Speedriven IC Pump and exhaust review
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 319
Likes: 28
2013 E550, 2014 GLK 350
Speedriven IC Pump and exhaust review
Hi All,
I worked with Jo and the team at Speedriven to get a package price on their IC pump and catted downpipe/catback package. They were a pleasure to work with and have been supportive before, during and after the work. It's amazing how quiet the car is stock (can't hear it over the dyno) and how much louder it can be with an aftermarket exhaust
On to the review.........
Intercooler Pump:
Intercooler pump upgrade was straightforward. The pump, while smaller, flows significantly more (~1.1gpm vs ~.4gpm) than the stock pump. We’ve had a pretty hot summer here in MA (with a lot of humidity) and I have noticed that the performance, while still impressive, did degrade in the heat. I don’t notice it nearly as much with the new pump. A couple of install notes for the DIY’rs:
- The hose positioning is different than the stock IC pump, so, it takes just a touch of finagling to make it work
- With respect to the hose positioning, you must sacrifice an air inlet tube which appears to divert some air up at the turbo. The shop that did the install said they felt the inlet tube was unnecessary and wouldn’t hurt anything
Exhaust:
I installed the catted downpipes and catback exhaust as well. The quality of the exhaust is top notch. Excellent welds. Looks fantastic. Shipped well and arrived with no issue. The sound is great – at cold start it is relaly loud, but when the idle drops and you are cruising you hear it, but you don’t feel it in the car and it isn’t obtrusive. For a DD car that lugs around my family, it is downright perfect. If I had a complaint, it would be that it’s kind of too smooth for my taste. That may be the nature of the car, but I am raised in the FBody thing and the catbacks for those cars, the LT1’s in particular, are much more unrefined (but can still exhibit the DD properties I wanted).
Install was pretty easy with only a few hiccups along the way. I’m still working with the Speedriven team on working through a couple – they have been very supportive throughout this process. Here’s a few notes for the DIY’rs:
- Given the increase in sizing, you have to sacrifice a brace that appears to be designed to support the exhaust if it ever decided to drop.
- The shop commented that the passenger side downpipe they would have preferred to be ~2 inches longer. We’re working with Speedriven to determine if this is something that can be rectified by ‘clocking’ the exhaust. The shop indicated that the o2 was hitting the undercarriage when they tried.
- Some factory mounting areas aren’t used that could be used to stabilize the exhaust given the loss of the brace. I’m not concerned about this, however, the exhaust now relies more on ‘itself’ to stay together than factory mounting locations
I also did before and after dynos. Stock, in E mode (an oversight by my part not telling them about the dyno mode), it made 363whp. They had a tough time getting a tach signal and they said the torque numbers were really weird. Now, drumroll please……..I did 388whp. What is important to note is that the 25whp is EVERYWHERE. It isn’t a peak number. It’s an everywhere number. At 3k, 4k, 5k, etc. that 25whp is there. It makes for a better driving experience and retains that strong, consistent pull when you go WOT. The pedal response is a touch better too, not as dull as the stock setup.
I know a lot of people claim they get better MPG’s after an exhaust, and at this stage I would say that I haven’t noticed much. If anything, maybe a bit better, but probably not like 2mpg. At first I thought I noticed a pickup but that was more highway; on my commute with is more balanced, it hasn’t manifested. If I had to guess, it’s probably better on the highway and worse in the city because I put my foot in it more to hear the exhaust wind up J
Aftermarket vs stock exhaust – some notes:
The stock catback itself actually looks really well built. Clean bends, no restriction points really. GIANT mufflers though! I bet it flows pretty well overall. The stock downpipes are another story. Several places where it necks down (in and out of cats, resonator, etc.). The removal of the two resonators I am sure saves some weight and helps with sound. Just wanted to share these notes since I can look at the stock exhaust in my basement.
