Turbo for 325i?

astro76 · Nov 12, 2003

Hi you all!

I'm planning on fitting a turbo for my 325i E36 -92.
Am I insane doing this?
My ride has passed 160k km's (100k miles).
Technically the car is in really good shape.

Does anyone know any other way to improve performance?
The car is chipped and CAI is to installed next spring.

Thanks for everybody.

Pink_Floyd · Nov 12, 2003

Well sure you can do it... 100k isn't too bad but I think you might want to think about rebuilding parts or all of the engine before installing a turbo. BMWs come very finely tuned unlike most American or Asian cars. It's easy to strap a turbo onto an old muscle car or a honda civic, but to get a turbo on your BMW you'll need to do a lot more work. The kits are very expensive and it would do you good to also upgrade other parts of the engine... so that it doesn't explode.

I was seriously thinking about doing a turbo job on my Bimmer but then I decided that I would just fix it up and sell it eventually for an M3. Either that, or I will wait a while longer and save up for an 850Ci.

astro76 · Nov 13, 2003

I asked a local specialist and he said the same thing.
Assembling a turbo for my bimmer would cost a lot of money... and that's what i don't have a lot... [:(]

So any other ideas how to boost my bimmer?
I think the main problem is when i speed off - I get no faster time but about 10 secs at 0-60mph (apx. 0-100 kmh)... is that bad?
I'd prefer a time like 8 secs... As i mentioned earlier, i'll hook up a CAI later.
Hopefully that'll help some.

Thanks all!

frolf · Nov 13, 2003

is this an auto?

Beemerworld · Nov 13, 2003

Turbo!

The best turbos for BMW are from Active Autowerke but it is kinda expensive.

You can do first all small upgrades but it will not boost your acceleration much more. The main reason is because you have 1992 model which has a non Vanos engine. Thats why in 1993 they start building Vanos Engine which are much faster and have much more low end power. so the acceleration improoved a lot. Eventually you can put a Vanos head on your car but it takes time and also more money. You can put turbo on your car with no problem. You dont have to rebuil the engine, just upgrade some parts and they would tell you exactly what to upgrade. Or you can go with the Dinan supercharger for about $5000 you can have some serious power. that would definetly make your 325i faster. But Turbos are more eficient.

well just look around and maybe you decide to trade for a 1994 or 1995.

[thumb]

jrt67ss350 · Nov 13, 2003

Pink_Floyd said:

I wouldn't exactly call it easy to rig up a turbo on a muscle car. It requires a LOT of work and a LOT of custom fabrication as well as serious bottom end and combustion chamber modification in most cases. You can't just slap a turbo on a muscle car engine - you have to build an engine from the ground up with the turbo in mind. Unlike Hondas and BMWs, turbo "kits" pretty much are non existent for muscle cars. In my opinion, it's a dumb thing to do on a muscle car, anyways - doesn't jive with the whole idea of what a muscle car is.

m50POWER · Nov 13, 2003

Superchargers are getting cheaper now days:
http://www.racemarque.com/rms_bmw/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4&mode=&order=0&thold=0
There's also some fast turboed e30's in Finland from what I hear. You may want to look around for a local source to fabricate a custom kit. And forget the CAI, and just save up for some sort of forced induction since the CAI cannot be used in those applications.

Also you may want to look into this:
http://www.prostreetonline.com/pso/pages/products.asp?producttype=Turbos&producttypesub=Turbo Kits

Their turbo kit is very inexpensive. The stage II might yield acceptable gains. It uses extra set of injectors for fuel management (just like F-MAX use on thier Honda kits). This is preferred over just using a fpr to increase the fuel pressure to compenate for higher air density ( under boost conditions). However their turbo might be too small for us, but being inexpensive as they are, you might be able to mount a larger tubo on their exhaust manifold and have a custom software by some other tuner. Its worth researching IMO.

astro76 · Nov 13, 2003

Oh man... so i'd better of with a -94/-95 ride... [?|]

Does the supercharger need any other modifications or upgrades like the turbo?
I have a friend who "toasted" his e36 with too hot turbo (didn't have that aftercooler system).
Is this a problem with the supercharger too?

I didn't realise that the 1992 model didn't have that Vanos engine... darn...
I had the knowledge that it was in all the e36 with M50 engine. Am i a dull or what [:(]

brahtw8 · Nov 13, 2003

Your 92 should already be an 8 second car to sixty.

The difference between a 92 and a later single vanos (93-94) or double vanos (I think that is the difference between the 94 and 95, but not positive) is not that great.

