[buly34]

So for the last few months my car has been running like crap. My turbos were at 137k (yes OEM turbos) which blows my mind. Anyway I finally got around to placing a big order on ECS and wanted to share what I did to freshen everything up.

Parts Ordered:

- OEM Turbo Replacement Kit (with install kit)
- Oil Pan Gasket + Hardware (I ended up not installing this becasue mine wasn't leaking yet, but will be in the near future)
- Rob Beck PCV Valve & Cap
- Motor Mounts
- Trans Mounts
- New Oil + Filter
- Oil Cap
- Vacuum Lines

In total it was about $2700 ($2200 after I get the core charge refund)

I also picked up a 2 ton engine hoist from PepBoys, I figured I can get more use out of it compared to the support bar that sits on the fenders.













As of now I have the bank 2 turbo installed and hooked up. I plan to get the bank 1 turbo hooked up tomorrow along with the FMIC. Then I am gonna try to get the oil pan gasket replaced.

I just wanted to share this to prove that while this is a tough job, if you take your time its really not too bad. I'll add in some links that I found helpful too.

I will try to get more photos tomorrow, let me know if you guys have anything in particular you wanna see. Or if you have any questions about the install process. I may try to make a full DIY for the XI guys out there like me who decide to tackle this job.

**UPDATE: (4/7/16) Here is how bad the rattle was on my turbos, both had this much play...

TACKLING THE JOB

The list above is what I ordered for the job, but here are a few other things I would recommend if you wanna be safe...

- Downpipe Clamps on turbo side (these are delicate and can break if opened/closed too many times)
- Downpipe Bolts/Washers/Lock Nuts/Nuts on lower end (mine were VERY rusted)
- Extra coolant, the kit from ECS didn't provide me with enough.


Tools / Various Items I found useful

T-50 extended socket (the two lower middle bolts on the exhaust manifold are so close to the manifold that this tool is A MUST! I didn't have one and spent 4 hours removing a stripped nut/stud from the manifold.)

Extendable Swivel Mirror (helps a lot since everything is so tight in the engine bay)

Extendable Magnet Tool (for dropped bolts/nuts/etc)

Zip-Lock bags (I labeled everything and was very specific. You will have TONS of little bolts, clips, brackets.)

Bentley Manual (available for free download here: http://www.georgebelton.com/335i.tech/bentley.php)

This DIY was helpful for me, it was different from my car but some parts are similar and helped me out... http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1087276

LETS GET STARTED! (2007 335xi Manual Transmission)

I WILL ADD PHOTOS SOON

The Basics...

Step 1: Jack up car and remove both front wheels

Step 2: Remove Passenger side front wheel well liner. Be careful there is a TPMS sensor plugged in on the back.

Step 3: Remove Cowl / Engine Cover

Step 4: Remove underside belly pans and skid plate

Step 5: Open oil fill cap, and drain oil

Step 6: Open oil filter housing and clean it out. replace gaskets and new filter.

Step 7: Unhook 2 hoses to FMIC and 2 bolts securing it. Remove FMIC

Step 8: Remove Cap from coolant reservoir.

Step 9: Find small blue screw on the bottom of the radiator (driver side). Without removing FMIC you won't be able to see this. Remove screw and drain coolant.

Step 10: After coolant has drained remove the coolant reservoir. Drain and plug hoses with paper towels to eliminate them spilling while you work.

Step 11: Unhook and remove vacuum reservoirs. Make sure to keep track of where the hoses go, take pictures if you have to.

I will add more soon, need to get some school work done right now!

[xyaaeg234g234]

Wow - quite the undertaking. GL! Are you planning or have you recently done a walnut blasting? May be something to get done/do yourself while the car is in this condition and getting some new snails.

[buly34]

Originally Posted by prodigymix

Wow - quite the undertaking. GL! Are you planning or have you recently done a walnut blasting? May be something to get done/do yourself while the car is in this condition and getting some new snails.

I actually did the Walnut Blasting at around 120k. I got a kit online and it was fairly easy. Also made a big difference!

[Cory S]

My friend has 138K on his original turbos on his 09. No leaks, noises, and runs mint.

[pits200]

Im at 115k on oem. Car boosts to 20 psi with no lag vut am in the process of purchasing vtt gc turbos soon. Your diy would be very helpful if you have the time.

As for thevoil pan gasket, I have a small leak, not sure if its from that or somewhere else. I know its not the ofg or vc so i cant think of much else. Also, even though youre this far, i think you need to drop the diff to get to the oil pan gasket.

[Game]

Didn't want to upgrade the turbos?

[ATLIEN]

Thanks for sharing! I will definitely subscribe.

[buly34]

Originally Posted by pits200

Im at 115k on oem. Car boosts to 20 psi with no lag vut am in the process of purchasing vtt gc turbos soon. Your diy would be very helpful if you have the time.

