[feuer]

Originally Posted by alpnwss

100% agreed. I also agree that the cars are relatively cheap, but I didn't buy mine because I wanted it to be cheap or economical. Many nice is's can go for more than 22k (call me stupid). Hence my point of why not pay a little more for guaranteed quality.

This particular brand of cars is know for being unreliable, yes? So the quarantined quality you talk about lacked from the moment it rolled of the factory floor. Also, they are expensive. People still bought them, yes? So what are the chances that those well known pipes that retail for twice as much as competitors crappy pipes as just as crappy?

[DCook]

I bought the ebay xs power chargepipe 2 years ago. After a year the blowoff finally let go, i think it got gunked up from running a -20 washer fluid as meth/iat control. Didnt really care lol. Got switched to a tial. Never had any issues up to 33lbs over 4 motors, few 40lb antilag pulls. 3rd motor let go, and ripped open the c clip tab, but not its fault. Got replaced with another ebay cp. Never had issues with the threads or any of that. Also ran ebay xs power downpipes when it was fbo. Never any issues with those either. Guess im one of the few who will vouch for the ebay stuff.

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by stewbets

Could I interest you in a different perspective? What if there are people out there who value their six kids and wife over a lifestyle that buys the premium option for everything? What if there are people who like to drive performance vehicles while having their house paid off and carrying no debt? What if these same people (OK, I'm thinking of a specific person I know really well) would rather save as much money as possible for the future because their family is the most important thing in their life and not some silly car? What if these people don't mind the occasional fitment issue in the pursuit of the road less traveled (do you know how easy it is to get a refund on a crappy part)?

I get that it's really tempting to play the "all these kids can't afford an N54 like I can" card, but I'm simply asking you to broaden your perspective to include, at a minimum, penny-pinching freaks like myself. Two things absolutely thrill me: hard acceleration and saving money. And I intend to do both.

I deleted most of your post because we dont need your whole life story.
It isn't about playing the "these kids can't afford a N54 like I can" card. However that is very true that most of the newer owners cannot afford one properly. I've had mine for almost 4yrs now and I've watched a major decline in ownership. Which imo is pretty sad given the capability of these cars.
A chargepipe may not have that many issues but who's to say that next won't be Chinese turbos or fuel pumps which are very important to how well these cars run. These cars already have a poor reputation for reliability and putting Chinese junk parts that fit poorly or dont work correctly simply deteriorates the value of these cars even further. You may not be one to care but if I ever decide to sell my car I certainly would like to get as much money for it as i can. When you got a nicely built car like mine with lower miles being compared to the 180k chinese parts build car for half that and the potential owner knowing nothing about the difference it affects my cars value negatively.
Here's another issue i have with your post. If you are a money pincher then I'm sorry to inform you but you definitely got into the wrong platform because sooner or later you will be dropping big dollars on repairs whether you do them yourself or a shop. Injectors alone are $1400. New stock turbos are $1800 even more if you go aftermarket unless you go chinese and then you're paying twice at least.
Based off of how you described yourself. Sell the bmw and go buy a 5.0 mustang. You'll get similar performance and much better reliability. The price difference will be made up in money saved on repair costs.

[feuer]

Smgs1992 not every Chinese part is poor quality! Chances are your phone, your computer, that you are on now to type all of these are made in China. That is also huge factor in the reason you are able to afford them lol . Nothing personal, that is the case for most of us. Accept the reality man and stop talking shit about Chinese made parts.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by lukemcmullen45

I would go with an ARM charge pipe for $50 more, however I’ve had problems with my Downpipes from ARM getting backordered and terrible customer service, same thing with VRSF. Let me know if there’s anyone of you guys running a cheap charge pipe. My only concern is fitment.

I’m thinking of these ones below

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174246128383
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143046556560

Fitment!

The Cobb charge pipe fits perfectly. If you are going to use the factory or upgraded DV valves, I'd highly recommend the Cobb charge pipe. You can order it directly from them. In March of 2017, there was a revision, which made it fit better. The only way to ensure that you get the new version would be to order directly from Cobb.


https://www.cobbtuning.com/products/...ck-charge-pipe

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by feuer

Smgs1992 not every Chinese part is poor quality! Chances are your phone, your computer, that you are on now to type all of these are made in China. That is also huge factor in the reason you are able to afford them lol . Nothing personal, that is the case for most of us. Accept the reality man and stop talking shit about Chinese made parts.

