[RJC612]

Thought I would share my experience with relocating my N54 inlets and expansion tank on my twin build.

Most enthusiasts know VRSF sells an N54 chargepipe made specifically to fit with the OEM BMW 335d expansion tank mounted on the right hand side of the engine bay, which is a very clean looking route to take and required when swapping out OEM location inlets for the short track hotside ones.

In my case, I had already bought the standard fitment N54 aluminum CP from VRSF and had been running it for a while before installing new turbos on my car. Many other parts and goodies were installed on the car at the same time as the new turbos, including opg, inlets, outlets, motor mounts, turbo heat shield, oil cooler, etc. But since I opted for the 2 inch hotside relocated intakes kit from VRSF, I was left with quite a bit of work to do in terms of rearranging the engine bay.

With the standard fitment chargepipe and the regular coolant tank using the relocation brackets, everthing was crowded and in the way of each other. The CP and expansion tank were crammed next to each other, BOV also hitting the tank and physically rubbing on one another since the relocation brackets left the coolant tank unsteady, with a bit of a wobble up and down. Since the coolant tank is old and plastic, I was a bit worried that if I hit a pothole or something on the road, the plastic tabs with the bolt holes on the expansion tank might snap off all together and leave me in a bad situation.

Not only that, but the hose connection on the bottom of the expansion tank was left at such a bad angle and so far down, it made fabbing the coolant hose to travel across the front of the motor a bit of a nightmare. The coolant level sensor at the bottom of the tank was also crushed up against the fender liner at this point, again leaving me nervous something would break and spring a leak.

So I was left with a choice. I could either live with all the things I didn't like about my current setup and hope everything holds, or shell out a few hundred more bucks for the 335d CP, 335d expansion tank, and another length of hose to fab up a better fitting coolant line. I was left wondering how different would the fitment be with these new parts? Would it be so much better that it would undoubtedly justify the cost of these additional parts that I dont really need? Is the CP "designed" to fit around the 335d expansion tank really that much better or is this just a gimmick to sell more expensive parts?

So I bit the bullet and bought the parts. I installed everything this past weekend as the weather got a bit nicer in MA, plus I was bored out of my mind with this stay at home and social distancing stuff. Overall I have to say, the fitment is MUCH better and I am very happy I decided to buy the new CP and coolant tank. The OEM 335d coolant tank cleans up the look of the bay a lot and fits like it was meant to be there, no wobbly brackets and no rubbing on the CP. Two major differences with the 335d CP are 1 the curve of the pipe and 2 the placement of the BOV. These two things left lots of space between the CP and coolant tank, no more interference or struggling to fit them. The hose connection at the bottom of the 335d expansion tank is also much easier to work with.

I also like the look of the 335d CP more so than the standard one. I think I would opt for this CP even with OEM location inlets, it moves the BOV closer to the throttle body and IM so the actuation line for the BOV can be made much shorter.

I made a video to show the difference between the 2 availabke N54 chargepipes from VRSF since I did not have an easy time finding this info or side by side pics of any type online.

[cgbimmer]

Nice clean looking .. but got to do something with those oil lines is right.
You should move those lines and get the 335d airduct to blow cold air to those filters daw turbos pull some air!

[Jeef]

look into er charge pipe(closest bov placement to throttle body) and turner coolant tank relocation if you want something easy and clean.

[type-dRew]

So why does VRSF sell the relocation kit with all of those issues if you clearly need the 333D fitment parts for it to be done correctly?

[NoGuru]

I have the same issue, but I use a Synapse charge pipe and BOV and they rub on the coolant tank. I think I will get the 335D tank in the future.

I have the 335D air duct to direct air to the passenger side filters which should help a bit as well.

[NoGuru]

Originally Posted by type-dRew

So why does VRSF sell the relocation kit with all of those issues if you clearly need the 333D fitment parts for it to be done correctly?

I am done buying VRSF parts, they are cheap but they also sucks ballz. The relocation kit is the worse thing I have ever purchased. Poor quality and design and the directions, lol.

[nissubaru]

I had this problem as well, same VRSF relocated inlet kit as well so I know exactly what you're referring to. Previous owner installed the inlets and relocated the coolant tank before I bought the car but after the engine swap I failed to route the hose running across the engine away from the belts and almost rubbed a hole in the line. I was still checking on the car almost daily since I had finished the swap so I caught it somewhat early and replaced that section of hose with some Vibrant Performance heater hose which is some nice ass stuff. Pricey but worth it in my opinion. Like $27 for 5 feet.

