[Minutes2Midnight]

Originally Posted by Biginboca

Why are you changing the radiator? How was your track event with the SC?

Mostly just for peace of mind, I haven't necessarily had any coolant related issues in the last. I had wanted to do an auxiliary radiator from the 335is, but the supercharger intake gets in the way of where that's supposed to mount, so I figured I'd upgrade the radiator instead.

The track day at Charlotte conflicted with my kart racing so I missed out on the one for July. I also have a pretty steady leak from my oil pan gasket they I'd like to get fixed here before I go tracking again. Hopefully by August I'll get back on track again. I have a couple of dyno runs scheduled for tomorrow morning, though!

I can say from experience that the Stett oil cooler is a tight fit. The bracket for the heat exchanger barely cleared the underside of the headlight housing. It took myself lifting up on the entire headlight assembly with a huge amount of force while a friend wrestled the bracket into place. I also had to trim some plastic to even get it to sit flush with the L shaped bracket that it comes with. The OEM brake duct on the m sport bumper had to be deleted or modified, and I wasn't able to run the upper fitting on the heat exchanger in the upward position due to a physical lack of space. Other than that, it's quality stuff and my test drive went well with no leaks!

[Phil325i]

Could you give the part number for your new diff cover (with cooling fins) please? Do you know if it's a stright swap for cover number 33117518404?

[Minutes2Midnight]

Originally Posted by Phil325i

Could you give the part number for your new diff cover (with cooling fins) please? Do you know if it's a stright swap for cover number 33117518404?

The 328i has the 188L diff with the part number you listed. The finned diff cover (33117516280) is from a 530i with the 188K diff and they are a direct swap. Although keep in mind that some fins may have to be shaved depending on your exhaust setup for clearance.

The car made 298whp/250wtq on the dyno. That's 100whp over the baseline dyno, so I can't complain too much, but I was definitely hoping the power figure would start with a 3. The car runs out of something, maybe fuel, near the top of the RPM range, so maybe that can be fixed. Looking at you, N54 intake manifold. If not, methanol and lower charge temps will! This kit really should have been intercooled, the supercharger gets so hot and raises the charge temps after only a couple of pulls.

[Silnismo]

Wow pretty impressive numbers

[Phil325i]

Originally Posted by Minutes2Midnight

The 328i has the 188L diff with the part number you listed. The finned diff cover (33117516280) is from a 530i with the 188K diff and they are a direct swap. Although keep in mind that some fins may have to be shaved depending on your exhaust setup for clearance.

Thanks. Sorry two other questions:

1) Am I right in thinking there is no gasket available? The 3-series has no gasket listed whereas the 5-series does. Did you use the E60 gasket and/or the Loctite sealer listed?

2) I see from RealOEM that the new diff cover has eight bolts whereas the original had seven. Did this cause any issues e.g. oil leaks?

[Minutes2Midnight]

Originally Posted by Phil325i

Thanks. Sorry two other questions:

1) Am I right in thinking there is no gasket available? The 3-series has no gasket listed whereas the 5-series does. Did you use the E60 gasket and/or the Loctite sealer listed?

2) I see from RealOEM that the new diff cover has eight bolts whereas the original had seven. Did this cause any issues e.g. oil leaks?

I haven't gotten around to the diff install yet myself, I'm planning on installing an LSD before I get it in the car, but I've seen others use it without issue. Id imagine there would be a gasket. From what I can tell, the bolt locations look the same. I definitely recommend checking out Biginboca's information on this thread.

[Minutes2Midnight]

Been a while since I updated the thread. My latest interest has involved replacing the LCI side mirrors. I'll be attempting to merge a set of E36 M3 mirrors with the base of an E92 LCI mirror to make a set of mirrors similar to what's found on the E92 M3 GT4 cars.

[Biginboca]

That’s really interesting what you are doing with the mirrors. I’ll be watching to see how that turns out

[tetsuo111]

Looks like some of the crazy people here think similarly. I have an E36 M3 mirror project in the queue, too. You might find this handy:

E36 M3 mirrors retrofit

Originally Posted by Minutes2Midnight

Been a while since I updated the thread. My latest interest has involved replacing the LCI side mirrors. I'll be attempting to merge a set of E36 M3 mirrors with the base of an E92 LCI mirror to make a set of mirrors similar to what's found on the E92 M3 GT4 cars.

[squaredphoto]

Originally Posted by Minutes2Midnight

Been a while since I updated the thread. My latest interest has involved replacing the LCI side mirrors. I'll be attempting to merge a set of E36 M3 mirrors with the base of an E92 LCI mirror to make a set of mirrors similar to what's found on the E92 M3 GT4 cars.

Really curious how this turns out!

[Minutes2Midnight]

I finally got my M3 mirrors in and I've started mocking up a few mounting plate ideas.

But more importantly, the meth injection is done and I finally got around to installing the P3 vent gauge!



Pay no attention to the nozzle adapter being upside down. I fixed it.

