Job Done
 

Done the job in ten minutes flat....4 by 10m/m holes in my welded oval exhaust system....the sound is now spot on....thanks for the info guys....not sure about the 10 hp gain !!!!!!!!!!!

desmo...

what was the key? i tried several times and failed. i was able to get a screw driver in on one side, but that was it. so just a small tiny hole the size of a screw driver. and as you guessed, no sound difference.

:(

I'm sure this is a quick, easy, and cheap way to enhance the exhaust note but it just seems like butchery. Like those black market surgeries in storage units...

Brand new drill bit 10m/m length 200m/m! no punch, no screwdriver just put the drill bit straight into each side so now have one hole in each pipe at the back and then i drilled again in each pipe just where the pipe splits into two..so have two holes in each pipe one at front and one at the back.....was quick and easy. will try and post a pic.

Just Do It!
 

After seeing so many positive replies to this mod, I decided to try myself on my 2000. I ended up with two 1/2" holes in each pipe. One hole, not very deep, angled inward, and a second hole, deeper in each pipe, also angled somewhat inward. I think there's room for one more hole, even deeper. But I like it the way it is. Between de-snorkeling, installing a K&N element in the stock box, and the muffler mod, I get pleasing sound all through the RPM range. I'm surprised the pipes don't make any more noise than they do at mid to high RPM. Mostly a real deep tone, just off idle. Very nice! ;)

You can do it by yourself gr8rcfan. I'm trusting you. :)

Anyone like to post some Pics? Thanks.

Finally a day without snow or rain, in fact it was a balmy 54° today. So I was able to shoot these today.
I drilled ¾" holes on each side and it is not excessively loud at all. Just a nice throaty growl to complement the perma-grin.

OMG guys this is ghetto

Nice work guys.

Just did the "ghetto mod" on my boxster. I might need to go much bigger and maybe more holes, mine didn't make any more noise with a 5/8" bit except MAYBE at idle- but that might be in my head..

Ill post back. Love the idea!

Hey Dude, I got a Finnish ghetto blaster now.

Exhaust Mod
 

Woo-Hoo thanks all, this mod works great!! It took me about 15 minutes to drive to the hardware store and about 2 minutes to drill the holes. My Boxster has a much deeper sound at idle and up to about 3000 rpm. I have a 1999 Boxster with the single outlet all I did is drill slowly and hold the bit so it was firm up against the outlet. Drilled one 1/2 inch hole in each pipe and with the angle I suppose I ended up with a 3/4 inch hole in each. Thanks for saving me the $350.00 I was going to buy a %is&#& after market bypass this does the same thing. :cool:

Can anyone post pic's with the welded Oval tip exhaust? I have a 2000 986 with the single oval tip and was thinking about doing this mod. Is it any harder without being able to remove the exhaust tip? Should I angle it a little more?

I know this is a dead thread, but there were some questions about making this mod to a S muffler with welded tips and avoiding drill bits from walking due to the drill bit attack angle. Here is what I did. 1) using a long flat screwdriver and hammer, chisel the screwdriver’s tip into the pipe where Crios recommended you make the holes. 2) When the edge of the screwdriver just starts to dig into the pipe, angle the screwdriver so the tip will travel upward making a 1/16th in cut. 3) now put the tip of the screwdriver near the origin of the hole and angle the tip down so you start making a "v" in the pipe as you advance the tip...continue doing steps 2 and 3 making the "v" big enough so you can get a 3/16th inch drill bit on the flat surface that the "v" makes. 4) using a 3/16th inch metal cutting bit, drill a hole through the "v”. 5) continue to increase the hole size by steeping up the size of the bit.
I struggled with a solution for the bit walking for about 2 hours...tried using the wood block method with no luck...came back to read this string about 3 times...then got the balls to start using force. Once I figured it out it took me about 20 min to finish the job.

Good luck.

