I've been here. Just doin more lurking then posting. I've been trying to get as much driving in as possible. Winter is gonna SUCK!!!

does anyones if Berck CBE + HFC is less louder then FI CB alone?

HFC's will increse the sound of any exhaust...It all depends on what's loud for you....I have the Berk HFC/CBE combo and I think its absolutely perfect...but JB1 didn't think so and took his HFC's off...I thing I can tell you though is with or without the HFC's there is No Drone...Its not as deep as the FI....You can't even tell the difference between stock and the Berk when driving normal...unless you get on it or rev past 3.5K....

Move to Guam...We get to drive our Z's year round out here....:roflpuke2: :roflpuke2:

thanks man, what I am looking for is same loud as FI along stock but want to add HFCs or TPs, so with HFC as well it sounds like stock below 3k rpms? I am thinking between Berk and Invidia and then might go for ART pipes or Berk HFC

Absolutely correct...I have the Berk HFC/CBE combo and it sounds tame below 3k...has a nice purr below 3-3.5k...and doesn't roar until you get on it..the beauty of it is after 5k...it doesn't get crazy loud, and more so harmonizes with the motor...I have a sound clip on Pg 8 of this thread or u can find it in the last page of the Exhaust Review clip thread...did interior/exterior shots, cold start, windows up/down, cruising/WOT and drivebys.

The Invidia is the closes thing that comes to sounding like a Berk, but love my Berk, and being that its exclusive in comparison to other exhausts is a plus...I believe there is less than 50 world wide..would be interesting to hear the Berk with TP's...no vids presently exist on this combo...I've heard that TP's make aftermarket CBE's sound raspy

Here is the launch. Please ignore the noisy CSC. :tup:

Just noticed my PM box was full, just emptied it out - so if you had tried to PM me, please send again. Sorry!

Sweet addition to the vids Dembflyr...The crazy thing about this exhaust is that from the outside it sounds like a dam beast, but in cabin its not crazy at all...I've said it before and I'll say it again...Great Job Berk...you built a winner with this package!

Thanks for the vids!

Finally!
 

So, I ordered my Berk CBE back in January of this year and as of 28NOV10, I finally got my complete Berk CBE in my house in Germany. I will install sometime this winter and write my review. As for now, it looks flawless and I can say it was worth the wait :tup:

Has anyone had any issues? Any updates for the thread? Thanks guys! :tiphat:

i have had mine for a few months now, no issues, seems to have settled in and still sounds just as good as the first day it was put on.

Thanks for the update! +1 rep :tup:

I've got nothing new. Still love the sound of the Berk CBE joined with the HFC's. Just waiting for spring. It's killing me to see her in the garage and know that it'll be a few months before I can drive her again.
I've been drowning my sorrows in the "parts for sale" section. I picked up some used spacers and nismo springs and struts.
I wonder what I'll buy next month? Maybe some Eibach sways. :tup:

I have been browsing the classifieds myself ;) Glad to hear you are still happy with your exhaust! +1 rep for the review :tup:

Thanks. :tiphat:

Hey, where Bolio? Oh that's right. He doesn't have to put his car away for the winter. He must be out puttin miles on his Z.

:icon18: That lucky mo fo! :bowrofl:

Finally installed my exhaust! updates are at the beginning of this thread. Thanks and happy viewing :tup:

I have the Berk exhaust on my car since March this year, so I figured it might be time to contribute this review thread.

First off, it looks like I’m the odd one out here. As instead of adding HFC’s to my CBE, I got rid of them to go back to stock cats.

This what I had: first the Berk HFC's alone, then added the Berk Cat Back Exhaust and now I'm down to just the Berk CBE.

Sound
1. Just HFC: Louder and "rawer" sound then stock, but there also was the rasp and hiss noises. This made it sound a bit "ricy" to me.

2. HFC + CBE: Great sound, sounded like a real race car. Deep, raw and racy (NOT Ricy). But very LOUD, too loud for me. It really attracted attention when you stepped on it, as I found out the hard way, got a ticket for loud exhaust. There was no drone but when accelerating hard the interior panels in the back started vibrating/rattling with the sound, that's how loud it was. Also, there rasp and hiss were still there but not as obvious as with just HFC’s. So with this set up being too loud for my taste and still having the rasp/hiss made me decide to go back to stock cats.

