replacing twins- to lower subframe or remove completely

turbo replacement remove subframe completely or lower

  • lower subframe

    Votes: 7 20.6%
  • remove subframe completely

    Votes: 27 79.4%

  • Total voters
    34

foe516

Specialist
Nov 5, 2016
80
15
0
11730
i'll do whatever my buddy wants, he's a good friend and its his shop. i'll be helping him the first day. i've done all the other work on my car except the clutch. he's a good friend that was in a rough spot 3 years ago that i "lent" some money to. so i'm recouping some of my loss. he has more experience doing e46/36 track cars and i know he swapped an engine just last year in 135 track build, he said 20 to 30 hours for all the work i wanted done which also includes a custom setrab oil cooler. vcg, coils and plugs, lsd as well that i forgot to mention. he had my clutch out in about an hour and a half. i would take a few days off from work to stay and help but closing on a house this afternoon and my wife is 7 months pregnant with twins so we have doctor visits every week and we have to move. i trust him so i'll just go with the flow. thanks for the suggestions.
 

buster84

Corporal
Mar 24, 2018
240
91
0
Ride
335 bmw xdrive
i'll do whatever my buddy wants, he's a good friend and its his shop. i'll be helping him the first day. i've done all the other work on my car except the clutch. he's a good friend that was in a rough spot 3 years ago that i "lent" some money to. so i'm recouping some of my loss. he has more experience doing e46/36 track cars and i know he swapped an engine just last year in 135 track build, he said 20 to 30 hours for all the work i wanted done which also includes a custom setrab oil cooler. vcg, coils and plugs, lsd as well that i forgot to mention. he had my clutch out in about an hour and a half. i would take a few days off from work to stay and help but closing on a house this afternoon and my wife is 7 months pregnant with twins so we have doctor visits every week and we have to move. i trust him so i'll just go with the flow. thanks for the suggestions.

Your installing twins and your wife is having twins! Congrats! I see many more twins in your future.
 
Last edited:
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Dmak

Specialist
Nov 19, 2017
74
41
0
Ride
09 bmw 135i
I replaced turbos with subframe still in, and with it lowered in customer's cars. When its time to do my own, i removed the subframe which was the easiest and quickest for me....or maybe its due to me done them a bunch of times....i dont know. I vote for removing especially when doing in a shop and they would have an engine brace. With subframe removed, its just easier to clean ports, sealing surfaces, more room to make sure oil/coolant lines are seated nice and correctly, easier to torque the oil pan bolts, etc. Also give me a chance to pressure was the subframe really clean.
20190323_100625.jpg
 

fmorelli

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Aug 11, 2017
3,748
3,592
0
57
Virginia
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E89 Z4 35i, F10 535d
Nice. Now say you were also having to swap the head, change the turbos, and the trans to do clutch? I'm considering disconnecting the trans at the guibo and trans mount, disconnect the motor connections, and unbolt the subframe from the chassis, and push up the chassis up out of the way. Nuts? Better way?

Filippo
 

Dmak

Specialist
Nov 19, 2017
74
41
0
Ride
09 bmw 135i
Nice. Now say you were also having to swap the head, change the turbos, and the trans to do clutch? I'm considering disconnecting the trans at the guibo and trans mount, disconnect the motor connections, and unbolt the subframe from the chassis, and push up the chassis up out of the way. Nuts? Better way?

Filippo

Haha. I needed to do a n54 head gasket under warranty long long time ago. I lower the trans with engine sitting on subframe. All came down with the front struts and all front suspensions. That was fun....

At the end of the day, theres always more than one way to skin a cat
 

fmorelli

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Aug 11, 2017
3,748
3,592
0
57
Virginia
Ride
E89 Z4 35i, F10 535d
Well my thinking ... pulling head from top is ok (Z4 more room too) ... but if having to do all of it ... drop trans too ... wondering if pushing the chassis up is the most efficient way to do the work ... seems to make accessibility improve and make the rest of the work less hassle?

Filippo