AshwinLB's N54 135i 6MT Sparkling Graphite Metallic Build Thread

[AshwinLB]

Hi all,

I've been meaning to start a build thread for my 2008 BMW 135i 6MT with a Sparkling Graphite Metallic exterior and Oyster interior.
Bought at 145,000 KM, and currently sits at 175,000 km. I've had the car since October 2020, which replaced my previous 2010 135i 6AT that I had for 3 years prior.
I will be backlogging start writing posts for each mod, so let's see how far I can go haha.

Here's the mod list so far:
(In Order of Installation, excludes maintenance items)

• BMS Boost Side Oil Catch Can
• BMS Vacuum Side Oil Catch Can
• BMS Dual Cone Intakes Replaced with PR Relocated Inlets
• ER Chargepipe with HKS SSQ4 BOV Replaced with VRSF 335d Chargepipe with Fake Tial due to relocated inlets
• NGK 97969 Spark Plugs (0.022” Gap)
• OEM Euro-Spec Blackline Tail Lights
• Redline D4 ATF Transmission Flush
• Teyes CC3 6GB Android Headunit
• Rogue Engineering Solid Rubber Transmission Mounts
• MMP 3” Downpipes
• Genuine BMW Alarm System
• Turner Vacuum Canister Relocation Bracket
• Black M2 Kidney Grills
• Apex 75mm Stud Conversion Kit Replaced with VTT M14 Studs due to F8x spindle
• VRSF 7.5” Competition HD Intercooler
• MHD Stage 2+ Tune
• GTA Retrofits Custom-Built Headlights
• Uro Aluminum Power Steering Pulley
• eBay Crankseal Plate
• Apex Wheels - 18x8.5et45, 18x9.5et58
• General G-Max RS - 235/40R18, 265/35R18
• BMS Black Cowl Filters
• N20 3.5 Bar MAP Sensor
• Nexsys B58 Coilpack Conversion (Eldor-branded)
• PSM Carbon Fibre Trunk Spoiler
• Plugged Headports
• OEM Valve Cover (to retain cyclonic oil separators)
• VTT Oil Cap Breather
• VTT Billet Motor Mount Inserts
• MaLo Billet Oil Filter Cap
• Hydra Performance Cowl Filter Covers
• MFactory Helical LSD w/ 3.46 Ratio
• OEM Differential Bushings
• NRW E82 Street Sunroof Delete
• RTD v4 Carbon Chassis Mount Shifter
• BMS Differential Support Brace
• E9x M3 Steering Rack
• E9x M3 Steering Shaft
• OEM Tie Rods (135i spec) Replaced with M3 Tie Rods due to F8x spindle
• Megan Racing Rear Toe Arms
• Seals-It Rod End Boots
• SPL Eccentric Toe Delete Kit
• Morimoto XB 6000k Headlight Bulbs
• Monroe 907984 Rear Upper Shock Mounts
• Style 436M M235i Winter Wheels (OEM E9x 18” don’t fit with F8x calipers)
• Continental VikingContact7 225/40R18
• F8x Front Calipers
• F30 M-Performance 370mm Rotors Replaced with M3 380mm rotors due to F8x spindle
• Euro-Spec Under Dash Oddments Tray
• Condor Speed Shop Solid UHMW Rear Subframe Bushings
• Zimmermann Rear Blank Rotors
• EBC Red Rear Brake Pads
• UUC Stainless Steel Brake Lines (6)
• Motul DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid
• Clutch Delay Valve Delete
• BMS Billet Vacuum Canisters (in relocated location with Turner bracket)
• Seibon OEM-Style Carbon Fibre Hood
• E9x M3 200N Hood Struts
• E9x M3 Chassis Stiffening Plate
  
  November 2024 Update
• VRSF 335d Chargepipe w/ Fake Tial
• 335d Coolant Reservoir
• Precision Raceworks 2” Inlets
• Auto Engine Supply Coolant Pipe (for future oil to water oil cooler/heat exchanger)
• Dynamic Cruise Control Retrofit (was never an E82 option)
• GAS Monoball Thrust Arms
• E90M Front Lower Control Arms
• E90M Inner Tie Rods
• F80 Front Spindle and Hubs
• F80 380mm Front Rotors
• Front EBC Red F8x Brake Pads
• VTT M14 Front Stud Kit
• VAC F8x Hub Extender
• CMP Rear Camber Link Monoball
• Delphi Rear Camber Link Carrier Monoball
• E90M Rear Camber Links
• E90M Rear Upper Control Arms w/ Monoballs
• E90M Rear Upper Guide Rods
• Revshift Billet Trailing Arms
• BC Racing BR 1M Coilovers (7k Front / 12k Rear, needs more springrate though)
• E89 Z4 M-Sport Steering Wheel

[WrathOTM]

That is a thorough list of mods. Very nice!

[AshwinLB]

welp it's been over a year since I started this thread and not a single post yet, let's change that! The first few posts will be kind of boring cause it's typical N54 stuff but the juicier, interesting stuff will be coming in the future. These posts aren't going to be DIY's but also my thoughts behind them since I have long term experience running these parts. I'll also be linking YouTube videos for my build with these posts if you're more into watching that reading. I hope this doesn't turn people off from reading as I will be packing these posts with a lot of written information as well.

October 2020

Let's go back to October 2020. I had a Black Sapphire Metallic 2010 135i Automatic that I was building for almost 3 years at that point. The build wasn't crazy extensive (atleast not like my current One), but it was still a forever car to me. With the peak of the pandemic and a lot of free time, I decided to wrap it and install an M2 bumper since the paint wasn't in great condition. Well due to stupidity and running summer times a little too late into October, I hydroplaned it into a ditch and she was totaled. Did a 360 kickflip off the side of the road and flipped atleast once vertically (roof was dented in). Surprisingly I came out without a single scratch and the airbag didn't even have to deploy. I was heartbroken she was gone but I wasn't ready to leave the platform.



