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

[suspenceful]

07-24-2017

I'll be honest, the car needs a bigger intercooler and colder spark plugs. I've already got the VRSF 7.5" race intercooler on order to replace my 7". Spark plugs are coming from BMS, should have both by the end of the week.

Check out this log from Saturday night (cooler weather) with E50 fuel:
http://datazap.me/u/suspenceful/mmp-...log=0&data=1-4

Then this long from Sunday afternoon (hot weather) with full E85:
http://datazap.me/u/suspenceful/mmp-...log=0&data=1-4

I was detonating pretty bad yesterday, barely any timing. I need to address this before anything else. The intercooler and plugs will help, I'll probably also get the PR ignition coil upgrade kit. Then hit up Trebila for a tune. I would guess it's around 575-600whp as it is. Hoping for 650whp at 28-30psi with the next round of upgrades and a good tune.

I no longer want to run an off the shelf BMS flash/tune at this power level. The car is fast and I need to be careful not to pop the motor.

 

[suspenceful]

07-31-2017

I ordered a VRSF 7.5" Race intercooler to help cool things down a bit. At high boost, these MMP Stage 3 turbos really heat things up and I was starting to see some really bad heat soak.

It came with new couplers, t-bolt clamps, and the lower hard pipe upgrade. Luckily, I already had my hard pipe upgrade installed with couplers from my previous VRSF intercooler. I left them all in place to save time and was able to just swap out intercoolers after trimming plastic to fit the larger intercooler. I kept the new supplied hardware to sell with my previous intercooler.

Let's first compare intercoolers. Stock vs. standard VRSF 7" vs. VRSF 7.5" Race intercooler.

Definitely larger and definitely heavier. Let's take a closer look at the fin density and cooling bar size.

Standard VRSF 7" intercooler:

New VRSF 7.5" Race intercooler:

Much better

now let's get this thing in the car!

It required A LOT of cutting and trimming. Seriously.

I thought this would be enough, but I was wrong. I had to cut even more before I could stuff this intercooler up in there. At least I was combating the weight of the heavier intercooler by removing tons of plastic, right?

Now that it's in, does it work?

My previous intercooler saw a 54° rise in intake temperature during a 28psi 60-130mph pull. The new intercooler only rose 5° during a similar pull with similar ambient temp. See light blue line on my logs.

Before:

After:

Overall, very happy with the results! I'd highly recommend the VRSF 7.5" Race intercooler to anyone looking to cool things down a bit. Aside from the trimming, I don't see any reason why you wouldn't choose this intercooler over their other options.

 

[suspenceful]

THIS BRINGS US UP UNTIL TODAY!

I'm still having timing drops so I decided to order a Precision Raceworks ignition upgrade kit. I installed it and made no difference. Started inspecting everything and found a very large boost leak at the manifold -> PI plate connection. Sealed that up and now I'm getting misfires. Robert @ PR and Justin (V8Bait) have been VERY helpful and patient with me while I'm trying to track down these issues.

I'm going to go back to OEM coils and my old spark plugs that didn't misfire or pull timing @ 28psi with E40, just to rule out that PR coils aren't causing me any problems. I do believe they're a good product, but I have too many random variables going on right now. I'm going back to an ignition setup that I KNOW worked @ 28psi at one point. I'll report back my findings.

 

[suspenceful]

Current modifications:

Performance:

• MMP Stage 3 twin turbos
• JB4 G5 with custom map 6 @ 28psi
• BMS Hybrid E85 PI backend flash via MHD
• MMP aluminum relocation inlets
• MMP silicone outlets
• VRSF 7.5″ race intercooler
• VRSF 3″ catless downpipes
• VRSF charge pipe with TiAL blow off valve
• Precision Raceworks Stage 3+ LPFP with upgraded fuel feed line
• Precision Raceworks/MMP port injection kit
• Burger Motorsports port injection controller
• Burger Motorsports oil catch can
• Burger Motorsports cowl filters
• RB PCV
• NGK 97506 2-step colder spark plugs
• 3.5 bar TMAP sensor

Transmission:

