N54 water to air intercooler street build

Panzerfaust

Lieutenant
Jul 3, 2018
637
438
0
Chicago
Ride
E92 335i
27105


For those of you who don't have an IG or otherwise havent been following this build, heres at least a full proof of concept it can be done. He is using an e36 chasis so the charge piping is custom but it's a stock N54 otherwise, inc stock tuning and IM afaik.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JBacon335

bantam

Corporal
Nov 20, 2017
127
102
0
Ride
2009 335i
For those of you who don't have an IG or otherwise havent been following this build, heres at least a full proof of concept it can be done. He is using an e36 chasis so the charge piping is custom but it's a stock N54 otherwise, inc stock tuning and IM afaik.

I wish he would have copied my charge piping, I think mine looks a little cleaner. But overall glad to see more people doing it


@BQTuning @NoQuarter @WedgePerformance ... I am dubious this would fit under the Z4 hood line ... ?

Filippo

Just buy a stock charge cooler and a can of play-do!

I finally received an intercooler from eBay that is not leaking, though the people didn’t package it well and bent one of the ports... I guess it’s fine for now. I also ordered a CSF clone for evaluation.
 

Panzerfaust

Lieutenant
Jul 3, 2018
637
438
0
Chicago
Ride
E92 335i
I wish he would have copied my charge piping, I think mine looks a little cleaner. But overall glad to see more people doing it




Just buy a stock charge cooler and a can of play-do!

I finally received an intercooler from eBay that is not leaking, though the people didn’t package it well and bent one of the ports... I guess it’s fine for now. I also ordered a CSF clone for evaluation.
I have a feeling the hot side charge piping being different may be due to having to clear the e36 body moreso than anything, but that's just pure speculation on my part. I know he tried a couple different sizes between mock-up, dropping it in, and finally now with putting BOVs on.

Personally I kinda like the idea of having the BOVs where he has them just because of the old "one valve per turbo" thing (and I also run two universal Forge VTA valves) but I'm curious to how the response would be being pre-IC only rather than at the TB like most of us run now. I know from my experience of running two 25mm inlet dump valves that the response is just as good as any larger TiAL/TS style valve but they're still in the same location, I'm curious how much the throttle response would change if we didn't have any valve by the TB.
 

bantam

Corporal
Nov 20, 2017
127
102
0
Ride
2009 335i
Looks like Burger Motorsports has started importing charge coolers and undercut the market quite a bit! You still need the brackets though.

 

bantam

Corporal
Nov 20, 2017
127
102
0
Ride
2009 335i
Just a brief update, my car is running on a stock cooler with an E85 tune, datalogs from some pulls with ambients around 75f are below.


Once the E85 tune is acceptable, I will drop to about E50 and run the FF module, so HPFP should not give me any issues.

I had previously had some issues with IATs getting too high, but it does not currently seem to be an issue, I think it was from the leaking core draining out the coolant.

I received my alibaba charge coolers, they both arrived damaged. Quality looked tolerable, but the shipping/workmanship issues and a good deal led me to order a VRSF charge cooler.

Still no development on upgrading the heat exchanger, which was my original first priority, but the leaking charge cooler and excessive work hours got me way sidetracked.
 

Dumaurier7

Lieutenant
May 19, 2020
538
217
0
Hello, I'm doing a custom under-mount big turbo (BW 8474) on my European RHD M235I, one of the issues I've faced is having to move the turbo forward to clear the steering shaft assembly, this then caused the thermostat (which mounts directly to the radiator) to interfere with the big 4" suction and 3" turbo discharge pipes. I have been considering going A2W to eliminate the 3" discharge pipe from the equation, which should allow the thermostat to remain in the stock location but I'm hesitant to do this without numbers..... any Updates? id like to see the final out come and performance numbers!
 

bantam

Corporal
Nov 20, 2017
127
102
0
Ride
2009 335i
What are you looking for specifically? The setup was totally different from yours, but basically the end result was ~405 whp on pump gas for old stock turbos and auto transmission. A newer manual n54 did 430whp on the same Dyno with bolt one and MHD off the shelf tune. Nothing super impressive.

