BMW e39 530i ess v2 supercharger

[sohrab]

Hello
i am thinking of getting an ess v2 supercharger for my e39 530i..... My question on this forum is to find out if anyone has actually done it (not had it done for them) and how easy it was? Also if they are happy with it.

i am pretty competent with my DIY'S and I have done a solid mass flywheel conversion and I have replaced my m54 engine.

thanks in advance

[geargrinder]

Stück had an ESS SC 530 for a while that was pretty nice. He has a thread, go search. Lotta money and expense to just more or less keep up w the V8's, but it's a clean tidy setup and I rode in it before he parted the car out - pulls nicely for sure. I guess in some euro markets where you either can't get V8's or theres a massive tax penalty for the displacement it would make a lot more sense.

[paulpg]

Its pretty straight forward to install, when i had it on my car it was, ok. I wanted more power, so i went the AA stage2 kit, which was cheaper than the ESS and make more power. I am running high 11s/low 12s given the conditions. With the basic ESS 8psi kit, you are going to be on par with maybe a E60 545/550. You can get a smaller pulley, but you have to source it yourself. At the time ESS did make a smaller pulley, don't know if they do now or not.

[sohrab]

Hmmm...... Thanks for your replies guys I appreciate it, to be honest I'm less after making my car faster than a V8 but more fun for myself, remember whatever you have there will be cars faster out there..... In UK we get f@&£?d with the annual road tax let alone the soaring prices of fuel, a V8 will definitely mean less food for my family..... Lol. my car has had a few decent mods and it already feels nippy it's a relatively big car the 5 series but handles like a much smaller car..... With the manifolds, underdrive pulleys, ac delete, stiffer suspension so I think a supercharger will be a good touch, need to decide which one.... I need to research the AA stage 2 kit but was that with stock internals? Isn't 11psi too high for stock internals..... What power were you getting Paulpg?

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I can't find Stücks thread on the supercharger install... I am crap.

[Solo12]

It is a little hard to find cause it is in a big build thread
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...t=supercharger

[sohrab]

Thanks for that
. .....

[DennisCooper]

Hi Sohrab,

There's been a 'few' UK 530i's which have/were supercharged and it's a nice upgrade for sure. What you do need to remember, and from what you've mentioned so far, you haven't taken into consideration is that when it comes to adding considerable power to a car there's a best practice way of doing things which is;

1. Upgrade the braking first - With the amount of extra horse power you're adding, the standard brakes just won't do. I guess with a 530i you could go to M5 brakes, but at the price of those you might as well go for a big brake kit from the likes of K Sport.
2. Upgrade the suspension - plenty of choices here for good quality suspension. With the extra power, it's naturally going to be that you'll want to drive the car faster and quicker round the A roads etc, good suspension will help in controlling the car and increasing the handling to match.
3. Add the power Last ! - once the above is done, you then add the power to the car!

You can of course do all three at the same time!

As you can perhaps now tell, costs will be substantially increased and also, as you do those, things like renewing suspension bushes, worn steering components, suspension top mounts, brake lines etc etc will also all be extra costs.

Cheers, Dennis!

[Stück]

My car out ran stock E39 M5's easily, and ran side by side with a stock E60 M5 from 70-140MPH or so. Neither could pull an inch.

[sohrab]

Thanks Dennis, suspension is already done..I have bc coilovers on 10kg/mm spring rates all round ... brakes need doing for sure... I see you are near me.... I'm in hayes if you ever go to the hayes Costco you will see a blue E39 with steels in the winter and oz futura as in summer....

Anyway yeah.... brakes is definately on the list.

Stuck do you remember I asked about the schmeidmann manifolds..... I looked at your E39 thread and it's awesome... I finally got hold of your YouTube videos... they are amazing.... but you had cams done... I don't. ....
My heart broke when I saw that e39 get broken lol what a machine and what amazing meticulous workmanship!!

[Baoser]

I should either install mine or sell it... just sitting collecting dust... =(

[mcgnms]

ESS recently released a cheaper SC kit using a standard Vortech Si. With 10-12 PSI on that you should have zero problems outrunning an M5.


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[DennisCooper]

Hi Sohrab,

Yes, I am semi often in Costco there and the main one in Watford! I'm more usually at Heathrow airport given the amount of family and friends flying in/out of the country !

