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      12-04-2020, 11:56 PM   #1
NA64LIFE
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Finally my 128 feels quick!

I love my 128i and it's the longest I've ever held as my 2nd car, but I've had this ongoing issue with how boring the car accelerates. In order to remedy this, I added mods in steps and finally feels great! Mods were added as follow: 3IM, Stage FP tune, 3.73 diff, Milvs. Car also has AFE magnum stage 2 intake and 135i N55 catback w/resonator delete.

Below I'll explain how each mod felt and what was lacking IMO.

3IM+Tune: This helped wake up the low to mid range and should've came from the factory this way. It was nice for a bit, but after a month I got used to it and felt kinda boring again.

3.73 diff: Because of the nature of the lower gearing, the car revved more freely, which also resulted in naturally shifting at a higher rpm. It made the car feel livelier, but didn't really feel faster if that make sense.

Milvs+Tune: WOW, it all came together. The milvs added power everywhere in the rev range and really made the lower gearing worth it. Now the car really feels like its going somewhere with the quicker revs.

Finally the car feels fun in all situations from just putting around town to spirited drives.

Tl;dr: 3IM+MILVS+Tune+3.73 diff are the tits.

Last edited by NA64LIFE; 12-10-2020 at 04:46 AM..
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      12-05-2020, 12:28 AM   #2
Thunderguts
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Good to know. I don't think I'll ever alter my MILVs, but I do plan the 3-stage intake and I've already done intake and exhaust. The one final thing I might try are AFE Twisted Steel headers.

I'm surprised to hear your opinion about the 3-stage intake. Looking at some dyno charts, I thought most of the power came up high in the rev range which is where I think it falls flat.

Sadly my transmission doesn't shift smoothly enough for me to consider going with a 3.73 ratio. I couldn't shift fast enough to see much benefit without roasting the transmission.

I'm most excited about replacing my dual-mass clutch and installing a new giubo. I can't stand the rubber band effect I feel in the drivetrain from time to time. To me, that will really liven up the driving experience.
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      12-05-2020, 05:08 PM   #3
asbrr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderguts View Post
Good to know. I don't think I'll ever alter my MILVs, but I do plan the 3-stage intake and I've already done intake and exhaust. The one final thing I might try are AFE Twisted Steel headers.

I'm surprised to hear your opinion about the 3-stage intake. Looking at some dyno charts, I thought most of the power came up high in the rev range which is where I think it falls flat.

Sadly my transmission doesn't shift smoothly enough for me to consider going with a 3.73 ratio. I couldn't shift fast enough to see much benefit without roasting the transmission.

I'm most excited about replacing my dual-mass clutch and installing a new giubo. I can't stand the rubber band effect I feel in the drivetrain from time to time. To me, that will really liven up the driving experience.
The 3 stage IM has exactly that, 3 stages where you distinctly feel the DISA setup doing it's thing. There's a distinct gain in torque 2k - 3k rpm, then another bump from 3.2krpm to 4.3krpm, and then 4.5krpm onwards it definitely pulls harder than stock and doesn't "run out of breath" as easily. You notice the low end more easily as you're driving in those rpms much more often, and at part throttle. The upper end is definitely there, but with the noise, rpms etc it can be harder to tell but it's definitely an improvement. Like most mods your brain adapts after a while .... you just need to drive a shitty car once in a while to reinvigorate your appreciation
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      12-05-2020, 10:44 PM   #4
carscatscoffee15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asbrr View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderguts View Post
Good to know. I don't think I'll ever alter my MILVs, but I do plan the 3-stage intake and I've already done intake and exhaust. The one final thing I might try are AFE Twisted Steel headers.

I'm surprised to hear your opinion about the 3-stage intake. Looking at some dyno charts, I thought most of the power came up high in the rev range which is where I think it falls flat.

