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      01-19-2020, 10:51 AM   #1
PharmRock
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VRSF 5" Stepped FMIC and CP install in N55 E88 DCT helpful tips

Hello everyone,
First post (and a long one), but I've been using a lot of great info on the forums while going FBO on my 2013 E88 with DCT. I purchased my 2013 135i "Lifestyle Edition" as a CPO in spring 2017. It just went off of CPO warranty in December, and that's when I started the mods. Currently has 59k miles. While I am relatively new to working on BMWs, I have worked on cars since high school (rebuilt my 305 in my 78 Monte Carlo using a Chlton's manual) and do all maintenance and repairs on my (and my kids') vehicles short of pulling the engine or doing transmission overhauls.

While researching FMIC upgrades, I noticed that VRSF was a popular brand, with good quality at a decent price. Extreme Powerhouse had a good deal on the VRSF charge pipe as well as the FMIC so ordered them and installed everything the week after Christmas. While the information below doesn't cover everything about the install, it does point out some tips I learned doing the installation job and were either things that made it easier for me, or things I wish I had done. Hope this helps future installers and minimizes frustration, especially since VRSF supplies no directions/installation tips whatsoever for this product (Why???). Some of what I list below is found on other threads, but thought I would put everything in one place.

I placed jack stands all the way around, but it could be done on ramps. Made it easy to get around.

OEM IC and CP removal:
The removal of the stock FMIC was easy. I would recommend using protective eyewear at a minimum, maybe even a full face shield, since you will have all kinds of dirt, dried insects, and rocks coming out of every crack and crevice onto your face. Once the IC is out, you need to remove the lower chargepipe and the semi-flexible tube coming from the turbo (more on this later). This is made exponentially easier if you remove the fan shroud. To do so, first unbolt the transmission cooler from bottom driver's side of the fan shroud (at least in DCT-equipped vehicles) This is held on by one torx screw. Zip-tie the transmission cooler hoses to the metal brace in front of the engine to hold it out of the way. The rest of the shroud removal includes unplugging the electrical connector, another torx screw on the side and releasing the clips. This whole process takes 5 minutes but makes things a lot easier.
To remove the lower charge pipe, first loosen the clamp that connects it to the (upper?) CP. I've read on some threads of people cutting through the OEM lower CP to get it out. If you remove the fan shroud, that is not necessary. It is still a pain but you can get it out in one piece.
To remove the turbo-to-IC coupler, it is not necessary to cut through the band. With the shroud removed, you can work from the top-side of the engine to get the tip of small screwdriver under the band where it connects together...it looks like a sideways "T" that fits inside a complementary cut-out in the band. Pry up one of the small tabs, then use some pliers to get it off the rest of the way. This does not take a lot of force, just patience. Once the band pops open, wiggle the tube off. 5 minutes.

Bumper removal...should you do it or not?
Long story short...there is a small rectangular plastic bracket that holds the outside air temp sensor behind the bumper. This bracket sits up where the "step" of the new intercooler will go. It is slightly in the way of getting the IC all the way up there and only needs to be pulled towards the front of the car to make it slide in easier. This is best done by removing the bumper. The bumper is held on by 3 8mm fender screws on each fender well, 4 torx-screws across the top of the engine, and about 6 8mm screws along the bottom. Removal takes less than 10min. Several videos on youtube for this. Note:...you may need to get a little forceful to get the clips to pop out where the corner of the bumper meets the fender. Can the job be done with the bumper on? Probably. But removing it made it a lot easier for me anyways.

Cutting the triangular piece of plastic:
This is the only cutting you need to do to install this stepped IC. But you really don't need to cut anything. That piece slides out..which is what I did. I could not see any critical need for that piece to remain. hopefully I won't learn that it is.

VRSF-supplied mounting screws...get different ones at Lowes.
VRSF supplies a relatively thick rubber bushing and 2 1" phillips head lag screws for mounting the intercooler to the existing mounting holes. Why VRSF supplies only 1" screws, and phillips head (vs. hex), escapes me. The 1" screws with the thick bushing is simply not even long enough to "bite" the plastic of the mounting holes. Go to Lowes and get #61966 1 1/4" lag screw with hex head. This screw is the exact same thread pitch as OEM, and only slightly (barely) thicker in diameter...less than a millimeter. Since the new VRSF intercooler is substantially heavier than stock, a good "bite" into the plastic mounting hole is critical. You might also want to pick up some metal large diameter (~3/4") washers. Even with this longer screw, I ended up cutting the rubber bushing in half (split the thickness) and used a metal washer underneath that. So the order is: plastic mounting hole, VRSF intercooler mounting tab/ear, split bushing, metal washer, screw.

