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      03-23-2016, 08:33 AM   #1
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ESS Supercharger Thoughts

Sooo, first off, I know some people will be like, "want more power? sell your 128i and get a 135i". I get that, but I do really like my 128i vert. Also, I drive a shit ton of miles... ~25k per year easy. With all that being said, what are you guys' thoughts on picking up the ESS SC kit, stage 1 to start, then maybe stage 2 injectors.

I have 110k miles on my 2008 N51 and would like to see it last another 4 years before anything major. No plans to track since I have no roll cage. But I do some spirited driving as is.

Just wanted some thoughts.. i'm cool with disagreements or personal thoughts, just no flaming



Any anyone still wanting to say get a 135i, I plan to get a E92 M3, later down the road, so paying off 4-5k in a SC kit is cheaper than selling my car at it's mileage and getting a 135i. I also like NA engines for reliability reasons
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      03-23-2016, 10:07 AM   #2
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i think I'd just save the money for the m3 or find a clean e46 m3 (which should equal your 128 vert + 4-5K)

once you start messing with a supercharger you're going to increase your chances of running into issues
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      03-23-2016, 10:25 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lowbudgethero View Post
i think I'd just save the money for the m3 or find a clean e46 m3 (which should equal your 128 vert + 4-5K)

once you start messing with a supercharger you're going to increase your chances of running into issues
definitely thought about that too... not a real fan of the e46 styling, plus i really want that v8

i guess when i say down the road, i mean i'll get an e92 m3 like in 4 years type of thing, not anytime soon. so i was looking for something to do or play with in the meantime, like making my little 128 putter along a tad faster
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      03-23-2016, 12:46 PM   #4
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you could always just do the bolt on mods + tune and see if it's enough for you
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      03-23-2016, 05:41 PM   #5
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Just get a stage 3 intake manifold and do the AA tune. Should get you a pretty noticeable change. Somewhere between what you have now and a 135i
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      03-23-2016, 07:15 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1seriesFanatic
Just get a stage 3 intake manifold and do the AA tune. Should get you a pretty noticeable change. Somewhere between what you have now and a 135i
The n51 actually already has the 3im and I did get an AA tune I was looking at headers as well
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      03-24-2016, 02:58 AM   #7
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I think the only option on the ESS website is VT stage 1 Gen 2. The Gen 2 stage 1 comes with the larger injectors as standard.

I say go for it! If your 1er is reliable, you know the history of the car and you've already done some mods I'd have thought there was less risk of supercharging the 1er than swapping the car for an E46 M3 or 135i etc. There's always a risk buying a second hand car unless you take out a warranty and buy BMW approved. Plus an E46 M3 is going to cost a lot more in servicing and insurance (or it would in the UK!) even compared to a modified 128i.
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      03-24-2016, 09:12 AM   #8
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Do you know how much boost the ESS kit produces? If it's anything over 5-6 PSI, you risk damaging your engine internals, which were not designed for forced-induction. This is especially true considering your car already has over 100K miles, despite whatever boost level this kit provides. Not worth the risk of blowing the engine (no pun intended).

I'd recommend sticking with the bolt-on items and a tune and save your money towards the E92 M3.
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      03-24-2016, 10:29 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Hokie View Post
The n51 actually already has the 3im and I did get an AA tune I was looking at headers as well
Did you notice a big difference with the tune?
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      03-24-2016, 12:05 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by 1seriesFanatic View Post
Did you notice a big difference with the tune?
big difference? i guess i was hoping for more. i know like 8-12 ponies really isnt a lot. i do feel the response difference and as soon as it hits 3100rpms, i can actually feel i pull harder than before.. i think for what it is, it was worth it. im thinking about doing headers and the aa headers tune, which is 100 more, but that'll probably give me the best bump in power
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      03-24-2016, 12:12 PM   #11
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I would keep your car NA and later just get the m3 or, as you have said not to say, trade your car and get a 135i. A 135i with a tune will likely run better than the SC kit.
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      03-24-2016, 12:19 PM   #12
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Just put nitrous on it instead. Our engine seems to be able to handle a 75 shot with no issues.

Not bad for around 300-400 bucks
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      03-24-2016, 02:31 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roundel335 View Post
Do you know how much boost the ESS kit produces? If it's anything over 5-6 PSI, you risk damaging your engine internals, which were not designed for forced-induction. This is especially true considering your car already has over 100K miles, despite whatever boost level this kit provides. Not worth the risk of blowing the engine (no pun intended).

