Thinking of getting a N54 135i, questions re what to look for, mods and maintenance

[koastal]

Save yourself a lot of grief and get a N55.

Ex - subaru owner you will be aware of the benefits of a twin scroll turbo.

No wastegate rattle
less HPFP issues
Less injector issues
less mods for more power

Like a well sorted N54 motor

[DR-JEKL]

Originally Posted by koastal

Save yourself a lot of grief and get a N55.

Ex - subaru owner you will be aware of the benefits of a twin scroll turbo.

No wastegate rattle
less HPFP issues
Less injector issues
less mods for more power

Like a well sorted N54 motor

There are plenty of N54's out there with the latest spec aforementioned parts and they kill an N55 for power

Horses for courses, but IMO an N55 is not the be end all for reliability

[koastal]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

There are plenty of N54's out there with the latest spec aforementioned parts and they kill an N55 for power

Horses for courses, but IMO an N55 is not the be end all for reliability

Dunno... a N55 with with a downpipe and a JB4 trapped 113 mph

I would be in interested in what a N54 trapped with the same mods.
Dragstrip terminal speed is a good gauge.

Re: reliability. My N55 has 187000 ks with none of the aforementioned issues.
Blown 2 charge pipes thats it.

[T1M]

The N55 is a strong contender for a daily driver. Simpler setup than an N54 and may be more reliable in terms of auxiliary parts. That said there's not as much aftermarket support and options, haven't N55 only recently got turbo options? There's one development car with a big single now pushing pretty serious numbers stock block so in the next couple years I reckon there'll be more support coming through.

[Daemos]

My main concern with the n55 is a lack of ECU reflash options other than Cobb, and I've read their n55 support is pretty poor. I much prefer a reflashed tuned stock ECU to a piggyback.

However I do also prefer the simpler single turbo setup of the n55.