Have a friend, or a scissor jack with a block of wood, to help position the intercooler in place. I did it myself with the scissor jack and made life a lot easier. I needed to use the jack to position and lift the IC as I guided it past the air temperature sensor that I mentioned above.


Now the couplers....
What can I say? This was easily 90% of the effort. I'm sure those who do this for a living have no problem with this, but all I can say is, for me, this ranked right up there in the aggravation scale with doing the rear main seal on my 99 Grand Cherokee inline 6.
I used a very small amount of silicone grease inside the couplers to make it easier to get over the mounting lips/ridges.
You may have read in other threads that the coupler for the lower charge pipe to the intercooler is about 1" too short. It is...at least for the bottom of the coupler. Because the coupler is a perfect 90-degree turn, and the intercooler outlet is slightly at an upwards angle, this makes for a near impossible "even" fitting around the circumference of the IC opening. Plus, the lower charge pipe has very little wiggle room especially with the transmission cooler in the way. What I ended up doing is getting the band for the coupler-to-intercooler connection tight, then had my son push down from the top of the engine to get the lower charge pipe to seat far enough into the coupler so I could get the T-band properly fitted. I positioned the nut for the lower charge pipe-to-coupler T-band so I could access it through the front of the car (bumper off). In summary, this was an epic PITA. In fact, if I had to do it all over, this part alone might steer me to another (more expensive) brand that uses the factory connections.

Lower charge pipe clearance with AC pulley:
I have about 1/2" of clearance between the two. If I were to do it again, might try to wedge a piece of wood about 1" thick in there before I tightened things down in order to keep adequate spacing, then remove it when everything is finished off. This close proximity worries me a little, especially if the charge pipe were to blow off under pressure and rub against the pulley.

Putting everything back together:
Fairly straight forward. Make sure your T-bands are tight and positioned correctly in relation to the lips/ridges on the pipes. I was not shy about tightening these pretty tight...this is my first turbo car, but my understanding is that these clamps equally distribute the force around the connection while tightening, and also do not cut into the silicone tubing. The last thing you want to do is take your car out and blow off the couplers the first time, or have a leak. So far (fingers crossed), I've done several 15psi pulls with no issues/codes.

Hopefully all of the above will help out future DIY'ers in some small way. This is just some ramblings of an experienced DIY guy doing an intercooler for the first time. Maybe VRSF will take some time and go through the forums and collate some of this info and put it as a downloadable PDF from their site. While this may be in most cases a professional install, a lot of DIY mechanics do this on their own and it only makes sense to cater to a decent percentage of their customer base.
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      01-19-2020, 11:41 AM   #2
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      01-22-2020, 10:58 AM   #3
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Mike...thanks for all the help and answering questions. btw the catted AR Designs DP I got from you was a perfect fit! No codes so far and I've driven about 200 miles since the install.

I would also recommned, if the miles on the car necessitate it, to go ahead and change the serpetine belt, tensioners, and possibly the VANOS solenoids while you have the fan shroud out and everything is easily accessible. I didn't do any of these and with almost 60K on the engine, I wish I had at least done the belt and tensioners.
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      01-22-2020, 12:41 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PharmRock View Post
Lower charge pipe clearance with AC pulley:
I have about 1/2" of clearance between the two. If I were to do it again, might try to wedge a piece of wood about 1" thick in there before I tightened things down in order to keep adequate spacing, then remove it when everything is finished off. This close proximity worries me a little, especially if the charge pipe were to blow off under pressure and rub against the pulley.
Great write up!
I second your concerns about the clearance between the tubing there going from the cold side of the intercooler to the chargepipe/throttle body. I will say I've run my car like this for about 35K miles with no issues. About 10k miles ago though I did have some poly engine mounts installed though, that gives me a slight bit of peace of mind (though wasn't the reason I had them installed).
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      01-22-2020, 02:29 PM   #5
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I forgot to add, you mind posting some pictures of your car? Always curious to see the Lifestyle Edition.
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      01-25-2020, 07:43 AM   #6
PharmRock
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Good to hear you haven't run into any issues with the tight clearance. hopefully I'll be ok and not have to make any adjustments.

I'll try to get some pics posted soon. Car is a little dirty at the moment. I'd have to say my favorite thing about this edition is the 496 wheels.
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      01-27-2020, 12:29 PM   #7
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Another tip for those who decide to remove the bumper for this job, and have the headlight washers:

After you put the bumper back on, to get the solenoids back up from the recessed hole so that you can re-attach the covers, use some hose pliers to grab the solenoid and pull it up out of the hole. It is pretty tenacious as far as staying retracted, and using the hose pliers reduces the chance of breaking part of the solenoid.
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