Installed a TUBI exhaust on my 991S today
#1
06-22-2014, 03:02 PM
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 1,172
Rep Power: 85 
Installed a TUBI exhaust on my 991S today
Tubi Report. Installed it today.
It took a bit longer to install because I discovered you have to put the center muffler in before the two side mufflers, and I had to pull the sides back out again. Everyone you talk to (2 Porsche Service Departments, and three Aftermarket suppliers - including the Tubi Distrubutor for the USA) say the rear bumper cover has to be pulled in order to do it. It does not. Just pull the two rear wheels and the side mufflers will back out through the open wheel wells. I love it when people giving advice have never tried it the other way, yet they seem so sure....The tolerances on the center muffler were super-tight, so I had to loosen the driver's side manifold at the engine to get a little play to install it, but that was the only tricky part. The manifold nuts are very easy to get to and loosen (female TORX) so that wasn't difficult.
The Tubi has the most beautiful welds I've ever seen. They are gorgeous perfection. What a shame to cover it all up, it should be under a clear cover and the exhaust is polished to a mirror shine. Really a work of Italian art. The only negative is that they don't give you tips! So you have to use the crappy stock Porsche tips....and they don't include the vacuum line extensions and hose, which is ridiculous not to do so on a $ 4,800 MSRP system. A trip to Autozone was required and $ 5.64 worth of parts took care of that. Otherwise, a beauty of a system.
BTW, that rear suspension on the Porsche is incredible. I've never seen so many arms and links on a car before, I guess that's the whole secret to tame the nasty rear-engine handling that plagued early 911's. It's quite complex.
I held my breath when I started it up, fearful that it would again be too loud like the AWE Switchpath. It was not. A huge grin broke out on my face when it idled just deeper a tiny bit louder than stock. When I rolled out of the neighborhood it was nearly as quiet as stock, maybe just 5% louder and a bit deeper. All good...when you want it quiet, its quiet. Everything changes at 3,600 rpm when the valves open on the pipe and it sets forth the most beautiful Porsche wail you could ever ask for. Not so obnoxious as to rattle windows, just the note of a well-tuned thoroughbred exhaust on a world class car. It's perfect, exactly what I wanted, its as if I designed the exhaust myself and it was built to order on my specs. Definitely a keeper for me. I know the $ 4,500 I paid for it isn't cheap, but its half the price of the other good system for the car - the Akropovic.
BTW, I have learned a lot about exhausts the past month and will tell you that on a 991, you have got to have a center muffler of some sort to avoid a loud pipe. The tubing is simply too short coming off the rear mounted engine to control the noise volume without a can to absorb some of it. All those X-pipes and the like eliminate the center muffler (which controls the inboard tips noise). So what you have is a straight pipe to the inboard tips and the outside tips are running through the side mufflers. With the Tubi, Aktro, Borla, Remus, etc, all are running through a proper center muffler. The Crossover X-pipes are great for those that want to make noise and that's cool if that's your thing. But for me when I'm on a business phone call or talking with my wife in the car, a low tone is good - and when you romp on it then you get plenty of entertainment. They say it adds power, but who knows? Would have to dyno it before and after and I can't really tell by the seat butt dyno - it sure does put a smile on my face though and that's what its all about. Now I have to find some good tips for it, since it won't be going back.
Photos to come....
It took a bit longer to install because I discovered you have to put the center muffler in before the two side mufflers, and I had to pull the sides back out again. Everyone you talk to (2 Porsche Service Departments, and three Aftermarket suppliers - including the Tubi Distrubutor for the USA) say the rear bumper cover has to be pulled in order to do it. It does not. Just pull the two rear wheels and the side mufflers will back out through the open wheel wells. I love it when people giving advice have never tried it the other way, yet they seem so sure....The tolerances on the center muffler were super-tight, so I had to loosen the driver's side manifold at the engine to get a little play to install it, but that was the only tricky part. The manifold nuts are very easy to get to and loosen (female TORX) so that wasn't difficult.
The Tubi has the most beautiful welds I've ever seen. They are gorgeous perfection. What a shame to cover it all up, it should be under a clear cover and the exhaust is polished to a mirror shine. Really a work of Italian art. The only negative is that they don't give you tips! So you have to use the crappy stock Porsche tips....and they don't include the vacuum line extensions and hose, which is ridiculous not to do so on a $ 4,800 MSRP system. A trip to Autozone was required and $ 5.64 worth of parts took care of that. Otherwise, a beauty of a system.
