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      08-15-2016, 10:05 PM   #1
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Chadillac2000's 2008 135i Road Warrior Daily Driver Build Thread

Let me preface this by saying I've been a member of the N54 community for 5+ years now. My first N54 powered car was a "Certified Pre-Owned" 2008 BMW 535i that I purchased with only around 50,000 miles on the odometer from Century BMW in South Carolina. For those interested, the car is currently still being driven daily with over 175,000 miles and running great with the original turbos. This served as a great foundation for learning the ropes of this platform and I very much enjoyed adding a plethora of bolt on parts as well as taking care of the maintenance myself. After 5 years of every day use and adding over 125,000 miles on the car myself, I began to seek a way to give the car a bit of a rest from the high amount of miles it was racking up; plus I had developed a distaste for the automatic transmission, heavy curb weight, and squishy suspension.



What I'd be looking at getting in trade-in value or private party sale with this many miles was minimal, so I just decided to keep the car and began looking for the car I'd been crushing on for the past 6 months: the E82 135i. I tried to be fair to other cars and investigate something that would fit my wants/needs, but the 135i always came out on top. For 3 months I scoured the country for one with exactly what I was looking for which included: 6-speed, completely stock, white black or silver exterior, HIDs, and less than 70,000 miles.

When the right car popped up, I quickly hopped on the seller’s asking price and made arrangements to make the 7-hour drive to Norfolk, Virginia to bring the car back home to North Carolina with me. The seller said all the right things, and the car was even in better condition than described. Bone stock, always warmed up properly before being pushed, maintained religiously, had already had some of the injectors and HPFP replaced under warranty, and as clean inside-and-out as an 8 year old car could be. 53,000 miles on the odometer and right in my price range too. Besides the very first time I got behind the wheel of my first E46 M3, I had never been so happy after purchasing a car. I smiled the entire drive back home as I got used to everything; especially the active steering and 6-speed gearbox. The 535i has since been inherited by my significant other who has retired the car to simply getting her to work and back, about a 10 mile round trip. We also use the car for road trips and simple errands on the weekends when the 135i doesn’t make sense. Here’s a shot right after I got the E82 back home and she was introduced to her big brother.









I wasted no time getting to the modding side of things. Since the 535i was going to spend the rest of its life being driven nice and easy, I started analyzing which parts I could swap over. I did not want to deal with the hassle of reinstalling the OEM down-pipes to the 535i, which meant I’d need to retain some type of tune to keep the service engine lights away. The FMIC had also been performing great and had taken some fabrication to install correctly on the E60 platform, so I decided to keep that. And lastly, the Fuel-It! Stage 2 LPFP was performing flawlessly and was installed initially to replace a failing OEM unit, so that would stay installed as well.

At that point, I began picking up some used parts including a cheap, older JB4 G4 with wiring harness. I swapped out the G5 ISO and Bluetooth connector from the 535i to the 135i and installed using the including wiring harness from the JB4 G4. I was able to tuck the JB4 itself deep into the ECU box so the lid could easily close without issue. Now both cars were running JB4 tunes, and although the 535i was equipped with a slightly outdated model, it still retained all the code reading and deleting functionality I was looking for.



After knocking the JB4 install out quickly, I was feeling ambitious about completing all the mods I had on hand which included this extensive to-do list: changing the oil, plugging the holes from the front license plate, swapping over the used BMS dual cone intakes from the 535i, installing an ER charge pipe with HKS BOV and a 7” VRSF FMIC I purchased used from the forums, a new RB PCV valve, new OEM spark plugs, BMS cowl filters, a BMS modified CDV, a BMS clutch stop, blackout grills, LUX H8 amber angel eye LED bulbs. If this sounds like a lot to install in one day, it was. Took me practically an entire day to get everything in, but surprisingly enough, caught almost no snags and was able to take my time and was able to triple check my work. The FMIC gives the front end an aggressive look, but by leaving the lower mesh installed, leaves a little to the imagination as well.





