balbs

WOW! So how long did it take them to do the mechanical conversion? Did they encounter any hiccups? How many techs worked on your car at the same time?

Georgieb

Balbs,
it took one technician just over 3 hours to do the conversion. All parts listed in our first page fit perfectly. That's one big hurdle put to rest. Now its all about the ECU tune and determining how well the car drives and responds and how much power I have at the low end and high end, including torque.

I also found another link which greater detail on the conversion DIY as completed on a Z4 with the same engine.

http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=455180

balbs

Yeah I've had that link bookmarked as well. That sounds awesome! I can't believe the premium BMW charged between the 525 and 530 when it was new when all it took for the engine conversion is just about $1000 in parts.

Were you taking pics of the progress? If so please post them up! We're all rooting for you man! Good Luck!!

Georgieb

Balbs, just imagine what these parts must actually cost BMW...haha

I wanted to stick around and take a bunch of pics but unfortunately I had to go into work today so I have none. I'll remove the engine cover and snap a few of the completed install for sure though.

Thanks for the positive comments. I've read so many good things regarding the Active Autowerke tune and this mod that I'm confident we are gonna get everything we should from the upgrade. e90 pilot and -C- seemed to have worked out all of the growing pains and kinks from earlier versions of the tune done by Gintani etc where there was some pinging/knocking in the engine which was probably as a result of running the engine too lean. Active Autowerke ECU programming better compensates for the changes in airflow caused by the new manifold. Also, the 530 has more valve lift than the 525 so that also needs to be programmed. e90 pilot reported that in his Dyno results you can see the three stage intake manifold in action by looking at the torque curve. At about 3200 rpm and 4400rpm you can see the torque drop and rise quickly. These are the points at which the DISA valves open up. As each valve opens, the torque rises sharply. Active Autowerke will hopefully work their magic on our E60 adaptation also!

nomis_nehc

Holy crap, can't wait to hear about the results!

Georgieb

Update: As of 1:00 PM EST I now have the car back. Get ready guys.....There is definitely a significant jump in torque/power and it is very noticeable as before this was one of the biggest downfalls of my 525i. Well, no more! The car seems to now accelerate hard at its torque peak in any given gear. In contrast to the torque curve (and the matching pushback into your seat), acceleration rises more rapidly with rpm as compared to before. I am now convinced that it is better to make torque at high rpm than at low rpm. The car is simply....FAST! I'm a very happy dude and it feels like I'm driving a new car all over again. As a side note and now that I'm developing more power than stock I'm wondering what my fuel/air ratio is like compared to stock. Active Autowerke explained that the re-tune should have also increased the fuel mixture a bit. We should see this in the Dyno results.

I don't know how much of this may be the "placebo" affect but I don't think very much. After all, if the math is correct, my hp gain should be aroud 50whp and 40 lbft tq. Dyno results will truly tell the tale. I've already got an appointment booked with a local Dyno Shop here in Toronto called Westport Auto for next Tuesday at 12:00pm. I'll be sure to scan and post my results then. (I wish I had Dyno'ed before so that we have baseline results to compare too, but unfortunately that ship has sailed. The only comparative measure we have is what a stock 525i should be putting out with 80,000km of wear and given the same environmental conditions).

Also keep in mind that my exhaust is still a bit restrictive as stock. I now have the RPI exhaust on order as of last night. As soon as it arrives I will install it and go out for Dyno testing again. The new pipe will help out on the high end where the torque drops off a little based on results I've seen on the E90s.

I had a lot of fun at lunch time driving around like a maniac. I'm sure the drive home from work this afternoon will be much the same. Gotta stay away from the cops and ask for some professional discretion. I've been dreaming about this day and completing this mod for almost a year now. I need my moment in the sun....Just think if I ever got my hands on an M5...Ha ha.

balbs

Damn that is some sweet news!!!!! Congrats! How long did the programming take?

Georgieb

In this instance re-programming is done via the OBDII port and not via BDM or any type of "piggyback", chip, or daughter-board interface with the ECU under the hood. The actual resulting code from Active Autowerke is customized specifically for my car although the parameters for controlling the new three-stage manifold and air flow during Part, Mid and WOT Wide Open Throttle were developed beforehand based on previous initial coding modifications, Dyno results and re-tuning refinements for the likes of the pioneers like E60post etc who were first to initiate this mechanical upgrade marvel. The ECU for the car is locked and synced to the vehicle and is different for each vehicle so the ECU flash must be dumped (read) then the customized tune and other modifications are added to the file and finally once complete, the flash is then re-written to the car's ECU in the place of the original file. Active Autowerke also included additional performance modifications to take advantage of the consumption of higher Octane level gas (94 in my case) and valve travel etc. The result is a fully customized tune which not only takes full advantage of the mechanical changes of the manifold but also adds all the other gains which are offered in their regular performance tune. It a double whammy!!

In terms of timing, the ECU takes approximately 1-1/2 hours for a full flash dump (read) and then a shorter time-frame once the code has been modified and ready to be written back to the ECU (approximately one hour).

In speaking with Active Autowerke this afternoon and explaining to them the results (albeit interpreted at this time) experienced with my car, the official response is that they are now ready to offer this as and official ECU tuning option on their website. With a little luck they may even make reference to our forums and to this link as proof of concept. My Dyno results are becoming more and more important now.

jg7879

congrats on the mod
pls keep us posted with the dyno results, can't wait
till you get your rpi exhaust
goodluck

Georgieb

I tried taking a pic which would show off the new manifold installed but its not easy to find the 3 intakes with everything back in place. This one is just more or less a glamor shot. Ha ha.