3. Just Berk CBE: Perfect, just right for me, nice deep sound, sounds like a real sports car but no longer an all out race car. No drone and you only really hear it when you step on it. Nice and quiet while highway cruising 50 to 80 mph.

If there was a system where I can switch between HFC + CBE and CBE only, I would get it. HFC + CBE for track work and spirited driving, the CBE only for daily driving and long road trips. Unfortunately that doesn't exist, but I am very happy with the just the Berk CBE.

My car with BCE and HFC can be seen and heard here: http://www.the370z.com/intake-exhaus...tml#post468392


Delivery, Install and Fitment
I had some issues with the delivery of the system but that has been discussed before and Berk took care of that, so props to them for the customer service.

Install
Because the weather was still crappy in March and because I didn’t feel like crawling around on a cold garage floor, I had a local shop install the exhaust. There are some pics of the install below (pics by Adalsky, thanks dude!).

Fitment
I believe the issues have been solved with the newer systems, but mine did not fit perfectly. The left hand exhaust tip sat slightly lower then the right hand one. The mechanic at the shop tried his best to align the tips, but he could not get it right without messing around with hangers and adding spacers. So I told him to let it be for now.

However, it kept bugging me that the alignment wasn’t perfect, so when I read Dembflyer’s post (http://www.the370z.com/681543-post56.html) this summer, I decided to do something about it. And sure enough, when I took a closer look I noticed I had the exact same issues as Dembflyer had with his exhaust: the hanger on the left side mid pipe did not line up with the bracket, even worse; the hanger wasn’t even in the rubber mount any more! I modified the bracket, so I could move it closer to the exhaust hanger by about half an inch. The hanger didn’t come out of the rubber mount since then. (even after a full track day…) I also added a couple of spacers under the right hand muffler bracket to move the right hand tip down a bit, now the tips are even again.

To conclude I can say I’m very happy with the exhaust. The sound is perfect; this is what the car should have sounded like from the factory. I still get compliments on how good it sounds, even from my neighbors. It also looks good, nice stock like but with a little added bling from the stainless muffler peeking out underneath the bumper. Fitment issues are solved now. Yes, these could have been solved by Berk in the first place, but every new product that comes out will have some issues, so I’m not too worried about it. Besides these issues, the quality of the system is good. Nice welds and all flanges line up perfectly.

Pics:

http://www.half-fastracing.com/370z/...e/DSC_0348.JPG
http://www.half-fastracing.com/370z/...e/DSC_0350.JPG
http://www.half-fastracing.com/370z/...e/DSC_0351.JPG
http://www.half-fastracing.com/370z/...e/DSC_0352.JPG

^^ nice write up! I had the same issue with the left tip. It was as simple as one whack of the hammer it it was perfect. There Jig must be a little off if this is a common problem :icon14:

Thanks again :tup:

Sweet. I'm glad that my write up helped. :tup:

It sure did, thanks! +rep

:tup: YUP....been racking some miles on my Z....:driving: One of the great benefits of living on a tropical island...


Dam...I really don' t know how you guys can do it...Just going a couple of days without driving my Z drives me nuts....the longest I parked her was for about a week, as I rotate her around every once in awhile...but even at that, I was finding excuses to head to the market to pick up things here and there just to hear her roar!!!!

I have had no issues or problems with the Berk Exhaust CBE/HFC Combo since its install in September 2010, and the sound has seemed to settle in quite nicely....as mentioned, the Z sounds exactly the way it should with this combo....It really matches the car, and I have gotten a lot of comments about the sound....Great on the street and at the track..