As mentioned, a handful, if that of UK E39 530i's are S/C'd, setup, fitment and tuning is crucial with these kits and there's perhaps just a handful of UK Tuning specialists who are capable of doing an excellent job. One example from perhaps around 2010'ish, I remember was taken to ESS HQ to have all the work done and the whole trip was taken with a 'holiday' in mind. Is your car a manual gearbox or auto? with an auto, don't forget you'll have a significant loss/sap of power. If you have a strong sentimental attachment to the car then do consider everything including the increased cost levels and go ahead if you want to get the work done. Else, it'd make better value for money if you spent the amount needed for an excellent Supercharger install to do it on either a 540i or M5. There's specific aspects to each of those cars as well but they're both more powerful in standard form than the 530i by quite a margin so the level of power achieved Vs money spent is greater with them


Cheers, Dennis!

[sohrab]

Yeah I agree with what you are saying Dennis, my car is a manual and I am comfortable and super familiar with that engine so I think it's a keeper. I need to look into this other kit that runs 12psi....... will that be fine with stock internals? 12psi seems high.... I need to look into this "cheaper kit". V8 yes it's an option but cost of running an m5 here in uk puts me off.... also simple things like changing vanos seals on the v8 is a nightmare and a joke on the straight 6.....

[RyansBMW]

I believe Stuck was at 10-12psi when he switched to the smaller pulley and he didn't have any problems with stock internals.

[philly98540]

You should be fine at 12 psi on stock internals. SC'ers build their highest boost at the upper rpm range, so the "packing" factor into each cylinder is lower than a turbo set up with similar boost. With the turbo, you can boost 12 psi at like 3500-4000 rpms, and you will likely blow something. With the SC'er, you at more like 8 psi at those rpm levels, so the amount crammed into each piston stroke is less. The volumetric efficiency decreases at the upper rpm ranges, so the peak cylinder pressure will be less once the SC'er builds up to 12 psi. This makes the SC'er generally safer on the motor for a given peak boost number.

[mcgnms]

You should be fine at 12 psi on stock internals. SC'ers build their highest boost at the upper rpm range, so the "packing" factor into each cylinder is lower than a turbo set up with similar boost. With the turbo, you can boost 12 psi at like 3500-4000 rpms, and you will likely blow something. With the SC'er, you at more like 8 psi at those rpm levels, so the amount crammed into each piston stroke is less. The volumetric efficiency decreases at the upper rpm ranges, so the peak cylinder pressure will be less once the SC'er builds up to 12 psi. This makes the SC'er generally safer on the motor for a given peak boost number.

Exactly, and especially more so for Centrifugal SC's. These cars have the option of both TS and Centrifugal.

[sohrab]

Philly98540...... thanks for the explanation.... I like it, if I can get close to stucks setup I'll be laughing. By the way is the ess centrifugal or ts? Excuse my lack of knowledge

[mcgnms]

They offer both.


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[sohrab]

Ignore..... I've read up we are twin screw with the ess... duh!

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Which is better than... generally?

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Stuck what was yours? I've read up on these supercharges now I need opinions on what's better....

[philly98540]

Stuck had twin screw. Twin screw give a bit more on the low to mid rpm ranges. This gives some more around town punch generally.

[RyansBMW]

If you do this, twin screw is the way to go.

[sohrab]

You guys are awesome... thanks alot... twin screw it is... any other info will be appreciated I feel intimidated slightly by manifold removal.....

[geargrinder]

Manifold removal ain't a big deal. Read stucks thread he covers some of the tricky issues he ran into.

[Stück]

I was twin screwed at 12PSI through normal weather. I made my own smaller 78mm pulley to achieve this. ESS won't even talk to you about that.

In the colder winter months I saw as much as 13.5-14PSI, I would see occasional spark blow out at this level with the stock plugs. I never bothered to gap them down to correct this as it was so infrequent and wheel spin at those temperatures was a much larger concern.

Twin screws do not make "just a bit" more boost at low RPM. They are positive displacement blowers, and they make most of their boost as soon as you tip into the throttle at any RPM. Yes it still rises with the RPM, but no where near like a centrifugal does.

At 2500RPM my twinscrew would be making 8PSI+, where a centrifugal would still be blowing 1-2 pounds of ass.

[AK_5eries]

Twin screw > roots >>>>>> centrifugal