Due to sheer luck, one of the cleanest bone-stock 2008 135i 6MT I've seen was on the market. The seller was getting a divorce and was selling his collection of about 6 cars. I was already planning to manual swap my Auto that winter so it worked out that way too. About less than a week and a test-drive in the rain later, I knew I regret if I passed it up. Picked her up with 145000km (~90k miles) for $13000 CAD (~$10k USD). Seller didn't even mention it had the Premium Package with the Logic7 sound system, Comfort Access, Auto-Dim Mirrors, Electric Seats, and Sunroof so it was a upgrade from the last spec. Didn't really care for the interior colour since I did have a lot of salvaged parts from my last build including the Coral Red seats. Sunroof is something I thought I would like at first, but I noticed right away from driving that it caused a lot of body roll compared to my auto. This is something I fixed in the future with a sunroof delete, which I utilized with the Non-Sunroof Black headliner I salvaged from the auto.

I also wanted to talk about that the 2008 135i is actually more desirable in my eyes than a 2009 or 2010 in this instance. You may be aware that BMW actually cut back features and options from the later models due to the 2008 financial crisis.

These are the things that a 2008 has over a 2009/2010:
-Sparkling Graphite Paint (Didn't care for it at first but absolutely fell in love)
-Manual Trunk Release with metal key (Surprisingly useful for multiple instances, definitely needed it in a few instances)
-Pre-Wired for Alarm (All you need is a $60 to retrofit an alarm while later cars need expensive aftermarket solutions)
-Smaller side mirrors (2009+ use the large mirrors that don't look as nice)
-8-Bolt Crankshaft N54 vs 6-Bolt (debatably stronger than the 6 bolt)

One potential drawback is if you have an early build 2008 which had the MSD80 ECU that had some reliability issues. Luckily mine was a later build 2008 with MSD81.

With the new 135i in hand, it was time to tackle some maintenance and mods

[AshwinLB]

November 2020

First order of business are the BMS Dual Catch Can setup. It's one of the first things I did since I was able to salvage it from my last 135i build. The N54 PCV system is something that took me a few years to completely understand so in future posts, you will be able to see how I kept reinterating on this system. Even to this day (November 2024), my PCV system is not where I want it to be, but fixing it is on the back burner since I don't drive it in the winter anymore, and winter is where it sees it's issues.

Let's get back to the Dual Catch Can setup. The main reason that people externalize the N54 PCV system is due to carbon buildup on the intake values due to the lack of the cleaning effect of port injection. I won't get into all the details on the N54 PCV system here as it is quite extensive but maybe I'll make a deep dive video that can be a lot more structured. Bimmerworld does have a blog post that did a great job explaining it though: https://www.bimmerworld.com/About-Us...ns-PCV-System/

The misconception is that all you need is a boost side catch can to stop the carbon buildup (atleast back when I was doing research as a PCV noob). This is only half the equation. As a matter of fact, it's actually 0% of the equation. In the 6+ years that I have had a boost side catch can, I have STILL never filled the catch can to the top. A boost-side catch can will only have vapors passing through it when you're in boost. With how little time you're actually in boost vs not, it's not worth it. But I didn't know that 4 years ago, so it was still installed onto the car and is still there to this day because I'm lazy to buy new hose since I have relocated inlets now, and I wouldn't be able to use the stock flapper hose.

Now the Vacuum-Side Catch Can is a different story. 90% of the time, your intake tract is going to be in a vacuum situation, so the vacuum-side catch-can puts in work. In the summer, I have to empty out the catch can every 2 or 3 months. In the winter, it ended up being every 2-3 weeks due to water condensation from starting an ice cold engine, which is the main drawback of the vacuum-side catch can. I didn't plug my headports yet at this point but you will see it in the future. The can definitely didn't fill up as fast when the headports were open since the PCV system essentially had a way to bypass the can, but when I was installing this back on, I didn't really understand that. A vacuum-side catchcans need the headports blocked to reap the benefits.

My future plan is to install an Air Oil Separator on the vacuum side so that the collected oil gets recirculated. I have the system mocked up but it's a matter of installing it and testing it out since it's never been done on the N54 (to my knowledge).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USwnkQtXsDc

[AshwinLB]

At the same time I installed the Dual Catch Cans, I also installed my salvaged BMS Dual Cone Intakes since I was already working in that area. The BMS Dual Cones are probably the most popular N54 due to its low cost. I upgraded to Precision Raceworks Inlets in the future, but you'll see my thoughts (install is a bitch) in that future post.

There isn't any performance benefit stock but my god are the induction noises crazy. It's not that loud stock but with stage 2+ it's beautiful. I will 100% stand by the fact that the BMS Dual Cones sound so much louder than my full PR inlet system I have now. Probably due to the fact that the stock intakes are on the driver side while relocated inlets are on the passenger side.

BMS Dual Cones are definitely a worthy upgrade if you love sound, I'm sure you do if you have a 135i!



At this point in time, I also did a cowl delete since the Dual Catch Can brackets get in the way. I also did a tuck of the wires that run under the cowl to clean up the bay. You could buy the bracket to secure these lines to the sidewall but the free way is to just tuck them behind the rear inlet and zip-tie them to the AC lines. I am somewhat considering the Turner bracket for a cleaner look but $100 is kinda steep for something so minimal. I didn't install Cowl Delete Filters at the point, but I do have them now along with Hydra Cowl Filter covers after I got weird water noises after driving in the rain.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFqco1kH90k

[Speed9117]

Looks good!