The charge pipe and HKS BOV were the first aftermarket parts to find their way on my car. I'd always been hesitant to run the HKS BOV, and even though I probably won't run it forever because of the aggressive sound, its hard to deny the fun factor at times.



I've always preferred the badge-less look, so it wasn't long before the fishing line and Goo-Gone were at it again.



After letting my hands and body heal over the next 5 days, I was back at it the next weekend installing a used set of BMS down-pipes and a new set of MMP stock location silicone inlets. Previous to taking on this install, I thought that installing down-pipes on the E60 535i was the hardest thing I’d put in by myself because of the tight clearances and awkward angles. Little did I know this would be a walk in the park compared to inlets. The strategic decision to install inlets and down-pipes at the same time was no accident and was done to avoid tearing the car apart twice. I would need to remove the OEM downpipes regardless to reach the rear inlet, so might as well upgrade them instead of putting the restrictive original pipes back in place.



I took my time removing the plastic under trays and OEM down-pipes, and besides one of the nuts/bolts connecting the down-pipes and midpipes shearing off and having to be cut, the disassembly was fairly simple. A few hours in and I was ready to tackle the removal of the front OEM inlet. The front inlet was easy enough to get out and I was even able to pull it out in one full piece by removing the radiator fan.



The MMP replacement was secured with no issues, cleared the front belts perfectly and was completed in less than an hour. At this point, I was feeling pretty confident. If you look deep enough at the engine bay from up top, you can make out the MMP logo on the inlet connecting to the snout of the front turbo.



I quickly moved to breaking the rear inlet mounting tabs loose, and made the cut at the bottom of the rear inlet so I could pull it out the top. While this wasn’t the easiest, another hour and it was complete. I was still confident and not sure why people had claimed having such difficulties doing this on jack stands.



So four hours from the start of the install, I was now looking at placing the rear inlet into place, and everything would be complete. After the first four hours were enjoyable, I spent the next four hours letting my little 135i beat the **** out of me. I bled, I perspired, and I cursed. I’ve had to call in reinforcements before due to time constraints or to help hold something heavy, but never have I had to call in reinforcements because I simply couldn’t get it done by myself. I reached a point where there was no option going forward without another pair of hands. Even after calling in a friend to pull from the bottom as I pushed from the top, we were barely able to get it through, and then spent the next 30 minutes or so getting the inlet on the turbo itself and secured properly. down-pipes went on with ease, but never fun dealing with those pesky v-band clamps. Exhausted and relieved doesn’t begin to explain the feeling of cranking up the car, hearing no strange noises, no service lights, and hearing the engine purr with a slightly deeper growl than before.

MMP inlets finally in place:



The next weekend, it was time to address the current suspension. While the M-Sport OEM setup on the 135i was a giant step up from the feel of my 535i, I still had desires to get rid of the wheel gap, stiffen the ride slightly, but nothing to adversely effect drivability on a daily basis. When Tire Rack put the combination of the Koni STR.T shocks and Eibach Pro-Kit on sale at a little over $500, I jumped on the opportunity to upgrade. I've swapped out a dozen or so suspensions on newer model BMWs, so the installation on the E82 wasn't too difficult.





Rear Koni shocks and Eibach Pro-Kit springs ready to be put in to place:



And installed:



One front spring/shock into place, and the other assembled:



The previous owner had ditched the original run-flat tires in exchange for some Michelin PSS in upgraded sizes. He'd obviously pushed the tires through the twisties on a few occasions as they had decent wear on the outer edge of the fronts. Before I knew it, the front tires were in dire need of replacing. This was an excuse to get the wheel setup I'd always been set on since first seeing them -- Apex ARC-8. As their stock was dwindling, I was able to pull the trigger on a set of anthracite ARC-8 wheels in 18x8.5 ET45 & 18x9.5 ET58 wrapped in a set of brand new 235/265 Hankook V12s.







