TURBO PROJECT E46 325I 10-15 lbs

Im also doing a suspension and brake upgrade..1st! any sugestions on a good one thats good for daily driving and track worthy,,was thinking stop tec, but suspension its up in the air.

H&R race springs and bilstien shocks.

Originally Posted by meteoriteSilverE46

Im also doing a suspension and brake upgrade..1st! any sugestions on a good one thats good for daily driving and track worthy,,was thinking stop tec, but suspension its up in the air.

PFC monoblocks for brakes, Moton Clubsport/Ground Control/Polyflex for suspension. That will run you $7k and $6k respectively.

Originally Posted by PEI330Ci

Guys, the M54 head doesn't need to be touched.

Even ported N54 heads flow less than a stock M54...and look at the numbers they are pumping out.

In your opinion if installing an ESS TS3 you wouldn't touch the head?

Originally Posted by Lil. Lucas

In your opinion if installing an ESS TS3 you wouldn't touch the head?

that's a sh!t question.

The ESS tune relies on more open than stock exhaust ports.

Ask a question that adheres more to the flow numbers of the ports compared.

Though I believe PEI, I'm skeptical, based only on studying the ports with my eyes, the n54 ports look far better, like m5x(singlevanos), in some places almost as impressive as s54 ports.

The m54 ports work, I know they make similar whp to the s50/2 with similar setups. Up to PEI and Brady's and my supposed 230ishwhp, it hangs with e36s with similar mods, so it can't be bad technology. But e36s eventually make more power.

There's the example of Karl's m54, I don't know much about it, except that it made too much power. It went beyond what e36 guys ever do. And I have no clue as to how it was done.


To the OP: there's a lot you need to know before you embark on this. Go to bimmerforums. You clearly dont know much about this engine family and how people build it, what has been successful and what hasn't. There is no way you're going to get enough guidance from a single thread posting what you plan. Maybe buy a s13, do that first, in the meantime read about bmw turbo projects. Figure out a tuning solution, take your time. Our engines dont use valve seeds. Learn as much as you can about the single vanos I6 turbo setups, it's the same family.

I think I've done everything you plan to do. To make good decisions at the beginning stage (which is very important), you need to do a lot of research. Sometimes people come out of the woodwork with a turbo project and ace it when everybody expects them to fall face first. Unless you've done a couple dozen turbo projects before, this is going to be difficult, especially if you plan to do standalone tuning.

I appreciate that the idea for this setup came from someone who has some commercial success in a car tv show. But it doesn't mean anything.

I recommend using an existing turbo tuner, the one I used, I think may be the only one. But I wouldn't want anyone else. Consider Technique Tuning if this is something you want done within the foreseeable future and you want it to work without hiccups.

Check your email Julio.

None of this is as hard as what people make out. And considering most of the people on this forum don't lift a spanner they pay for everything to be done I wouldn't listen to most of them. If you have the time and money the sky is the limit. As long as you know that it does take more time and money to be a pioneer then go for it.

If it was me I would be using a GT35 turbo at about 7-8psi and leave the motor stock for now. The last thing you want is have something go left of centre while sorting it out and have to pull a motor out again after it's already been out and built. That's just expensive and wastes time. Get it tuned and running with no faults and have fun with it like that first.

Originally Posted by bluejeansonfire

that's a sh!t question.

Thanks, this coming from the guy that JBwelded his control arm on..

Originally Posted by Lil. Lucas

Thanks, this coming from the guy that JBwelded his control arm on..

that really makes your question better and makes you a scholar of this website, I congratulate you on your massive intellect and ability to justifiably reason as this is so relevant to your question.

Originally Posted by bluejeansonfire

that really makes your question better and makes you a scholar of this website, I congratulate you on your massive intellect and ability to justifiably reason as this is so relevant to your question.

Your condescending posts are great,

Guess I should learn not to ask "sh!t questions" in an attempt to save myself $2500

If your going with the STS turbo inquire about their programs, you could save up to 50% for providing before and after dyno results and documenting the build. Talk to rito he can help you with the tuning and the parts you would need. I don't think any of the bimmer forums guys have done any STS turbo or rear mounted turbos, But you may wanna go on there to gather information on preparing for turbo, whatever you do keep away from George from ICS performance he is a crook, good luck with your project. about to years ago i was trying to do the same thing but i couldn't find someone to tune my car this is the most important thing about the build especially if your car is a daily driver do some research make sure your tuner could tackle this project.

