[November]

Originally Posted by tylerhart_21

Also with the Disa valves is there a way to test them and know if they are good. Also with the Disa valves is there a cheaper option then the OEM ones cause they are a lot of money . (I have 17 year old money)

I purchased these and they work great. Tested them with INPA as well.
They look like OEM with the manufacturer info just scratched off.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend installing new DISA valves. The DISA valves are notorious for breaking and if the pin gets sucked into your engine, its TOAST. Trust me, it happened to me. Luckily I was able to put a pin camera down the spark plug hole and saw the pin sandwiched between the intake valve stem and the cylinder. I was able to pull it out with extremely long pliers while rotating the crackshaft and it came out in one piece. Luckily it didn't damage anything or cause a loss in compression.

There's several videos online of this happening to other people and the pin damaging the cyclinder wall or blowing straight thru the piston. Car is done for if that happens.

[200,000 club]

Originally Posted by November

I purchased these and they work great. Tested them with INPA as well.
They look like OEM with the manufacturer info just scratched off.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend installing new DISA valves. The DISA valves are notorious for breaking and if the pin gets sucked into your engine, its TOAST. Trust me, it happened to me. Luckily I was able to put a pin camera down the spark plug hole and saw the pin sandwiched between the intake valve stem and the cylinder. I was able to pull it out with extremely long pliers while rotating the crackshaft and it came out in one piece. Luckily it didn't damage anything or cause a loss in compression.

There's several videos online of this happening to other people and the pin damaging the cyclinder wall or blowing straight thru the piston. Car is done for if that happens.

Yeesh that's pretty damn cheap for some disa valves, I wouldnt trust them

[bluewater328]

Originally Posted by 200,000 club

Yeesh that's pretty damn cheap for some disa valves, I wouldnt trust them

I mean, its the same price on ebay, so that's where I'd put these models. Not that they're horrible, they just have less of a long-term guarantee. Again, I mentioned the math in the past. While the OEM will probably last you years, its only $80/DISA for the cheap ones. So assuming the build is strong enough that you believe it wont fall apart and it functions well enough for a period of time: how many generic DISAs could you buy and replace for the cost of a new OEM one that has skyrocketed back up in the past 3 months ($270-370 for the OEM ones)?

Full disclosure, I have one OEM that I bought from FCP that's running strong (replacing an ebay special that died). I have one ebay special that has lasted me about 2 years so far.

[E92William]

From my experience bringing back to life a few disa valves. Most of the time they just need to be cleaned up inside, the motor sprayed through with something like contact cleaner and greased and sealed back. Funny how spraying the motor and cleaning the board can make it go from a dead valve to a fully working one. I'd rather try my luck with a reworked old oem one than a new eBay one unless the old valve has shaft play which is not a concern if it's minimal or if you have the latest revisions which don't have it at all.

I actually want to buy new eBay or amazon disas and open them up and see how they are inside aswell as what parts they're using like motor and board.

[bluewater328]

Originally Posted by E92William

From my experience bringing back to life a few disa valves. Most of the time they just need to be cleaned up inside, the motor sprayed through with something like contact cleaner and greased and sealed back. Funny how spraying the motor and cleaning the board can make it go from a dead valve to a fully working one. I'd rather try my luck with a reworked old oem one than a new eBay one unless the old valve has shaft play which is not a concern if it's minimal or if you have the latest revisions which don't have it at all.

I actually want to buy new eBay or amazon disas and open them up and see how they are inside aswell as what parts they're using like motor and board.

Ones I opened actually had the same parts. Board was a little different. But keep in mind there are different versions out there. Also some with larger pins from a particular batch of boards. They all work, but there are small differences like the board placement, the plastic rest the gear sits on, the ledge groove for the worm gear. I didn't have enough samples to see if it was just a generational thing, or if it was manufautrer differences. ie. I tried Frankenstein it, and it did work, but it was a lot more effort than just dropping in good part x into shell y.

[200,000 club]

Üro makes replacement disa valves for about 150 each, that sounds fairly reasonable. Would these be reliable at all?

[E92William]

I think they'll be just fine. Just gotta test before installing of course. By the looks of them the large one is the latest revision valve with the split metal shaft so unless uro makes their valves out of jello it will not break off.

[bluewater328]

Originally Posted by E92William

I think they'll be just fine. Just gotta test before installing of course. By the looks of them the large one is the latest revision valve with the split metal shaft so unless uro makes their valves out of jello it will not break off.

It wont break, but the rod may work it's way up and throw the gear out of position. Ask me how I know.

