[Aus335iguy]

For $440 freedom dollars+ postage i can have inlets, outlets and DCI. Im tossing up whether this is for me. At the moment Im running a stage 2 pump tune and would prefer to keep it pump only (I know)
I have DPs and a cooler but no DCI - I was looking for an intake and then i noticed that the VRSF inlets and and outlets will cost me much the same as an aFe sealed DCI. I think its a better way to go value wise - Has anyone here done it ? What was your experience with it..? specifically any issues with RHD fitment ?

http://www.vr-speed.com/vrsf-silicon...135i-335i.html

[Brule]

The inlets and outlets and even a good intake together wont net you any gains on pump fuel.

You will get to 16-18 psi at the most and be octane limited.

[Socket]

I didn't notice any difference with inlets and outlets. Waste of money to be honest unless running aftermarket turbos

DCI is a nice cheap mod the makes your car unroadworthy but get more engine noise lol. I say do it

[Aus335iguy]

Originally Posted by Brule

The inlets and outlets and even a good intake together wont net you any gains on pump fuel.

You will get to 16-18 psi at the most and be octane limited.

Your probably right it?s surprising how many people say the opposite
I don?t really need anymore power out of it. It?s plenty fast for my driving ability but just would like to let it breath easier is all. What sort of WGDC would you consider as normal/acceptable?
Any idea on fit ?

[Coupes33]

I wouldn't waste your money on a DCI. Just buy a K&N panel filter and put it into your OEM filter box. I am running the OEM filter box with a K&N filter and an extra pod filter and run 11.3s. Tawfeeqh who has run a 11.1s runs an OEM filter box. A DCI draws in hot air from within the engine compartment mixed with air coming in from the front of the vehicle where as the OEM filter box gets all the air from outside the engine compartment at ambient temperature.

[Brule]

Put all that cash into a vrsf 7.5 inch intercooler instead.

Unless you pushing 20psi on stock turbos stock inlets your wgdc won't be improved much below that.

[iliketurtl3s]

U need additional components to fit to rhd because of the steering column unless u are doing custom fits yourself.

[Aus335iguy]

Originally Posted by iliketurtl3s

U need additional components to fit to rhd because of the steering column unless u are doing custom fits yourself.

Thanks guys. Reckon I might take that advice get a K&N, better cooler and call it a day.

[iliketurtl3s]

I'm doing a diy... So am taking the chance. I bought the same set up. Dragged on because of the shit weather and motivation. Lol.

[Trev88]

Originally Posted by Coupes33

I wouldn't waste your money on a DCI. Just buy a K&N panel filter and put it into your OEM filter box. I am running the OEM filter box with a K&N filter and an extra pod filter and run 11.3s. Tawfeeqh who has run a 11.1s runs an OEM filter box. A DCI draws in hot air from within the engine compartment mixed with air coming in from the front of the vehicle where as the OEM filter box gets all the air from outside the engine compartment at ambient temperature.

Is that only for city driving? But spirited driving wouldn't the cooler air depending on the weather flow in? Plus leaves pulled into the oem box might decrease its effectiveness.

[EB89]

Yeah I wouldn’t waste the money on an intake.

Replace the panel filter you have now and leave it at that

[Coupes33]

Originally Posted by Trev88

Is that only for city driving? But spirited driving wouldn't the cooler air depending on the weather flow in? Plus leaves pulled into the oem box might decrease its effectiveness.

All that I am saying is that I have used a DCI for several years and achieved no better times at the drags than what I am getting now using the OEM intake. The DCI didn't make any improvement on a moderately modified N54 so why waste money on one if your car has only minor modifications. Just install a K&N filter in the OEM intake. I don't know about leaves being sucked into the intake. I have never seen any in the DCI or OEM intake in the 7 years I have had the car.

[Trev88]

Originally Posted by Coupes33

All that I am saying is that I have used a DCI for several years and achieved no better times at the drags than what I am getting now using the OEM intake. The DCI didn't make any improvement on a moderately modified N54 so why waste money on one if your car has only minor modifications. Just install a K&N filter in the OEM intake. I don't know about leaves being sucked into the intake. I have never seen any in the DCI or OEM intake in the 7 years I have had the car.

Cool I was thinking of going pod. Yeah mine had leaves in the filter when I had an oem paper filter so was wondering if getting a pod one might be better

[SE7EN335]

Yes the DCI will heatsoak after 2 back to back pulls. Guaranteed.

The OEM box with k&n panel filter will provide much more consistent performance even though the first pull with the DCI would provide extra airflow. Any pulls after the first pull would net negative gains as the increased temps of the DCI outweighs the benefits of the increased airflow of the DCI.

[Socket]

Yeh but DCI are just cool 😎

[Coupes33]

Originally Posted by Trev88

Cool I was thinking of going pod. Yeah mine had leaves in the filter when I had an oem paper filter so was wondering if getting a pod one might be better

If an air filter is located in the engine bay and open to sucking heated air from that area, performance will be affected. Any increase in the temperature of the intake air will decrease the power output. The cooler the air is, the more condensed it is and therefore, there is more oxygen contained per litre which makes more power. That is one reason why turbo cars perform better in winter than summer. Obviously, the lower ambient temperature in winter also helps the IC lower output temperatures. It is much better to have the intake air at ambient temperature coming into the filter from outside the engine bay.

