The BEST Intercooler for Your N54 BMW & How To Install It
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- čas přidán 27. 09. 2021
- Not sure which intercooler to get for your BMW 135i or 335i? Let me explain what I'd recommend for your N54 or N55 BMW. I'll even show you how to install it too! Check out the links below if you're ready to purchase or install a new intercooler...
⬇️ Stepped Intercoolers (trimming required):
CSF 5.5" stepped intercooler: bit.ly/csf-intercooler-silver
Wagner 5" stepped intercooler: bit.ly/wagner-tuning-intercooler
ARM 5" stepped intercooler: bit.ly/arm-5-intercooler
VSRF 5" stepped intercooler: bit.ly/vrsf-5-intercooler
⬇️ Non-stepped Intercoolers (no trimming required):
Mishimoto 5" intercooler (CARB compliant): bit.ly/mishimoto-intercooler-...
BMS 5" intercooler: bit.ly/bms-5-intercooler
ARM 7" intercooler (trimming required): bit.ly/arm-7-intercooler
⬇️ Race intercoolers (lots of trimming required):
ARM 7.5" stepped intercooler: bit.ly/arm-race-intercooler
BMS 7.5" stepped intercooler: bit.ly/bms-race-intercooler
VRSF 7.5" stepped intercooler: bit.ly/vrsf-race-intercooler
Wagner race intercooler: bit.ly/wagner-race-intercooler
⬇️ Tools required:
1/4" ratchet wrench: amzn.to/3lYQCwx
T25 torx socket (to remove intercooler bolts): amzn.to/3m4GTVo
Electric screwdriver (to remove undertray bolts): amzn.to/39EsYzF
8mm/10mm nut driver (undertray bolts): amzn.to/39HnMLm
Pick set (to remove C-clips): amzn.to/3EWgOk4
Dremel kit (for trimming): amzn.to/3CPgfHa
Read more here: bmw335i.com/2021/11/29/best-i...
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very informative vid! I'm considering going with the BMS 5" since all my other mods are from BMS. Is there any particular advantage of going with a stepped FMIC? Thanks!
As a new-ish owner of an E92 335i, love that you're still putting out N54 content. I've already used a good number of your videos to help me out!
Good to see you back on the CZcams
Honestly feels good to be back, thanks for watching!
Hey another video!👍💪👏 thanks for posting again!
More to come! I've got like 3 more videos filmed and ready.
Ur videos are always legit bro
Have the same one. Great unit. Thanks for the N54 content.
It's been great to me so far, glad to hear you're enjoying it as well. Thanks for watching!
YEA!! JAKE! JAKE! JAKE! JAKE! Lol. Great to have video from you! As well it's N54 content too!! Love it! Thank you man! Can't wait for more! I'm gonna watch this again as that intercooler is the same size as mine but what you did to insall was different thhan mine. I didn't undo any screw for the Trans cooler. I have the auto trans but I'll have to investigate that one.
Yoo, thanks for watching and supporting the channel! I just realized after re-watching the video that unbolting the trans cooler might not even be necessary... I didn't do anything with it in the video after unbolting it 😂
I just bought this exact same CRF stepped intercooler for my 2011 E90 6AT 335i.
Not your average install video, sick video Jake 🔥
Agreed!
Haha, thank you guys!
About time this car gets some love 🤌🏽
VV!!
Love your videos my dude, had to get you in there!
If you run the ARM 7.5 IC you should get the upgraded “hose” because for some reason the piping they include is way too short
simple. thanks
Good video bro
Thanks fellow Jake!
I’ve run 7 inch on my single turbo for a year and a half no issues. IATs usually 8-12 degrees above ambient.
That's actually not bad, but I'm surprised! My 7 inch had a hard time even keeping up when I was like 600whp.
I'm just going to be boosting my x3 to around 500-550whp probably. So to keep it still in the reliable daily driver powe range
I went with the 7.5" VSFR, hard pipe intake and JB4 BEF xHP, now I'm at 290kw at the wheels on pump gas, 135I. Well worth the money
Dam that’s some serious power !