BTW, that rear suspension on the Porsche is incredible. I've never seen so many arms and links on a car before, I guess that's the whole secret to tame the nasty rear-engine handling that plagued early 911's. It's quite complex.
I held my breath when I started it up, fearful that it would again be too loud like the AWE Switchpath. It was not. A huge grin broke out on my face when it idled just deeper a tiny bit louder than stock. When I rolled out of the neighborhood it was nearly as quiet as stock, maybe just 5% louder and a bit deeper. All good...when you want it quiet, its quiet. Everything changes at 3,600 rpm when the valves open on the pipe and it sets forth the most beautiful Porsche wail you could ever ask for. Not so obnoxious as to rattle windows, just the note of a well-tuned thoroughbred exhaust on a world class car. It's perfect, exactly what I wanted, its as if I designed the exhaust myself and it was built to order on my specs. Definitely a keeper for me. I know the $ 4,500 I paid for it isn't cheap, but its half the price of the other good system for the car - the Akropovic.
BTW, I have learned a lot about exhausts the past month and will tell you that on a 991, you have got to have a center muffler of some sort to avoid a loud pipe. The tubing is simply too short coming off the rear mounted engine to control the noise volume without a can to absorb some of it. All those X-pipes and the like eliminate the center muffler (which controls the inboard tips noise). So what you have is a straight pipe to the inboard tips and the outside tips are running through the side mufflers. With the Tubi, Aktro, Borla, Remus, etc, all are running through a proper center muffler. The Crossover X-pipes are great for those that want to make noise and that's cool if that's your thing. But for me when I'm on a business phone call or talking with my wife in the car, a low tone is good - and when you romp on it then you get plenty of entertainment. They say it adds power, but who knows? Would have to dyno it before and after and I can't really tell by the seat butt dyno - it sure does put a smile on my face though and that's what its all about. Now I have to find some good tips for it, since it won't be going back.
Photos to come....
Last edited by drcollie; 06-22-2014 at 03:05 PM.
#7
06-22-2014, 07:55 PM
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 1,172
Rep Power: 85
I took a lot of photos of removing the stock system (2014 Carrera S - Cab) today so I thought I'd run through the basics of pulling the stock pipe and installing an aftermarket exhaust. If you are doing something like an AWE Switchpath, the procedure is the same you are just not doing anything with the side mufflers and can skip a few steps. This is not difficult to do and you don't need special tools. On a scale of 1 to 10 for difficulty, I'd give it a 4 at best. Porsche made the car very easy to work on as well. This will detail the install of a full TUBI brand exhaust. There is no need to pull off the rear bumper cover to do this.
Here's the basic tools you will need, 3/8 Rachet, a few extensions (very helpful if you have a wobble socket extension like you see in my photo), A female Torx socket, Hex head socket (6mm) an then most everything on the car is a 12 0r 13 mm socket that we are working with today. Jack the back of the car up - I use a pair of Jackpoint Jackstands, they're perfect - and pull the rear wheels off the car.
Here's your stock exhaust under the car.
Start by removing the tips on each side and they come off with the Female Torx socket in the middle of the tips shown here. They slip right off by pulling backwards. Once off, set them aside.
Next, undo the sleeve collar (one on each side) with your 13mm socket. Two nuts, then when loose slide the collars to the outside of the car.
When done with the collars, unto the (3) 12mm nuts holding the center muffler onto the flange for the manifold and cats. Use a long extension and wobble extension and come from the back side where you took off the tips. Push the bracket for the side muffler holders off the studs and out of the way.
Next, undo the main straps holding the center muffler using your 6mm hex head socket. Slide the clamps to the outside of the muffler or simple remove them and set aside.
The stock center muffler will now come free. Pull it back and rotate as shown to let it drop out of the car. Be sure to disconnect your vacuum lines if you have a 'S' that will be to the actuators and very high up in the car. Porsche didn't make them very long....