I do have before and after dyno sheets in person and also video and will work on getting them posted up
Brian
I worked with Jo and the team at Speedriven to get a package price on their IC pump and catted downpipe/catback package. They were a pleasure to work with and have been supportive before, during and after the work. It's amazing how quiet the car is stock (can't hear it over the dyno) and how much louder it can be with an aftermarket exhaust
On to the review.........Intercooler Pump:
Intercooler pump upgrade was straightforward. The pump, while smaller, flows significantly more (~1.1gpm vs ~.4gpm) than the stock pump. We’ve had a pretty hot summer here in MA (with a lot of humidity) and I have noticed that the performance, while still impressive, did degrade in the heat. I don’t notice it nearly as much with the new pump. A couple of install notes for the DIY’rs:
- The hose positioning is different than the stock IC pump, so, it takes just a touch of finagling to make it work
- With respect to the hose positioning, you must sacrifice an air inlet tube which appears to divert some air up at the turbo. The shop that did the install said they felt the inlet tube was unnecessary and wouldn’t hurt anything
Exhaust:
I installed the catted downpipes and catback exhaust as well. The quality of the exhaust is top notch. Excellent welds. Looks fantastic. Shipped well and arrived with no issue. The sound is great – at cold start it is relaly loud, but when the idle drops and you are cruising you hear it, but you don’t feel it in the car and it isn’t obtrusive. For a DD car that lugs around my family, it is downright perfect. If I had a complaint, it would be that it’s kind of too smooth for my taste. That may be the nature of the car, but I am raised in the FBody thing and the catbacks for those cars, the LT1’s in particular, are much more unrefined (but can still exhibit the DD properties I wanted).
Install was pretty easy with only a few hiccups along the way. I’m still working with the Speedriven team on working through a couple – they have been very supportive throughout this process. Here’s a few notes for the DIY’rs:
- Given the increase in sizing, you have to sacrifice a brace that appears to be designed to support the exhaust if it ever decided to drop.
- The shop commented that the passenger side downpipe they would have preferred to be ~2 inches longer. We’re working with Speedriven to determine if this is something that can be rectified by ‘clocking’ the exhaust. The shop indicated that the o2 was hitting the undercarriage when they tried.
- Some factory mounting areas aren’t used that could be used to stabilize the exhaust given the loss of the brace. I’m not concerned about this, however, the exhaust now relies more on ‘itself’ to stay together than factory mounting locations
I also did before and after dynos. Stock, in E mode (an oversight by my part not telling them about the dyno mode), it made 363whp. They had a tough time getting a tach signal and they said the torque numbers were really weird. Now, drumroll please……..I did 388whp. What is important to note is that the 25whp is EVERYWHERE. It isn’t a peak number. It’s an everywhere number. At 3k, 4k, 5k, etc. that 25whp is there. It makes for a better driving experience and retains that strong, consistent pull when you go WOT. The pedal response is a touch better too, not as dull as the stock setup.
I know a lot of people claim they get better MPG’s after an exhaust, and at this stage I would say that I haven’t noticed much. If anything, maybe a bit better, but probably not like 2mpg. At first I thought I noticed a pickup but that was more highway; on my commute with is more balanced, it hasn’t manifested. If I had to guess, it’s probably better on the highway and worse in the city because I put my foot in it more to hear the exhaust wind up J
Aftermarket vs stock exhaust – some notes:
The stock catback itself actually looks really well built. Clean bends, no restriction points really. GIANT mufflers though! I bet it flows pretty well overall. The stock downpipes are another story. Several places where it necks down (in and out of cats, resonator, etc.). The removal of the two resonators I am sure saves some weight and helps with sound. Just wanted to share these notes since I can look at the stock exhaust in my basement.
