M5x, S5x Spa turbo Manifold? anyone

[Mako18]

I have been considering purchasing a Spa bottom mount turbo manifold for my m50 swapped e30. Reasons for this consideration are as follows:

1. Life Time Guarantee
2. High quality not prone to cracking under hard use. If it does, then that is what the warranty is for!!
3. Cast Manifold fitment is 100%
4. Proven flow
5. Keeps additional weight low and more towards the firewall not hanging out high and behind the headlight.
6. Easy exhaust routing.
7. Kinda stealthy looking at a glance.
8. Heat far away from the hood and Valve Cover = no melting plastic discolored hood.
9. Can't beat the price and still retain the quality.
10. Power steering and A/C compatible
11. T3 or T4 flange options
12. Manifold is swap friendly (obviously)

One minor thing is if you use or intend on using a turbo with a 3" inlet or larger a different motor mount is required. There are a few options, custom, SPA, TRM, Boostlogic. Etc

So is anyone interested in a Spa Turbo Manifold? I can help arrange a group buy. Need to know about how many would be seriously interested. I am waiting on numbers for 5-10 people. Manifold is normally $529.99 + $20.00 shipping. I have an ideal number but I will wait to see what I can get for us.

If you would like to do your own research check out the site..

https://www.Spaturbousa.com

I have researched this manifold here on R3V (not much info) and on bimmerforums and have yet to find a unsatisfied person. I found one that cracked the manifold after very very hard repeated high boost (27psi) 1/4 mile passes. Extremely high temps!!! The manifold was welded and no more problems occurred. They were finding the limits of the s52 in a M roadster.

I do not have any affiliation in this matter other than trying to get a good price for myself and those interested. Any thoughts and or suggestions are welcome!! If you find anything I have posted to be false or misrepresented please let me know!!

[rThor432]

Ahh that looks like a nice product. I shouldnt even be thinking about turboing the S52 yet, but a low mounted setup .. mmm.

[Mot]

Does a bottom mount spa fit in a e30? In my friends e36 the turbo is already pretty close to the frame rail.

[lifeiskaos]

im very interested. the hardest part will be the oil drain for the turbo... e36 guys can easily drain to the pan (towards the rear of the engine), but the e34 oil pan is towards the front. we'd probably have to go scavenge pump. but the spa manifold does physically fit in an e30 engine bay with either the spa turbo, up to an hx35 (with TRM/cartech/custom engine mount arm). i know because i had an email conversation with one of the guys at TRM, who sells the same manifold

[318isbmw]

Does a bottom mount spa fit in a e30? In my friends e36 the turbo is already pretty close to the frame rail.

Ya, got a friend who we had to go w/ IE motor mount as well as different motor mount to make it all fit w/ a bottom turbo.

[asubimmer]

I'd like to see one bolted in a 24v e30. It doesn't seem like a bottom mount would fit. They don't fit w/ m42's...

[matt]

I would be happy to run a group buy on this manifold.

We could include motor mount arms as well.

[matt]

I have researched this manifold here on R3V (not much info) and on bimmerforums and have yet to find a unsatisfied person. I found one that cracked the manifold after very very hard repeated high boost (27psi) 1/4 mile passes. Extremely high temps!!! The manifold was welded and no more problems occurred. They were finding the limits of the s52 in a M roadster.

If that's who I'm thinking of, that was not the current cast manifold. It was a tubular prototype (thus the welding - we don't repair cast manifolds, we replace them). We run 35+ PSI using the cast ones regularly.

We put one of these manifolds with a huge turbo into an S52 e30 M3 once, about two years ago, but we lost the pictures. It fits fine. We'll be installing a kit on an e34 with the same motor, manifold, and oil pan very soon as well. We'll be able to work out how to drain the oil properly with no pump, I'm sure.

[lifeiskaos]

We'll be able to work out how to drain the oil properly with no pump, I'm sure.

please keep us informed! the only way that might work that i've thought of is making a straight shot to the oil pan drain plug... not ideal but it might work. i really dont want to deal with a scavenge pump

[matt]

Why would you run it to the drain plug?

We'll put in a new plug up and to the left from the drain plug.

[Mako18]

Well I am happy to see such a great response. All questions have been answered so far. Maybe Matt can discuss the oil drainage part since he has actual experience? I did not find anything mentioned in my research about a scavenge pump being needed.

I was looking to get mine around late March or April. I figured this is enough time for most to gather the cash, after all income tax will be coming soon for some or most of us.

I was dealing with a guy on these but I would much rather see Matt sell these since he is always helping out on the board and sells great products not to mention great customer service!! Not that any of this needed to be said...

Matt do you sell downpipes for this manifold? Something with 3" v-band? Just want to know for those that don't want to go to a shop or DIY.

[lifeiskaos]

Why would you run it to the drain plug?

We'll put in a new plug up and to the left from the drain plug.

because thats pretty much the lowest you can get on the pan. hopefully yours will work too! :D i've seen a couple people do it on bf.c, in e36's though. thats where i got the idea

[matt]

Well I am happy to see such a great response. All questions have been answered so far. Maybe Matt can discuss the oil drainage part since he has actual experience? I did not find anything mentioned in my research about a scavenge pump being needed.

I was looking to get mine around late March or April. I figured this is enough time for most to gather the cash, after all income tax will be coming soon for some or most of us.

I was dealing with a guy on these but I would much rather see Matt sell these since he is always helping out on the board and sells great products not to mention great customer service!! Not that any of this needed to be said...

Matt do you sell downpipes for this manifold? Something with 3" v-band? Just want to know for those that don't want to go to a shop or DIY.

No downpipes right now, we may have one soon. We could sell a DIY downpipe kit. They're really easy for any muffler shop to build. We can provide the flanges and such.

I'll come up with prices tomorrow, I'm already home for the day now.

because thats pretty much the lowest you can get on the pan. hopefully yours will work too! :D i've seen a couple people do it on bf.c, in e36's though. thats where i got the idea

Why would you want the oil drain line to connect to the bottom of the pan?

The oil level will be the same in the line as it is in the pan. There is actually a REALLY good reason to connect the drain line as high in the pan as possible. If the line or fitting fails, you will loose much less oil if the line is connected at the top of the pan.

[lifeiskaos]

Why would you want the oil drain line to connect to the bottom of the pan?

The oil level will be the same in the line as it is in the pan. There is actually a REALLY good reason to connect the drain line as high in the pan as possible. If the line or fitting fails, you will loose much less oil if the line is connected at the top of the pan.

only because it will give the best angle for a gravity feed... i agree, it's better to put the return higher on the pan, but there are only a few inches from the turbo to the top of the oil pan, and you have to run a line forward in the engine bay, unlike e36 guys. a bung on the top of an e34 pan will give you an almost horizonal line...

im not here to argue which is better, it was just an idea that would be cheap and would most likely perform well, given the line doesnt come off :D

[Mako18]

Ok did some searching and found this. Its a e34 with a Turbonetics cast bottom mount turbo manifold similar to Spa.

Here is a pic of the pan and the drain location in the oil pan.



Here is a pic of the angle.



Here is another view. Now you can see with this manifold the drain line has to hump over the subframe, then swoops down again. I think this could have been improved on by routing directly over the subframe. You can clearly see the center section on the turbo is higher then the frame & the 90* AN fitting could have easily been turned to face the front of the pan still giving it just a slight decline to drain into the pan. Better than the way it was done just my opinion ..