Now your center pipe is out and your car should look like this on each side:
Here's the basic tools you will need, 3/8 Rachet, a few extensions (very helpful if you have a wobble socket extension like you see in my photo), A female Torx socket, Hex head socket (6mm) an then most everything on the car is a 12 0r 13 mm socket that we are working with today. Jack the back of the car up - I use a pair of Jackpoint Jackstands, they're perfect - and pull the rear wheels off the car.
Here's your stock exhaust under the car.
Start by removing the tips on each side and they come off with the Female Torx socket in the middle of the tips shown here. They slip right off by pulling backwards. Once off, set them aside.
Next, undo the sleeve collar (one on each side) with your 13mm socket. Two nuts, then when loose slide the collars to the outside of the car.
When done with the collars, unto the (3) 12mm nuts holding the center muffler onto the flange for the manifold and cats. Use a long extension and wobble extension and come from the back side where you took off the tips. Push the bracket for the side muffler holders off the studs and out of the way.
Next, undo the main straps holding the center muffler using your 6mm hex head socket. Slide the clamps to the outside of the muffler or simple remove them and set aside.
The stock center muffler will now come free. Pull it back and rotate as shown to let it drop out of the car. Be sure to disconnect your vacuum lines if you have a 'S' that will be to the actuators and very high up in the car. Porsche didn't make them very long....
Now your center pipe is out and your car should look like this on each side:
Last edited by drcollie; 06-22-2014 at 08:37 PM.
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#8
06-22-2014, 08:29 PM
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 1,172
Rep Power: 85
For the next step, we are going to remove the side mufflers. In the center of the photos is a bracket with a pair of 13mm nuts one over the other. Remove those nuts.
At the end of the side muffler closest to the rear of the car, you will see the bracket that holds onto the cat. Follow that up and remove the pair of 13mm nuts that hold the bracket onto the side mufflers. (a bit fuzzy in the photo)
Once the brackets are off the side mufflers will slide out from the inside of the wheel well, just pull them back through the opening. It will look like this once they are pulled out.
Now your old pipe is removed. Here's what the stock Carrera S system looks like next to the Tubi exhaust.
Before we can install the Tubi, we have to pull out the 'steel mesh' bushing and sleeve from the stock side cans. The bushing pushes right out and the 'mesh' pulls out easily as well. It's a little tricky getting them back in the new pipe, I struggled a bit with the first one, but then sprayed them down with WD40 and that made the job so much easier. Use a pair of needle nose pliers pushed into the hole on the mesh to open it up a tad to slide in the sleeves.
Do not install the side mufflers first! Put the Tubi Center muffler in the car as you will need the clearance to maneuver the pipe and the outlets on the side mufflers will interfere. Its a tight fit, but take your time and it will go in there. The tolerances are so close and tight, that you will find it necessary to partially undo the exhaust manifold on one side to get some wiggle room for alignment. I did the driver's side manifold nuts, just back them off a bit using the same Female TORX socket you undid the tips with. Do not remove them, just loosen. They are easy to get to with a simple extension.
Install the center muffler, leaving all fasteners loose. Put one nut only on the bottom of the main exhaust flange to hold it in place. Next, install the side mufflers on each side, bringing them through the inside of the wheel wells. Once in position, secure with the clamp.
Install the brackets on the other side (near the back of the car) on the side mufflers then secure the holding brackets to the exhaust flange. Next, take the stock sleeves you transfered over to the TUBI and slide them over, align them and secure them. Push the two ends of the new Tubi pipes together as you tighten the sleeves otherwise your tips may not line up correctly. Next, install the center muffler straps supplied by TUBI and tighten them up. Now go back and tighten the manifold nuts you loosened, then the ones on the exhaust flanges and all other fasteners. The exhaust should now be installed and rock solid with no wiggling.
One last thing to do before we take the car off the jacks. You have to hook up the vacuum lines to the TUBI valves. And - this is rather irritating - no hoses or in-line splice for the tubes were included in the kit so it means a trip to the auto parts store for $ 6 worth of parts. The stock Porsche vacuum lines will come no where close to reaching the valves on the TUBI. Buy two feet of 3/16" Fuel Line (its thicker than regular vacuum hose), two hose clamps and two 3/16" to 3/16" inline splice adaptors. Cut the hose to fit, run a clamp on the valve on the Tubi on each side, and then the splice adaptors into the factory vacuum lines. Secure with zip ties so they are away from the exhaust.
