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Group Buy: ATI Damper for M54

142K views 903 replies 64 participants last post by  SoloII///M 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey Guys,

Time for another group buy. Thanks to F1004fun, McSpeed, PEI330CI, and anyone else who took the time to make this happen. I just bugged the rep about us saving a few bucks.

Price is $575 plus shipping for 10 units. 50% deposit will be required.

The damper will require a special installation tool that may or may not be included. You may have to fab up something similar to what Adam (PEI330CI) used on installing his. We'll update this as we have more information.

Before you ask "what will this expensive damper do for me?", educate yourself:

Crankshaft Dampers 101

The Dangers of Power Pulleys

This thread has also been going and has some good information on this specific damper:

M54B30 Harmonics and the ATI Damper

This should work on any M54. I don't know about any other block. The M54 was available with 2 dampers. One has a 4 rib A/C pulley, the other has a 5 rib. Know which one you need. You'll need that information when placing the deposit.

So, here's the list:

1. aggieE46
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Please be serious about getting on here.

If anyone has anything to add, feel free! Questions are good, just make sure they haven't been answered in the links above.

Brady :woot:
 
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#675 · (Edited)
Yep I e-mailed Vorshlag as well. They are aiming for early spring (to get some dampers in hand) but Jason stressed that it is still up in the air, although it's definitely in development. He also said it will be cheaper than the ATI piece, that is if it all works out. I'm going to wait, because the ATI is very expensive and the ATI probably wouldn't be done until after their damper is released anyway. :)
 
#677 · (Edited)
It is possible the Vorshlag Damper is as good as the ATI, but probably not. I can make this statement based on the fact that ATI's sole purpose in life is building the very best Dampers, period. ATI has every possible piece of "State Of The Art" testing equipment at their disposal. The chances of Vorshlag investing millions, if not tens of millions of dollars in this type of testing equipment for a Damper or Dampers they're only going to sell a few of is not likely. So their copy may be good, but probably not on the same level of the ATI Damper.

I would also say that anyone placing a single order with ATI at about $800 would get their Damper in 60 to 90 days. On the other hand, Vorshlag isn't even out of the prototype stage; who's to say their first or even second prototype works properly ? Which means the chance of taking delivery on a Vorshlag finished Damper any sooner than 8 or 9 months from now is not likely. So you could spend $800 now, and be protected for the 2012 track day / occasional autocross season. Or wait to spend $550 to $600 (guessing) on the Vorshlag Damper that won't probably be delivered any sooner than September, meanwhile you just suffered a catastrophic engine failure at the last track day you participated in. The choice is yours.


Good luck.
 
#679 ·
another retarded question but can you buy a used ATI Damper? I think the answer is NO since everyone has to measure their snout dimension. I am thinking about going to Canada and begging PEI to let me buy one of his M54 Damper. The dude has a Damper fetish (heard he has 3-5 dampers) and I heard stack them up as a pillow and sleep with them at night.
 
#683 ·
zhp43867, I hear you.

Optimistic, maybe maybe not. I'm not a fan of how ATI treated us on the GB, they certainly should have done better. But I know of two forum members who ordered their dampers separately, as in not the group buy. They both received their dampers in a timely fashion. One thing a lot of people don't take into consideration with a performance company like ATI, is whether or not it's racing season. At this moment they're slower based on the time of year, but come spring/summer the demand for their products go way up. When ATI started making the 10 dampers, one for me & the other 9, it was the peak of the busy season.

Vorshlag: I don't know much about them, but I do know they don't manufacture dampers for a living. So pessimistic, maybe. I wouldn't want to risk my semi high dollar motor on a product who's sole purpose is to keep my motor from vibrating it self to death. If they didn't get it right, the only way I'd find out is through catastrophic engine failure. So for me it's ATI, even though we all waited to long to get it.

Last: I'm sure if you're trying to be cautious about high RPM usage, you'll be fine. I myself was not cautious, and blew up my last M54B30 motor; thus one big reason I upgraded to the ATI damper & a special oil pump.

