Porsche Cayman S Exhaust Outlet Modification

The Porsche Cayman, especially the early ones, have a rather bad design for the exhaust outlet.  The 2 muffler outlets point directly toward each other.  Then they flow into a T as if a plumber built it.

After that, the exhaust goes into a restrictive decorative tip.

Notice the tiny holes for the exhaust to flow out here.

I finally replaced that nasty exhaust T on the Cayman S.  I bought 2, 2.5" ID 90 degree mandrel bends from Summit Racing (part# 670176 http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-670176 ).  Total cost $40. These bends are tight with a 2.5" radius.  Yes, tight is bad but still better than a T. I removed the passengers side muffler assembly for access and cut the muffler outlets down to about 1.5".  I cut the bends to fit snugly on the muffler outlet.  It just so happens cutting the long side of the elbow left just the length I needed for the tailpipes. I was even able to reuse the clamps from the original T.  I also cut the factory stainless tip from the old tailpipe and attached it (sorta) to the 2 tailpipes.  It looks stock from a distance.  I doubt this really made a very big difference but honestly it does seem a bit crisper at high RPM.  Could just be in my head though.  It just looks like it flows better.

For now I removed the inside of the decorative tip and placed it over the 2 pipes.  It looks basically stock until you look closer.  I will likely replace this with 2 stainless exhaust tips later.

Here is where I had to cut the muffler outlets to fit the new pipes.

Here is where I cut the bends.

We did a similar modification on a friends 981 (2013 Boxster).  It looks like similar tubes are also available in stainless steel.  The part number for those is VPE-13040 ( http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VPE-13040 ).  The bend radius is 3.5" instead of 2.5" thouogh.  We did install these in a 2013 Boxster.  It was tight.  We had to cut the tubes so the radius was abut to the weld bead on the muffler outlet.  It did fit though.  The milder bend will flow better.  The 981 had more space between the muffler outlets than the 987.1 did.  I don't think these would work on the 987.1.

Update 7/5/2015:
I purchased some inexpensive stainless steel tips from Advance Auto and modified them to install over the pipes.

These tips were only $15 each.  I had to remove the attaching hardware and cut a slit along them.  Then I used a pipe expander to open them up enough to slide over the pipes.  They are a tight fit but I can still adjust them as needed. I used simple worm clamps to retain them.

We redid the 981 Boxster as well.  He bought the sharper bends I had and the same tips.  His car looks like this now.

The pipes setting below are the stainless ones with the milder bends.

Porsche Cayman S Intake Modification

This is how you remove the noise regulation required intake restrictor.  The snorkel is intended to increase the air speed under full throttle to prevent induction sounds from exiting the vehicle.  However, this does add some restriction and the induction sound is fantastic and should be allowed to be heard.  It only makes a difference at about 3/4 throttle to WOT.  On the 987 there are a few parts to this.  The snorkel tube and the plate behind the grille.  On a stock car, you can only see a black plastic plate behind the grille.

1) remove the outer grille (pry 2 clips with screwdriver)
2) remove the grille support (5 clips)
3) remove the blocker plate (a few clips) and discard
4) remove air filter to access inside of snorkel.
5) pry the bottom of the snorkel tube to release catch and pull snorkel out through grille opening.
6) reassemble.

Reducing the air velocity will help reduce the amount of water that is pulled in with the air during rain. The reduced restriction might give you a tad more power at WOT near redline.  The biggest difference is probably the lovely induction sounds you can now experience.

This does come with a risk!  If you are driving in heavy rain, or any other situation where large amounts of water could enter the air intake, you could risk damaging the MAF sensor.  One of the functions of the OEM setup is to remove the water from the air stream.  The modification described above does make it more possible for water to get past the air filter and damage the MAF.  In very extreme cases, if you ingest enough water, you can hydro-lock the engine which can cause catastrophic damage.  Even with the snorkel and the outer plate removed, the air cleaner still has good protection from these risks. The risk is higher at high air flow too so if you encounter heavy rain, avoid heavy throttle.  I am thinking I will make an active water separator device later to mitigate this risk completely. You can also keep the panel in the car and if you are going to drive on the track in heavy rain, pop it back on.

Snorkel removed. That black plastic piece inside the oval is a cover on the tip of the air filter to prevent water from getting on the filter element.

Air filter

Inside airbox

Grille pieces

This shows the grille in place and the snorkel still installed.I removed the snorkel later.

With grille and panel removed

Here is the intake sound after the modifications and a K&N air filter.

Text, voice, and video messaging

We are getting ripped off by carriers, and manipulated by device makers.  Wireless carriers are charging us extra for the least expensive thing we transmit across their communications: text messaging via SMS and MMS.  Device makers are making many think they have the only video chat service out there so people stick with their stuff.  Lets be smarter people.