The BMS wheel pin and lug tool are both really helpful, and certainly something I wanted to use when mounting up the new wheels for the first time.



I also threw on some cheap smoked side markers from DDM tuning -- $10 + $10 shipping.





I'm really loving the new look. The drop is perfect and the ride is fantastic. Obviously not a huge leap in improvement over the stock suspension, but the lower center of gravity and more rubber makes it feel light, nimble, and confident. The wheels and tires go great with the black exterior and really bring the car together. Here's a sneak peek of the new stance and appearance until I can find the time for a proper shoot.



I spent the new few weeks enjoying the glorious new sounds coming from the front and rear of the car, getting used to all the available power on tap, and doing plenty of "parking lot look backs" to admire the new suspension, wheels, and tires. I’m not one to fully push the limits of an engine, so on 93 pump gas, I was content with the 13psi on map 1 for the time being. The combination of the cowl filters, intakes, inlets, hard intercooler pipes, HKS BOV, and catless down-pipes made the car sound sensational, while the modified CDV and clutch stop helped out with getting the car to effortlessly engage into each gear.

But it wasn't long before the E85 station on my way to work started calling my name.



After thoroughly shaking down the car with all the new mods and making sure everything was working properly, I added 3 gallons of E85 to an empty tank, filled the rest up with 93 octane as I had done time and time before on my 535i, set the JB4 to Map 5 and gave it a whirl. I did a few quick pulls to let the ECU learn and on my third pull with this new mixture, a dreaded misfire reared its ugly head. At this point the problem was only surfacing at WOT and under boost and my first long indicated that I desperately needed a back end flash to get my trims in line. In addition to gathering the equipment to use the BB software to load a back end flash more suitable for E85 use, I also decided to purchase my second Fuel-It! product: a new build Stage 2 LPFP.



This would give me the flexibility of adding more E85 once I got things running right. As was my last install with a Fuel-It product, this one went about as smoothly as possible and only took a little over one hour. Hooking up my BT cable and flashing the 135i with the BMS E85 BEF took longer than the install of the pump when it was all said and done. I also took this opportunity to flash my 535i back to the OEM BIN seeing as how it wouldn't be seeing much E85 anymore. Once I had verified everything was flowing properly and the new BEF boost settings were working correctly, I switched to 4/2 on the JB4, added what I equated to be a full tank of E50 and switched to map 1, which would target 15psi. I immediately began having the same misfire issues as before, but unfortunately this time it seemed to be getting worse as I drove and was triggering a cylinder 6 misfire code that eventually wouldn’t go away. Eventually the car began to run on only 5 cylinders, all the while this is the only code that was being triggered.



Since the spark plugs had only a few hundred miles on them, I expected a failed coil to be the culprit. I made the decision to replace all six so I wouldn’t have to deal with the need to replace one by one at a later date. After installing the new coils, I fired the car up with the new coils installed and still the same symptoms. Poor idle, running on 5 cylinders, etc. At this point I was a bit discouraged. Despite all the aftermarket parts being installed correctly and functioning properly I did not have a functioning vehicle. Misfires are common with N54 engines, and I’ve had to deal with them before with the 535i, but I hadn’t really expected having to investigate injector problems so soon after purchasing the car (only 2500 miles so far); especially injectors that had supposedly already been replaced once. Following a deep dive into everything injectors about this car, I discovered I had a mixture of two 07 and four 08 index injectors. Cylinder 6 happened to be one of those 07 index injectors. At this point I was already annoyed, so I wanted to avoid having this headache in the future.



Six new index 12 injectors would hopefully solve my problem and keep me misfire free in the near future considering the car now has all new injectors, coil packs and plugs.