I know this is an older thread, but I have a question. The original pics supplied by crios on 3/2/2009 show a muffler opened up showing the chambers inside. If a hole is drilled into the exhaust pipies coming out the back into the center chamber, it doesn't look like it would connect to where the exhaust gases would be coming out. The two pipes that come out the back appear to go to the left and right and the exhaust gets to them from the chambers to each side, not in the middle. So unless I'm missing something, drilling the holes as shown would only go into the middle section which has not exhaust gas connections with the other chambers. Is this correct?

This looked like a great MOD, I got my first hole drilled in the right side, then went to drill the hole in the left side, no problem drilling, THEN, oops, my bit came loose and is now inside the muffler, called stuff happens. : -) or should be : -(

OK, after reading all the posts I decided to try the mod out and figured the worst I would be out is a stock muffler that I would have to repair. On the 98's they appear to have a harder curve then the one at the front end of this thread. Realized that I was not going to get a starter bit in make a hole. Used a large regular screw driver and with one hard tap of a rubber mallet I was able to make the starter hole. I ended up going with a 1" bit in the end.

One word...WOW! My 0-60 time on the car is shorter by about a second...the sound is wonderful starting a about 2800 I get this beautiful feedback that sounds like a GT. Top down it is sweet, top up not one bit of an issue. If you are worried, don't be...this is both a cost saving mod and very easy to do.

You lost a second because of a drill bit! Man Porsche engineers are dumb. :dance::dance::dance::dance:

0-60db is probably 1sec quicker but thats about it. :cheers:

Your post makes me laugh! This was run with diagnostics on board more then just seat of the pants calculations. Make fun if you will, but simple physics don't lie, when you allow an normally aspirated engine breath easier (to a point) you will see improvement.

The difference between the energy content of the fuel consumed and the useful power extracted from the engine is known as Thermal Efficiency (TE), this is just one factor that aides in the increase of this.

While Porsche develops "performance" factors into their cars, those factors are also dictated by standards of operation as a commercial vehicle that must meet country standards where sold. Performance is not always at the forefront of those factors. The stock muffler and exhaust systems are not designed for maximum performance...if they were, you would see them run on on the track.

What we do to the cars is all about what you are looking for and what you can extract from them to get to that point. This mod is just one of those, you can either think outside the box, stay with stock or buy someones idea...but in the end it is what make you the owner the happiest. For me, I am very happy with the end results.

Why ghetto up your car just spend money on a real exhaust with proven HP gain?

I did, after I lost my drill bit in the muffler, I bought a set of Borlas

I know how you feel. I almost lost my step drill bit also, so I would recommend caution when drilling (maybe don't have the drill go all the way in to the muffler/stop short of the last step).
I did this mod a few years ago and thought it was worth doing for a little more sound, mostly at idle. The added sound may have been a contributing factor in me wanting even more sound, and I eventually bought a FVD 'sound version' muffler and this year I am adding 'Che' secondary bypass pipes.
Think of the crios mod as a 'gateway' exhaust mod! ;)

I just wish I could get my drill bit our of the muffler, then I could sell them to a friend of mine, any ideas on how to do that?

Since it sounds like the muffler is off the car, you could probably cut a larger hole in the center section of the muffler (maybe on top/less visible) to get it out, then patch that hole. Page 1 of this post shows the inside view of the muffler, and I would guess that it is stuck in the middle section with no way to get it to other sections or out of the muffler without cutting it open.
Hopefully your (and almost my) misfortune can help others learn to be extra cautious with running the step drills all the way through the hole.
How do you like the Borla? I have read where some people say it is a little too loud, but these engines sound so good, that is hard to imagine.

I will probabaly get a cutting torch and do just that and then weld the piece back on, I tried some Billy Boats, now those were loud, too loud, a terrible drone in the car, couldn't even carry on a conversation, I got the Borla Sport Catback exhaust, not the fancy ones and I love them, perfect. It was Borla Part# 140115

Sorry for reviving this up, but I have a post that might help people.