Nice! That's what I'm running on my 135i as well with JB4... it's been great to me too.
I have a 7.5 vrsf intercooler on my setup using stock turbos and my car runs great.
Nice! I'm sure it works fine, and you're ready for any sort of turbo upgrade in the future 😉
You'll probably sacrifice a little throttle response and a little more lag, but you won't have to worry about your iats. Lol
it’s a shame i can’t run this on my 335, previously had a 5in on there and absolutely ruined it, made about 100 more hp then it could handle. but your video almost has me convinced to downsize it😂 wonderful video brother
Bought an brand new ARM 5in stepped intercooler for $250 on facebook marketplace. Can't wait to install it
Dam what a steel!
That's a great deal! Enjoy!
Best videos always! Talk about turbos you recommend for daily, for n54's
Thanks Ricardo! I can definitely do something like that in the future.
Very nice explanation Jake! I will go for downpipes and the 5" intercooler. I'm not sure whether to go for the MHD way or the JB4, after that. My goal is 420 crank HP like the EU e92 m3 has... Dutch regards, Nico.
Honestly, I’d just go with MHD if I were you. JB4 is good for new cars which are still DME locked and need a piggyback tune. Since MHD tunes the actual DME instead of hijacking signals, you’ll feel it’s more solid. I had JB4 on my 335i and replaced it for MHD super license. My car feels more consistent and stable, the boost is smoother and the extra options really let me tweak with the car to my liking (burbles, cold start noise reduction, etc).
Also, MHD JUST released an update that lets you toggle the throttle response to be more alike the 1M or more like stock, so you can basically tweak the throttle response lag to your style of driving.
@@TheGamingDistrict1 thanks!
Mhd is een aanrader! Heb zelf ook downpipes en 5inch intercooler. Stage 2+ zou 420hp moeten halen
Bro I say you go with mhd I’ve been running stage 2 mhd for about 2 years on my channels 335i and it’s been great so far no issues !
I think you will love that setup with the stock turbos, Nico. Like others have said, MHD is good. Both JB4 and MHD have come a long way over the years, but I think MHD is good because it's a straight flash vs. piggyback.
weee were back aw yeah!!!!!
Haha, it's nice to see your familiar face in the comments!
@@jake_spence you know it💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
I have a 135i, would I have to trim the bumper as well for a 5inch stepped intercooler?
Would you guys recommend 5" if you are running just jb4 tune?
Weather gets very hot during the summer
Also do you have any idea if you can buy the hardware separately? Mine didn’t come w the two screws on the side ..
💪🏻🙌🏻💯
What happened with the metal in the filter of ur 135i? I have the same amount of metal and a similar lifter tick noise
when i bought my car it already had 1 but the inlet is a little bang up
As long as there are no leaks you should be good, saved some money by having it on the car already.
@@jake_spence my car is the never ending project so many things to fix so little money 🤦🏾♂️😂
@@etelking lmfao
Do you happen to know if an arm 5” intercooler that states it’s for a 335i n54 will fit my 535xi n54
Did the splash shield fit fine? Because it seems like there is not enough room for the splash shield after the new intercooler.
how’d you do this without removing the bumper cover? i can’t get it to fit
Anybody know a compatible upgraded lower charge for the csf intercooler since it uses the c clip design, or could I clamp silicone
Looking to get a intercooler but don’t know what brand to get your saying csf might get vrsf or arm or csf
I have a 328i what would be good for me I want to Supercharge it
What about track vs drag applications? Given the same turbo (e.g. stage 2) a larger intercooler is a heat reservoir for cold and high temps. My point being, drag applications have undergo short bursts of stress vs track with many more year heat cycles.
