[gdgraph]

I did the Dinan mid pipe install this past weekend (part #D660-0057) and am very happy with the results. Wanted to start this thread to post some info about the install in case anyone is interested in doing the same thing.

Why I chose the mid pipe: I was looking to get a little more sound out of my exhaust without spending a lot of money. I wanted to retain the valves in my exhaust and also wanted a way to easily revert back to stock whenever I sell my car. I didn't want anything crazy/obnoxious, just wanted to be able to hear my car when I accelerated. I'm happy to report that the Dinan mid pipe accomplished all of these things for me for just under $500, which was much cheaper than any used axle back I could find.

INSTALL:
The install was very simple, I ended up using a pipe cutter (you can borrow them for free at Autozone) mainly because I wanted the cleanest cut possible to make it easy to revert back to stock in the future. You can accomplish the same job with a sawzall or cut off wheel, but I found the pipe cutter to be the cleanest cut, especially for someone less experienced (nothing is fullproof, but it's probably harder to mess it up with this pipe cutter)
- On the forward end, the stock exhaust has a bolted clamp at the cat (13mm nut) that you need to take off.
- There's a bracket near that clamp that holds the exhaust in place that you need to also remove and reuse to hold up the Dinan mid pipe (also a 13mm nut).
- On the back end, you only need to make one cut on the back near the muffler (there's a dimple/indent that you cut on).
- There's also a small bracket that you need to remove in the middle of the car to take off the stock exhaust which requires a T-50 torx.
- Putting on the Dinan mid pipe is easy because it's all sleeved and clamped, those clamps used a 15mm nut.

REVIEW:
I didn't take any videos, mainly because you really can't capture the way it feels in real life on your phone, but there are a few videos on youtube that you can look up. They are as close as you'll get without hearing it in person, one thing to note, you are hearing it from outside by the exhaust tips, it's much quieter from inside the car.

It's the same exhaust note (because you are using the same stock muffler) the difference is that you get a little more volume (slightly deeper, but not much), especially when accelerating. It's significantly louder on a cold start, especially in a garage, but once warmed up and if you drive it normal, you will barely hear it. If you accelerate hard, you will hear it, and if you accelerate hard and let off the gas, you will get some of the crackling and pops. All and all, it's exactly what I was looking for, I basically wanted a quiet exhaust with no drone under normal driving conditions and highway speeds, and then to be able to hear it when I accelerate harder. Really happy with the way it came out, and would highly recommend it as an alternative to anyone that's shopping for an axle back and looking for the same thing I was, because it's a lot cheaper.

[J3Vr6]

What's the diameter of the dinan mid-pipe?

[gdgraph]

Originally Posted by J3Vr6

What's the diameter of the dinan mid-pipe?

3.25" T304 stainless steel

[JJR4884]

My stock exhaust had a hack job done on the stock exhaust (removed resonators) and i am now in the market for a mid-pipe as well as the MPE. Might as well do it all since the welds on my stock midpipe/exhaust are garbage.

Anyways did you get this directly from dinan? I am looking at AWE but would consider Dinan due to their reputation with BMW. I have their CF mirror covers and they fit/look perfect.

435Xi here as well - haven't done much research but is there an issue with fitment?

[gdgraph]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It would have been cheaper to have just had the resonator deleted at a shop, but I wanted to be able to quickly revert to stock when I sell the car, that's why I went this route.

The part number I listed is for the F30 340i, not sure what the part number is for the 335i, I know the exhaust runs are slightly different between N55 and B58 cars. I ended up getting mine off of Amazon, it was on sale at the time. Fitment was great, everything lined up perfectly. If you're going to do an axle back also, you may be better off just getting a catback system from the start, may be a little cheaper buying it as a package like that because this mid pipe only mates to the stock muffler or the Dinan axleback. Any other axleback may or may not fit to the Dinan mid pipe and you may have to do more welds (which sounds like you already got screwed on once).

Originally Posted by JJR4884

My stock exhaust had a hack job done on the stock exhaust (removed resonators) and i am now in the market for a mid-pipe as well as the MPE. Might as well do it all since the welds on my stock midpipe/exhaust are garbage.

Anyways did you get this directly from dinan? I am looking at AWE but would consider Dinan due to their reputation with BMW. I have their CF mirror covers and they fit/look perfect.