Everything all laid out after removing the old injectors and prior to putting in the new index 12s:



Following some time in map 4 to make sure everything was functioning properly, I filled up with a tank of E40, switched to map 1 at 15psi, found some open road with no traffic, and rolled into the throttle. Plenty of power, no misfire, and felt smooth as silk with the new back end flash. Map 2, E40 fuel, and my current mods brought about all I was looking for in my power output from my daily driver -- gobs of torque and horsepower, conservative boost levels, and sounded sensational, but still a few decibels too quiet for my desires. A log of the map 2 run confirmed that the car was running stellar. My fueling setup and current mods allow for running map 3 at 19psi, or even the race map at higher levels, but for now I'm looking for some dependability and longer life from my OEM turbochargers, so map 2 at 17psi running E40 fuel seems to be a nice balance for daily driving.



Now that the engine seemed to be healthy and running strong, I began looking at some other aspects of the car that I wanted to improve. The gear selection shift knob was swapped for the ZHP weighted version (had and loved this same knob in both of my E46 M3s) and the perforated leather emergency brake handle was upgraded to the OEM BMW Performance pearlescent version. I also added a bit of alcantara with the OEM BMW Performance performance shift knob boots for the shifter and emergency brake.



I also added a custom-fit black Canine Covers seat protector for the rear. The rear seat is way too small for most humans, but it's practically perfect for my border collie, Winston. This piece protects, covers everything, and is easily removable for washing.



He liked the 535i, but he loves the 135i.



Ever since I swapped the used dual cone filters from the 535i to the 135i, the dirty (even though they were clean) look had bothered me. I began researching for a filter colored similar to the amber output of the LUX angel eyes. What I found was that white, red, and black were about the only colors available. With the suggestions from another forum I took on the task of creating my own. A set of white BMS dual cone intakes, some Tangerine RIT liquid dye, and orange Green Filters oil resulted in the following look. Coupled with the Plasti-Dipped black ECU and brake covers, and rusty vacuum canister bracket, the engine bay is starting to come together nicely.







Stay tuned for more upgrades and maintenance related DIYs to come!
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2008 BMW 135i Single Turbo Build Thread HERE
2016 BMW M5 Competition Build Thread HERE
2015 BMW M3 Build Thread HERE

Last edited by chadillac2000; 02-08-2018 at 11:32 AM..
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      08-18-2016, 02:45 AM   #2
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Awesome pick she looks like shes in great condition and your car is lookin good so far! I just picked up a 135i recently, needs a little TLC, but it's been a blast
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      08-18-2016, 04:57 AM   #3
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Great pics... I like these...
Thanks for sharing.


http://www.lacartes.com/business
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      08-18-2016, 12:13 PM   #4
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Last pic isn't loading for me!!! AGGHH!!
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"Tobias" 2013 135i ///M-Sport 6MT • Pure Stage 1 • XDI 35 HPFP • 404whp/440wtq
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      08-18-2016, 02:19 PM   #5
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Welcome to the 1er forum and congrats on the car. Looks great!

Nice looking dog as well. Looks very serious.

Last pic doesn't show for me either.

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      08-18-2016, 02:31 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matticus91 View Post
Last pic isn't loading for me!!! AGGHH!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Esteban View Post
Welcome to the 1er forum and congrats on the car. Looks great!

Nice looking dog as well. Looks very serious.

Last pic doesn't show for me either.

Pictures should be all good now. Picasa & Google Photos have been acting up lately.
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2008 BMW 135i Single Turbo Build Thread HERE
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2015 BMW M3 Build Thread HERE
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      08-18-2016, 02:32 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chadillac2000 View Post
Pictures should be all good now. Picasa & Google Photos have been acting up lately.
Yep... there it is.
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      08-18-2016, 06:20 PM   #8
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All you bastards keep buying the wheels I want!!
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"Tobias" 2013 135i ///M-Sport 6MT • Pure Stage 1 • XDI 35 HPFP • 404whp/440wtq
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      08-18-2016, 08:22 PM   #9
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How do u like the Orange koni?
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      08-19-2016, 12:12 PM   #10
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Quote:
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How do u like the Orange koni?
After having already put over 250 miles on the setup, I'm really enjoying the shocks so far (and the full setup in general).

