Jake's Epic BMW 135i Build Thread! (5+ Years of Ownership)

[REKIII]

What did you end up doing with the engine?

[suspenceful]

REKIII said:

What did you end up doing with the engine?

The used one that I bought? It's still sitting on the stand. I'm going to compression test it before installing it.

[Jeff]

I have always loved how the front end of these cars just comes right off to work on things

[i_love_cars]

Earl said:

Wouldn't it be safe to say that any modded n54/n55 has been driven hard? Lol I mean, why add power to not use it

Well, there's a difference between driving a car with power and abusing it. I did my last 135i up with plenty of power and never did a burnout, never raced from a dig, didn't look for roll races every 1/4 mile down the highway. I used the power on my own terms in open stretches or occasionally when I just wanted to rip it around someone on the highway. By no means did I abuse my car, which is a large reason why the new owner is still enjoying it to this day. There's a reason he told me "if it was anyone but you, I would never buy this car", because your average "enthusiast" modding an n54/n55 isn't really an enthusiast who cares - they just want to rip shit on the street like they are speed racer. I see the behavior in literally every other local 135 and 335 in my area. 

Car enthusiasts are like any other group of people - a few winners and a whole lot of losers. 

Fingers crossed for the new motor, Jake

[GunMetalGrey]

i_love_cars said:

. I see the behavior in literally every other local 135 and 335 in my area. 

I think what really makes the difference in the long run is the attitude towards maintenance. Frequent full throttle runs aren't going to kill a motor, but those full throttle pulls with oil that was supposed to be changed 2k miles ago is going to make it much worse. 
Same goes for the people that hop in their car in the dead of winter and get up into high rpm's right away, giving the oil no time to get to a temperature where it is the most effective. 
The guy that bought the E30 from me knew I drove it hard as much as I pleased, but because I had the common sense to keep all parts in good shape it was no concern to him. 

You're right, it comes down to the person behind the wheel. 

Jake, when is your 3 month window up?

[suspenceful]

GunMetalGrey said:

Jake, when is your 3 month window up? 

Beginning of January. I'm getting to the point where I'm on the fence about paying someone to remove the rest of the current motor. That way I can take care of everything while both engines are on stands.

[suspenceful]

My buddy came over and finished pulling the motor on Friday night. I removed the twin turbos on Saturday morning to be shipped to their new owner. Sad, because they had less than 500 miles on them.

Then my finger slipped...

[B C]

Glad the twins sold. What are the specs on the clutch?

[suspenceful]

Snap said:

Glad the twins sold. What are the specs on the clutch?

Me too, and I got a good price for them. Now I have a 50% less chance of my turbo(s) breaking.

As far as the clutch; less than 1,000 miles on a SPEC Stage 3+.

http://my1series.com/2017/06/26/bmw-n54-clutch-upgrade-spec-stage-3-with-mfactory-smfw/

[KaiserRolls]

Jake I’m sure you mentioned it earlier, but was the failure on this engine?

[suspenceful]

KaiserRolls said:

Jake I’m sure you mentioned it earlier, but was the failure on this engine?

I'm assuming you meant to ask "what was", but if not, correct me.

Low compression on cylinder #3. Ran fine, but had a slight miss to it. Dumped a tablespoon of oil down the hatch of #3 and compression went back up. Assuming it's a cracked ring or ringland. Don't have it ripped apart.

[KaiserRolls]

Yes that’s what I meant lol, I don’t use my phone well.

Tune issue then?

[suspenceful]

KaiserRolls said:

Yes that’s what I meant lol, I don’t use my phone well.

Tune issue then?

I was having ignition issues, and I think the motor was getting tired at 120k. It'd been pushed very hard since 80k.

[Jdesign]

Glad to see motivation returned to this thread. Where did I set my popcorn now....

[KaiserRolls]

Jdesign said:

Glad to see motivation returned to this thread. Where did I set my popcorn now....

Agreed!

[suspenceful]

Something was left on my doorstep today! I'm honestly blown away by the quality and craftsmanship of this kit. The attention-to-detail is crazy. I've dealt with a lot of vendors on this platform and this was probably the nicest overall experience I've had. It shipped on time, came complete, and was packaged VERY nicely. I can't say the same about my previous expensive purchases. Super excited to get this installed for spring!

[B C]

What is the brand on that manifold?  DUCKFACE?  UUCRACE?

[suspenceful]

Snap said:

What is the brand on that downpipe?  DUCKFACE?  UUCRACE?

It's on the manifold. DOCRACE. The lighting makes it difficult to read, but looks really nice in person.

[B C]

Yeah that stuff looks awesome! 

is this single aimed at just simplicity and reliability or for even more than the 600 or whatever HP you were making?

[suspenceful]

Snap said:

Yeah that stuff looks awesome! 

is this single aimed at just simplicity and reliability or for even more than the 600 or whatever HP you were making?

Since someone asked me "why go single now, after having upgraded twins" on another forum, I figured I'd post the answer here as well.

The biggest reason is because I don't want to have to do all of this work ever again. If one of the twins took a shit, I'd have to drop the subframe to remove everything and replace it. Now I'll have one turbo that can go bad, instead of two... and it'll be a lot easier to access if it does go bad. Aftermarket N54 twins aren't known to be reliable anyways. They also pile in torque down low. While it feels awesome, it's tough on the motor. I don't want to replace another motor. A larger single turbo should be a little easier on the motor.

I wasn't "wowed" by the twins. They were definitely faster, but it wasn't "OMG CRAZY". I know I'll be sacrificing some spool time, but when the boost hits it's going to feel great. If you're after linear power with modest goals, I think twins are a good choice. But I don't want to be pushing twins to their absolute limit just to achieve my goals. I'd rather put a larger single on and give it a lighter workout. I would still recommend the MMP twins, but I think I'll enjoy the single more. Plus, who doesn't like the look and sound?