Holy carp - that is one big turbo!! :yikes:

Updated Downpipe pictures.


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Kudos to the man laying those beads. Nice work.

This is amazing. Win I win the lottery I'd love to do this with my 3.0i. Once it's completed hopefully you start a youtube channel and do a full walk around and dyno. Great work.

Downpipe looks great. I vote keep the iS exhaust.

Nice!

Love those mandrel bends.....so tight and clean!:thumbup:

IS exhaust will compromise performance---too much back pressure.

Hotside is done. On to the intercooler and charge pipes. Picked up a low mileage rear differential out of a 2008 BMW M5 with a 3.62 LSD and the factory M5 rear axles. The cases seem very similar outside of the car and we will be finding a way to get that to work in the back of the SAV as well beefing up any weak structural parts of the rear subframe so we don't have any tears. If the M5 diff is a direct bolt it would make the perfect gearing upgrade for any future DIY LSX X5 swappers.


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Also in reference to the exhaust we thought about using ECS Tunings 3" Vacuum Exhaust Cut-Outs right before the 4.6is mufflers with custom piping to the cutouts and make it so that once the X5 gets into boost it opens the valve to cause no power restriction but around town out of boost it will have to go through the mufflers. We aren't dead set on this but we are considering it as an option at this point.


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I always liked the idea of vacuum exhaust cutouts! I dont think id ever go for electric cutouts due to the infamous reliability of the electric motors. Plus you dont need to mount any ugly switches anywhere. I say go for the IS exhaust! With the cutouts you shouldn't really have any back pressure concerns either...

Vacuum cutouts also have a switch. I have all switches for mods in the console so nothing is visible.

Certainly an individual choice but I wouldn't write off all electric cutouts. Not all cutout motors are created equal. I chose QTP oval cutouts so the opening can be larger than round options. Motors are not a problem and are more than powerful enough to always seal when closed. Some cutouts are either completely closed or completely open. QTP cutouts are on of those that open only as much as you choose.