[xQx]

The debate about Inlets and outlets is an entirely different one from that of the airbox/DCI.

The jury is out about if a DCI increases performance. As Coupes33 said, with a DCI you're sucking hot engine air rather than cold air, which means you need to compress more air for the same result. However, that air is much easier to suck than with the stock filter, so you CAN compress more air more quickly. Some people have reported power loss by changing the standard airbox with a DCI.

Hands down it's wasted money to buy an aftermarket cold air intake, but you DO get faster turbo spool-up with a DCI than you do with a factory airbox - and:

When you compress air it gets hot. When that air goes through the intercooler it gets cold again. When it gets to the inlet manifold, that's where you measure the boost and control the wastegate. The hot air issue is actually a non-issue if you've got a good intercooler and you're travelling at speed. On the track, your DCI is going to be more freely flowing, and with scoops and the stock 'snorkle' in place, the air it's sucking isn't much hotter than what'd be being fed to the stock airbox.

However, I've measured it - and in traffic, my DCI's start sucking air 30 degrees above ambient. That makes a difference to both turbo efficiency and IAT. If I leave the car to idle in my carport for half an hour, my IAT is 50 degrees Celsius.

The best intake is a MR5 modified airbox. More flow than standard with none of the heat of DCI.

However, if you like the "wooopssshhh" of a turbo, go for a DCI and the BMS cowl filters. THAT is the real benefit (or drawback, depending on what you like) of DCI's.

HOWEVER.

Inlets & Outlets are absolutely worth doing. The stock N54 inlets are squashed to the crap and restrict flow. OEM location inlets are an absolute PITA to install. (probably less so in a 3 series than a 1er, but still not a fun job) - but doing them has a noticeable impact on both turbo lag and top-end power. I did inlets and outlets at the same time, so I can't say what the impact of just inlets is, but both inlets & outlets made my car run on e98 the way it used to on E25.

Outlets are equally important. The stock outlets on our cars are far worse than our LHD peers - they have a very nice dint in them to make way for the steering column which about halves the internal diameter of the pipe. Swapping them out makes a noticeable difference to your tune.

Finally, the relocated inlets kit you linked won't fit RHD cars. None of them do. You'll need to reach out to one of the Australian tuners for a custom kit. It's a challenge to fit it on the hot side without the steering column in the way... I believe it's possible to get it done on RHD cars - but it's not off-the-shelf.

[tawfeeqh]

Originally Posted by Coupes33

I wouldn't waste your money on a DCI. Just buy a K&N panel filter and put it into your OEM filter box. I am running the OEM filter box with a K&N filter and an extra pod filter and run 11.3s. Tawfeeqh who has run a 11.1s runs an OEM filter box. A DCI draws in hot air from within the engine compartment mixed with air coming in from the front of the vehicle where as the OEM filter box gets all the air from outside the engine compartment at ambient temperature.

+1 oem intake box with and k&n or bmc filter is all you need

[xQx]

Originally Posted by tawfeeqh

+1 oem intake box with and k&n or bmc filter is all you need

You'll only see a benefit if you add a pod filter to your OEM airbox (google MR5 intake) - the OEM BMW panel filter isn't the restriction in an N54 airbox, the snorkel to the front of the radiator and the gap between panel filter and the lid is.

If you take the OEM panel filter out altogether and just run no filter in the OEM airbox you get exactly zero performance benefit over running the OEM filter.

It doesn't matter how free flowing the K&n or BMC drop-in replacements are, the airbox design is the restriction, not the filter.

[tawfeeqh]

Originally Posted by xQx

You'll only see a benefit if you add a pod filter to your OEM airbox (google MR5 intake) - the OEM BMW panel filter isn't the restriction in an N54 airbox, the snorkel to the front of the radiator and the gap between panel filter and the lid is.

If you take the OEM panel filter out altogether and just run no filter in the OEM airbox you get exactly zero performance benefit over running the OEM filter.

It doesn't matter how free flowing the K&n or BMC drop-in replacements are, the airbox design is the restriction, not the filter.

yeh I am aware of the Mr 5 intake. I wasn't implying the k&n will give any performance gains just a better more durable filter than the cotton oem cotton ones with a little more induction noise too with the k&n

This is just my view but I think the oem air box with maybe a mr 5 intake (if you can be bothered) is sufficient. My car has gone through oem airbox, tft, dual cone, afe sealed with stock turbos and fbo upgraded turbos and the gains/ improved flow is pretty neglible so have just stuck to the oem + bmc filter to keep a clean engine bay and to avoid issues with authority. I am making close to 400 rwkw running 11.1 @ 134 mph

[Tiberius73]

Originally Posted by Socket

I didn't notice any difference with inlets and outlets. Waste of money to be honest unless running aftermarket turbos

DCI is a nice cheap mod the makes your car unroadworthy but get more engine noise lol. I say do it

Old, but I like to raise the dead.
The inlets don't give you power. The stock turbos will still get you around 17-19psi of boost before problems start but if you have the inlets they are working against a lesser pressure differential at the mid-to-high RPMs under high load, so the turbos have to work less hard to provide the same boost. This lets them live a fair bit longer. Which is the only gain with stock turbos.

If you start to run bigger turbos, then they in turn will want more air, which again in turn means you want bigger inlets and so this goes from a longevity-mod to an essential mod.