N54 modded people... chime in here please

[KingDavidsCourt]

I'm taking my car in for some much needed maintenance/upgrades. Here's my plan and I'm wondering if you guys have anything else you'd tend to while in there.

First the car is a 2009 535XI with 133k miles

Here's whats currently in my ECS cart
1 Valve Cover Gasket
1 Intake Gasket (getting walnut blast while being worked on)
1 Oil level sensor O-ring
1 Oil filter housing gasket
1 Oil pan gasket
1R&1L engine mount
1 ECS (I may do the BMS still) Oil Catch Can kit
6 new spark plugs
1 JB4 data cable (installed the Jb4 with no cable and have been kicking myself ever since)
20' of 3.5mm high temp platinum cured silicone vaccuum lines

ECS doesnt have a charge pipe for the 535 only the 335 and they are telling me its different. Thats the only other thing I considered doing while I was in there... anybody have other recommendations while I have it all apart? I've decided I'm going to keep this thing until it falls apart on me... so I want to get all of this stuff out of the way before anything becomes more of a problem. I've got a few leaks not exactly sure where yet... but these ones seem to be common... and I'm hoping the walnut blast/new vaccuum lines/plugs will cure my random check engine light. Please chime in with any other feedback...

[pbonsalb]

Most common leaks are oil filter housing to oil cooler lines gasket and valve cover gasket. I would put oil pan gasket and oil filter housing gasket and oil level sensor oring after that. RB or Vargas may sell upgraded intake and charge pipe for the 535. Not sure. I dont plan to change mine until I do the turbos. I have an 08 535xit with JB4 and 120k that I have had since 30k. On your list, I have done the valve cover gasket, oil filter housing to oil cooler gasket, valve cover gasket, plugs, coils, all filters, all fluids. You might want to add coils if you have a JB4. Try the S55 coils.

[radarcontact]

Depends...

Are you going to keep diverter valves valves or go with a blow-off valve? If you go blow-off then while you have the manifold off for blasting, I would seal off the existing 1/8" vac line to the manifold and install a 1/4" barbed fitting for the blow-off valve. You'll thank me later.

i went with a mishimoto catch can and had to build my own piping which sucked and cost me a bunch. In retrospect I'd have gone with BMS.

I also wrapped my charge pipe in heat reflecting fiberglass adhesive "mat" (bought a 12"x24" sheet from Amazon). It reduced my AIT by about 30-50% (8-12°) so that was almost free power right there. Unfortunately I came up with the idea AFTER the charge pipe was installed, which made it 1000x harder to do.

Route your JB4 cable through the glove box, no matter how hard you think it is. Get someone to help you, get some flash lights and find the passthrough hole AT NIGHT. Run a piece of cable or wire through, then finish the work the next day.

I'd recommend DCIs vs the stock airbox if you don't have them already.

// Radar //

[KingDavidsCourt]

Depends...

Are you going to keep diverter valves valves or go with a blow-off valve? If you go blow-off then while you have the manifold off for blasting, I would seal off the existing 1/8" vac line to the manifold and install a 1/4" barbed fitting for the blow-off valve. You'll thank me later.

i went with a mishimoto catch can and had to build my own piping which sucked and cost me a bunch. In retrospect I'd have gone with BMS.

I also wrapped my charge pipe in heat reflecting fiberglass adhesive "mat" (bought a 12"x24" sheet from Amazon). It reduced my AIT by about 30-50% (8-12°) so that was almost free power right there. Unfortunately I came up with the idea AFTER the charge pipe was installed, which made it 1000x harder to do.

Route your JB4 cable through the glove box, no matter how hard you think it is. Get someone to help you, get some flash lights and find the passthrough hole AT NIGHT. Run a piece of cable or wire through, then finish the work the next day.

I'd recommend DCIs vs the stock airbox if you don't have them already.

// Radar //

The blow off valve does nothing for performance right? Just the sound?

Good call on the fiberglass matt. I'll pick some of that up too.

Yep... going to the glove box with the data cable.

I guess DCIs make sense while the rest of it is apart... I'll add them to my cart. Thanks!

[radarcontact]

The blow off valve does nothing for performance right? Just the sound?

Good call on the fiberglass matt. I'll pick some of that up too.

Yep... going to the glove box with the data cable.

I guess DCIs make sense while the rest of it is apart... I'll add them to my cart. Thanks!

BOV vs DV is sorta dealer's choice. They do different things to achieve the same result. It's important you decide before you buy the charge pipe though as it will be bought for one or the other; once you decide, that's it, you're married,to it!

I also sprung for the extension cable for 5 or 10 bucks, I forget how much. Helps get the tablet over to my lap without pulling on anything. I'd have the BT setup if I was willing to spend the money, but I just can't justify it.

DCIs are a must, imo. No brainer for the money. Whatever brand or color doesn't really matter. I think I spent $100 on my MMPe setup and I'm very happy. Think they are like $65 right now:
https://mmp-e.com/collections/produc...35i-lhd-or-rhd

[KingDavidsCourt]

Now I read some stuff about going OEM on the gaskets... any opinion on OEM vs aftermarket? They literally double in costs... for the same gasket

[radarcontact]

Mine nstalled:

[radarcontact]

Now I read some stuff about going OEM on the gaskets... any opinion on OEM vs aftermarket? They literally double in costs... for the same gasket

Hmmm, that I don't know about. Sorry.

[SlackTube]

Usually the aftermarket gaskets are complete junk.

[oh2ball]

URO aftermarket anything is junk but can't say all aftermarket stuff is junk relative to the OEM stuff we are replacing. BMW rubber anything has proven to be suspect over my 25+ years of ownership.

[KingDavidsCourt]

URO aftermarket anything is junk but can't say all aftermarket stuff is junk relative to the OEM stuff we are replacing. BMW rubber anything has proven to be suspect over my 25+ years of ownership.

That's kind of what I was thinking. BMW seals tend to reliably leak. How much worse could it be going after market?