As for thevoil pan gasket, I have a small leak, not sure if its from that or somewhere else. I know its not the ofg or vc so i cant think of much else. Also, even though youre this far, i think you need to drop the diff to get to the oil pan gasket.

I would do your research if I were you. I spent about 2 weeks trying to decide on what turbos to get. I was set on aftermarket but after everything I read I decided OEM was the best option. Honestly the only aftermarket company I would trust is RB Turbo. I spoke to Rob on the phone for a while and emailed back and forth and he talked me into staying with OEM instead of buying his turbos. Unless you are prepared to spend like 5-6k before install costs you aren't gonna have a reliable setup. I've heard too many horror stories to go with anything lower than RB. Once you get into bigger turbos you have to worry about running meth, E85, fuel pumps, upgrading the trans and diff, etc. Just something to consider, you will still see a difference in new OEMs if yours start to fail. And FYI my OEM's were running strong then over the course of 2k miles they went to crap, be prepared!

This DIY is a big help, my subframe and everything is different, but this is a good guide to removing the turbos.

>>> http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1087276

Originally Posted by Game

Didn't want to upgrade the turbos?

I did, but like I said above, its too much hassle. I am a college student and this is my daily. If it was my weekend fun car I would save up and get RB turbos, but its not practical for me right now. I plan to have the car for a long time, and when it comes time for turbos again I plan to go BIG. But for now I'm gonna stick with the OEM's and still have fun roasting local tuners.

[buly34]

Update: So I got the car back together and it has been good for 2 days now without any problems. If you guy want I can post some pics/info later tonight. With the catless downpipes and muffler delete my 335 sounds like a diesel truck, turbo spool is insane at low RPMs

[xyaaeg234g234]

VIDEEOOOOOS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!

[buly34]

Originally Posted by prodigymix

VIDEEOOOOOS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!

I updated the original post and added a video of the rattle. But I will have to get a video of the car with the new turbos. Even for OEM they sound nasty

[Sly-Creed]

Man that Rattle sounded horrible. What did you mean by your car was performing horrible before you got the turbos replaced? My turbos are OEM and the car is an 07 335i and has 149 000 kilometres, so I have already started doing some research on replacement turbos. Also if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you studying in school? This DIY seems like a hassle. any background knowledge on cars?

[MadeInPhilly]

if you can post some additional pics that help with the turbo installation that would be great. I'm hesitant to tackle this because of the labor involved but I just need to do it.

ECS says no core charge on their ad. How does that work? Did you confirm these OEM turbos have the updated wastegate? I read on the forums after 2009 the n54 oem turbos were updated from BMW.
https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Sit...rbo/ES2779815/

[buly34]

Originally Posted by Sly-Creed

Man that Rattle sounded horrible. What did you mean by your car was performing horrible before you got the turbos replaced? My turbos are OEM and the car is an 07 335i and has 149 000 kilometres, so I have already started doing some research on replacement turbos. Also if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you studying in school? This DIY seems like a hassle. any background knowledge on cars?

I bought the car with 112k miles. It was solid for a while but for from 125k till I replaced them, I had lots of issues. The boost was inconsistent and it would go into limp mode all the time without giving me codes. The rattle was so bad towards the end that I actually avoided driving it, and kept my tinted windows up at all times. The car sounded like it was falling apart, and the power wasn't that great. Now it sounds amazing and runs great. I am studying Business MGT, never been to a tech school or anything. I've worked on cars for a few years now, just kinda learn as I go. Being that I'm in school and drive a 335, I'm broke haha. Which basically forces me to tackle every job myself to save on labor costs. This was definitely a challenge and I had my dad help me with a good bit since he has more knowledge than myself. But honestly as long as you have patience and the right tools its not too hard of a job. LOTS. AND LOTS. OF PATIENCE.

[buly34]

Originally Posted by MadeInPhilly

if you can post some additional pics that help with the turbo installation that would be great. I'm hesitant to tackle this because of the labor involved but I just need to do it.

ECS says no core charge on their ad. How does that work? Did you confirm these OEM turbos have the updated wastegate? I read on the forums after 2009 the n54 oem turbos were updated from BMW.
https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Sit...rbo/ES2779815/

ECS Rep confirmed its the newest update I purchased. I will upload pics soon and some more instructions. Mine had a core charge, but I also bought the turbo install kit which I recommend. It comes with coolant, all the seals, gaskets, etc. You will need to get more coolant because the kit only supplies about half the amount needed, depending how much you drain, I drained all of mine.

[MadeInPhilly]

Originally Posted by buly34

ECS Rep confirmed its the newest update I purchased. I will upload pics soon and some more instructions. Mine had a core charge, but I also bought the turbo install kit which I recommend. It comes with coolant, all the seals, gaskets, etc. You will need to get more coolant because the kit only supplies about half the amount needed, depending how much you drain, I drained all of mine.

