it reacts to CEL for various issues.

[MrHarris]

This thing is awesome! Loud when you want it, power throughout the rev range and absolutely no drone and with a great price. What else could you ask for?

For sound clips youtube "riss racing x-pipe" and you should see a whole bunch of a white e92.

[aus]

thanks for the review.

[SV Concepts III]

That's awesome, thanks for the review and photos. We can never have too many sound clips, wouldn't mind hearing it!

[Moxie]

Originally Posted by Nick@Jlevi SW

That's awesome, thanks for the review and photos. We can never have too many sound clips, wouldn't mind hearing it!

+1

[SV Concepts II]

Glad you're happy with the x-pipe.

The CEL BTW, is triggered by the post cat o2 sensors thinking the cats are malfunctioning (since they aren't even there). This is strictly emissions control based and doesn't have any affect on the pre-cat o2 sensors, which read the AFR coming into the exhaust and adjust fuel/ignition accordingly.

[TXM32B]

How can the CEL be corrected? Does this require an ECU tune or can it be turned off?

[MrHarris]

Originally Posted by TXM32B

How can the CEL be corrected? Does this require an ECU tune or can it be turned off?

Either ECU retune, or an O2 simulator (Riss is currently working on one)

[KonigsTiger]

Nice set up. Just some food for thought though, Riss Racing???, sounds a tad like Rice Racing. Gotta change that name.

[novablackm3]

may be i'll try the riss xpipe in a few months, i just got a AA ECU tune and the LC is pretty sick!

[XXM3NJXX]

i got the axle back riss racing i lost pwer mabe after the break in the ecu will adjust i also added on evosport pully ill put up sound clips and dyno runs before and after 10 hp less after added upgrades now what do i do ?

stock

upgrades

[LateBraking]

Well, this is a thread for the RR X pipe and not the mufflers, but from what I know, another guy on our forum, I think his name is SCCAforums or something like that, he gained 12? hp and 8? tq, or something similar.

Check for leaks in exhaust or loss in power due to incorrect install of either muffler or pulley?

Can't really give much more feedback. I have X pipe, not mufflers. Sorry.

Edit: here. SCCAforums.com is his name.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290736

[LateBraking]

Originally Posted by TXM32B

How can the CEL be corrected? Does this require an ECU tune or can it be turned off?

Adam@rissracing.com
to me

show details 4:42 PM (9 minutes ago)

Hey Brian,

We are going to be working on the sim next week and give you the heads up on it. We will have the unit as a pin out version most likely. I don't see us having our customers splice into the o2 sensor.

Adam



Brian Kim wrote:

Hey Adam,

Daniel told me that you guys had two kinds of O2 sims, one where you had to mess around with the actual sensors on the Mini cooper, and one that's just a pin version, the 335i one. You guys are making the pin version for the M3 right? Just curious, since I'd be interested in a pin version, but I'm probably not big on cutting wires or anything like that, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

-Brian.


So yes, it can be turned off once Riss Racing releases their pin out O2 simulator.

[MrHarris]

Originally Posted by XXM3NJXX

i got the axle back riss racing i lost pwer mabe after the break in the ecu will adjust i also added on evosport pully ill put up sound clips and dyno runs before and after 10 hp less after added upgrades now what do i do ?

stock

upgrades

Has to be a leak.

[MrHarris]

Originally Posted by iBeJayKaying

Adam@rissracing.com
to me

show details 4:42 PM (9 minutes ago)

Hey Brian,

We are going to be working on the sim next week and give you the heads up on it. We will have the unit as a pin out version most likely. I don't see us having our customers splice into the o2 sensor.

Adam



Brian Kim wrote:

Hey Adam,

Daniel told me that you guys had two kinds of O2 sims, one where you had to mess around with the actual sensors on the Mini cooper, and one that's just a pin version, the 335i one. You guys are making the pin version for the M3 right? Just curious, since I'd be interested in a pin version, but I'm probably not big on cutting wires or anything like that, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

-Brian.


So yes, it can be turned off once Riss Racing releases their pin out O2 simulator.

Good to hear it'll be pin out

[SCCAForums.com]

NJ M3... Can you post Dyno Graphs? And before & after mods... The video's are very hard to draw any conclusions from? The 'Stock' Pull seems much 'shorter' than the 'Upgrades' Pull?

The pulley alone... is conservatively 6 RWHP... and the Exhaust should have been 10 RWHP (I gained 14).

Something doesn't seem right, let us know what you find out, and if you can post Dyno graphs that'd help. Did you happen to have A/F hooked up? That would also help, to narrow down if it was heat soaked, and dumping timing & fuel.

Good Luck!
Dave

[MrHarris]

Originally Posted by SCCAForums.com

NJ M3... Can you post Dyno Graphs? And before & after mods... The video's are very hard to draw any conclusions from? The 'Stock' Pull seems much 'shorter' than the 'Upgrades' Pull?

The pulley alone... is conservatively 6 RWHP... and the Exhaust should have been 10 RWHP (I gained 14).

Something doesn't seem right, let us know what you find out, and if you can post Dyno graphs that'd help. Did you happen to have A/F hooked up? That would also help, to narrow down if it was heat soaked, and dumping timing & fuel.

Good Luck!
Dave

Didn't you gain 14 but had an aftermarket x-pipe already on there? If so, the gains should be even more pronounced from the mufflers because you're freeing up the much needed flow.

[SCCAForums.com]

Harris, yeah... I wish I could have dynoed Mufflers, than X pipe... but for me it was the other way around. Although most of the tuners have said the X pipe is 'so much' and the mufflers are 'so much'... I haven't seen any claims saying X pipe is 'this much' with stock mufflers... and 'this much more' with high flow mufflers.

But yup, mine was done 'after'.

I hope to get on Dyno this Saturday with new Powerchip Tune... just haven't had time.

Peace,
Dave

[MrHarris]

Lookinh forward to your results. Please
post pics if u can. I'm deciding between GIAC or Powerchip.