I had my mind set up on adding the slight drop of the Eibach Pro-Kit early on, but was ultimately undecided about what shocks to pair with the springs. I've run coilovers as well as the Eibach Pro-Kit with stock shocks on previous BMW models I've owned, and knew I did not want to go either of those routes for this daily driver. No rubbing, no spacers, minimal wheel gap, adding a little more tire to help with the added power and a slight increase in ride quality were of utmost importance. The B12 kit from Bilstein, ore creating my own combo comprised of Koni Yellows, seemed to be what I would go with, but the total price from Tire Rack for the Koni STR.T non-adjustable shocks and Pro-Kit springs fast-forwarded my decision. I'd definitely suggest them; especially for the price.

Seeing how this car that would never see the track, it was refreshing lowering the car back down after the suspension install and knowing I didn't have to adjust any settings such as ride height, rebound, etc.
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      08-19-2016, 01:19 PM   #11
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Thanks for the great read, I enjoyed that
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      08-20-2016, 09:44 AM   #12
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Chad great to see you on here!
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      08-20-2016, 10:05 PM   #13
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Chad great to see you on here!
You as well -- glad to see were both enjoying a 1er after our E46 M3 days!
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      08-20-2016, 10:06 PM   #14
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As any N54 owner knows, carbon buildup is always a concern. Cleaning the valves on my 535i with around 120,000 miles on the odometer was an eye opening experience. Spending the better part of a day cleaning hard to reach places with an assortment of brushes and brake cleaner was not something I wanted to have to do anymore than absolutely necessary. I had always wanted to try the oil catch can setup from Burger Motorsports to try and stop some of this buildup, but after considerable research, it seemed as though my rather reserved and light-footed driving style wouldn’t result in catching much of anything. Valve cleanings were just something I was going to have to get used to doing more often than I would like. Seeing as how my newly acquired 135i just turned 60,000 on the odometer, this maintenance chore was already on the docket to be done very soon.

In the meantime, I had began to further investigate a more long-term solution which is when I discovered the RB External PCV/Dual Catch Can kit. These fittings and hoses would externalize the PCV system and catch any blow-by with an oil catch can. The benefits to this setup are plentiful and should help keep the valves much cleaner, keep the engine/turbos from smoking, and allow for easy dumping of the catch can contents if you purchased one.

At this point I went ahead and purchased the recommended Mishimoto 2-Port OCC as well as the full N54 OCC kit from Burger Motorsports. This would mean I would have both the low and high sides covered for oil blow-by. This should be the most effective solution at the moment to avoiding PCV related issues and the best at keeping those valves from gunking up prematurely. Total cost ended up being right at $500 for everything.



Some close-ups of the BMS OCC:





The external replacement for the current internal RB PCV valve I'm running now:



This Mishimoto seems to be really well built:





Instructions were to scrap the fittings supplied by Mishimoto and replace them with the RB heavy-duty versions:



The next task at hand is finding a clean, proper place to mount the catch cans.
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2008 BMW 135i Single Turbo Build Thread HERE
2016 BMW M5 Competition Build Thread HERE
2015 BMW M3 Build Thread HERE

Last edited by chadillac2000; 10-08-2016 at 10:30 PM..
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      08-28-2016, 12:34 AM   #15
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In the past, whenever I lower a car, I usually lose the spoiler. In my eyes, this provides a more aggressive stance and a sleeker appearance. In the case of the E82 135i trunk, the natural upward curvature mimics the E46 M3 CSL trunk. Took way too long to get all the leftover adhesive off after removing the wing. Also took the opportunity to replace my cracked third brake light.