Love the "Cold Start" warm ups in the morning...Don't know about my neighbors though...but no one has complained thus far...If they did would tell them to :gtfo2:.... :roflpuke2: (Note: My Neighbors are all family)...Everyone on my block knows when I leave and when I get home....:eekdance:

I've really enjoyed it a lot and have seen a great difference in power and performance at the track when comparing the before and after...The recent addtions of the Stillen G3's have made it a lot cooler...Planning to pick up some more goodies after the holidays...Hopefully my wife sent my wish list to Santa and I get that 25 row oil cooler in a few days.:tup:

HOLLIDAY...CONGRATS and WELCOME to the CLUB...thanks for the update and the write up....:tup:

Although you were the first to order in our batch and the last to receive, you have to admit that you had that "It pays to come in last" feeling when you fired her up.

Too bad you gotta wait til winter passes to take her out...If I was in your shoes, I'd be out in my garage three times a day just cranking her up and then Revving the hell out the Z until Spring!!!!

Enjoy my friend, you've earned it

^^ Irony is a b$tch! HAHA! ^^ :bowrofl:

I knew it would be worth it in the end but I did not think my jaw would literally drop like it did! HAHA! I was grinning from ear to ear! It is truly amazing and one of a kind paired with the HFCs.

This is one of the worst winters Germany has had in a long time, go figure! I finally get the exhaust and now have to wait until spring :( Oh well, now I have time to lower it and do other mods with my down time.

:hello:

Anyone having issues with vibrating noise? I installed these myself about a year ago and recently noticed noise after 4k rpm, almost sounded like I have a engine in my hatch. I took a look yesterday and saw the heatshield was very close to the pipe. So I bent the shield. I took it for a spin and didn't hear the noise at 4k but not sure if the noise came back higher up since it gets really loud.

I'm still enjoying the cbe, was thinking of switching cbe but after spending time underneath my z i remembered how I dread working underneath it.

It's a nice exahust but there's no flex joint in the ypipe?

There is one, another reason I got the cbe.

Thus far no problems...Still sounding as good from day one...The only sound/vibrating I hear around that RPM range is the imfamous "Hiss" on deacceleration...which is noticible since I have the HFC's.

Hate to bring this thread back from the dead...but I just ordered my Berk CBE/HFC combo. Just like the other 13 pages, I wasn't sure what I wanted until I heard this combo. It sounds so good...very exotic sounding; definitely fits our cars. I'm thinking it's going to sound even better with my Stillen G3s installed now. Seems like the exhaust is a simple install, but the HFC gives some headaches? Hopefully everything goes smoothly for me and no issues.

Read up on the forum how to properly lube the "demon bolts" prior to doing the HFC job. it could save some headaches

So I've read. My friend and I are going to do this install. He has penetrating oil and a breaker bar. We'll figure it out one way or the other.

Might as well throw this in here. Berk exhaust, everything else is stock.

Congrats...you won't be disappointed man...With proper lubing the "Demon Bolts" shouldn't be an issue...I had some issues during my install...but it was all worth it in the end.

About the G3's..you won't really hear them from inside the car, as the Berk will overwhelm it, but it definitely sounds sweet from outside...This is the only way that you will hear the intakes...Do some Vids and post em up...The vid I did was just with the stock Air Boxes...haven't done a legit shoot since I put on the G3's.

b1adesofcha0s...Nice Vid...Thanks for repping and sharing!!!

No problem man, glad to help!

sure do miss the Z some times......

Thought I would add to this since this thread helped me make my selection. Just put on the Berk CBE with K&N drop-ins. It's no where close to being this loud inside the car. I have another video from inside the car that I will post later.

So far I'm loving the sound of this exhaust.

Exhaust Tip Location
 

Last Thursday, I finally installed my Berk CBE and I must say the fit and sound are truly amazing. To me, it was the perfect choice. Now, I have a question or two. If you look at the attached photos, you'll notice that the tips protrude past the rear end by a little bit. In all of the photos that I have seen, the tips look like they are more flush, like the stock ones. Is it possible that the "y" pipe or resonators are installed upside-down? I don't think so, as the exhaust went on in about 1-1/2 hours (old one off and new one on by myself) and everything lined up perfectly. Is this a case of tolerances where mine is a little different. I don't really mind the look, but I am just comparing mine to what I have seen (only online, nothing in person) so I am curious. Has anyone else run into this?

Any help is appreciated.