Not nearly the same, very poor comparison lol
A major company such as apple may outsource to China but they still use US quality control.
I've been down the route with chinese parts before when I was young and couldn't afford better stuff. This was on my VW 2.0T and my 2G eclipse GST. Both cases i constantly had fitment issues. I was able to make the stuff work by modifying it but it sure would've been nice to just get quality parts and save myself a couple hours each time. The clamps on my VW's downpipe also fell apart after 2 years living in the rust bucket, not to mention having to go buy slip on pipes to get it to connect to the rest of the exhaust. Fmic on the dsm ended up being held up by wire as the mounting points didn't line up. The BOV leaked. Intake didn't fit well at all ect...
Maybe stop and think that there won't be any decent aftermarket support either since you guys constantly are buying chinese shit now too. Are you gonna say that a ON3 ST kit is the same quality or good enough that you should choose them over someone like Docrace?

[feuer]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

Not nearly the same, very poor comparison lol
A major company such as apple may outsource to China but they still use US quality control.
I've been down the route with chinese parts before when I was young and couldn't afford better stuff. This was on my VW 2.0T and my 2G eclipse GST. Both cases i constantly had fitment issues. I was able to make the stuff work by modifying it but it sure would've been nice to just get quality parts and save myself a couple hours each time. The clamps on my VW's downpipe also fell apart after 2 years living in the rust bucket, not to mention having to go buy slip on pipes to get it to connect to the rest of the exhaust. Fmic on the dsm ended up being held up by wire as the mounting points didn't line up. The BOV leaked. Intake didn't fit well at all ect...
Maybe stop and think that there won't be any decent aftermarket support either since you guys constantly are buying chinese shit now too. Are you gonna say that a ON3 ST kit is the same quality or good enough that you should choose them over someone like Docrace?

wow did I just read a book here? Go and edit every post of yours. Instead of Chinese write parts with poor quality control and no customer service as such parts can come from anywhere.

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by feuer

wow did I just read a book here? Go and edit every post of yours. Instead of Chinese write parts with poor quality control and no customer service as such parts can come from anywhere.

Buying from reputable brands negates those issues. If you want a car with a bunch of crappy parts go for it. Dont come on here and complain when stuff goes wrong though.

I'm not in good conscious gonna recommend crappy parts to people like you are.

[jame92r]

Had my eBay chargepipe on for last 2 years. No issues with MHD stage 2 tune

[Fuel-It!]

Sometimes the eBay ones don't fit. An authentic BMS chargepipe is only $139 so not exactly cost prohibitive.

[stewbets]

Originally Posted by Fuel-It!

Sometimes the eBay ones don't fit. An authentic BMS chargepipe is only $139 so not exactly cost prohibitive.

Sure, but you're not exactly over a barrel if the eBay one doesn't fit. Surely this isn't that hard to understand. Replacing a charge pipe isn't exactly some wildly involved procedure. If it doesn't fit, get your money back and move on. At this point we've heard from several who haven't had issues with their eBay charge pipes. But if the prospect of taking a slight risk for a $75+ savings doesn't appeal to you, by all means purchase that piece of mind! We're all different!

[stewbets]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

I deleted most of your post because we dont need your whole life story.
It isn't about playing the "these kids can't afford a N54 like I can" card. However that is very true that most of the newer owners cannot afford one properly. I've had mine for almost 4yrs now and I've watched a major decline in ownership. Which imo is pretty sad given the capability of these cars.
A chargepipe may not have that many issues but who's to say that next won't be Chinese turbos or fuel pumps which are very important to how well these cars run. These cars already have a poor reputation for reliability and putting Chinese junk parts that fit poorly or dont work correctly simply deteriorates the value of these cars even further. You may not be one to care but if I ever decide to sell my car I certainly would like to get as much money for it as i can. When you got a nicely built car like mine with lower miles being compared to the 180k chinese parts build car for half that and the potential owner knowing nothing about the difference it affects my cars value negatively.
Here's another issue i have with your post. If you are a money pincher then I'm sorry to inform you but you definitely got into the wrong platform because sooner or later you will be dropping big dollars on repairs whether you do them yourself or a shop. Injectors alone are $1400. New stock turbos are $1800 even more if you go aftermarket unless you go chinese and then you're paying twice at least.
Based off of how you described yourself. Sell the bmw and go buy a 5.0 mustang. You'll get similar performance and much better reliability. The price difference will be made up in money saved on repair costs.