It really depends. In my experience, you'll want something with a good amount of surface area for both applications. The problem with drag racing is that the car can heat soak in the staging lanes without any air flowing through, so water or meth would help more than the intercooler itself. Once you get moving, it should cool down pretty quick, but the run might be half over by that time. For track applications I'd want something that is large enough to keep temps down the whole time, without weighing a ton. What are your thoughts?
@@jake_spence im going full track car on my 135i and will be running a 7.5inch intercooler to accommodate a ST setup.
Their website says it’s good for 1000whp ???
What happens if I got big of a inter cooler
Race 7.5 Intercooler is the only way to go on a n54 with high power.
For sure, if you're shooting for the stars it's the best option!
I'm curious I was going to get a vrsf 7.5inch intercooler for my stock turbo n54 due to the fact in a few years time I would like to go single and then I wouldn't have to change the intercooler again what's the disadvantage to having a 7.5 on a stock turbo car ?
If you're for sure going single turbo in the future, you can get the 7.5" race intercooler to make it convenient. For now, you might get a little slower throttle response or boost lag with the extra capacity, but it probably won't be very noticeable. Still will keep things cooler than a stock intercooler for sure.
@@jake_spence Thank you very much 👍
👍👍👍
Would it be okay to go 7.5 stepped as a temporary one for stock turbos cause I plan to swap my turbos out and upgrade with another twin kit a bit later on?
I say get the 7.5 and leave it on till you upgrade turbos because either way I believe your going to need a bigger intercooler for the amount of psi your going to be pushing that’s my 5cents 🖖
Yeah it'd be fine as long as you're gonna upgrade. Might have a tiny bit more lag and loss of boost pressure but will definitely keep the temps down!
can you run the stock under tray with this intercooler?
Question that needs to be answerd
What would be your go to maintenance before modifying for power ? On a used 335i n54
aside from gasket leaks and the common spark plug/coil maintenance, a walnut blasting is the only thing I’d recommended assuming everything else is in order
Walnut blast should be one of your top priorities when it come to maintenance
The other commenters hit the nail on the head here, any oil leaks, plugs, coils and walnut blast. Maybe injectors if you have rough cold starts too.
@@Omegasticks77 how so? I need to do mine..
Do you really only have to trim that lower bit? Another video for the CSF 5.5” fitting showed that you had to cut more higher up as well
Check out my vid bro ! I install a 5.5 inch as well
I think I ended up having to trim a little higher to be honest, but I might not have filmed that part...😅
Can anyone hear a whistling spool noise after upgrading intercooler or just me? No not boost leak
What size IC would you recommend for a pure stage 2 135i running about 500whp?
I would say 7.5 aswell!
That's tough. I think the CSF unit would be fine if you don't wanna do a lot of trimming... otherwise the 7.5" race intercoolers would be good too.
@@jake_spence Probably will upgrade to a 7.5" just wanted to make sure it wasn't overkill, ty for response. (Coming from a 5" stepped ic from ebay that did surprisingly well with MHD 2+)
Would a stepped 5 inch intercooler be ok for 17t’s?
Yeah, if you're not pushing them like crazy.
Do you have that 7” intercooler laying around? I’d me interested in buying it.
I don't, sorry! I typically try to sell any spare parts I have laying around right away.
I have your wheels that you were trying to run 10’s on. They are painted black stock rims with Mickey Thompsons on them. I bought them from the kid with the blue 135i with the low mount.
Would you still recommend a 5.5" Stepped Intercooler for a country 🇦🇺 with a hot climate for a Stage 2+ Daily Driven 135i N54? Or would you bump up to a 7" unit? I do like the minimal trimming of the CSF, but worried this won't cope here in summer. Any advice would be sweet. Thanks.
Going that large will have more negative effects than positive, the CSF intercooler is perfect up to 600whp in my personal experience
It's tough to say without knowing how much boost or power you're running. The CSF unit seems great so far, but if you're running ~600whp or more, I might suggest the 7.5" race intercooler to be honest. But like Jack said, if you're under 600whp, I think the CSF unit will be good.