[Noir]

Minutes2Midnight What kit from TC did you go with? Single or double adjustable? (Or did you do the single adj. kit with double rear?) Spring rates? Looks stellar in that track pic!

[Minutes2Midnight]

Long time, no see. I guess almost 2 years without an update is long enough. I'll be putting a similar update in the MILVS/Supercharger thread but I can't just abandon this thread (well, not for more than 2 years at least).

Firstly, to answer your question, Noir...I have the single adjustable TC Kline coilovers. I'd spend the extra little bit and get the DA if I were to do it again in a heartbeat.

The numbers, Mason...

The latest group of modifications yielded 459whp/328wtq.



Now where were we?

Now down to business! When I left you last, I had just completed the meth injection install. As you saw we put the nozzle straight into the charge pipe right before the throttle body. It worked very well, and kept IATs in the 120-130 degree range. IAT management is a big deal when it comes to the ESS supercharger kit.

If you're new to the ESS supercharger kit for the N52, basically ESS produced a basic non-intercooled kit that makes about 6psi on the smallest pulley they sell the kits with, which is 110mm. ESS didn't really care to develop this very much and you'll even see them say that you can't under any circumstance, run the ESS supercharger with headers installed which just isn't true.

So ESS gives us a means to an end. They provide us with an off the shelf kit that makes 300whp. And that's where most people would stop and say that this isn't a path worth going down. But that's where you would be wrong.

Where are we now?

The most recent endeavor that was undertaken relates to charge cooling! How fitting given where we left off, no? The goal was to have StageFP fabricate an intercooler for the ESS kit, but the tight packaging of the kit limits your options when it comes to air to air intercooler kits. Thankfully, Bob had a secret project up his sleeve. And if you haven't seen it yet, this is it.







They've built a custom air to water intercooler built into an intake manifold. Similar to the air to water aftercooler kits from earlier S54 supercharger kits and most notably used on the new B58 platform. When cruising on a 90+ degree day, the IATs stabilize at just 10-12 degrees above ambient! This is an absolutely incredible reduction in IATs over methanol injection and this manifold provided a MASSIVE bump in mid-range power and torque as well which I did not expect. Who needs a 3 stage manifold, anyway? All those things are good for is catching on fire in a steak 'n shake parking lot.

Supporting mods to make the most out of the 3.4 inch pulley include MILVS, Porsche 997 GT2 injectors (650cc/62lbs) as well as a Walbro Hellcat fuel pump. In case you were curious, the OEM fuel pump was good for about 425whp on 93 octane. Along with the fuel pump, StageFP added a heat sink and a cooling fan to the EKP module as a precautionary measure, however the EKP module has not been an issue to date and I have driven the car for extended periods of time and well over a thousand miles since it was installed.

Where do we go from here, power-wise?

Remarkably, the stock clutch has only just started to slip on the dyno when trying to push the limit of the current set-up closer to 500whp. The plan going forward will be to upgrade the stock clutch to one from a 335is/550i since I don't want anything incredibly aggressive and would like to retain OEM drivability. Once the clutch is replaced, I suspect a 2.7 inch pulley will place the car well into 500whp territory.

But how far do we go chasing power numbers? It's already a very capable car on track even in my hands. I'm glad to have had the pleasure and the opportunity to work with Bob and Phil at Stage Fabrication and Performance for the past few years, further developing the N52. As per Bob, this is now one of, if not the most developed N52s out there, rivaling BPC project Alice.

So that's the engine stuff, what else did you do? It's been two years!

I got new wheels! I have always dreamt of having a set of TE37s and it is now a dream come true. The TE37SL was discontinued at the beginning of 2022 and it was replaced by...the TE37 Saga SL. What's the difference? Some subtle changes, mostly to the wheel's mounting surface and the machining of the backside of the spokes. The labeling for "Made in Japan" is now engraved into the lip which looks pretty cool.

I got them in 18x9et23 fitment so that I could fit as wide of a tire as possible. They're 18 pounds each and I currently have a set of 245/40 Advan AO52s on them. Way too tall of a tire for as low as my car is, I'll replace them with either 255/35 or 265/35 when the time comes, but I do love how much sidewall these have!





..and that's really about it. I installed a UUC 30mm front sway bar and adjustable end links last weekend.




What's next, M2M?

With the purchase of a new daily, I plan to start competing in time attack events in the 328i and making it more at home on the racetrack. In the coming weeks, I'll be FINALLY installing my M3 master cylinder and a much needed brake fluid flush with Castrol SRF to get ready for Mpact East coming up in a few weeks!

Now that I'm 100% satisfied with the power output, I'm going to do some more reading through the 328csl thread and get caught up on how I can improve the chassis and handling and put this thing on a diet!

Build to-do list:

• 3 year overdue LSD install with diff oil cooler
• Chassis mounted front splitter
• Trunk storage compartment delete/functional diffuser and undertray
• Half cage and rear seat delete
• Sunroof delete/slicktop headliner so I don't break my neck on the sunroof opening
• Finally get around to doing those E36/GT4 mirrors
• Recaros in saddle brown
• Either buy lots of carbon fiber stuff or just lose 20 pounds
• Stop making excuses for not taking it to the track

[colorado.e9x]

So glad to see an update. Now that I'm getting a new engine I've been seriously considering a SC. This will be without a doubt my biggest inspiration behind that if/when I get a chance to do so.