• SPEC Stage 3+ clutch
• MFactory single-mass flywheel
• Poly transmission mounts
• BMW Performance short shift kit
• Teflon shifter bushings
• Burger Motorsports clutch stop
• Clutch delay valve delete
• No-lift-shift/2-step relay
• Redline D4 ATF transmission fluid
• Redline 75W90 rear differential fluid

Wheels, Suspension, Brakes:

• APEX ARC-8 Anthracite wheels:
  • Front: 18×8.5″ +45
  • Rear: 18×9.5″ +62 with 10mm spacer
  • Front: 235/40/18 Michelin Pilot Super Sport (PSS) tires
  • Rear: 265/35/18 Michelin Pilot Super Sport (PSS) tires
• Eibach Pro-Kit springs (~1″ drop front & rear)
• APEX 75mm Stud Conversion Kit
• StopTech drilled & slotted rotors
• StopTech Sport pads

Exterior:

• BMW Blackline LCI taillights
• Rieger flat black rear diffuser
• OMGSplitters front splitter with APR support rods
• BMW Performance spoiler
• BMW Performance black front grilles
• LUX H8 160 7K angel eyes
• Black & white BMW emblem overlays
• Tinted windows (30% front, 15% rear)
• Tinted side markers
• LED license plate lights

Interior:

• ZHP shift knob
• ///1M floor mats
• LED interior, trunk, and glove box lights

 

[AK135i]

Been following your build on 1addicts, glad you brought it here, I like this forum a lot more and I think you are right that people will appreciate it more in this new kind of community.

 

[frontside0815]

Nice thread!
Did your paint your filter black? I also have the MMP Inlets, but mine are chrome, which doesnt look nice.
And where are your vacuum canisters?

 

[suspenceful]

Been following your build on 1addicts, glad you brought it here, I like this forum a lot more and I think you're that right people will appreciate it more.

Agreed, thanks!

Nice thread!
Did your paint your filter black? I also have the MMP Inlets, but mine are chrome, which doesnt look nice.
And where are your vacuum canisters?

Yeah, I masked them off and painted the chrome parts with black paint. And I deleted my vacuum canisters during the turbo install. Didn't notice any difference.

 

[suspenceful]

Sad news. I've been chasing down a pesky misfire and did just about everything under the sun without any improvement.
I decided it was time to do a compression test. The car didn't smoke or anything, but was missing on cylinder #3.

Results were 170psi across the board, except for #3... only had 80psi. A wet test with a tablespoon of oil raised it to 120psi. I'm 99.9% sure it's a ring or ringland. Gonna check it out with a scope sometime this week.

Now I need to decide if I wanna rip it all apart to put a new piston in it, throw a used working motor in it, or go the built motor route.

I'm pretty upset.

 

[doublespaces]

This is a tough one, since you're manual you may as well go for the power. I'd try forged pistons/rods and not worry too much about some of the other little details to keep cost down and see how far that gets you. Probably plenty for what you're looking for. Can you build the engine yourself?

Good thread on engine building here: https://bmw.spoolstreet.com/threads/engine-building-tips.1768/

 

[AK135i]

Sad news. I've been chasing down a pesky misfire and did just about everything under the sun without any improvement.
I decided it was time to do a compression test. The car didn't smoke or anything, but was missing on cylinder #3.

Results were 170psi across the board, except for #3... only had 80psi. A wet test with a tablespoon of oil raised it to 120psi. I'm 99.9% sure it's a ring or ringland. Gonna check it out with a scope sometime this week.

Now I need to decide if I wanna rip it all apart to put a new piston in it, throw a used working motor in it, or go the built motor route.

I'm pretty upset.

My condolences. I just got out of a very simaler situation. Had misfires, was smoking a little. Turns out I had 3 bad cylinders. So I just bought a new motor with a warranty.

 

[suspenceful]

This is a tough one, since you're manual you may as well go for the power. I'd try forged pistons/rods and not worry too much about some of the other little details to keep cost down and see how far that gets you. Probably plenty for what you're looking for. Can you build the engine yourself?

Good thread on engine building here: https://bmw.spoolstreet.com/threads/engine-building-tips.1768/

Thanks for the link. I don't know if I feel comfortable building an engine myself, especially at this power level with tolerances. I'm also pretty strapped for funds after all these upgraded parts this year.