Sadly my transmission doesn't shift smoothly enough for me to consider going with a 3.73 ratio. I couldn't shift fast enough to see much benefit without roasting the transmission.

I'm most excited about replacing my dual-mass clutch and installing a new giubo. I can't stand the rubber band effect I feel in the drivetrain from time to time. To me, that will really liven up the driving experience.
The 3 stage IM has exactly that, 3 stages where you distinctly feel the DISA setup doing it's thing. There's a distinct gain in torque 2k - 3k rpm, then another bump from 3.2krpm to 4.3krpm, and then 4.5krpm onwards it definitely pulls harder than stock and doesn't "run out of breath" as easily. You notice the low end more easily as you're driving in those rpms much more often, and at part throttle. The upper end is definitely there, but with the noise, rpms etc it can be harder to tell but it's definitely an improvement. Like most mods your brain adapts after a while .... you just need to drive a shitty car once in a while to reinvigorate your appreciation
wait till you remove primary/secondary cats if that's your thing.... very much worth it
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To Do: Ohlins R n T Suspension | Front/Rear Sway Bars | M3 Front Control Arms/Bushings

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      12-06-2020, 11:56 AM   #5
nachob
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NA64LIFE View Post
I love my 128i and it's the longest I've ever held as my 2nd car, but I've had this ongoing issue with how boring the car accelerates. In order to remedy this, I added mods in steps and finally feels great! Mods were added as follow: 3IM, Stage FP tune, 3.73 diff, Milvs. Car also has AFE magnum stage 2 intake and 135i N55 catback w/resonator delete.

Below I'll explain how each mod felt and what was lacking IMO.

3IM+Tune: This helped wake up the low to mid range and should've came from the factory this way. It was nice for a bit, but after a month I got used to it and felt kinda boring again.

3.73 diff: Because of the nature of the lower gearing, the car revved more freely, which also resulted in naturally shifting at a higher rpm. It made the car feel livelier, but didn't really feel faster if that make sense.

Milvs+Tune: WOW, it all came together. The milvs added power everywhere in the rev range and really made the lower gearing worth it. Now the car really feels like its going somewhere with the quicker revs.

Finally the car feels fun in all situations from just putting around town to spirited drives. Now I truly may never sell the car.

Tl;dr: 3IM+MILVS+Tune+3.73 diff are the tits.
Awesome work you did on yours, I love the normally aspirated motor feel and sound. A lot of cars are going through the roof these days because they give you something you can't get easily anymore. Normally aspirated cars like the ZHP in manual, etc. Yes, they're not as fast in numbers but doing it so good while scooting along. It's like watching men's and women's track meets. The guys always quicker but there's an extra je ne sais quoi to watching the ladies go almost as fast. : )

Finally for those on a budget or aren't "wrenchers," I wanted to share my secret for making my car feel faster. It's a simple three step process.

1. Park the 1 series
2. Drive a 2003 Honda CRV Automatic for 20 minutes.
3. Drive the 1 series immediately thereafter.

It will feel like an F-16 Fighting Falcon with clean profile on afterburner and sound like front row of the Philarmonic.

: )

Best wishes.
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      12-06-2020, 01:18 PM   #6
asbrr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderguts View Post
Good to know. I don't think I'll ever alter my MILVs, but I do plan the 3-stage intake and I've already done intake and exhaust. The one final thing I might try are AFE Twisted Steel headers.

I'm surprised to hear your opinion about the 3-stage intake. Looking at some dyno charts, I thought most of the power came up high in the rev range which is where I think it falls flat.

Sadly my transmission doesn't shift smoothly enough for me to consider going with a 3.73 ratio. I couldn't shift fast enough to see much benefit without roasting the transmission.

I'm most excited about replacing my dual-mass clutch and installing a new giubo. I can't stand the rubber band effect I feel in the drivetrain from time to time. To me, that will really liven up the driving experience.