@@jake_spence Currently on Stage 2 (~16psi) at approx 380whp according to dyno results from previous owner. Looking to push to Stage 2+ on 98 Octane. Currently running:
- BMS DCI
- VRSF Catless DP's
- VRSF Chargepipe
- MFactory Helical LSD
- Res Delete
- Stock Turbos
- Stock Intercooler - (yuck)
Wanting to tune to Stage 2+ (~18psi) with the right intercooler, but don't want to go overboard as honestly this is my daily driver and I won't be tracking or dragging. It sounds like I can get away with the 5.5" if I want to stick around get to around the 420whp mark. Thanks!
@@TheNsnare I have same setup except I have the JB4 tune. What tune are you using?
@@spiraling6980 MHD Stage 2 👌
You actually don’t have to trim anything to fit this intercooler have it on my 335is super tight fit everything in it’s way needs to be removed, but no trimming required at all.
For a 5 inch right?
I've heard so many mixed things. I had to cut for sure, it would not fit without trimming. Others said they had to trim more than I did, and you said you didn't have to trim at all. I wonder if it's a model-specific thing...
Did u get a 5 inch or 7?
I’m a newbie so my question is…. Are we clearing any fluids before taking out the FMIC and how? And then. Refilling said fluids??
Our intercooler is air to air. No fluids :)
@@moregankfreeman3409 thank you for answering lol. I feel so dumb but I also learned something!
If you’re pushing stock turbos you definitely want a 7.5”.
Agreed ! I personally have a 5inch intercooler on my channels 335i and it’s decent !
Really? I guess if you're going super high boost 22-25psi, then I'd say so. But otherwise it might be overkill with more volume than needed.
I’ve got the VRSF HD on mine. I made 435hp on stock turbos but now I’m on 17T. I’m wondering if I might need to upgrade to the 7.5” race. Though here in the uk the temperature gets to 30c max on a heatwave summer.
That's over kill for stock turbos. 5 inch is fine
How much horsepower is typically gained ? And does the inter cooler upgrade require a tune?
I don’t think upgrading the intercooler requires a tune
Doesn't require a tune. Really depends on your setup and the outside temp. This intercooler will help your car perform efficiently. Instead of temps rising from ambient to +40-50*, it might only rise +5... keeping way more horsepower on tap. Hope that makes sense. The more mods you have, the more power you keep.
5:00
This is standard video which is full youtube… Basic thing are missing like change your lower pipe and use high quality hoses… those are important things
Completely agree with you !
This was meant to be a general overview and install video... like I mentioned halfway through the video, I would like to make another video that talks all about intercoolers, including hard pipe, clamps, etc.
"Big boy units" lolz
Do u still have 135i?
YES! I am fixing it and will have it back on the channel 💪
What’s up bros just a small CZcams 335i channel here🖖
is possible install it without elevator?
I say yea tbh!
Definitely, just not as convenient...
I thought it was like 6-6.5’…rated to 800whp+?
Yes if it's a properly designed intercooler. Because of how well designed the CSF is it will actually outperform the 7" and 7.5" options for most applications. I've had ARM 7" and CSF on my 17t build and the CSF destroys it in everyway lol.
Like Jack said, it really depends on what you get. They're all different and some are better quality than others. CSF carries a great name brand and I've been really impressed with the quality.
Der beste ladeluftkühler ist von hf motorsport , ist aber teuer
I had to Google translate this, but I've never heard of that intercooler before
@@jake_spence es ist eine kleine Fabrik aus Deutschland , grüße aus Deutschland 😏
Second comment
Push notification gang 🤜 🤛
Who is that girl? Where did Eileen go?
That is Eileen Lol
@@jake_spence Oh lol my bad. Looking forward to more N54 content, and hopefully an update on the 135i's motor!
First :)
My #1 😃
Make more videos… My only negative thing i can confidently say about the channel.
You right... I gotta get more consistent 😂