[E92William]

Originally Posted by bluewater328

It wont break, but the rod may work it's way up and throw the gear out of position. Ask me how I know.

I've got in my car the revision with the full through plastic shaft on the large one so not really worried much. The one with the metal rod on top (URO) is pretty damn hard to move for it to slide up and let the gear rod up deeper into the flap to cause that. I've never seen that happen before.

[bluewater328]

Originally Posted by E92William

I've got in my car the revision with the full through plastic shaft on the large one so not really worried much. The one with the metal rod on top (URO) is pretty damn hard to move for it to slide up and let the gear rod up deeper into the flap to cause that. I've never seen that happen before.

Should have taken photos. Nothing tragic was going to happen, as the pole was solid and only had so much it could travel up, but it traveled up just enough to disengage the gear.

[BlackBetty328]

I found a cherry 2011 328i Xdrive with a 6 speed and 54k on the clock to replace my 2001 325i that got totaled last year.

I want to do this mod but want to confirm...

Ive looked through as much of these pages as I can given time. Am I correct that one can buy a used 330i manifold and swap it and not do anything to the ECU? Are there drive ability issues doing this? Will I get some extra ponies?

I also want to eventually get the euro intake, active autowerke tune and exhaust but don't have money for all of that at the moment.

I am looking to buy a gently used 330i intake manifold on ebay, new gaskets and possibly new valves and swap it. OR do I need to get an ECU tune as well?

Thanks

[vilord]

Make sure that 2011 doesn't have an N51 motor, in which case it already has a 3-stage and can't be tuned to get anything else out of it.

If it's an N52, yes you can put in an N51 manifold and you'll get a very small increase in power, but it won't really be noticeable.

There is a free 330 tune you can put on with a basic cable.

I would use an N51 manifold, not a 330 manifold. the N51 manifold has the proper 2-port PCV connections, the 330 manifold you have to use a 330 1-port PCV hose.

[BlackBetty328]

Thank you Jesse

Is there a part number for the N51 manifold? Or way to tell it apart from the 330i 3 stage?

Its a little confusing on EBAY.

Looking at this...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/40353395354...oAAOSw8s1hhyXZ

[vilord]

I would look at the photos to pick out the right thing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/363522630311 this one has a one-port PCV, so it is actually a 2006 330 manifold. See the third photo. It has the inner DISA but not the outer one, you can see the little box above the one PCV port on photo 3, and the 2 holes in photo 1.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/363522627791 this one has a two-port PCV and will match your car's PCV system (really just one hose is different, but for me at least where there are all these recalls on PCV, I want it to match 100% to what the dealer's expecting to find). This has the holes for the DISA valves, but both valves were removed by the parts yard.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324833308633 this one can't tell because no third photo, though it has both DISA valves. I reused the valves my used manifold came with... it had 80k miles on it when I got it, I've added 40k miles on one car and another 10k on my current car, no issues... other people say to buy new ones.

The one you linked also has the 2-port PCV and both DISA valves, though that's a lot of dollars. I would buy from a local parts yard, check car-part.com... mine was like $80 with both valves and only 80k miles.

[BlackBetty328]

Car-part.com needs a car model to look for the part. Do you (or anyone) know what models came with the 2 PVC intake?

I assume my current "BMW Intake Vanity Plate" would bolt on to the new intake?

I saw some where I could use an N51 intake... assuming my car doesn't have an N51 already?

Really appreciate the help BTW.

I love modding BMWs but its gotten a lot more complicated than when I had my e30 325IX

I was super excited to see such a (relatively) simple bolt on could get such gains.

Steve

[vilord]

You can do a vin lookup on your car to see if you have n51 or n52k.

I searched car-part for a 2011 328i, then hit intake manifold and it asked which engine.
They also sold the n51 in the x3, x1, 528i and a few others but car-part will cross reference.

Find one in a yard nearby so you can look at it, or go to a nearby yard and have them order one up

[BlackBetty328]

Ok Derp moment here...

If I have an N52 then I am looking for a N51 intake.

[vilord]

Yes
N51 intake is 3 stage

[mr.e90]

If we do the tune for the 3 stage intake manifold stuff, will the tune still allow the car to pass smog in CA? Anyone know from experience?

[The Nightman]

Not in CA but unlikely if the tune is aftermarket. If you're with Bimmerlabs, the stock tune seems to pass:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showp...8&postcount=50

[david in germany]

I hate to be late to the party but I just grabbed a 3 stage intake and bimmerlabs website seems to be down for the count. Anywhere else to get the download for the tune?

[e91n52power]

If anyone looking for 3 stage manifold I got one for sale.