I am currently revising the setup for a set of RB 2 plus turbos, but still only shooting for 500whp on pump gas.

It sounds like the w2a is a good option for you, what is your desired function with the car?
 
  • Like
Reactions: aus335iguy

Asbjorn

Lieutenant
Mar 10, 2018
854
602
0
European, based in China
Ride
Z4 N54 DCT
Finally got my hands on some M4 aim track data, and thought I would share it here. Its from Zhejiang Circuit on a hot humid day in China. I do not have the exact air temperature, but think 30C / 90F-ish. That kind of weather. The car had a stage two tune but otherwise stock.

IAT heat map and channel report (最大 means max, so up to 87C 206F intake air temp):

WeChat Image_20201026162942.png



Oil temp heat map for comparison:

WeChat Image_20201026162925.png


To me it seems the oil cooling is doing better than the IAT cooling.
 

Dumaurier7

Lieutenant
May 19, 2020
538
217
0
What are you looking for specifically? The setup was totally different from yours, but basically the end result was ~405 whp on pump gas for old stock turbos and auto transmission. A newer manual n54 did 430whp on the same Dyno with bolt one and MHD off the shelf tune. Nothing super impressive.

I am currently revising the setup for a set of RB 2 plus turbos, but still only shooting for 500whp on pump gas.

It sounds like the w2a is a good option for you, what is your desired function with the car?

I am aiming for a reliable, powerful and uber fun daily driver ! I want to make upwards of 600whp (but I'll take more if I get it!:sunglasses:) on 95 RON pump with water injection. Because your twins are smaller they will produce more heat, at 400whp you should be making about 460 at the crank which would equate to about 45 to 50lbs/hr. air flow from your turbos. I am interested to see what your IAT's are like and what your daily driving (heat soak) temperatures are like. The BW is rated at 950hp, producing 95lbs/hr. which is roughly twice that of yours , logic would suggest that it would produce twice the heat but as we know larger turbos run cooler so this assumption would not be correct. I have already formulated and started actioning a way around the issue by relocating the thermostat and extending couple hoses, this will work like oem but I like the A2W intercooler as an option if it functions properly!
 

Dumaurier7

Lieutenant
May 19, 2020
538
217
0
Finally got my hands on some M4 aim track data, and thought I would share it here. Its from Zhejiang Circuit on a hot humid day in China. I do not have the exact air temperature, but think 30C / 90F-ish. That kind of weather. The car had a stage two tune but otherwise stock.

IAT heat map and channel report (最大 means max, so up to 87C 206F intake air temp

87C is HOTT! but the question is, is this due to turbo efficiency or poor intercooling?
 

bantam

Corporal
Nov 20, 2017
127
102
0
Ride
2009 335i
I am aiming for a reliable, powerful and uber fun daily driver ! I want to make upwards of 600whp (but I'll take more if I get it!:sunglasses:) on 95 RON pump with water injection. Because your twins are smaller they will produce more heat, at 400whp you should be making about 460 at the crank which would equate to about 45 to 50lbs/hr. air flow from your turbos. I am interested to see what your IAT's are like and what your daily driving (heat soak) temperatures are like. The BW is rated at 950hp, producing 95lbs/hr. which is roughly twice that of yours , logic would suggest that it would produce twice the heat but as we know larger turbos run cooler so this assumption would not be correct. I have already formulated and started actioning a way around the issue by relocating the thermostat and extending couple hoses, this will work like oem but I like the A2W intercooler as an option if it functions properly!

that certainly seems achievable given what the S55 crowd is doing, I think that the CSF has been used in applications up to 900whp. The stock intercoolers are a beautiful lightweight design, but they are unreliable in my opinion, I would take the weight penalty and go aftermarket if you can stand it.
 

Dumaurier7

Lieutenant
May 19, 2020
538
217
0
I used a generic “J” pipe that I bought off eBay, it required some modification to get it fitting how I wanted.