Keep us posted on the new clutch. Are you doing the single mass Valeo kit conversion? And swapping to a new OEM guibo or soemthng else?
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      12-07-2020, 12:57 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asbrr View Post
Keep us posted on the new clutch. Are you doing the single mass Valeo kit conversion? And swapping to a new OEM guibo or soemthng else?
Single mass Valeo with stock weight flywheel. I don't want to go too crazy since this is still a daily driver. I haven't decided if I'll just get a stock replacement giubo or replace it with an aluminum/poly unit. The general consensus is to stay away from the aluminum units so I'll probably just get a new OEM one and hope it reduces the rubber band effect I feel in the driveline.

As for the headers, I'm not expecting huge gains from the AFEs, but a little would be nice. I would also hope for improved sound.
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Last edited by Thunderguts; 12-07-2020 at 01:17 AM..
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      12-09-2020, 12:08 PM   #8
asbrr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderguts View Post
Single mass Valeo with stock weight flywheel. I don't want to go too crazy since this is still a daily driver. I haven't decided if I'll just get a stock replacement giubo or replace it with an aluminum/poly unit. The general consensus is to stay away from the aluminum units so I'll probably just get a new OEM one and hope it reduces the rubber band effect I feel in the driveline.

As for the headers, I'm not expecting huge gains from the AFEs, but a little would be nice. I would also hope for improved sound.
Thanks - looking forward to your impressions on the clutch kit, will go the same direction when it's time for mine to get swapped.

As for the AFE - I've read a bunch of reviews, they aren't super popular as most go for AA, Supersprint, or the cheaper AA knock-offs - those are all cat-less. The AFEs some people said didn't last long (the Catalyst portion)....but again, sample size is small. Good luck!
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      12-09-2020, 12:29 PM   #9
Thunderguts
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asbrr View Post
As for the AFE - I've read a bunch of reviews, they aren't super popular as most go for AA, Supersprint, or the cheaper AA knock-offs - those are all cat-less. The AFEs some people said didn't last long (the Catalyst portion)....but again, sample size is small. Good luck!
Yeah, I'm a little nervous about that. I prefer to run catted, but I had the honeycomb break loose in a Random Tech high-flow cat and it wasn't fun. I just don't know enough about their quality. They seem to be a popular option for Tacomas.
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      12-09-2020, 03:03 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderguts View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by asbrr View Post
As for the AFE - I've read a bunch of reviews, they aren't super popular as most go for AA, Supersprint, or the cheaper AA knock-offs - those are all cat-less. The AFEs some people said didn't last long (the Catalyst portion)....but again, sample size is small. Good luck!
Yeah, I'm a little nervous about that. I prefer to run catted, but I had the honeycomb break loose in a Random Tech high-flow cat and it wasn't fun. I just don't know enough about their quality. They seem to be a popular option for Tacomas.
do you really see any actual gains though aside from a couple of HPs on the dyno? the cats are there and high flow but if you're replacing one part for another might as well go all the way no? I know the AA ones are either hard to find or NLA and SS ones are beaucoup dinero (quality craftsmanship) so maybe this is the only option available aside from the roundlewerks ones which idk if they are around but have heard good things about (smell is non existent if you keep your secondary cats!)

but if the AFEs and the SS aren't that far apart in terms of price.. why not go SS? emissions in your state?

at any rate keep us posted!
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Mods Done: AA Exhaust/Headers | 3SIM | MILVs | StageFP Dyno Tuned | Euro Box Intake Swap | LCI Blackline Tailights | OEM Euro Bi-Xenon Swap from Halogen | Rear Bumper M-Sport Swap | Rear PDC Retrofit | BMW OEM CF Diffuser/Spoiler | BMW Front Aero Kit | Supersprint Sec 1 Cat Delete Straight Pipes

To Do: Ohlins R n T Suspension | Front/Rear Sway Bars | M3 Front Control Arms/Bushings

Eventually: AT -> MT Swap (!?)
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