After replacing the hose though I developed a leak which was a little tricky to diagnose due to the clusterfuck of hoses all around the same area. Turned out to be just a loose clamp but during that time I started looking for alternate solutions just like OP. Different charge pipes, different BOV setup, 335d coolant tank, different fittings and hose routing, maybe different coolant tank/PS brackets or possibly removing the Fuel It! Throttle Body Injection spacer I have installed which would shift things around 1/2"...so many options.

In the end I did end up leaving everything as is and just cleaning up the hose routing a bit. Things are still kinda tight down there but I don't have any leaks and I think it looks pretty clean. Only concern I have is keeping the hose away from the one pulley/belt. I have a bunch of zip ties keeping everything tight away from the belt though and it's been holding for like 6 months now so I think we're good. Here are some pics of my setup






Because I think it matters, I have a cp-e charge pipe with Forge diverter valves. A Fuel It Throttle Body Injection spacer. OEM coolant tank, VRSF brackets/relocated inlets. Also I can't tell but I really think this is my car on the VRSF website lol

[Tiago@VRSF]

Originally Posted by NoGuru

I am done buying VRSF parts, they are cheap but they also sucks ballz. The relocation kit is the worse thing I have ever purchased. Poor quality and design and the directions, lol.

Our relocated intake kit is by far the least expensive and most complete available but again, it's the least expensive.

If you want a solution that includes the 335D tank along with a relocated charge pipe you're going to be forced to spend double to triple the price. We offer a cost effective solution for individuals willing to put a bit of extra work to re-use most of their OEM components rather than having to purchase a bunch of replacement accessories.

I can understand how this would be perceived as a lower quality solution but our perspective is that we open the door for a lot of folks who can't afford the more expensive kits.

[Tiago@VRSF]

Originally Posted by nissubaru

I had this problem as well, same VRSF relocated inlet kit as well so I know exactly what you're referring to. Previous owner installed the inlets and relocated the coolant tank before I bought the car but after the engine swap I failed to route the hose running across the engine away from the belts and almost rubbed a hole in the line. I was still checking on the car almost daily since I had finished the swap so I caught it somewhat early and replaced that section of hose with some Vibrant Performance heater hose which is some nice ass stuff. Pricey but worth it in my opinion. Like $27 for 5 feet.

After replacing the hose though I developed a leak which was a little tricky to diagnose due to the clusterfuck of hoses all around the same area. Turned out to be just a loose clamp but during that time I started looking for alternate solutions just like OP. Different charge pipes, different BOV setup, 335d coolant tank, different fittings and hose routing, maybe different coolant tank/PS brackets or possibly removing the Fuel It! Throttle Body Injection spacer I have installed which would shift things around 1/2"...so many options.

In the end I did end up leaving everything as is and just cleaning up the hose routing a bit. Things are still kinda tight down there but I don't have any leaks and I think it looks pretty clean. Only concern I have is keeping the hose away from the one pulley/belt. I have a bunch of zip ties keeping everything tight away from the belt though and it's been holding for like 6 months now so I think we're good. Here are some pics of my setup






Because I think it matters, I have a cp-e charge pipe with Forge diverter valves. A Fuel It Throttle Body Injection spacer. OEM coolant tank, VRSF brackets/relocated inlets. Also I can't tell but I really think this is my car on the VRSF website lol

That's not a VRSF kit installed on your car. I'm sure it used to be at one point but you're missing a few of the necessary brackets.

[nissubaru]

Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF

That's not a VRSF kit and I can say with full certainty that this isn't your car on our website.

You're missing more than half of the components we include in our kit and your filters are completely different than what we offer. We offer replacement brackets separately if you need to clean up that engine bay

You're serious? Because you couldn't be more wrong about your own product, and if you think the fitment looks like shit it's because they're your brackets.

And if these aren't your filters then why does it say VRSF on the top? FYI these are the stainless steel inlets which seem to have different brackets judging from your website.

[NoGuru]

Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF

Our relocated intake kit is by far the least expensive and most complete available but again, it's the least expensive.

If you want a solution that includes the 335D tank along with a relocated charge pipe you're going to be forced to spend double to triple the price. We offer a cost effective solution for individuals willing to put a bit of extra work to re-use most of their OEM components rather than having to purchase a bunch of replacement accessories.

I can understand how this would be perceived as a lower quality solution but our perspective is that we open the door for a lot of folks who can't afford the more expensive kits.

I would gladly spend twice or even triple the price for a good solution rather than buy this fucked up half-ass solution.

I do appreciate you guys getting the cost down but this is one solution that should be re-engineered.

I did this with my tank, I don't know if you can see the support bolts.

[Tiago@VRSF]

I'm not sure where the confusion lies here but all of our relocated kits use the same brackets and they do not match the brackets you have pictured.

