other Wondering why BMW decided to go with center exhaust?

[gdub]

It was a cost savings,most people don't realize that bean counters consider ten cents saved per unit at several steps of production really adds up. Why put another bend in a pipe if it really isn't necessary. May have saved additional hanger AND the labor to install it.

[02Les]

The Turbos switched to center exhaust somewhere between chassis 450-500 from what I have seen (#438 was side and #527 was center I have seen the cars)

I have many pics of Turbos and the centre v right side exhaust exit is completely up in the air.

 

ie #298, 352, 583, 633, 895, 971 and 1365 are all right side

#386, 497, 634, 772, 1431 are all centre exit.

 

It could be that some cars had new lower rear valances fitted, but, this many???

 

The Blue parts book shows a part # number change for the rear Turbo exhaust section at 4291212, but what that change was I do not know.

 

As for non-USA '02s, they retained the right side exit exhaust (except the Touring, which was always left exit, & Turbo).

Edited March 2, 2016 by 02Les

[TobyB]

The center exhaust can rotate much farther before it hits the body...

 

t

[Conserv]

 

....As for non-USA '02s, they retained the right side exit exhaust (except the Touring, which was always left exit, & Turbo).

Fully explains why the "ghost" remained!

Thanks,

Steve

[dbmw2002]

The factory changed to center exhaust because of the high heat under the valance. This caused corrosion and a hot spot on gas tank. The later smogged engines produced more heat a change had to happen. The ghost was not a change as this was how the original stampings we're produced the right side hole was punched out by the factory after stamping the rear piece. Read this years ago. McCarthys book?

[Oregon2002]

The factory changed to center exhaust because of the high heat under the valance. This caused corrosion and a hot spot on gas tank. The later smogged engines produced more heat a change had to happen. The ghost was not a change as this was how the original stampings we're produced the right side hole was punched out by the factory after stamping the rear piece. Read this years ago. McCarthys book?

wow!! Thank you kind sir!! Thank you to all of you guys for all your input!! This has helped me out a ton!!!

[02Anders]

As 02Les already mentioned, all non-turbo European 02's - regardless of engine and year of production - maintained the exhaust exit on the right.  Well, of course except for the touring which had it exitting on the left.
This obviously explains the "ghost".

 

As for those Turbo's, while I have no fail-proof documentation, I have heard from a group of German hardcore Turbo enthusiasts, that only the last 400 produced Turbo's had the center exhaust exit.  The previous 1272 all had the exhaust exitting on the right.  But you know how it goes... with less numbers produced with center exit, this quickly becomes what everybody wants.  Hence, many of those first 1272 examples have since been "modified" to be sporting a center exit exhaust.
But again, this could just be hearsay...

[02Les]

 

 

As for those Turbo's, while I have no fail-proof documentation, I have heard from a group of German hardcore Turbo enthusiasts, that only the last 400 produced Turbo's had the center exhaust exit.  

 

Aha, maybe that was the change noted in the parts manual at 4291212. Perhaps the last 460 had centre exit.

[YaadehShahin]

Since everyone is so knowledgable on this topic

Can anyone identify the type of exhaust system on this video?

It was popular in Europe in the 80s

Thanks

K

[YaadehShahin]

This is what it looks like

[YaadehShahin]

[otisdog]

The factory changed to center exhaust because of the high heat under the valance. This caused corrosion and a hot spot on gas tank. The later smogged engines produced more heat a change had to happen. 

I don't know if moving the tailpipe to the center is going to do much to alleviate heat build up...the muffler is in the same place, only the tailpipe moves to the center.

[John_in_VA]

This is what it looks like

 

No - that's what the tail pipe looks like.  Anything could be under the car!  We need pix of the underside.

[02Anders]

Aha, maybe that was the change noted in the parts manual at 4291212. Perhaps the last 460 had centre exit.

 

Les, that could very well be too...

[WVGranat]

I don't know if moving the tailpipe to the center is going to do much to alleviate heat build up...the muffler is in the same place, only the tailpipe moves to the center.

There is a heat shield along the gas tank in the center (even on earlier cars).  They would have needed an additional heat shield along the section leading out towards the side exit.  Easier to just go out the center.  (And we have no restrictions on center exit unlike some Nordic countries at the time)