I would argue that you did need to hear my life story and learn a thing or two. You don't get to decide which car I choose to own and drive. And you also don't get to decide what it means to "properly" afford a car. I get it, you like to pay top dollar for everything you put on your car. I think that's a little crazy, but that's your choice. Keep on doing your thing, but maybe come to the realization that it's just your thing. It's not the right way to maintain/mod a car. It's your way. See where I'm going with this? If I wanted a Mustang, I would have bought a Mustang. And as far as this being the wrong platform for me because of its cost of ownership, do you really think I'm not aware of the costs associated with it? Brother, remember how I just shared my life story with you? You think I don't know the money pit that is the 335xi? Apart from my eBay FBO purchases (which have been fantastic), I've replaced my injectors, coils, plugs, DME mosfets, valve cover, oil pan gasket, oil filter housing gasket, rear main seal, giubo, center support bearing, front passenger axle shaft, vanos solenoids, clutch slave cylinder, an inner door handle (why BMW?) and more random stuff I'm sure I'm forgetting. I've had the car for 9 months. I know these cars are total basket cases. But, like you, I feel they have enough upside that I put up with all the hassle.

Now that I think about it, it would only be fitting to buy a replacement part that might give me a little hassle since I'll be installing it on a car that loves to hassle me. But seriously, it sounds like you resent people putting eBay parts on their cars because it lowers the value of yours? Yeah, I'm not so sure you should think of your car as an investment. Depreciation is the name of the game and you're just not going to get what you think you should for your concoction of quality parts. It's not the eBay poser people's fault. It's just the way it is. I see way more value in our family Suburban than the $2500 the market dictates it's worth, and I think that's the way it should be. I didn't buy it to sell it.

[lukemcmullen45]

What did I start lol

[F13.KENN]

Coming from 1addicts, im starting to see why e90post was said to be a shitfest.

*grabs popcorn to observe personal argument about a chargepipe that comes from china*

[Jeef]

How about an ER charge pipe with the blow off valve closest to the throttle body, allows for really short vacuum line. Has the stock mounting flange. Meth bungs across from each other instead of one underneath the charge pipe. Has better positioning if you ever want to relocate your coolant tank too. Nice anodized finished.

The charge pipe offered by pheonix racing(BMS) works too and that one is cheaply priced.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by feuer

Smgs1992 not every Chinese part is poor quality! Chances are your phone, your computer, that you are on now to type all of these are made in China. That is also huge factor in the reason you are able to afford them lol . Nothing personal, that is the case for most of us. Accept the reality man and stop talking shit about Chinese made parts.

Of course, not all Chinese parts are poor quality, but were talking about parts like Charge pipes not phones and computer parts.

You might be fortunate with a Chinese charge pipe or it might blow off its connections and give you a boost leak.

It's a matter of wether you want to risk it or not, same goes with Chinese turbos for the N54

Personally wouldn't risk it.

I also would be weary of I was about to buy a N54 and the owner used various Chinese parts, I wouldn't want to risk it. As opposed to someone who used reputable parts, which would be a indication that he actually looked after the car.

End of the day, it's a personal choice.

[stewbets]

Originally Posted by Saif2018

Of course, not all Chinese parts are poor quality, but were talking about parts like Charge pipes not phones and computer parts.

You might be fortunate with a Chinese charge pipe or it might blow off its connections and give you a boost leak.

It's a matter of wether you want to risk it or not, same goes with Chinese turbos for the N54

Personally wouldn't risk it.

I also would be weary of I was about to buy a N54 and the owner used various Chinese parts, I wouldn't want to risk it. As opposed to someone who used reputable parts, which would be a indication that he actually looked after the car.

End of the day, it's a personal choice.