Both your numbers and progress are impressive as hell!

Also nice BO1 reference

[cooperolson]

Amazing build! This setup is mental! I love your car! Im surprised you are able to fit such a large tire on 18x9! I was told largest I could run on my 18x9 was 235/40 otherwise it would rub on coilovers, although im at et.29.

Can't wait to see what the future holds!

[whyzee125]

Wow, can't believe I haven't seen this thread til now. Super sick car and impressive numbers!

I was also impressed you were able to fit those wheels at those offsets. They look amazing! JDM wheels are the way to go on BMWs.

[jzx_andy]

[Minutes2Midnight]

Update time!

This thread is more up to date than I thought.

Since I last saw you, not a lot has changed. I purchased another vehicle and had some fun modifying/racing it, which took time (and money) away from the BMW. I've done some boring maintenance stuff to the 328i like a new battery, new footwell module, new tires, brake pads, and brake fluid. The old oil cooler was obliterated on the highway so that's been replaced by a new unit from Earl's, along with BMRS braided lines to replace the rubber push connect hoses which were starting to leak. I also installed a carbon fiber front crash bar from an M3.





I've also finally had the M3 master cylinder installed, swapped out the front sway bar to an E93 M3 sway bar, uninstalled my methanol system, and added a carbon fiber gurney flap from an R32 GTR to my grand am wing.




I'm running into some clutch slipping issues during spirited/track driving which means the stock clutch setup is no longer up to the task. In the near future, I'll be upgrading the clutch setup with parts yet to be determined. After that's done, I'll figure out whether I want to install an M3 rear subframe or install an LSD into the 3.73 diff I already have laying around.



Lastly, I've actually been using the thing. I've taken up autocross this year and I suck at it, but it's a ton of fun.



I don't think I've mentioned it here, but I'm on Instagram @TheRacingJake where I post more frequently about my 328i shenanigans.

Hope to have more updates shortly!

[Minutes2Midnight]

Hello again, folks.

Finally got around to the clutch and making progress on some drivetrain mods. I've had the clutch replaced with a fresh 328i friction disc and with it, a 335is/550i pressure plate and JB Racing flywheel. I also had the Dinan short shifter replaced with a 22RPD OEM+ short shifter and DSSR.

My impressions of the new setup so far: the clutch is slightly firmer and it grabs much sooner than before. NVH from the single mass flywheel isn't noticeably increased and the engine revs much faster than before. The 22RPD short shifter is a little more vague and rubbery than the Dinan short shifter, but the DSSR that goes with it is great at reducing the play I had in the shifter when in gear.

I'm still breaking in the clutch so I can't confirm yet whether or not it still slips when banging gears as the previous setup was starting to. I also had the oil pan gasket replaced while they were in there doing the clutch. The oil pan gasket was leaking onto the clutch which could have contributed to the slipping.





You may remember from page 2 of this thread where I mentioned a Quaife was on the way. Well it's about time we got around to that. The Quaife is here and ready to go into my spare 3.73 diff with some Turner Grand Am spec Delrin diff bushings. The LSD install will be happening in the coming weeks once the new diff bearings have arrived. The new 3.73 diff will finally get the finned 188K diff cover from the previous page as well.



I've ordered a set of wheels for the track that I cant wait to share with you guys. I plan to wrap them in some A052s in hopes of some time attack duty this coming year.

What's next?

I plan to do an M3 front subframe reinforcement plate once it arrives this month, then I'll be headed back to the dyno at StageFP for some product development and pushing for more power on the new clutch setup.

I hope to do a front splitter and rear diffuser over the winter.

Excited for what's to come!

[Minutes2Midnight]

Progress is being made and I've completed another project! Thanks to Biginboca for documenting this project so well. I've installed a modified M3 subframe reinforcement plate.

Check out his thread for detailed steps!







The hardest part of the project was wrenching down on the M10 nutserts and getting them to compress with hand tools. Overall not too bad and an easy project.

I ordered a set of Apex FL-5s for track duty and those showed up today. They're 18x9et30 and I plan to run a 265/35 square setup on them.





I'll be installing E46 M3 transmission mounts soon, which I'm told are stiffer than OEM 328i mounts with no additional NVH. Sounds like a no-brainer. Also the diff will be going in as soon as the new bearings show up!

[san40k]

Awesome build, although had to find it via reddit with so many sub-forums around here
Lots of good info for my 335i track car in the early making.

Why did you go with F30 brakes instead of a big brake kit ?

Which camber plates/camber are you running ? I will likely drill into front struts for next season as fixed 2.5 camber plates are not enough

[AlexKoast]

This is great. Love to see more N52 material come up and that people are pushing the boundaries with them.