Originally Posted by Lil. Lucas

Your condescending posts are great,

Guess I should learn not to ask "sh!t questions" in an attempt to save myself $2500

you're going to spend $2500 on exhaust ports? That's beyond absurd. I didn't spend that on my entire head, and that included unshrouding and a full valve job. You need neither for a ts3. If you want to save money, buy a dremel, port match, don't go more than an inch into your ports. IIRC, that's all ESS did, to make it simple for TS3 customers. Port-matching isn't the impossible science some might claim it to be. Porting the area behind the valve kind of is. Playing with the taper in the middle of the port is something I'd avoid as well. But for the purpose of just port-matching, one inch in, it's easy.

Your question was loaded, it meaninglessly rubs against the grain of a point just made, as it has a a rigid answer that's associated with a tune. It's not related to flow, to make your setup match the tune, its a requirement, regardless of actual flow improvement, though I believe that a port match on that head will help. But as long as you bring up my bushing in a discussion of headflow. I'll respond as I have, I'll call you out, and as it seems, you'll bring in the most irrelevant points into the ring... and then you'll call me condescending, what the sh!t do you expect?

Sigh.

thanks for the heads up and a possible rebate on the turbo from STS...talk to a few people that said i wouldnt need a tune as long as i stayed under 8 lbs...just needed a msd and piggie back fuel pressure regulator...

Originally Posted by meteoriteSilverE46

thanks for the heads up and a possible rebate on the turbo from STS...talk to a few people that said i wouldnt need a tune as long as i stayed under 8 lbs...just needed a msd and piggie back fuel pressure regulator...

always need a tune.

i would talk to AA about the tuning they could tune your ecu you would have to sent then dyno charts of your car and do this back and forth until your running 100 percent i just don't see this being cheap, i think it would be cheaper to get a technique tuning kit stage 2

before you do it i would make a list with the prices and compare that list to other kits out there, i was about to do the same thing and i got a mossleman kit for less than $800 the turbo the header manifold injectors bov everything and it still wasn't wroth it the tuning was going to cost me over 2k

Originally Posted by bluejeansonfire

you're going to spend $2500 on exhaust ports? That's beyond absurd. I didn't spend that on my entire head, and that included unshrouding and a full valve job. You need neither for a ts3. If you want to save money, buy a dremel, port match, don't go more than an inch into your ports. IIRC, that's all ESS did, to make it simple for TS3 customers. Port-matching isn't the impossible science some might claim it to be. Porting the area behind the valve kind of is. Playing with the taper in the middle of the port is something I'd avoid as well. But for the purpose of just port-matching, one inch in, it's easy.

Your question was loaded, it meaninglessly rubs against the grain of a point just made, as it has a a rigid answer that's associated with a tune. It's not related to flow, to make your setup match the tune, its a requirement, regardless of actual flow improvement, though I believe that a port match on that head will help. But as long as you bring up my bushing in a discussion of headflow. I'll respond as I have, I'll call you out, and as it seems, you'll bring in the most irrelevant points into the ring... and then you'll call me condescending, what the sh!t do you expect?

We are in Australia, prices for machining here are A LOT more than you could imagine

Originally Posted by bluejeansonfire

you're going to spend $2500 on exhaust ports? That's beyond absurd. I didn't spend that on my entire head, and that included unshrouding and a full valve job. You need neither for a ts3. If you want to save money, buy a dremel, port match, don't go more than an inch into your ports. IIRC, that's all ESS did, to make it simple for TS3 customers. Port-matching isn't the impossible science some might claim it to be. Porting the area behind the valve kind of is. Playing with the taper in the middle of the port is something I'd avoid as well. But for the purpose of just port-matching, one inch in, it's easy.

Your question was loaded, it meaninglessly rubs against the grain of a point just made, as it has a a rigid answer that's associated with a tune. It's not related to flow, to make your setup match the tune, its a requirement, regardless of actual flow improvement, though I believe that a port match on that head will help. But as long as you bring up my bushing in a discussion of headflow. I'll respond as I have, I'll call you out, and as it seems, you'll bring in the most irrelevant points into the ring... and then you'll call me condescending, what the sh!t do you expect?

Your control arm was a good example of how much I value your opinion, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. My question wasn't unreasonable to ask, good luck with your car that is broken more then its driveable

You know, I really thought you already knew the answer to your question. That it was a loaded question. But I'm getting the sense that you're not malicious... well, weren't.

how do you know anything about the state of my car?

My car is more apart than drivable as I'm constantly upgrading, like now in which I'm revising a lot of stuff. And when I break an axle or something of the liking, it's usually only very brief. I usually mend it immediately after I break stuff. But I haven't had parts fail from experimentation since the jb weld bushing repair.