435Xi here as well - haven't done much research but is there an issue with fitment?

[JJR4884]

Originally Posted by gdgraph

Yeah, I know what you mean. It would have been cheaper to have just had the resonator deleted at a shop, but I wanted to be able to quickly revert to stock when I sell the car, that's why I went this route.

The part number I listed is for the F30 340i, not sure what the part number is for the 335i, I know the exhaust runs are slightly different between N55 and B58 cars. I ended up getting mine off of Amazon, it was on sale at the time. Fitment was great, everything lined up perfectly. If you're going to do an axle back also, you may be better off just getting a catback system from the start, may be a little cheaper buying it as a package like that because this mid pipe only mates to the stock muffler or the Dinan axleback. Any other axleback may or may not fit to the Dinan mid pipe and you may have to do more welds (which sounds like you already got screwed on once).

I'll look for it on Amazon. I am in the process of getting the M Performance Muffler so i am assuming this should slip on with no issues... hopefully.

Thanks

[gdgraph]

Originally Posted by JJR4884

I'll look for it on Amazon. I am in the process of getting the M Performance Muffler so i am assuming this should slip on with no issues... hopefully.

Thanks

Both the midpipe and the MPE are designed to slip over the stock exhaust and clamp down, so trying to mate the two together (two female ends if you will or expanded ends) probably won't work because one won't slip over the other. You may have to have some custom work done.

[JJR4884]

Originally Posted by gdgraph

Both the midpipe and the MPE are designed to slip over the stock exhaust and clamp down, so trying to mate the two together (two female ends if you will or expanded ends) probably won't work because one won't slip over the other. You may have to have some custom work done.

Ah gotcha. Well Dinan confirmed that their midpipe won't fit a 435xi so I ended up going with AWE. We'll see if that is the same, and if so, i'll have to get some extra work done. Thanks for the info.

[VP_56]

Good Review, and thanks for sharing the pictures. This will be my next purchase.

[gdgraph]

Originally Posted by JJR4884

Ah gotcha. Well Dinan confirmed that their midpipe won't fit a 435xi so I ended up going with AWE. We'll see if that is the same, and if so, i'll have to get some extra work done. Thanks for the info.

That's good to know, I don't see any Dinan mid pipe available for the F30 335i either, only for the 340i (B58s). The AWE looks very similar in design, should sound just as good.

[gdgraph]

Originally Posted by VP_56

Good Review, and thanks for sharing the pictures. This will be my next purchase.

Thanks! Hopefully you'll be just as satisfied as I was.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Thank you for the review

[bsas340i]

I've been very happy with mine. Sounds mean on cold start, strong on the sport mode but when you are just driving back and forth to work in comfort mode, the car just feels stock. There's no drone or any negatives to it AT ALL, in my opinion.

[jackstrath]

Good review and im glad your happy, but im sorry, the price of that is just bonkers for what it is!

[gdgraph]

Originally Posted by bsas340i

I've been very happy with mine. Sounds mean on cold start, strong on the sport mode but when you are just driving back and forth to work in comfort mode, the car just feels stock. There's no drone or any negatives to it AT ALL, in my opinion.

Agreed, I've noticed pretty much the same thing. Only negative I can think of is it may not be loud enough for some people (when paired to the stock muffler), but for me that's not the case, I didn't want it to be super loud, especially when I'm just cruising around in comfort mode.

[gdgraph]

Originally Posted by jackstrath

Good review and im glad your happy, but im sorry, the price of that is just bonkers for what it is!

I know what you mean, it's just a piece of pipe. My justification was that it will make it very easy to revert to stock (no welding) and then I can always sell it and recoup majority of the cost.

[Hiflyer731]

Can you reuse the factory clamp on the downpipe or do you need another 3 1/4 clamp for the connection to the downpipe? I bought a used Dinan midpipe but it only came with two clamps.

thanks

[gdgraph]

Originally Posted by Hiflyer731

Can you reuse the factory clamp on the downpipe or do you need another 3 1/4 clamp for the connection to the downpipe? I bought a used Dinan midpipe but it only came with two clamps.

thanks

You should be able to reuse the one factory clamp that you take off at the exit of the cat.