VAC Motorsports - Billet Oil Filter Lid w/Sensor Ports for BMW N54/N55/S55

[Jeffman]

This product looks very interesting.

VAC Motorsports Billet Oil Filter Lid w/Sensor Ports, BMW N54/N55/S55

Fits BMW N20/N51/N52/N53/N54/N55/S55. Preorder Now!

store.vacmotorsports.com

 

[Torgus]

So a bullet lid with an oil temp sensor?

 

[MDORPHN]

So a bullet lid with an oil temp sensor?

or pressure.

Neil

 

[Jeffman]

Apparently so. This part is not quite as high tech as a BPM4 LPFP controller, but parts is parts!

 

[Erichale77]

This is just a billet cap with NPT ports you can use for temp, pressure, etc gauges

 

[Panzerfaust]

This part is not quite as high tech as a BPM4 LPFP controller, but parts is parts!

Not to mention the first truly useful oil filter-related aftermarket replacement! No gimmicky "cooling fins" or stainless steel jet-engine filter.

 

[ShocknAwe]

VAC : Please inquire for pricing

 

[Panzerfaust]

I don't get the hate for VAC from the N54 community. They've been part of the BMW aftermarket scene for a long time, have incredible builds all over, have a real racing team with multiple cars, and develop and/or sell track and high-performance dedicated parts that you cant get other places.

I guess that's one of the shining examples of the cost of these cars being so cheap now yet still being high performance German cars, people dont want to pay to play. Of course theres no pricing and it says call for inquiries on a product they're just teasing a rendering of lol. Is some stuff a bit expensive for what it is, like coated bearings and diffs? Yes, but it's still in line with market costs most of the time. Find yourself a certified VAC dealer and get in good with them. I sold my N54 camshafts for $100 less than I paid for them, and I think even @fmorelli would say he got an excellent deal still considering the usual going rate for them.

How about we just enjoy a new, useful product being released for our platform?

 

[The Convert]

The issue people have is VAC’s poor history with the N54 and a general lack of knowledge they have/had on the N54.

 

[Panzerfaust]

The issue people have is VAC’s poor history with the N54 and a general lack of knowledge they have/had on the N54.

Such as? I'm genuinely interested if that's the case, because the only complaints I ever see are "VAC is overpriced" when they're mentioned. Again not at all saying you're wrong for everyone, but just from my anecdotal evidence it's always "1400 for cams? Psshhh. 2K for a CNC machined ported and mirror polished head? Overpriced. 2K for titanium dual-valve springs and extended length titanium valves? Not worth it. $600 for a harmonic balancer? Who would pay that?" Etc, not so much "I wonder if this will be as bad as x, or fail as often as y"

 

[The Convert]

Such as? I'm genuinely interested if that's the case, because the only complaints I ever see are "VAC is overpriced" when they're mentioned. Again not at all saying you're wrong for everyone, but just from my anecdotal evidence it's always "1400 for cams? Psshhh. 2K for a CNC machined ported and mirror polished head? Overpriced. 2K for titanium dual-valve springs and extended length titanium valves? Not worth it. $600 for a harmonic balancer? Who would pay that?" Etc, not so much "I wonder if this will be as bad as x, or fail as often as y"

I don’t remember what the part they tried to sell someone was, but it was a part that did not exist for the N54...they’ve also had extremely poor customer service for N54 owners. Just search on e90, n54tech, and bb for the threads.

As far as all of the items you listed, none of them have any value without data to show why they’re better than stock, and, iirc, they’ve never shown any data on any of their N54 parts/services.

 

[Panzerfaust]

I don’t remember what the part they tried to sell someone was, but it was a part that did not exist for the N54...they’ve also had extremely poor customer service for N54 owners. Just search on e90, n54tech, and bb for the threads.

As far as all of the items you listed, none of them have any value without data to show why they’re better than stock, and, iirc, they’ve never shown any data on any of their N54 parts/services.

I've been a member of all the N54 communities dating back to the early days of e90p, the only actual negative thing I remember out of what you're saying was the salesman trying to sell someone a part that isnt on the N54 - but iirc it was more of an "lol look at this" thread because the salesman read it as M54 at first. The other whining I remember was someone inquiring about how much top-end HP the harmonic balancer would recover them (which is a dumb question) and the rest still about pricing.

As for the items I listed - the cams do come with the specs listed, the Ferrea valvetrain info is available even if not on their site, the harmonic balancer cant really be advertised as "gives you x HP!", and I agree that flow numbers for the head would be nice but it's safe to assume due to their CNC machine and facilities that it would be at the very least in line with other heads that have the same amount of work done, if not more due to the accuracy of their machinery. These are all "real racecar parts", not VRSF bolt ons - if you're shopping for them you know you need them and know what they're for, a gimmicky dyno chart showing the RPMs climbing faster and higher with the Ferrea valvetrain than the stock one wouldnt do much to sell it.

VAC is a racing company at the end of the day, they're an entirely different kind of vendor than VRSF/K&N/whoever. Just like Jegs and Summit dont advertise a HP gain for their cams and related items, it all depends on the build so why bother?