I do have before and after dyno sheets in person and also video and will work on getting them posted up
Brian
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 442
Likes: 48
From: Los Angeles
2015 E63 - Current, 2012 E550 - Current, 2019 Audi Q7 3.0T - current
Hi All,
I worked with Jo and the team at Speedriven to get a package price on their IC pump and catted downpipe/catback package. They were a pleasure to work with and have been supportive before, during and after the work. It's amazing how quiet the car is stock (can't hear it over the dyno) and how much louder it can be with an aftermarket exhaust On to the review.........
Intercooler Pump:
Intercooler pump upgrade was straightforward. The pump, while smaller, flows significantly more (~1.1gpm vs ~.4gpm) than the stock pump. We’ve had a pretty hot summer here in MA (with a lot of humidity) and I have noticed that the performance, while still impressive, did degrade in the heat. I don’t notice it nearly as much with the new pump. A couple of install notes for the DIY’rs:
- The hose positioning is different than the stock IC pump, so, it takes just a touch of finagling to make it work
- With respect to the hose positioning, you must sacrifice an air inlet tube which appears to divert some air up at the turbo. The shop that did the install said they felt the inlet tube was unnecessary and wouldn’t hurt anything
Exhaust:
I installed the catted downpipes and catback exhaust as well. The quality of the exhaust is top notch. Excellent welds. Looks fantastic. Shipped well and arrived with no issue. The sound is great – at cold start it is relaly loud, but when the idle drops and you are cruising you hear it, but you don’t feel it in the car and it isn’t obtrusive. For a DD car that lugs around my family, it is downright perfect. If I had a complaint, it would be that it’s kind of too smooth for my taste. That may be the nature of the car, but I am raised in the FBody thing and the catbacks for those cars, the LT1’s in particular, are much more unrefined (but can still exhibit the DD properties I wanted).
Install was pretty easy with only a few hiccups along the way. I’m still working with the Speedriven team on working through a couple – they have been very supportive throughout this process. Here’s a few notes for the DIY’rs:
- Given the increase in sizing, you have to sacrifice a brace that appears to be designed to support the exhaust if it ever decided to drop.
- The shop commented that the passenger side downpipe they would have preferred to be ~2 inches longer. We’re working with Speedriven to determine if this is something that can be rectified by ‘clocking’ the exhaust. The shop indicated that the o2 was hitting the undercarriage when they tried.
- Some factory mounting areas aren’t used that could be used to stabilize the exhaust given the loss of the brace. I’m not concerned about this, however, the exhaust now relies more on ‘itself’ to stay together than factory mounting locations
I also did before and after dynos. Stock, in E mode (an oversight by my part not telling them about the dyno mode), it made 363whp. They had a tough time getting a tach signal and they said the torque numbers were really weird. Now, drumroll please……..I did 388whp. What is important to note is that the 25whp is EVERYWHERE. It isn’t a peak number. It’s an everywhere number. At 3k, 4k, 5k, etc. that 25whp is there. It makes for a better driving experience and retains that strong, consistent pull when you go WOT. The pedal response is a touch better too, not as dull as the stock setup.
I know a lot of people claim they get better MPG’s after an exhaust, and at this stage I would say that I haven’t noticed much. If anything, maybe a bit better, but probably not like 2mpg. At first I thought I noticed a pickup but that was more highway; on my commute with is more balanced, it hasn’t manifested. If I had to guess, it’s probably better on the highway and worse in the city because I put my foot in it more to hear the exhaust wind up J
Aftermarket vs stock exhaust – some notes:
The stock catback itself actually looks really well built. Clean bends, no restriction points really. GIANT mufflers though! I bet it flows pretty well overall. The stock downpipes are another story. Several places where it necks down (in and out of cats, resonator, etc.). The removal of the two resonators I am sure saves some weight and helps with sound. Just wanted to share these notes since I can look at the stock exhaust in my basement.