[URL=http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/drcollie/media/Tubi/DSC01622_zps446baa25.jpg.html]
Reinstall the exhaust tips and you're done!
One of my Porsche buddies came over tonight - he had to hear it. He has a 981s Boxster with stock exhaust and we went out for a ride in my car, he says "Its Perfect". And now I told him we would put one in his car next.....
I'll try to get some GO PRO videos of the car with the TUBI in the next couple of days.
Duane
At the end of the side muffler closest to the rear of the car, you will see the bracket that holds onto the cat. Follow that up and remove the pair of 13mm nuts that hold the bracket onto the side mufflers. (a bit fuzzy in the photo)
Once the brackets are off the side mufflers will slide out from the inside of the wheel well, just pull them back through the opening. It will look like this once they are pulled out.
Now your old pipe is removed. Here's what the stock Carrera S system looks like next to the Tubi exhaust.
Before we can install the Tubi, we have to pull out the 'steel mesh' bushing and sleeve from the stock side cans. The bushing pushes right out and the 'mesh' pulls out easily as well. It's a little tricky getting them back in the new pipe, I struggled a bit with the first one, but then sprayed them down with WD40 and that made the job so much easier. Use a pair of needle nose pliers pushed into the hole on the mesh to open it up a tad to slide in the sleeves.
Do not install the side mufflers first! Put the Tubi Center muffler in the car as you will need the clearance to maneuver the pipe and the outlets on the side mufflers will interfere. Its a tight fit, but take your time and it will go in there. The tolerances are so close and tight, that you will find it necessary to partially undo the exhaust manifold on one side to get some wiggle room for alignment. I did the driver's side manifold nuts, just back them off a bit using the same Female TORX socket you undid the tips with. Do not remove them, just loosen. They are easy to get to with a simple extension.
Install the center muffler, leaving all fasteners loose. Put one nut only on the bottom of the main exhaust flange to hold it in place. Next, install the side mufflers on each side, bringing them through the inside of the wheel wells. Once in position, secure with the clamp.
Install the brackets on the other side (near the back of the car) on the side mufflers then secure the holding brackets to the exhaust flange. Next, take the stock sleeves you transfered over to the TUBI and slide them over, align them and secure them. Push the two ends of the new Tubi pipes together as you tighten the sleeves otherwise your tips may not line up correctly. Next, install the center muffler straps supplied by TUBI and tighten them up. Now go back and tighten the manifold nuts you loosened, then the ones on the exhaust flanges and all other fasteners. The exhaust should now be installed and rock solid with no wiggling.
One last thing to do before we take the car off the jacks. You have to hook up the vacuum lines to the TUBI valves. And - this is rather irritating - no hoses or in-line splice for the tubes were included in the kit so it means a trip to the auto parts store for $ 6 worth of parts. The stock Porsche vacuum lines will come no where close to reaching the valves on the TUBI. Buy two feet of 3/16" Fuel Line (its thicker than regular vacuum hose), two hose clamps and two 3/16" to 3/16" inline splice adaptors. Cut the hose to fit, run a clamp on the valve on the Tubi on each side, and then the splice adaptors into the factory vacuum lines. Secure with zip ties so they are away from the exhaust.
[URL=http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/drcollie/media/Tubi/DSC01622_zps446baa25.jpg.html]
Reinstall the exhaust tips and you're done!
One of my Porsche buddies came over tonight - he had to hear it. He has a 981s Boxster with stock exhaust and we went out for a ride in my car, he says "Its Perfect". And now I told him we would put one in his car next.....
I'll try to get some GO PRO videos of the car with the TUBI in the next couple of days.
Duane
#10
06-22-2014, 10:24 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SF Peninsula and N Lake Tahoe
Posts: 964
Rep Power: 60
great write up ...I would also recommend anyone doing work under jack stand(s) to ALWAYS wedge wheel chocks in front of and behind the tire diagonally opposite to where you are working so that car doesn't roll and fall off jack stand(s) .
#13
06-23-2014, 08:29 AM
Superb how to! An excellent thread! Thanks for taking the time to take all those pics and post up a step by step. That Tubi looks beautiful! It is a shame to cover it up. Looking forward to video. Thanks again!
