ucsbwsr

Hey guys,

I am torn between which intercooler to get and am looking for advice from owners who have experience with either, ideally fitted to a 535i or 535xi. I am aware of the bolt on 535i specific intercoolers and am not really interested in those (unless a used one falls into my lap for the price I am looking to spend on these two. I am an amateur DIYer and am always looking for things to get my hands dirty with; in addition I place Value/$ high on my priority list.

Here are some of my understandings on these 2 Intercoolers, please correct me if I am misinformed:

Similarities:
- Volume is roughly the same size
- Both share a basic Cooling/Fin Design
- Both will require some cutting and custom mounting solutions

Differences:
GodSpeed:
- Front Mount Design
- 22x6x6 = 792
- Does not require relocation of other cooling units and less trimming
- Located slightly lower than ideal for direct air flow.
- Does not block radiator
- Includes piping and elbows
- $385

CxRacing:
- V-Mount Design
- 18x12x3.5 = 756
- More labor to install compared to Godspeed
- Although located behind more direct air flow, the top of the IC is covered by the bump and also slightly blocks the radiator (people say the proximity to the radiator is not an issue but I feel it is worth mentioning).
- Hardware not included but I can source for $110
- $180 + $110 = $290


It is almost a toss up for me, can anyone with experience sway me one way or another?
Thanks,
Evan


GodSpeed:



CxRacing:

Booyaazaa

Some people have gone with the Godspeed fmic and made it work. For the most part any E90 fmic will work it's just a matter of how much to trim. That Cxracing looks like some serious work to make it fit. If you didn't know ER is having a sale on their FMIC kits. I just bought the standard kit which includes the CP for a little over $900 shipped. The ER setup is a direct swap out and the CP is designed for our E60's. Just a thought.

ucsbwsr

Trimming doesn't really bother me, the less the better of course. My interest lies in finding out if some of the e82/e9X intercoolers can bolt on to an E60 without modification. If not then it is hard to justify the extra dough over the other options. Can you confirm any 1 or 3 series kits bolting directly to a 5 series?

Evan

5wagon

What did you end up going with? Im leaning towards the godspeed just because of the ease of installation. It seems like the godspeed would fit better into our e60s and it doesnt seem like either have a huge advantage over the other

ucsbwsr

I fitted a 7" VRSF, very happy with it so far.
http://www.n54tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24731

Evan

5wagon

Thanks for the reply Evan! I too own an e61 wagon along with about 6 other people in the US lol . As you probably know finding information on this model is a b*tch so the reply is very much appreciated

On a completely unrelated topic, I wanted to discuss the difficulty of the ar design DP install. I have heard that its roughly a 5-6 hour install that requires a very skilled mechanic and the removal of the back axle...

I was curious about the gains but also about the fitment of the pipes. Ive heard that they must both be installed at the same time and even doing so people are having trouble getting them to fit correctly. Any input?

Thanks
Sam

ucsbwsr

Hey Sam,

I totally agree the resources and aftermarket parts available for our cars are far-and-few between but once they reach the modified state it really makes for a unique car, and the hurdles along are gratifying even though they bust our knuckles and wallet.

About the DPs, I heard the same horror stories and was planning on having them installed for me, some quotes were upwards of $500 and the most modest one I found was $250 from Long at LTMW but I have known him for a long time and am not sure if that was a "bro" price or not. I found a great deal on my DPs @$450 (shipped from Korea) and It was really me to stomach hundreds of dollars for labor.

I researched the process spent $100 on tools from Harbor Freight to aid in the installation process like swivel extensions, E-sockets, O2 sensor socket etc. I really like idea of saving the money on labor, spend some of it on tools which you will inevitably use later, and save the extra OR spend it on other parts. The process may be time consuming and frustrating but more-so educational and rewarding. Building your DIY knowledge on these cars really pays dividends in the future when you are able to self-diagnose and repair things for a fraction of what it would otherwise cost. Not to mention the confidence and momentum increases after each install/repair and you find yourself looking for something else to tackle.

Enough of my cheerleader pump-up speech, onto the facts...
The AR DP install on a 535xi is challenging due to the lack of space but if I can do it anyone can, my hands are huge, like REALLY HUGE, like 6'8" 250lb professional volleyball player huge, so I was handicapped going into the install. If you know the steps of the install, have the proper tools, and patience it isn't that bad.

I do recommend removing the passenger side axle, it is not as intimidating as it sounds, I decided to keep the axle,knuckle, and coilover together as a unit. It was a little awkward removing and installing the unit as it is awkward and heavy with all the parts joined but so much easier than separating/installing the strut-knuckle or axle-knuckle.

Getting the ARs in does take some finesse but again if you are patient and pragmatic with your problem solving it isn't that bad. Be mindful of the )2 sensors, in their location black go to bank 1-3 and grey go to 4-6 (get this wrong and you will have to do it all over again) but also in the order in which they were removed and should be installed. Some O2s can be installed prior to slipping the DP in, some O2s keep the DP from sliding into place. If I remember correctly, it can depend on how your catback hangs. If I remember correctly, my process was roughly:

- Be mindful of getting the v-bands spread over the turbos out of the way AND in a position where you will be able to insert the screw and later tighten it, strategizing your plan of attack for tightening the screws will pay huge dividends.
- I left all O2s off until DPs were up in position
- Slide F DP in place (leave v-bands undone and out of the way)
- Slide R DP up
- wiggle/tug/shake/pull/yank/swear until both DPs are in place above catback and sitting near turbos and v-bans clamps
- Look for what O2 sensors may be difficult to reach and get the installed first before the DPs are seated and clamped having a little bit of wiggle room with the DPs can make a big difference for some sensors
- After O2s are in, seat the DPs on the turbos, install the bolt on the v-bands, and finger tighten them (or equivalent with your means of reaching the clamps).
- Twist DPs so that they roughly align with the cat-back. Install some NEW gaskets and hardware, finger tight.
- Go back on forth between tightening the v-bands and DP-CB hardware until it is all cinched down.
- Start the car to hear the sounds, smell the smells, and make sure your O2s were correctly installed
- Put everything else back together being mindful of what goes where and torque specs (especially on suspension components)


This is what I did, your process may be different but in 2 weeks time I removed oem DPs, installed the ARs, then removed the ARs, and then installed them again. Of course, follow at your own risk.

Sorry my thoughts were so scattered, I got into more detail than I was planning and my formatting was not on point. Regardless, hope this helps. Do the install yourself, save the money and feel like a boss!

Evan

semeur

good post

5wagon

Evan,

Sorry for the late reply I have been extremely busy this past week...

Your detailed reply makes me want to tackle the install! One side of me wants to be a boss and install the dps myself. However, based on my mechanical background (and the fact that this is my daily driver), I would feel uncomfortable going into the install alone... If I choose to pay someone to do it, I will definitely stick around during the install for future reference.

Thats a steal you got on your dps! I would love to find a used set for around that price but as of now im planning on just getting new ones from AR

Just ordered my 7" VRSF front mount (thanks for the suggestion!) The fmic will be my next major install I cant wait to get that thing fitted!

I think while I wait for the IC to come in, I will get my muffler deleted. This beast is surprisingly quiet for how fast it is lol (Its very frustrating). I think I will save money on exhaust for some a beneficial mod. Plus I like the exhaust note in your videos. Any regrets after you deleted yours? Did you only replace the rear muffler with straight piping?

Thanks again and sorry for a bunch of misc questions that dont really relate to the OP... haha

5wagon

Just fitted my new 7" VRSF front mount!! Thanks for the detailed thread it really helped with the install. I am very happy it. It seems like a really good bang for your buck