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2016 BMW M5 Competition Build Thread HERE
2015 BMW M3 Build Thread HERE

Last edited by chadillac2000; 08-28-2016 at 05:52 PM..
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      09-01-2016, 01:21 PM   #16
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I had many learning experiences on my 535i over the years of ownership. One of which was a DIY intake valve cleaning using the soak and scrub method. Back when I did this prior, I was also forced to replaced the oil filter housing gasket, oil cooler gasket, and oil cooler o-rings because they were leaking. Seeing as how I had just turned 60,000 miles on this 135i, had collected all the necessary parts to externalize the PCV system and add in catch cans for the high and low sides, it seemed appropriate to set aside a full day to do this tedious task once more. Here are all my supplies laid out:
  • Brakleen
  • Gun cleaning kit with brass brushes
  • OEM oil filter housing gasket
  • OEM oil cooler gasket
  • OEM oil cooler o-rings
  • OEM thermostat to cylinder head hose



Since the intake manifold obviously has to be removed in order to clean the intake valves, and the gaskets surrounding the oil filter housing and cooler are prone to failure, replacing them seemed like the right thing to do in order to avoid removing all these parts again in the near future to access the gaskets. My 535i developed an aggressive oil leak because of the failure of one of these gaskets and made a mess everywhere; something I was definitely trying to dodge this time around. The first task at hand was starting to rip out the parts in the way of myself and those valves. Im getting pretty speedy and installing and removing all the N54 cold side parts at this point. A tip for anyone doing this: to remove the black box under the intake manifold simply grab each side of the box and pull upwards with some force. The tabs will bend and the box will slide off.

I purchased the thermostat to cylinder head hose to avoid being stuck with a car that wouldn't hold coolant. When I did this same job on the 535i, I removed the top of this hose connection so I could access one of the oil filter housing bolts, but when I went to put it back, the decomposing internals wouldn't allow a proper seal. This left me without wheels for a few days until the part came in. Fortunately this time I used an 8mm wrench on the oil filter housing bolt and was able to avoid removing the thermostat to cylinder head hose at all.



It wasn't long before I got my first glimpse at my valves that have been accumulating carbon buildup since 2008.



Cylinders 1-6 were all in need of a thorough bath. Lucky for me, as the car sat, 3 of the cylinders were fully closed. Here was my method for getting the job done and one that worked very well with minimal effort.
  • Place plenty of towels under the cylinder head ports to avoid making a big mess.
  • Fill the closed cylinder completely full with Brakleen.
  • Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.
  • Using a syringe or turkey baster, remove some of the liquid so it doesn't spill out when scrubbing with a power drill.
  • Take the brass brush attachments and insert in a power drill.
  • Work every nook and cranny of the valves to agitate and remove any of the stubborn carbon not willing to let go.
  • Suck out as much of the leftover liquid as possible with your syringe/baster.
  • Using a shop vac with some 6mm vacuum hose duct taped on as an attachment, completely suck out the contaminated Brakleen (very little remaining so I wasn't worried about combustion in the shop vac).
  • Spray in a little more fresh Brakleen, and hit it with the brass brush one more time.
  • Vacuum out excess
  • Used a compressed air attachment to dry and blow out the completed and clean intake valve. 1 hour from start to finish on the first 3 valves.
  • Put the car in 6th gear, and roll the car frontwards or backwards to close the other valves. I was able to get 2 of the remaining 3 closed on the 2nd try, so I went ahead and filled those two.
  • Repeat all steps until the valves are clean.

Filling up an intake port to the brim with Brakleen is always nerve-racking the first few times:



In between scrubbing and waiting for the Brakleen to soak and penetrate the carbon buildup, I took the time to remove the difficult to navigate bolts holding on the oil filter housing and oil cooler attachments. I had to use a few different tools to access some of the hard to reach bolts on the bottom side. Pictures of this process were scarce at this point as I opted not to drain the oil and coolant beforehand, so keeping things clean was a struggle. New oil cooler gasket in:



The RB External PCV system includes some high quality parts. Here's a shot of the throttle body attachment that seated with a nice, satisfying click into place.



Much better.