OK, this wacky comparison keeps coming up. Are we going to at least acknowledge there's a slight difference between a charge pipe install and a turbo install, with slightly different consequences if they fail? This is a totally illogical argument that isn't based on reality. Now, if I were you, I'd want it to be true that the cheap charge pipes just love to disintegrate. Why? Well I'd always be wondering if I wasted my money on a fully warranted and supported ordinary component with no moving parts that takes all of a few minutes to swap in. But for some reason you keep talking about risking it? The hyperbole is thick here. I don't think anyone in this thread is arguing against the risk of Chinese turbos, but attaching them to this totally unrelated topic is absurd. Maybe try garnering support through factual information instead. Fact, I assumed the risk of running the stock charge pipe after tuning my car. Fact, it blew up a couple weeks in. Fact, I drove my car home. Fact, I replaced it with an eBay charge pipe. And here we are today (8 months later). But what was my risk? Not having boost till it's replaced? Oh boy, welcome to the danger zone!

So, to summarize, we're talking about a pipe that holds pressure, installed in one of the most accessible parts of the engine bay, that upon failure does nothing more than steal your boost joy for the moment. A rod bearing this is not. Neither is this a turbo. Even a tire decision is way riskier than this one. In fact, I'd prefer to listen to an oil snob 100 times over rather than entertain the silly thought that my charge pipe purchase is risky.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by stewbets

OK, this wacky comparison keeps coming up. Are we going to at least acknowledge there's a slight difference between a charge pipe install and a turbo install, with slightly different consequences if they fail? This is a totally illogical argument that isn't based on reality. Now, if I were you, I'd want it to be true that the cheap charge pipes just love to disintegrate. Why? Well I'd always be wondering if I wasted my money on a fully warranted and supported ordinary component with no moving parts that takes all of a few minutes to swap in. But for some reason you keep talking about risking it? The hyperbole is thick here. I don't think anyone in this thread is arguing against the risk of Chinese turbos, but attaching them to this totally unrelated topic is absurd. Maybe try garnering support through factual information instead. Fact, I assumed the risk of running the stock charge pipe after tuning my car. Fact, it blew up a couple weeks in. Fact, I drove my car home. Fact, I replaced it with an eBay charge pipe. And here we are today (8 months later). But what was my risk? Not having boost till it's replaced? Oh boy, welcome to the danger zone!

So, to summarize, we're talking about a pipe that holds pressure, installed in one of the most accessible parts of the engine bay, that upon failure does nothing more than steal your boost joy for the moment. A rod bearing this is not. Neither is this a turbo. Even a tire decision is way riskier than this one. In fact, I'd prefer to listen to an oil snob 100 times over rather than entertain the silly thought that my charge pipe purchase is risky.

Of course turbos cost a lot more, the point was I prefer to buy from reputable sellers, too many dodgy Chinese ones about. I'd rather pay a few quid extra for a charge pipe which does not cost an arm and a leg anyway, and not have to worry about if I'm going to end up with a boost leak somewhere down the road.

It's up to you.

Yes a charge pipe purchase isn't risky, I don't recall saying it was.

If you got a Chinese metal charge pipe and it works for you with no fitment issues, go for it.

[B6T]

Here I am wondering how a single person could raise a family and pay off a house in 6 years...

*checks realtor.com for Dayton, Ohio*

Oh.

*crys in corner of average sized house in decent neighbourhood that cost $725,000, bemoans ridiculous property values in Canada*

[B6T]

I purchased an AliExpress charge pipe, because I'm broke and am hoping to drive down the resale value of the platform, and surprise surprise, it didn't even come close to fitting.

Then, I bought a VRSF pipe and it fit very well.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by B6T

I purchased an AliExpress charge pipe, because I'm broke and am hoping to drive down the resale value of the platform, and surprise surprise, it didn't even come close to fitting.

Then, I bought a VRSF pipe and it fit very well.

Got a VRSF Charge Pipe myself, never had any issues with it.

[B6T]

I should clarify that I bought the VRSF pipe for the 335d coolant reservoir and am using it in combination with a VRSF 7.5" competition / stepped intercooler. The fitment it spot on, and after OCD'ing over the clamping position of all the couplers, is perfect.