 

[The Convert]

I've been a member of all the N54 communities dating back to the early days of e90p, the only actual negative thing I remember out of what you're saying was the salesman trying to sell someone a part that isnt on the N54 - but iirc it was more of an "lol look at this" thread because the salesman read it as M54 at first. The other whining I remember was someone inquiring about how much top-end HP the harmonic balancer would recover them (which is a dumb question) and the rest still about pricing.

As for the items I listed - the cams do come with the specs listed, the Ferrea valvetrain info is available even if not on their site, the harmonic balancer cant really be advertised as "gives you x HP!", and I agree that flow numbers for the head would be nice but it's safe to assume due to their CNC machine and facilities that it would be at the very least in line with other heads that have the same amount of work done, if not more due to the accuracy of their machinery. These are all "real racecar parts", not VRSF bolt ons - if you're shopping for them you know you need them and know what they're for, a gimmicky dyno chart showing the RPMs climbing faster and higher with the Ferrea valvetrain than the stock one wouldnt do much to sell it.

VAC is a racing company at the end of the day, they're an entirely different kind of vendor than VRSF/K&N/whoever. Just like Jegs and Summit dont advertise a HP gain for their cams and related items, it all depends on the build so why bother?

I’m not saying they need to give a power rating for the products, but they should be able to show gains for their products, be it an increased rev limit capability, reduction of false misfires, added lift/duration, increased chamber volume, head flow, anything. They’ve shown none of that, nor the benefits of any of it. On a general level, we can all assume some level of goodness from those parts, but when no one could tune the cams, no one knows if the balancer will fuck up the engine, no one knows if their headwork has any appreciable benefits, etc it doesn’t matter if they support racecars or not. Results, power or other, sell parts and services, not offering a product with no data that it’s worth anything.

 

[ShocknAwe]

my comment was mostly intended as brevity, but @The Convert summed my issues with VAC neatly, big $$$ demand for no evidence of functional improvement.

if they did R&D, they have those numbers... sorta like certain turbo vendors not supplying AR or cross sectional area changes on their offerings and resorting to circumspect dyno plots as suitable marketing.

 

[Chris@VargasTurboTech]

We have had very good experiences with VAC, we bought a lot of N54 stuff from them with excellent service. Tony the owner went above, and beyond to get Tony the first Samsona's in the country for the N54 and went to bat HARD for them to get him the proper input shaft, etc, etc to make it as plug, and play as possible. Couple that with the first to have the Schrick cams, they almost always have N54 pistons, and rods in stock, rod bearings, etc. People in the know do not hate on VAC.

With that said, I personally would not want a cap with sensor ports in it, its already messy enough to pull the cap without having to possibly remove lines, and fittings from it so you can remove it. Its a novel idea, but seems inconvenient for someone who works on their N54's as much as we do.

Chris

 

[Erichale77]

This^

 

[veer90]

Based on my previous experience with VAC, process will probably go something like this:

1. customer orders part
2. part gets delivered to wrong address
3. customer finds out it was for a different engine than what he ordered
4. customer sends part back on their dime

VAC's bad reputation is well deserved. I have a whole list of shit they've pulled with me as well as other well known members of the community. Blows my mind how terrible they are with N54s vs. how they are with older BMW engines.

 

[Bnks334]

This came up in another thread... would you get an accurate oil pressure reading from the the oil filter cap on our cars? This same type of thing has been done on previous BMW generations by other reputable companies and people noted inaccurate readings. Most came to the defense of the company saying "oh well company x is well known they wouldn't sell it if they didnt find this was a good place to read pressure." Then others presented their readings taken at other spots showing a more accurate representation of actual oil pressure...

I am sure VAC is just like any other business. They will develop and market anything that will generate them revenue to support their own personal development. If they can drum up hype and up-sell people on $200 oil filter caps they will. They make exaggerated claims in almost every n54 product description on their site. I think VAC gets a lot of fud around here because people see them as using their "good reputation" to upsell the n54 community on a bunch of shiny shit. VAC has an n54 race car they use as a basis for their development? I don't see any vac developed products on their site outside of the oil pan baffle and an oil thermostat delete lol... the baffle kind of sucks too imo. Turner makes better ones. The machine work they list is something any local competent machine shop should be able to do on any cylinder head.

 

[veer90]

Such as? I'm genuinely interested if that's the case, because the only complaints I ever see are "VAC is overpriced" when they're mentioned. Again not at all saying you're wrong for everyone, but just from my anecdotal evidence it's always "1400 for cams? Psshhh. 2K for a CNC machined ported and mirror polished head? Overpriced. 2K for titanium dual-valve springs and extended length titanium valves? Not worth it. $600 for a harmonic balancer? Who would pay that?" Etc, not so much "I wonder if this will be as bad as x, or fail as often as y"

A VAC employee tried selling me main studs or bedplate studs for N54. An item that DOES NOT EXIST.

They also sent the wrong size rod and/or main bearings which delayed engine assembly by weeks. I say and/or because the shop did not specify, only stated that the wrong size bearings were sent and the clearances were off.

I have never seen a company that claims they can build engines this clueless besides MMP.

 

[gmx]

No one trusts their bearings either. Similar line of feedback, wrong bearings for S54 bearing job = spun bearing. Lol