Is this the kit you are talking about?
https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Sit...all/ES2628682/

What about your hoses and oil/coolant lines? Re-used those?

[buly34]

Originally Posted by MadeInPhilly

Is this the kit you are talking about?
https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Sit...all/ES2628682/

What about your hoses and oil/coolant lines? Re-used those?

I bought this kit: https://www.ecstuning.com/ES2784261/ (Might as well replace both turbos while you are in there.)

Ordered this too..

Motor/Trans Mounts: https://www.ecstuning.com/ES2695397/
Vacuum Lines Over Valve Cover (2x) : https://www.ecstuning.com/ES35203/
Vacuum Lines (extra to be safe): https://www.ecstuning.com/ES2762136/
PCV Hose (Mine was broken): https://www.ecstuning.com/ES19642/

I reused the coolant/oil lines. Be careful to not bend them, the install kit will supply you with all the new O-Rings for the lines.

[Sly-Creed]

Originally Posted by buly34

I bought the car with 112k miles. It was solid for a while but for from 125k till I replaced them, I had lots of issues. The boost was inconsistent and it would go into limp mode all the time without giving me codes. The rattle was so bad towards the end that I actually avoided driving it, and kept my tinted windows up at all times. The car sounded like it was falling apart, and the power wasn't that great. Now it sounds amazing and runs great. I am studying Business MGT, never been to a tech school or anything. I've worked on cars for a few years now, just kinda learn as I go. Being that I'm in school and drive a 335, I'm broke haha. Which basically forces me to tackle every job myself to save on labor costs. This was definitely a challenge and I had my dad help me with a good bit since he has more knowledge than myself. But honestly as long as you have patience and the right tools its not too hard of a job. LOTS. AND LOTS. OF PATIENCE.

Ah I see. I know the feeling man. Currently in my 2nd year of Engineering, and drive a 335i, so no choice but to do everything on it myself haha. However, I never really though replacing something like the turbos could be done without massive experience, so this definitely gives me hope. Have you ever thought of selling it due to the maintenance? While none of those symptoms of the turbos failing have shown up in my car yet, I am ready for them if that is the case. The way the car handles and drives, along with the looks of it are simply too great for me to get rid of even if there is a slight chance of the turbos going out sometime soon.

[buly34]

Originally Posted by Sly-Creed

Ah I see. I know the feeling man. Currently in my 2nd year of Engineering, and drive a 335i, so no choice but to do everything on it myself haha. However, I never really though replacing something like the turbos could be done without massive experience, so this definitely gives me hope. Have you ever thought of selling it due to the maintenance? While none of those symptoms of the turbos failing have shown up in my car yet, I am ready for them if that is the case. The way the car handles and drives, along with the looks of it are simply too great for me to get rid of even if there is a slight chance of the turbos going out sometime soon.

I mean selling it seems pointless to me, because who is going to buy a 335 that needs new turbos. You're gonna have to knock 4-5k off the value of the car at that point which means your at a loss either way. Thats the way I see it, also I dont have any intentions of selling this car. I plan to get a daily after I graduate, hopefully an X5 or R32. Then I can take my time amd build my 335 to a total monster.

[Beisofmarko]

Did these new OEM turbos have same structure as old ones?
I mean i heard that new OEM turbos have actuator rod thickness increased from 6mm to 8mm? Other than that the structure is the same i assume? unless you go for different brand OEM replacements.

Mine 335i's rear turbo rattle is pretty loud allready and sometimes when accerlating "hard" it loses all power for a second or two and then its back to normal.. So i'm most likely to going for new turbos soon as i can gather up some extra money.

[buly34]

Originally Posted by Beisofmarko

Did these new OEM turbos have same structure as old ones?
I mean i heard that new OEM turbos have actuator rod thickness increased from 6mm to 8mm? Other than that the structure is the same i assume? unless you go for different brand OEM replacements.

Mine 335i's rear turbo rattle is pretty loud allready and sometimes when accerlating "hard" it loses all power for a second or two and then its back to normal.. So i'm most likely to going for new turbos soon as i can gather up some extra money.

I did a lot of research and if you want a reliable set of turbos go with OEM. Aftermarket brands tend to have issues unless you go with upgraded RB's or something as reputable. Aside from the actuator rod and new wastegate design it looked the same to me.

[Beisofmarko]

Originally Posted by buly34

I did a lot of research and if you want a reliable set of turbos go with OEM. Aftermarket brands tend to have issues unless you go with upgraded RB's or something as reputable. Aside from the actuator rod and new wastegate design it looked the same to me.

Yeah i've been researching the same and since im planning to staying 400-500whp, OEM's are probably the cheapest and smartest choice.

I just have been scared if they have not done any change to OEM actuator rod / wastegate design that it's gonna start rattle again pretty fast if unlucky.