I recorded my car revving it up before any DIY mods. Link here:
Pre Drill and De-Snork DIY mod for Porsche 986 - YouTube

Today I went ahead and tried drilling my exhaust. Because I didn't have a long enough drill bit, I could only mar the surface and create a small hole. No biggie, I took a file and hammered it in, and was going to file a gigantic hole... But after an hour of filing, I only got the hole to be 1 cm -_- Bigger holes to come.

I went into the car, turned on the engine, started revving up... No noticeable sound difference.

I also did the de-snork mod afterwards since I wasn't happy with the sound increase (or lack there-of). Pulled the grill apart, ripped out the snork.

I went into the car, turned on the engine, started revving up again... No noticeable sound difference.


HOWEVER, I did record an after video, link here:
Post Drill and De-Snork DIY mod for Porsche 986 - YouTube

And if you compare the two videos, there's a VERY noticeable sound difference. The second one is also growler and throatier. You'll also notice the idle growl that wasn't there before.

Moral of the story: DIY Drill and De-Snork mods won't make a huge sound difference... but it does. Watch videos and judge.

Hi everyone, I have a few questions and I'm sorry if it is an old post but I wanted to know if anyone has dynoed or felt a torque loss in lower rmps? According to the cut-out muffler in the picture, the middle chamber doesn't comes in contact with the exhaust gasses right? It's hard to see but it seems to be a neutral chamber that has nothing to do with exahust flow, and if that's the case I don't think there should be any power loss, but then again there can be exhaust gas turbulence when the gas from the chamber and the pipe meet, creating thus more restriction. I'm just guessing here and probably that far out in the exhaust turbulence wouldn't be a problem, let me know if anyone has more info on this, have a great day everyone

Well, after driving around like this for a few weeks, I must say:

Wow, the sound is incredibly noticeable. Especially when you're driving down the street. It's a world of difference. Not too much of that loud ricer gurgle, but just enough of that throaty dark growl.

And no, I don't feel like the car has gotten any slower.

Has anyone actually done this on a weld on tip boxster? I tried but the angle of the plate and the distance makes it very difficult.

This sounds like an awesome free mod!! I'm gonna have to give this a crack tomorrow!! I had already put some time aside for my desnork and rear window restorer so I will now add this to the list!!!

Have peeps found that duct tape is the best way to prevent any scratching?...

2000 S with welded tips, see post #128. Didn't have much trouble at all.

"Have peeps found that duct tape is the best way to prevent any scratching?... "
The smooth surface of the extension did not leave any discernable marks on edge of the stainless steel tips.

I made a few attempts at this and walked away frustrated more than once. When I finally got it to work out the way I wanted it to, I was happy with the results. I had very realistic expectations for simply punching holes in a muffler and I like the sound better then stock.
My tips:
1) Take a shop rag fold it in half and line the inside of the tip with it while draping the excess over the outside of the tip and tape into place, both outside and inside. I used blue painters tape.
2) I got a cheap set of ridiculously long bits (like 30”) from Harbor Tool and Freight for under $15 for a set of 4. Using the smallest bit, I attempted to drill a hole which spun along the curve of the inside of the exhaust pipe to no avail. I peered into the pipe to see where I wanted the hole to be with the drill bit, then while maintaining my vision on the spot, removed the drill and replaced it with a long screwdriver. Bang the hell out of it because you must have a dent or small hole for the bit to catch on, otherwise you will get frustrated and the bit will spin everywhere.
3) With the hole punched, I set the bit in the hole and stepped up the sizes until I had a 3/4” hole carved out. I really had to put some effort into it, as I believe these are wood bits, but for $15 I don’t care about messing them up.
With the desnorkle accomplished at the same time, I felt like have done something good for the car.

