Go back to oem turbos?

The Convert

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Jun 4, 2017
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im strongly considering selling my motiv kit and putting the car completely back to stock engine bay wise. What do you guys think? The end goal would be sell the kit and all the aftermarket goodies in the engine bay and drive it as stock until I piece together everything I need for an LT4 or similar swap.
 

aus335iguy

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Looking to sell the bits while theyre worth more i take it?... LT4 DCT would be frickin awesome....Just saying..
 

The Convert

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Looking to sell the bits while theyre worth more i take it?... LT4 DCT would be frickin awesome....Just saying..
Pretty much. With the amount of money I've dumped in this car, I could have done an LT4 swap already and been done and just enjoying the car.
 
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buster84

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Save yourself the trouble of removing it all and sell the car and buy another one with a bad engine since you plan to swap in an LT4 engine your better off taking that extra cash from the sale to pay for it. I'm sure you can get an n54 with a blown engine really cheap these days.
 

NoQuarter

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Still have my Son's rolling chassis. With the engine out, looks like the bent rail can be replaced easily enough.

It is ready for a DCT upgrade, M3 diff, axles, etc and fitting in an LT4 !
Also has the iDrive screen for MHD display.

Also Special Thanks to @The Convert ! He took the time to test drive an Audi S5 for us and gave some great feedback on it!
 
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Torgus

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Save yourself the trouble of removing it all and sell the car and buy another one with a bad engine since you plan to swap in an LT4 engine your better off taking that extra cash from the sale to pay for it. I'm sure you can get an n54 with a blown engine really cheap these days.

I agree 100%.

I also agree about just buying the right car with the right engine/tranny in it from the start. Its like when people swap auto to manual, yes you can do it but you would have been better off starting with the right tranny from the start.

That being said LT swaps are cool, especially as they have not been done much on E9X platform.
 

Torgus

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You have to control it somehow too..

Very true. The best engine swaps are when your average person has no idea anything was swapped(within reason) and all the gauges etc work like stock and the creature comforts, passing state inspection, etc.

If you don't care about that stuff swap anything in.
 

langsbr

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I think it's funny that swapping in a LS/LTx is considered more reliable. There must be a bell curve or upside down bell curve with regards to mod and reliability for these vehicles. A maxim I have found that generally holds true is that the more you deviate from stock, the less reliable a vehicle is, regardless of platform. I would think this holds true even on the N54, until you look to go over 600whp with a big single. It can be argued that a single is more reliable than hybrid twins, but I think there are other tradeoffs like o2 sensors, etc.

I'm curious though, other than because no one else has done the LTx, what is having you consider that route? It seems if reliability is your main concern, you'd go with a proven, oft repeatable choice in an LSx. Not saying the LTx isn't reliable, it's just new, and often times you don't blaze a trail when looking for reliability. If I really wanted a super high hp E90, I would grab a 4.8 or 5.3 and slap a ginormous turbo on it and make 1000+ whp and be done. Sadly, what brought me to this platform is the thing most want to get rid of - the twin turbo inline 6. I LOVE the fact that on pump gas, my little 3 liter will smoke my buddy's 500 rwp bic cammin v8. I go surging past him as quiet as can be, while his car is creating a giant racket. Different strokes for different folks!
 

The Convert

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I think it's funny that swapping in a LS/LTx is considered more reliable. There must be a bell curve or upside down bell curve with regards to mod and reliability for these vehicles. A maxim I have found that generally holds true is that the more you deviate from stock, the less reliable a vehicle is, regardless of platform. I would think this holds true even on the N54, until you look to go over 600whp with a big single. It can be argued that a single is more reliable than hybrid twins, but I think there are other tradeoffs like o2 sensors, etc.

I'm curious though, other than because no one else has done the LTx, what is having you consider that route? It seems if reliability is your main concern, you'd go with a proven, oft repeatable choice in an LSx. Not saying the LTx isn't reliable, it's just new, and often times you don't blaze a trail when looking for reliability. If I really wanted a super high hp E90, I would grab a 4.8 or 5.3 and slap a ginormous turbo on it and make 1000+ whp and be done. Sadly, what brought me to this platform is the thing most want to get rid of - the twin turbo inline 6. I LOVE the fact that on pump gas, my little 3 liter will smoke my buddy's 500 rwp bic cammin v8. I go surging past him as quiet as can be, while his car is creating a giant racket. Different strokes for different folks!
This is where you lost me. Stock LT4 making 650/650 or modifying a stock engine and being back in the logging/tuning/logging/tuning loop again.

I want power and the ability to jump in the car whenever/wherever and not have to think twice about anything. It's also why I'm considering parting and selling. Problem is that I still love the look of the car and the driving dynamics. It would also be cheaper to swap an LT4, or similar in, than go buy a Z06 corvette.
 

fmorelli

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Problem is that I still love the look of the car and the driving dynamics.
new gen LT4 will add 100 lbs. compared to the N54. While that may not seem like much, it's a 25% increase at the snout. My experience with BMW swaps (BMW family motors) is that the driving dynamics are impacted. If lead was not so expensive, I'd tell you to get four 25 lb. shot bags, throw them in the engine compartment and see how the car drives, just for mock up.
It would also be cheaper to swap an LT4, or similar in, than go buy a Z06 corvette.
I agree you won't hit the $70-80k Z06 cost. But I'd run scared from this comment. Engine swaps are involving. The devil is in the details and the sand in your shoes is what kills you. Both time and money. Especially when doing something that has not been done 100x before you (i.e.; LT4). Resale value is questionable given the money in, and then there is the "there's an ass for every seat" problem of finding the guy that wants to drop decent coin on an LT4-swapped BMW.

Don't get me wrong, the LT4 is a badass unit. And I'm a fan of a meaty undertaking like what you are proposing. Here's a guy that did a current gen Camaro and slammed a wet sump LT4 into it. Slightly interesting read - make sure you hit post #46 for a parts list (always interesting, right). He claims 2 months to do the install - and that's a current gen GM chassis and engine product swap. His comment was, if doing it again, would just do an LT4 supercharger swap the original motor and forego the lost time and cost. Domestic-wise, I'm a Ford guy not a Chevy guy so don't know much about the platforms.

Don't mean to be negative, just thought I'd throw some thoughts on since I surmise from your thread that you're exploring and kicking the ideas around.

I'll leave one other comment - I am surprised that a reliable 650whp N54-driven car is not a reasonable option.

Filippo
 
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