Carriers and Text Messaging (SMS & MMS)

Carriers charge us extra for SMS and MMS (a.k.a. texting).  I know, people tell me all the time "I have unlimited texting".  Sure you do, for a price.  With the majority of devices now smartphones, and getting more so all the time, we have many great free universal alternatives.  We just need to get people to switch.

Carriers also try to create unique services to lock you into them.  Sometimes they even team up.  ISIS mobile wallet is an example of that.

Device Manufacturers

Device manufacturers have incentive to make the features on their devices unique so you will use their stuff in the future.  You will also tell your friends so they will use their stuff.  Apple does this all the time, making things "exclusive".  Steve Jobs was big on this.  He did not want freedom at all, he wanted monopoly and tyranny.  Sadly they made serious progress towards that goal.  Many people still believe that the iPhone does things other devices do not.  In reality if you look at the functional and feature level the iPhone is more restrictive, doing less.  Other device makers are guilty of this too of course but few have taken it to the level Apple has.

 Better Options

Several great alternatives now exist, and have for some time.  I remember using free video messaging in the 1990's.  It is not really new but has certainly improved.  Many of these let you also use your PC and in some cases even smart TV's.

• Google Hangouts:  This does text, picture, and video messaging on Android and iOS.  You can also do it from a PC or Mac.  I use this one the most.  Simple to use and it works great.  I did a Hangouts video session with a friend in India a few weeks ago and the video was clear and smooth.  One downside is that it does not yet support Blackberry, Windows phone, or other operating systems yet.  Hopefully this will change in the future though. 
• Viber:  Similar to hangouts.  I have not personally used this but I know people who do.  Viber is available and most platforms, even Bada.  You can use it on mobile or desktop.
• WhatsApp: This does not yet support video chat but it is supported on most mobile platforms and has many users.  It was recently sold to Facebook.
• Skype: This does text, voice, and video chats.  It works on most platforms for mobile and desktop as well as certain smart TV's , Blu-Ray players, and game consoles.  Skype has been around and doing this for a very long time.  It is now owned by Microsoft.
• Facebook messenger: So far this only does chat and is only supported in Android and iPhone.  Probably not worth mentioning here except Facebook has such a huge user base.  Maybe with the acquisition of WhatsApp they will create a good messaging service.  
• ooVoo: Free video calling with up to 12 at a time.  This has been around a while now too. So far is supports Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Mac.  
• Tango: Works with Windows PC, Windows 7 phone, Android, and iOS.
• Fring: Available for Nokia, Amdroid, and iOS.
• Camfrog: Available for Windows PC, Mac, Android, Kindle, iOS.

I'm sure I missed several more.  What makes these better?  You are no longer stuck with a device brand, OS, or carrier.  You are free to switch devices and carriers and stay in contact.

more to come....

Riding the Rock Island Trail

About a year ago I started riding my mountain bike on the Rock Island Trail.  The trail will soon span 35 miles from Toulon to downtown Peoria.  I have ridden it to Toulon going North, and to Peoria Heights going South.  It is great exercise for me.  I have a 1987 Schwinn mountain bike that was handed down to me from my father in-law.  Not the latest in lightweight technology but gets the job done for me.  I have accumulated several photos on the trail which I post here in my public Rock Island Trail photo album.  These were all taken with my smartphones. 

I use Cardio Trainer and MyTracks to track and data log my rides.  So far my longest single ride was 54 miles.  I am up to about 200 miles a month.  So far my highest month was August where I rode 246 miles.  I also have a Polar Wearlink+ Bluetooth heart rate monitor that integrates with both of these apps (but only one at a time).  I figured out I can ride about 2,000 calories worth until I run out of fuel.  I started bringing protein bars with me so I can refuel and rest.  I also learned to consume plenty of protein before I go.  One way I get protein is with Bolthouse Farms protein drinks.  These are available in most grocery stores. 

Sharing pictures via Google+ on Android

This is a very simple thing to do but it seems I run into many people who dont understand it yet so I thought I would try to make it clearer.

Start by opening a photo in your favorite photo app.  The gallery app on most devices works well.



In my case the g+ icon is already shown because I use g+ often.   If yours is not showm, click the share button.




This will open a menu with all the apps you can share too.  The list will have many things like g+, Gmail, other email programs, etc.
 
One of the great things about Android is this sharing functionality.  It is very quick and simple to share content between apps.  OK, so now select the app you want to share to.   Now all you have to do is click the app to share to.  In this case, we want to share to g+ (Google+).


Now just type in any message you want in the text field, select who to share to (this showing I am sharing public but you can select any circles you want).  When you are done click the "Share" button on the top right.  This will create your new post.

You can share many other things too like complete albums, links, etc.