Desnork and exhaust mod both achieved in under half an hour!! So so so worth it!! I really believe that the sound difference is instantly noticable... Not crazy loud but a definate deeper growl and at about 3200rpm through the lower gears it really buzzes nicely!! The only trouble I had while attempting both mods was getting the air intake off for the desnork... That thing really needed some brute force!! As soon as it was off no problems at all, hardly even had to pull the snorkel and it popped straight out!!

As for the exhaust mod I got a 12" hardened tip flat head and gave it a good few whacks right where I wanted the drill bit to take. Made a nice big dent which my 1/2" metal drillbit (12" long) grabbed hold of and went straight through with some heavy force. I went to do the same thing on the left pipe - gave the screwdriver a few whacks and actually punched straight through with the driver making about a 1/2" hole to match the first one!! Result - Didn't even need to get the drill out!!

The sound difference is clearly noticeable on my '98 2.5 man so I imagine it will sound really nice on the 3.2 S models with both mods. I'll upload a pic of where I punched the holes...

On another note has anyone ever considered tinting the rear plastic window? Mine is quite badly damaged and cloudy, can't really see a whole lot through it - tried a load of different specialist cleaning products but to no avail!! I know you can get pre-cut tint film for them but this is applied on the inside and I don't think it will cover up the damage.. I have some spray on tint but not sure if it will stick to the plastic? I'm up for giving anything a go to make it better as I can get a new window fitted for £195 if nothing works.

Any ideas?

Cheers all,
Hartids

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1340633412.jpg

My window tint guy said it could be done but he would not guarantee it would stay on when the top is folded down. So I had him tint the wind-stop. Works great because whether the top is up or down, I always have a tinted rear window.

Thanks IRR3, that is definately an option for a tinted look at the back but it won't cover up the damage on my window which is what I am trying to achieve. I think i'm going to have to just put my hand in my pocket and pay out for a replacement window. I'd be up for giving anything else a go before I get the new one fitted if anyone has any ideas? I've tried cleaning and cleaning with specialist plastic window restorer which has worked on the clear sections but the cloudy patches just won't come out. Is there something more industrial I can try (maybe electric buffing) or any other way of staining or tinting the window to cover it up? I do have some headlight smoked tint spray which I am going to use on my front indicators (amber sections) but I think this will just come off with all the movement in the roof if I use it on the rear window. On that subject does anyone know if I need to sand the lights before applying the spray? The directions on the can say that they just need to be cleaned and oil free but I think maybe the spray will take better on a roughened surface?

Cheers all,
Hartids

3yr old thread resurrection!!

I have just completed this mod on my '03 S and I'm really pleased with the results. The facelift exhaust/combo mean that you have to go in at quite an angle but its still easy enough. I had difficulty getting started with the large drill bit so I went with a smaller one to get the hole in place then went up a few sizes and on the 2nd drill and finally went with the large drill bit and it went through first time.
Really pleased with the throatier sound at idle and also there is a noticeable woofle at around 2800rpm. This is all achieved with no drone at highway speeds. Well worthwhile mod to do IMO.

Cat Back System is a better responding and sounding way to go!

IF you have to do it, and when I was a newer member I did, use a metal punch from Lowes for shipping cement. I found a 1" version and made the holes within a few minutes. No stuck drill bits. For a couple hundred bucks you can chunk the "boat anchor" and get a really cool sounding exhaust…instead of a faint glimmer of one!

Anyone want a boat anchor with a Crios mod?

I will no doubt go for a cat back system at some point but this mod is perfect for those who want a stop gap or dont want to lose the original parts.

What about the MOT emissions test? Did it pass?

Hi Michiganstar
My Boxster is a Facelift S also. Im looking to make this Mod, just interested to know if you drilled just through the end pipes only or through the other pipe in the middle chamber too (as in the picture shown by the green line)?

Ive already done the "de-snorkel" mod but looking for a little more grunt, without going down the by-pass or replacement route.

Im also from Reading too btw!

Cheers