Good luck in your decision.
Rob43
 
#688 ·
The tool will be "Free to Rent". Yes, you heard correctly. All, I ask is you to take care of my personal tools as your own.

Cover shipping Their and Back and a Deposit of $180.

At the moment the Tool is Shipped to James.

anthony..you got PM!
Responded :D

-Anthony@BimmerBrakes
 
#708 · (Edited)
Got mine on. I thought it was MUCH easier to remove the radiator. Took me an hour to remove and install the radiator and expansion tank...saved me a lot of time in frustration. The added room makes lining up the woodrow key way easier. For some reason, I had to bend a couple of radiator fins to get the tool on the thread adaptor last time.

Actually not that bad, just need some big muscles and 3/4" drive tools.

Now the installed list...

1. aggieE46 - Installed
2. bluejeansonfire
3. HighBoostin330 - Installed
4. Zerosum
5. TrippinBimmer - Installed
6. brendan_select
7. bigjae1976 - Installed
8. PEI330Ci
9. AL330CI
10. Rob43
 
#709 · (Edited)
For some reason, I had to bend a couple of radiator fins to get the tool on the thread adaptor last time.
Had to do the same, ended up cutting the nut off the end of the adaptor.

I removed the damper recently and the tool worked ok without needing to hold the nut on the end - to my relief.

1. aggieE46 - Installed
2. bluejeansonfire
3. HighBoostin330 - Installed
4. Zerosum - Installed
5. TrippinBimmer - Installed
6. brendan_select
7. bigjae1976 - Installed
8. PEI330Ci
9. AL330CI
10. Rob43
 
#712 ·
Good luck with that, these things are like gold.

1. aggieE46 - Installed
2. bluejeansonfire
3. HighBoostin330 - Installed
4. Zerosum - Installed
5. TrippinBimmer - Installed
6. brendan_select
7. bigjae1976 - Installed
8. PEI330Ci
9. AL330CI
10. Rob43 - Installed, but new motor is 7-10 days away from being fired up.

PS, I thought Antony at BimmerBrakes also had one ?
 
#714 ·
is there a part number for this? do we have confirmation this is the best option?

I am likely in the market for two of them

I have decided to take the JB Racing lt wt flywheel off and install a new dual-mass and new HD custom clutch (using Sachs components) for the existing TS3 engine/trans unit

further, I am strongly leaning towards doing the TS3 on the wagon

OR

I will take the engines out of both cars and return the original motor/trans with the TS2+ components to the sedan (all numbers matching) and this means taking the TS3 out of sedan and putting it in the wagon

either way, I need to drop the front subframe enough to drop oil pan on TS3 to inspect the oil pump bolt and install the new clutch/flywheel


If I build up the ts2+ motor it will cost me about $4k in parts and machine work...if I just swap the engines around (AGAIN!!!) then there will be very little outlay, nothing to buy from ESS and no additional machine work

What would others (those that I know I can trust - not the newbs that dont know what the hell is involved) do if this was their choice?????
 
#715 ·
The part number is "Call ATI and ask them to build you one." The turnaround time is measured in months.

If it were me, any aluminum-block BMW motor that saw high RPM (as in greater than stock rev-limit) with any regularity would have an upgraded damper. Especially so with a lightweight flywheel.
 
#726 ·
Im down for GBpt2

Sent from my DROIDX using Bimmer App
 
#729 ·
Tested mine at the track this weekend. Definitely notice that the engine is smoother near redline. There is still some harshness above 6k but significantly less. So hopefully this helps reduce the likelihood of the oil pump nut backing off...now if I can only stop spinning the car.
 
#730 ·
great news on my end - I pulled the pan on the TS3 engine and the oil pump nut was very tight

I removed the windedge pan and checked the cyl walls - everything looks great - front and rear main seals in great shape and there dont seem to be any leaks on the bottom end


cams look good - the only reason I opened the top end - my vanos has been off so many times the I stripped a stud awhile ago and it has been a slow leak - driving me nuts - so fixing that before getting it ready for going into wagon
 
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