I do have before and after dyno sheets in person and also video and will work on getting them posted up
Brian
I worked with Jo and the team at Speedriven to get a package price on their IC pump and catted downpipe/catback package. They were a pleasure to work with and have been supportive before, during and after the work. It's amazing how quiet the car is stock (can't hear it over the dyno) and how much louder it can be with an aftermarket exhaust
On to the review.........Intercooler Pump:
Intercooler pump upgrade was straightforward. The pump, while smaller, flows significantly more (~1.1gpm vs ~.4gpm) than the stock pump. We’ve had a pretty hot summer here in MA (with a lot of humidity) and I have noticed that the performance, while still impressive, did degrade in the heat. I don’t notice it nearly as much with the new pump. A couple of install notes for the DIY’rs:
- The hose positioning is different than the stock IC pump, so, it takes just a touch of finagling to make it work
- With respect to the hose positioning, you must sacrifice an air inlet tube which appears to divert some air up at the turbo. The shop that did the install said they felt the inlet tube was unnecessary and wouldn’t hurt anything
Exhaust:
I installed the catted downpipes and catback exhaust as well. The quality of the exhaust is top notch. Excellent welds. Looks fantastic. Shipped well and arrived with no issue. The sound is great – at cold start it is relaly loud, but when the idle drops and you are cruising you hear it, but you don’t feel it in the car and it isn’t obtrusive. For a DD car that lugs around my family, it is downright perfect. If I had a complaint, it would be that it’s kind of too smooth for my taste. That may be the nature of the car, but I am raised in the FBody thing and the catbacks for those cars, the LT1’s in particular, are much more unrefined (but can still exhibit the DD properties I wanted).
Install was pretty easy with only a few hiccups along the way. I’m still working with the Speedriven team on working through a couple – they have been very supportive throughout this process. Here’s a few notes for the DIY’rs:
- Given the increase in sizing, you have to sacrifice a brace that appears to be designed to support the exhaust if it ever decided to drop.
- The shop commented that the passenger side downpipe they would have preferred to be ~2 inches longer. We’re working with Speedriven to determine if this is something that can be rectified by ‘clocking’ the exhaust. The shop indicated that the o2 was hitting the undercarriage when they tried.
- Some factory mounting areas aren’t used that could be used to stabilize the exhaust given the loss of the brace. I’m not concerned about this, however, the exhaust now relies more on ‘itself’ to stay together than factory mounting locations
I also did before and after dynos. Stock, in E mode (an oversight by my part not telling them about the dyno mode), it made 363whp. They had a tough time getting a tach signal and they said the torque numbers were really weird. Now, drumroll please……..I did 388whp. What is important to note is that the 25whp is EVERYWHERE. It isn’t a peak number. It’s an everywhere number. At 3k, 4k, 5k, etc. that 25whp is there. It makes for a better driving experience and retains that strong, consistent pull when you go WOT. The pedal response is a touch better too, not as dull as the stock setup.
I know a lot of people claim they get better MPG’s after an exhaust, and at this stage I would say that I haven’t noticed much. If anything, maybe a bit better, but probably not like 2mpg. At first I thought I noticed a pickup but that was more highway; on my commute with is more balanced, it hasn’t manifested. If I had to guess, it’s probably better on the highway and worse in the city because I put my foot in it more to hear the exhaust wind up J
Aftermarket vs stock exhaust – some notes:
The stock catback itself actually looks really well built. Clean bends, no restriction points really. GIANT mufflers though! I bet it flows pretty well overall. The stock downpipes are another story. Several places where it necks down (in and out of cats, resonator, etc.). The removal of the two resonators I am sure saves some weight and helps with sound. Just wanted to share these notes since I can look at the stock exhaust in my basement.
I do have before and after dyno sheets in person and also video and will work on getting them posted up
Brian
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 319
Likes: 28
2013 E550, 2014 GLK 350
Negative. I have no idea what to expect, but as they say, these cars were sandbagged from the factory.
You can see the pics and videos here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...jNITW9KUkpMblE
I think you have to have a gmail address to view it.
Brian
You can see the pics and videos here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...jNITW9KUkpMblE
I think you have to have a gmail address to view it.
Brian