I had originally intended to make a custom bracket that attached to the driver's side strut bar, but because of limited space due to the AC lines and cone intakes, I ordered another BMS OCC bracket to mount the Mishimoto. Now both cans are mounted in convenient areas, firmly attached to the strut bar, allow the attached hoses to sit in a relaxed position, and should be easy to empty. Pretty happy with the results.







6 hours of my time and $100 in supplies (not counting the RB External PCV, BMS OCC, and Mishimoto OCC of course) was all it took to have my valves looking fresh and brand new gaskets that should help stay in front of any future oil leaks from the usual fail points. On top of the peace of mind of knowing valves are clean and gaskets are replaced, the new catch can system should keep it that way for a while now. I will report back with my findings in the near future.
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Last edited by chadillac2000; 10-08-2016 at 10:30 PM..
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      09-05-2016, 02:37 PM   #17
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Once I had adjusted some of the interior bits to my liking such as adding some alcantara boots, BMW performance knobs/handles, and deleting the armrest, there were a few more minor details I wanted to address. The first was adding the matching OEM BMW alcantara steering wheel trim piece to the shift boots. The original M-Sport model was peeling and becoming an eyesore.

The second was adding a full set of OEM BMW Performance pedals. I dislike working under the dash to begin with, so add in the pain of pushing the rubber through the aluminum slats and having to drill holes in place not conducive to fitting a cordless drill, this wasn't my favorite job, but the look is undeniable.



Here are a few more shots of the entire interior looking clean:



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      09-05-2016, 02:43 PM   #18
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After driving around the car for a few weeks with all the new power modifications and a healthy ignition/fuel system, it didn't take long before I started yearning for a subtle increase in exhaust volume; at least enough to match the sensational symphony of sounds coming from the intake side of things. At that point I began doing research for what I considered ideal for my daily driver. The fact that I was running catless downpipes meant that it would be very easy for me to overdo things and wind up with a droning setup that would drive me crazy on my morning and afternoon commutes. While a small increase in overall volume, crackles and pops was the ultimate goal, looks and being drone-free also played an important factor. Soon after starting my investigation I placed my order for the best option for me, the Maddad Whisper axleback with optional black ceramic coated 304SS tips. Unfortunately it took over a month for the new piece to arrive despite no backorder, but Rich compensated me for the delays and I can understand having something custom built to order can take time. Once the exhaust arrived and I was able to see the build quality; it was water under the bridge. Some shots of the brand new exhaust unboxed:









The install went fairly smoothly. I hate dealing with spring bolts, but still had the OEM piece removed and the MadDad Whisper fitted up in a little over an hour.

My initial thoughts are:
  • The ceramic black tips are exactly what I was looking for
  • The weight is significantly lighter than the OEM piece
  • Fit and finish was spot on
  • Cold starts are noticeably louder
  • Quietens down quickly and sounds almost stock at idle
  • On an average drive, volume has probably increased 15-20% over stock
  • More pops and burbles on deceleration, as well as when the engine is free revved
  • NO DRONE at any RPM in any situation











Once the exhaust breaks in a bit, I'll update everyone with how I feel after a few months of daily driving with the new setup.
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      09-05-2016, 03:05 PM   #19
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you still have the stock mid pipes?
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      09-05-2016, 03:34 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike082802 View Post
you still have the stock mid pipes?
Yes, running BMS downpipes > OEM N54 midpipes > MadDad Whisper.

I would be open to the idea of changing out the N54 mids in favor of something catless in the future to give it a little more growl, but I'm pretty content at the moment.

EDIT: 2 days after posting this I placed an order for a pair of Vibrant resonators to put in place of the secondary cats.
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      09-06-2016, 11:45 AM   #21
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Looking good man, the car is really coming together and you did a killer job on those valves!
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      09-11-2016, 06:05 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matticus91 View Post
Looking good man, the car is really coming together and you did a killer job on those valves!
Thanks buddy. It's not a fun job, but a necessary one. Hopefully the external PCV setup and catch cans will be able to make future valve cleanings few and far between.
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