Your kit doesn't seem to use any of the provided brackets and the dimensions of your filters don't match what we currently offer. The filters have been changed in the past but your brackets are not VRSF.

Originally Posted by NoGuru

I would gladly spend twice or even triple the price for a good solution rather than buy this fucked up half-ass solution.

I do appreciate you guys getting the cost down but this is one solution that should be re-engineered.

I did this with my tank, I don't know if you can see the support bolts.

Unfortunately this kit along with the 335D tank aren't compatible with your Synapse charge pipe. The synapse charge pipe has an extra bend that prohibits the tank from fitting correctly which is pretty obvious from your photo. Your fitment issue can be easily resolved by replacing the charge pipe. There isn't an inlet relocation kit that's compatible with the CP you have on your car.

Seeing as how you're willing to spend close to $1000 on an inlet relocation, you always have the option of purchasing a relocated coolant tank compatible chargepipe which would easily resolve the fitment issue you seem to be directing towards the kit. The 335D tank would also be a good option.

We generally recommend installing the OEM location inlets for folks who don't want to go through the trouble of relocating all sorts of factory hardware since the install tends to take a bit less time but if there's interest we can certainly offer drop down add-ons for an additional cost that will make the install a bit cleaner.

[nissubaru]

Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF

I'm not sure where the confusion lies here but all of our relocated kits use the same brackets, neither of which match the ones you show.

Your kit doesn't seem to use any of the provided brackets and the dimensions of your filters don't match what we currently offer.

I had to do some digging but here's the original thread from the guy I bought the car from with the pictures used on your website.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1185297

It's my car, I don't care. Just funny. And yes, that's your kit. You even commented on the thread. I'm sure some things have changed since then. Sorry to get off topic OP.

[type-dRew]

Tiago,

Why not offer a complete solution and then on the current one make the customer well aware this is only a partial solution and requires a lot of DIY if intending to use it with no additional parts. That would fix a lot of the issue with people buying the kit and not realizing what they are getting.

[type-dRew]

Originally Posted by nissubaru

I had to do some digging but here's the original thread from the guy I bought the car from with the pictures used on your website.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1185297

It's my car, I don't care. Just funny. And yes, that's your kit. You even commented on the thread. I'm sure some things have changed since then. Sorry to get off topic OP.

thats actually hilarious, someone screen shot all this just in case. lmao

[Tiago@VRSF]

Originally Posted by type-dRew

Tiago,

Why not offer a complete solution and then on the current one make the customer well aware this is only a partial solution and requires a lot of DIY if intending to use it with no additional parts. That would fix a lot of the issue with people buying the kit and not realizing what they are getting.

This isn't an incomplete solution, it's just one of the only solutions that incorporates the re-use of a lot of the OEM hardware. We already offer the add-on charge pipe to the kit for those interested in purchasing the 335D tank but it's not something ANYONE offers right now under $1000. I can't imagine anyone is going to forgo a turbo upgrade for a "clean" inlet install.

Originally Posted by nissubaru

I had to do some digging but here's the original thread from the guy I bought the car from with the pictures used on your website.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1185297

It's my car, I don't care. Just funny. And yes, that's your kit. You even commented on the thread. I'm sure some things have changed since then. Sorry to get off topic OP.

Let me clarify. While I'm sure there are VRSF filters and probably inlet tubes on that car, it's still missing the brackets that came with the kit which is why your driver side engine bay area looks like a bit of a mess. Those are not our brackets.

[nissubaru]

Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF

Let me clarify. While I'm sure there are VRSF filters and probably inlet tubes on that car, it's still missing the brackets that came with the kit which is why your driver side engine bay area looks like a bit of a mess. Those are not our brackets.

I would recommend uploading newer photos then of the actual brackets that you are shipping out these days because you're sitting here claiming the pieces I have installed on my car are not VRSF, yet you are using those photos on all of your product pictures online. Perhaps you redesigned the brackets over the years but the ones provided to the previous owner of my car as part of the VRSF kit are the same ones seen in the October 2015 photos as I have installed today. See links below:

https://x-ph.com/vrsf-relocated-cool...8-10-bmw-135i/

https://www.vr-speed.com/vrsf-upgrad...i-e90-e92.html

https://www.vr-speed.com/vrsf-silico...135i-335i.html

The only bracket I seem to be missing is the alternator to PS reservoir bracket, the twisted one. However it seems optional or unnecessary given the bracket I have. So what are you providing nowadays?

[NoGuru]

I might have to get a 335D charge pipe as I have port injection on the way and I am going to loose even more space.