Jake's Epic BMW 135i Build Thread! (5+ Years of Ownership)
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I was looking at the RR600s today, great option for the money. Same price as VVT Stage 2 though. PURE Turbos offer upgraded twins with stock-sized inlet snouts, meaning I could re-use my inlets instead of having to buy new ones. That'd be cool.
Motiv makes an awesome single kit, but very expensive. I was thinking of piecing my own together with some parts from the JPWorks kit. I've heard good and bad things, but right now it's just a pipe dream anyways. No funds. I'll run these stockers until they blow.
Stay away from VVT. Have installed 2 sets that took a crap within 5k miles. I think hexon and pure are on the same level, so why not save some money going with hexon. If going single you either pay up or don't do it at all. There is a reason the good single kits cost as much as they do. You can find a used VM kit for about $5-6k.
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Stay away from VVT. Have installed 2 sets that took a crap within 5k miles. I think hexon and pure are on the same level, so why not save some money going with hexon. If going single you either pay up or don't do it at all. There is a reason the good single kits cost as much as they do. You can find a used VM kit for about $5-6k.
I don't like the way Tony conducts himself online so I don't think I could ever buy anything from him anyways.
Just curious, what do you charge for install on some Hexons (for example)? PM me if needed, thanks.
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So you have mentioned that the wastegates wont stay shut due to the flapper and worn parts correct? Would it no be possible to make some bushings for the actuator arm to the wastegate "lever" to eliminate the play? Or do the wastegate actuators themselves start wearing?
If I remember correctly, when I was doing your inlet I noticed that there was a lot of play between the actuator and the linkage on the turbo, if that slop was gone it would keep the wastegate flap in the turbo shut, no? -
So you have mentioned that the wastegates wont stay shut due to the flapper and worn parts correct? Would it no be possible to make some bushings for the actuator arm to the wastegate "lever" to eliminate the play? Or do the wastegate actuators themselves start wearing?
If I remember correctly, when I was doing your inlet I noticed that there was a lot of play between the actuator and the linkage on the turbo, if that slop was gone it would keep the wastegate flap in the turbo shut, no?Bingo. There is slop between the arm and lever. Also a little in the seat itself.
It's not fun to get at the rear turbo, but can be done. The front is impossible to get to without dropping the subframe or pulling the motor. There aren't any "off-the-shelf" solutions available, but I'm sure with some creativity... something can be made. If you're feeling creative, I'd love to test stuff out. Otherwise to me, I'm better off upgrading the turbos anyways at 110k miles. When doing the inlets, I checked them and they were in really good condition besides this stupid wastegate problem. No shaft play, no leaking oil on either turbo.
I made these to show it better:


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Bingo. There is slop between the arm and lever. Also a little in the seat itself.
It's not fun to get at the rear turbo, but can be done. The front is impossible to get to without dropping the subframe or pulling the motor. There aren't any "off-the-shelf" solutions available, but I'm sure with some creativity... something can be made. If you're feeling creative, I'd love to test stuff out.
http://turbolabofamerica.com/bmw-135i-535i-335i-turbo-wastegate-rattle-repair-fix/
3 seconds of google begs to differ.
I do recall them being in good shape, and I could see it being a lot of work to do those.
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No shaft play
Sounds terrible
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http://turbolabofamerica.com/bmw-135i-535i-335i-turbo-wastegate-rattle-repair-fix/
3 seconds of google begs to differ.
I do recall them being in good shape, and I could see it being a lot of work to do those.
I should've clarified... no fix available that doesn't require removing the turbos.
A few people have used those Turbo Lab parts, but most just put in upgraded twins since they need to be removed anyways.
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Yeah that makes sense.
Who wouldn't want new turbos?!? Other than the wallet funding them..... -
I just wish that BMW on Victory Lane wouldn't have dicked me around when I first bought the car. It was eligible for turbo replacement but they put it off until I was over the mileage.
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this isn't your daily driver. just DIY it so you can save a couple bucks and get your new turbos sooner.
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this isn't your daily driver. just DIY it so you can save a couple bucks and get your new turbos sooner.
That's the plan!
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Lol, if this isn't the most depressing log I've ever seen.
Doesn't hit full boost on these tiny twins until 5k RPMs. Everyone else hits max boost at like 3k RPMs. It's a solid 3.5psi under target the whole way as well.
After I took the log posted below (~91 pump gas), I filled up with an E55 mix and was able to hit 16.5psi.
I have a weird suspicion that JB4 isn't helping me right now. I might try just flashing the ECU with MHD instead of using a piggyback to see if I can gain some spool time and boost back. Otherwise... it's time to start stacking cash for a turbo upgrade.

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Ouch! I'm so thankful I was able to get my turbos taken care of under warranty when I did. Bright side, you're going to have one hell of a car once your all done! 700whp or bust!
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Ouch! I'm so thankful I was able to get my turbos taken care of under warranty when I did. Bright side, you're going to have one hell of a car once your all done! 700whp or bust!
I'm kicking myself for not being more persistant about it. Everything else on the car is new and I just walnut blasted it as well.
We'll see what it puts down on the dyno in two weeks. I have a feeling it'll still be decent numbers, but not what I was initially hoping for.
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rofl Pat. 700 whp on the street would be utterly useless in this car. You would need to be able to stuff a 295 or 305 tire on the back to have any prayer of hooking up and that is physically impossible without ponying up for widebody flares + paint == a few thousand bucks, and if you don't do the front flares as well your 135i then looks completely retarded.
with slicks at airstrip race events you could get away with 265s but on street tires, no chance of traction unless you are running wider. Don't encourage him to ruin his car

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rofl Pat. 700 whp on the street would be utterly useless in this car. You would need to be able to stuff a 295 or 305 tire on the back to have any prayer of hooking up and that is physically impossible without ponying up for widebody flares + paint == a few thousand bucks, and if you don't do the front flares as well your 135i then looks completely retarded.
with slicks at airstrip race events you could get away with 265s but on street tires, no chance of traction unless you are running wider. Don't encourage him to ruin his car
Utterly useless... but not impossible.
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Look at the log I posted a few days ago, then look at this one. Note the boost level and the RPM that I reach full boost. My dick is so hard.

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So what's physically changed with your car? Was it the flash tune?
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So what's physically changed with your car? Was it the flash tune?
Nope. It was my dumbass fault. When I was installing inlets, I tried tightening the wastegate rod to eliminate the rattling. After seeing the poor performance, I wondered if I loosened it instead. I got under the car and beat the shit out of my arms to spin the rod the other way. Sure enough I actually loosened the rod the first time around. Now that it's tightened back up, the car hauls ass.
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