I'd recommend sticking with the bolt-on items and a tune and save your money towards the E92 M3.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1223874

I think this is evidence that the above statement may not be true...there is not enough empirical evidence.
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      03-24-2016, 09:26 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Hokie View Post
big difference? i guess i was hoping for more. i know like 8-12 ponies really isnt a lot. i do feel the response difference and as soon as it hits 3100rpms, i can actually feel i pull harder than before.. i think for what it is, it was worth it. im thinking about doing headers and the aa headers tune, which is 100 more, but that'll probably give me the best bump in power
How much do the AA headers and Howard's tune put you back all together

Last edited by 1seriesFanatic; 03-24-2016 at 09:44 PM..
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      03-24-2016, 10:29 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1seriesFanatic View Post
How much do the AA headers and Howard's tune put you back all together
retail on the headers is like 900 i think, tune is 450 if u dont have the non-header tune already. i paid for the aa tune a while back so itll just be the headers + 100 for a new tune
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      03-25-2016, 08:16 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonwilli View Post
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1223874

I think this is evidence that the above statement may not be true...there is not enough empirical evidence.
I think you're incorrect...based on my experience with a shop that specialized in adding supercharger kits to E46 330i cars, their recommendation was to keep the boost at or under 6 PSI. They also recommended a stronger clutch for manual trans cars and improved brakes to handle the additional power. Just because one person spent tons of money that he'll never get back pumping up a 328i just to prove he could do it doesn't mean it's a worthwhile venture, financially or practically speaking.

Back in the day when men were iron and ships were wood, anyone could pop a GMC 6-71 blower on top of a Chevy smallblock and add the requisite camshaft, lower-compression forged pistons and crank, new crank and rod bearings, and a heavy-duty clutch and flywheel. They didn't just bolt on the blower, because they knew the engine wouldn't survive without beefed internals. Based on what I've read regarding a guy who added a supercharger kit to his E92 M3 and had the engine blow a short time later, with no recourse from the kit supplier, I'd not attempt to do the same to an engine that was never intended to have forced induction. The N52/N51 engine just isn't as strong internally as the N54/N55.

Anyone can do whatever they want with their own car. Supercharging a 128i just doesn't make sense financially or otherwise. There are multiple issues to deal with and the amount of money spent would be best used to purchase a car with higher power levels designed into its drivetrain.
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      03-25-2016, 02:00 PM   #17
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I guess I was hoping to reassure myself of getting the SC kit, but yeah, I guess it would be smarter to just do bolt-ons. I just bought a used set of AA headers for relative cheap, so I'm excited about that at least. I forget sometimes my 1 has over 100k miles even as reliable as it has been thus far, I'd be even more sad if I blew the motor.

So, headers, tune, 3stage intake manifold already there for the n51... any other thoughts for bolt ons? i was also considering the supersprint mid section resonator delete but i think i heard/read that its way too loud then. i also have a vert so i think any complaints of noise level on a coupe would be way higher on a vert
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      03-25-2016, 03:58 PM   #18
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A member on e90 has been running the ESS kit on his 328 for 35k miles without any issues. vt1+ and now the new updated kit. He is testing headers with the new injector solution to see if it's enough fueling for it(it should be).

I personally would go SC'ed n52 over bolt ons n52 and likely will try to do headers+SC when i get another n52 powered car.
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      03-26-2016, 10:45 PM   #19
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I'm thinking about it once it's a little more tried and tested. I'm not crazy about the 02 sensor situation when going the headers + tune route, and I feel that ESS has a solid history converting cars to FI.

I know the full history of my car, I'm not a huge fan of the 2 series, and I wouldn't really want to trade for a used 135i. The low amount of miles I'm putting on my car now also makes it feel less risky to me.
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      04-01-2016, 08:17 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonwilli View Post
I think the only option on the ESS website is VT stage 1 Gen 2. The Gen 2 stage 1 comes with the larger injectors as standard.

I say go for it! If your 1er is reliable, you know the history of the car and you've already done some mods I'd have thought there was less risk of supercharging the 1er than swapping the car for an E46 M3 or 135i etc. There's always a risk buying a second hand car unless you take out a warranty and buy BMW approved. Plus an E46 M3 is going to cost a lot more in servicing and insurance (or it would in the UK!) even compared to a modified 128i.
This.
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      04-02-2016, 08:24 PM   #21
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This AA header install is a bitch them nuts are so annoying to get to... then the bolts to the exhaust were seized so bad, had to torch them off. had to leave it at the auto hobby shop at the navy base here bc i couldnt finish it all in 8 hours. 5 of those hours was just trying to get the nuts off... everythings put back together, but going back in the morning to tighten everything and PRAY nothing goes wrong after the AA tune programming

also noticed i have a very slow oil leak coming from the oil pan if i go SC, ill probably take care of that first... not looking forward to that gasket replacement at all
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