[W37V]

TL;DR: Get the milvs - lots more torque and power. I felt more difference with this tune than with swapping out headers.

Note: BPC no longer sells tunes. To my knowledge, the only tuner shop supporting these is Stage FP (former BPC tuner - Bob). AA developed a tune for MILVS; however, I have not seen any availability for it to general public.

My mods:
AA headers, 3 stage intake manifold, MILVS, revo hose, BPC tune (Stage FP)

Long version:

I installed milvs 2-3 weeks ago.

Installation:
The process for the installation of milvs is the same as replacing your valve cover gasket, with one extra step - installing the supports aka milvs. The install is very straight forward. For installation you can check out my videos posted on youtube (search for milvs). Tips I can share are: make sure you put the washer all the way through and make sure that the cam lobes are in the right position. If you get these two things right, you will be able to slide out milvs by hand (or by very light push with screwdriver). Another tip: Make sure your new milvs are seated properly.

Once removed valve cover, the swap took about 3-7 min per cylinder. It's really not difficult at all.

Initial impression (without tune):
Upon staring up the car, car idled normal - same as before. There were no idle fluctuations. No weird noises. Pushing the accelerator did not cause engine to explode (this was great feeling).

Side note: I did not reset adaptations after the install. I have no means to do such as I have no cable to hook up my comp and the car.

During the first drive car actually felt as if it lost power. I was starting to get disappointed. After about 20 miles of driving, the lost power was regained. I drove about 300 miles on this set up (without tune). Car did not feel any stronger or weaker than before the install. There was no noticeable adaptation. Another forum member TheAxiom reported the same observation. I was advised that in order to get the full potential, I had to have a tune. So...

The tune:
At the time of this post, the only tuner who offers off the shelf tune for this modification is BPC. Working with Randall and Bob@BPC was pleasure as always.

Once the issue with the handheld was sorted, the install was flawless. Once again, I did not reset adaptations.

For the first 30 miles on the tune there was no difference. I attribute this to adaptations. However, after that initial period, the car just woke up. Bear in mind: Prior to this my car did not feel like it was low on power or weak in any sense. BUT this... this was a whole other level. Since the tune I put on about 400 miles.

The car just pulls and pulls. There is bunch of torque from as low as 1,000 RPM. I kid you not, I can be in 6th gear driving along at <40mph (35-37 to be exact) and push the accelerator pedal and the car just moves. Before, the car would just stumble, but now it just pulls. This extra torque makes daily commute oh so much more pleasurable.

This torque (power) increase is felt in any gear across the entire power band especially between 2k and 5k rpm . However, tbh, i don't think I picked up much on the top end due to restrictive exhaust (I still have stock exhaust).

TheAxiom I hope you don't mind me quoting you, but like he said...

Originally Posted by TheAxiom

I probably don't rev the car past 5000 because it feels like it's just making that much more power everywhere.

... and I couldn't agree more. So much more power everywhere. The disa dip around 4k is gone. With this mod, BPC's tune feels as smooth as the new AA tune, but with WAY more tq.

I actually had to learn how to drive my car again in rush hour traffic as the car is so damn response at any rpm - yes I keep repeating this since it's that impressive.

Fuel economy:
Since the install (and tune), my average fuel economy actually went up. During my commute (70 % hwy and 30 % city) prior to this I was averaging about 24 mpg (9.8 l/100). After the mod (and tune), my average consumption went to 27-28mpg (8.7 - 8.4 l/100). I attribute this to increased tq - you spend less time pushing the accelerator to achieve same acceleration as before.

Dyno:
I have reached out to my dyno shop to schedule another dyno run and see what the actual gains are. Unfortunately, they are swamped prepping for the upcoming season and might not be able to see me until mid to late March. Once dyno is done, I will update this post with results.

My unsolicited advice on tuning this engine:
Get 3 stage intake manifold. Get revo hose and remove carbon filter. Get milvs. Get BMW PE. Get BPC tune. With listed items, you will get power and awesome sound. I felt more difference with this tune than with swapping out headers. It might not be even worth getting headers.

About milvs:

And to add to this:

There are no cams for N52 engine. justpete and Bob@BPC experimented with aftermarket cams and they did not yield any positive results. This mod by CobraMarty is the closest thing you can get to cam swap.

If you are changing your valve cover gasket - take extra 20 min and install them. Def worth it. Milvs cost $350 (new) or $300 (used). You get $40 back if you send in your old ones effectively lowering the cost to $310 or $260. These supports experience very little wear (almost none), so going used is advisable. New valve cover gasket kit is ~$60.

HOWEVER, Full potential can only be achieved via tune. So far, the only tuner offering off the shelf tune for this mod is BPC. If you already have BPC tune, cost of upgrade is $100. If you don't have the BPC tune already, full purchase price of BPC tune including this mod is $750. AA purchased set of MILVS and is potentially exploring offering a tune for this mod as well. Currently there is no availability or pricing for AA tune.

The mod works on following engines: n20, n26, n51, n52, n55, s55 (M3,M4)

More info:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1329840

Edit: Since I get quite a few messages about this mod, here are instructions that I used:
Install instructions:
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showp...&postcount=728

Relevant install tip:
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showp...&postcount=686


What else is do you want to know?