My condolences. I just got out of a very simaler situation. Had misfires, was smoking a little. Turns out I had 3 bad cylinders. So I just bought a new motor with a warranty.

It sucks. I'll probably end up going this route as well.

 

[Swedishpowah]

Dude, so sorry to hear this. I love watching your build - regularly coming back to check on progress. If there is no damage to the cylinder walls, you might be able to get away with just a light home and one replacement piston. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[DAVE]

I've been there with a few different cars. The best thing to do is take a step back and look at where your goals are and then compare what your budget is. Take your time and make wise choices not emotional ones.

Great Build and website btw. Your youtube videos are what made me jump for a 135.

 

[suspenceful]

Dude, so sorry to hear this. I love watching your build - regularly coming back to check on progress. If there is no damage to the cylinder walls, you might be able to get away with just a light home and one replacement piston. Hope it all works out for you.

That's definitely an option. Right now I'm leaning towards swapping in a good low-mileage motor. We will see.

I've been there with a few different cars. The best thing to do is take a step back and look at where your goals are and then compare what your budget is. Take your time and make wise choices not emotional ones.

Great Build and website btw. Your youtube videos are what made me jump for a 135.

You've got a good point, but it's hard to do right now. Built motors are fairly uncharted territory and the factory motor will handle a good amount of power.

And thanks! I'm glad you like them. The 135i (and other N54 cars) are a great bang for the buck IMO.

 

[Modifyit]

02-21-2015

Why do cars still come with halogen headlights and crappy interior bulbs? It’s 2015, Xenons and LEDs should be standard issue, since the 1 series is pretty old – I decided to take it upon myself to upgrade the interior lights.

I finally ordered some LEDs from ECSTuning. They sell a full LED kit for the 135i, but it’s marked up an additional $15 for no reason. So, I bought everything individually to save some cash. (1) overhead kit, (1) glovebox bulb, and (1) trunk bulb for a total of $41.33 instead of $54.95… you’re welcome. Here are my results:

There were no instructions, but the install was pretty straight forward. The front dome lights were easier for me to get at by dropping the headliner. Simply unclip the visors, pop open the visor holders (not the swinging section) and unscrew the T27 screw. Once you remove this piece from each side, the headliner should droop down. Now you’ll be able to slide your hand in and remove the bulb holders. The rest of the lights just require popping a cover off and replacing the bulb.

After all of this, I performed the $2 DIY blow off valve mod for cool noises. With my exhaust, I can't hear much of a difference.

Love this. I definitely need to look into these LEDs did u have to code the ecu for then to stay lit?

 

[suspenceful]

Love this. I definitely need to look into these LEDs did u have to code the ecu for then to stay lit?

Nope - just unplug the OEM bulbs and plug in the new ones!

 

[doublespaces]

I got the bulbs from HPB, includes the rear floor lights and under door puddle lights, both trunk lights, vanity lights, etc.

I bought a set of Reverse LEDs for E92, I mistakenly thought they would fit my E93 but they don't. Selling them if someone is interested.

 

[suspenceful]

I finally saved up enough $$$$ and picked up an engine from a local junkyard.

It came out of a 2008 335i 6MT with 91,223 miles. The car was hit pretty hard on the driver's side, so I'm not worried about flood damage or anything like that. It was also modified, so I'm hoping it was taken care of by an enthusiast.

I've noticed all index 11 injectors, an RB PCV valve/cap, and it looks spotless under the oil cap. No sludge, grime, buildup, or discoloration. Hoping this is a sign of frequent oil changes.

Hoping to start tearing the car apart so I can remove the blown motor and swap everything over before the end of the year!

 

[suspenceful]

Started on this the other day. Took the whole front clip off. Drained oil and coolant. Removed intake, intercooler, intake manifold, injector and coil harness, disconnected coolant lines, vacuum lines, electrical plugs, etc. Forgot the car has A/C stuff in it still so I quit and pushed it back in the corner.

I honestly haven't had much motivation to work on this car, I don't know why.

 

[Clean WHP]

get motivated!! your car is awesome and 600+whp will feel great. oh and you shouldnt bother putting the AC back in when you take it out, also strip the interior and see how light you can get it now thats its a race car