N52 Swap Discussion

[hubcapboy]

-Maybe another tuning session to focus on the mapping for very low end for daily driving.

I’ve heard rumors about a different intake that fits these motors that’s got flappy tube low down torque magic.

[hoveringuy]

My season concluded with a day at the Ridge today. I don't go there but once a year so it takes me most of the morning to get comfortable with the track. Ran a 2:02.50 which is a full 6 seconds quicker than last year with the M54, but I feel like a 2:00 is in my grasp.

https://youtu.be/14PsjTMkiUA

To-do over the winter:

-replace the stock brake reservoir with a Chase Bays one to keep the leakage down from the vent.
-Can I do something about the diff breather?
-Tilt the gas pedal further right. My foot is too wide, I need more room on the brake pedal.
-Wilwood rear brakes. The confidence from the front is amazing!
-Maybe another tuning session to focus on the mapping for very low end for daily driving.

Other than that, I put over 1000 hard miles on the motor over 8 events and the only casualty was a broken exhaust clamp. I'll call that a win!

[amcp]

Ha! Same things happened to me twice with my S52 swapped setup.I uprated the clamps and added some tie wire around the rubber muffler mounts to limit sway.

[nando]

That's a much beefier looking clamp. Looks like the thin metal on the old one stretched, and those single spot welds couldn't hold together.

if I redo my exhaust I'll probably do something similar to what I have now - but I want to modify the rear so I'm using both of the OE mounts instead of only one. I "temporarily" (permanently) attached it to the second one using a metal clamp, it's ugly but it stopped it from rubbing on the valance! My front mount is bolted to the transmission using the original bracket, it's not going anywhere..

[hoveringuy]

On this episode of "Engineering Explained", T-bolt clamps! By this point I've put around 800 hard track miles on the car over 7 events. I completely understand the sentiment that "racing makes the breed stronger", because any weaknesses will be sussed-out. Gareth is watching gleefully because every weakness I encounter is one less thing he'll need to deal with.

So I got black-flagged at the very end of my last track day. Something about "exhaust dragging on the ground". Waa!

It was fixed in 5 minutes with some zip-ties.

I've got two kinds of clamps holding my exhaust up. I used the stock e30 hangar at the subframe with an exhaust hangar that's clamped on the exhaust. There's another rear hanger to the muffler. The single clamp that I had at the subframe failed, which overloaded the rear hanger and the exhaust fell down. The one that broke was a standard T-bolt clamp, I'll be replacing it with two Mikalor Supra clamps. I could just weld that hangar onto the exhaust, and I probably will, but I was leaving it clamped for the adjustability. This is 100% my fault for underestimating the fatigue on that clamp.

[dougsic]

hoveringuy

"Finally, for everyone's amusement, my latest track day behind a 2018 Cayman S."

That's my kind of video! Fantastic and thanks for sharing it!

[hoveringuy]

is idle tuning a concern with N54 manifold, and or is a tune required to gain that extra oomph up top since it doesn't have DISA valves? I read in an older R3V post that folks were having poor idle characteristics with N54 manifolds on untuned DMEs. N54 THB bigger than N52?

Like Nando said, the car is incredibly boring in it's smoothness and livability. Starts instantly, hot or cold, idles rock-steady.

[nando]

On Steve's car, nothing at all was changed as far as idle, cold starts, hot starts, etc. It starts and idles like a stock N52. If there were problems after swapping, it was probably due to vacuum leaks from improper assembly or cracked vent lines.

You will want a tune of course. At the very least, a redline bump.

the N54 throttle is a couple MM larger. They're also inexpensive.

[2.5-12]

The only thing that needs changed in the wiring as far as I know is the throttle body plug. But if your engine is already MSV80 you have the MSV80 throttle which should work. You can also use the N54 throttle. the MAF for MSV70 is different but I think it plugs in the same as the MSV80 version, it's just analog instead of digital.

also, the N54 manifold will make more power, not less, than the 3-stage. But it will make less low end torque. It depends on what is important to you.

is idle tuning a concern with N54 manifold, and or is a tune required to gain that extra oomph up top since it doesn't have DISA valves? I read in an older R3V post that folks were having poor idle characteristics with N54 manifolds on untuned DMEs. N54 THB bigger than N52?

[nando]

all incredibly useful info.. so if I snag a v70 from a junk yard 325 or early 328, plugs in to the engine harness and chassis side plugs like the 2011's 80? a deleted, 3 stage'd computer does have some appeal.

doesnt look like the stock N52 intake manifolds fit terribly well, so may be stuck with an N54 manifold and lower power. car has an iX booster in it now with the turbo S52.

The only thing that needs changed in the wiring as far as I know is the throttle body plug. But if your engine is already MSV80 you have the MSV80 throttle which should work. You can also use the N54 throttle. the MAF for MSV70 is different but I think it plugs in the same as the MSV80 version, it's just analog instead of digital.

also, the N54 manifold will make more power, not less, than the 3-stage. But it will make less low end torque. It depends on what is important to you.

[2.5-12]

This thread is inspirational. Sticky worthy if only as an example of pure ingenuity.

Now crack the code on the N52 DCT swap so I can put one in my mom's Z3.

BMW DCT standalone controller have existed for some time. lots of high horsepower E36s running around with 135i DCTs.

also yuck 2 pedals.

[NC325iC]

This thread is inspirational. Sticky worthy if only as an example of pure ingenuity.

Now crack the code on the N52 DCT swap so I can put one in my mom's Z3.

[hoveringuy]

I've been absent for a while enjoying the boredom of a reliable car. One small caveat to that, I had a slow leak coming from the oil filter housing gasket that was getting slightly worse with time. I had obviously replaced it a few months prior, but maybe I munged it up somehow, because a small section of the gasket looked badly eroded and I have no idea what could have caused that, except for maybe it wasn't original BMW quality. The new one is top quality so I'll see if I have the same issue in a few months. Not presently leaking.

I've also been completely over-driving my brakes. The front rotors were just getting murdered, so I upgraded to the Massive Race kit in the front (I'll do the rear later...) and it hauls the car down with authority, although I haven't translated that into faster lap times yet.

Finally, for everyone's amusement, my latest track day behind a 2018 Cayman S. I can just barely keep up, although he was pulling away on the straights, probably due to my superior un-aerodynamics. The yellow GT4 was just fast.

https://youtu.be/uLLltSZImWc


This is how it should look.

[2.5-12]

all incredibly useful info.. so if I snag a v70 from a junk yard 325 or early 328, plugs in to the engine harness and chassis side plugs like the 2011's 80? a deleted, 3 stage'd computer does have some appeal.

doesnt look like the stock N52 intake manifolds fit terribly well, so may be stuck with an N54 manifold and lower power. car has an iX booster in it now with the turbo S52.

[nando]

you can do the bimmerlabs 3-stage flash, it's free. It won't have error codes etc. deleted but it should work otherwise - same 255hp as the 330i.

yeah, EWS on MSV80 has been broken for a while. It's actually far simpler than doing it on MSV70. But I still recommend MSV70, especially if you're tuning, as it's a little easier to work with and just as capable.

also, FYI - you don't need a CAN board to use the E46 (or similar generation) cluster either. You can just set the DME to use CAN11h and it will work natively. They even have the maps to run the variable redline on the E46 M3 cluster!