If you want a power increase, an E36 M3 purchase would be more cost-effective (particularly if you include resale value since a car with aftermarket forced induction does not command that much of a premium).

A turbo or supercharger will put increased stress on your engine, and I would not recommend it with 100k or more on the clock. Done right you should be okay, but the potential for problems is there.

The 325, and BMWs in general, are not designed to be straight-line power cars. BMWs are about handling and braking more than acceleration. Witness the E39 M5 versus the E55 or the E34 M5 vs. the old 500E.

For acceleration, you may get a lot more bang for the buck out of a different rear end ratio (lower, but numerically higher, i.e. 4.10:1 versus 3.46:1). Not that differentials are cheap, but a lot less than a turbo/sc kit.

If you gotta have straight line power, get a V8 Mustang or Camaro, or a 1st Gen. DSM (Diamond Star Motors, i.e. Eclipse, Talon, Laser).

Beemerworld · Nov 13, 2003

Turbo!

Yes the 94/95 are much better. I use to have a 1994 325i and we measured the 0-60 time and it was 5.94s. That was with Dinan chip and some air filter upgrade. everything else stock.

7PSI supercharger system does not require intercooler but if you are going higher with the boost than you have to use intercooler, because more the air compresses than its getting hotter and hotter. Same with the Turbo. A E36 M3 would be a very good idea to thik about before doing this upgrade. But a 325i with 100k miles is nothing. Depends how the owner took care of it.

But once you supercharge your car there will be of course more stress put out on your engine.

Is your car automatic or manual?

brahtw8 · Nov 13, 2003

No offense, but 5.94 secs 0-60 for a 94 325i with a Dinan chip and aftermarket filter is just about impossible.

At best, that car is a 6.5-6.7 second car, and I own one with a chip and exhaust, but a stock filter.

I think the G-tech or stopwatch was off that day.

Don't get me wrong, I wish it was that fast, but you are talking about numbers that a stock 1995 M3 would post, and those mods don't give you close to 240 hp and 225 ft lbs in a 325i.

Beemerworld · Nov 13, 2003

Turbo

It was not measured with the Gtech but a professional laser measurement system what they use also in Car and Driver tests. And it was not off. and the numbers were exactly 5.94s 0-60mp/h.

brahtw8 · Nov 13, 2003

Again, I still don't think that is possible, regardless of how it was measured.

If you are right, you had the fastest similarly configured 325i in history, by at least a half second to sixty.

Were you running slicks at low pressure?

flashinthepan · Nov 13, 2003

Find a used M3, later model 3 series, swap rear-end...but dont go too low

(Mustangs, Eclipse [?|]

) nothing personal...but <sigh> [xx(]

brahtw8 · Nov 13, 2003

flashinthepan said:

We do not disagree.

I am talking bang for the buck straight line acceleration. As crappy as those cars are, IMHO, they offer great drag racing on a budget. That is certainly not how I choose an automobile, but the author of this thread seemed fairly interested in the subject, so I thought I would throw that out there.

flashinthepan · Nov 13, 2003

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by flashinthepan

Find a used M3, later model 3 series, swap rear-end...but dont go too low

(Mustangs, Eclipse ) nothing personal...but <sigh>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We do not disagree.

I am talking bang for the buck straight line acceleration. As crappy as those cars are, IMHO, they offer great drag racing on a budget. That is certainly not how I choose an automobile, but the author of this thread seemed fairly interested in the subject, so I thought I would throw that out there.

I know, no problem !!, & I actually agree with you on the performance for the buck, alot of them plasticy cars can whip my tail !! then I have to listen to the 20 year old rave about how his car is the best in the world..undeniably.....lol.

I just put Mustangs & Eclipse's on my most hated list, at least in terms of looks.

Beemerworld · Nov 13, 2003

Turbo

The car was wearing a 205/60/15 Pirelli P6000 Sport Veloce inflated properly by the BMW specs.

318intelligance · Nov 13, 2003

i'd get a turbo over a supercharger. You can only get so much power out of a super charger, but a Turbo is pretty endless.

Superchargers can run like 8-12 pounds of boost, where a turbo can run from 3 - whatever as long as your engine is done right. though with a turbo you'll have to worry about lag, but that can be fixed.

I'd recommend you get a t-3 or t-4 turbo and push about 8 pounds on your stock internals.

then if you want to up to more boost, you can redo the internals to forged pistons, stronger rods, better cams. Lower compression is good, 8:1 or 8.5:1

Key thing to the turbo is Lots of Fuel and LOTS of air(cool air is the best).

So to get more Fuel, get bigger injectors, fuel pump, and a Fuel Management Unit.

Then for air, better flowing intake Manifold, the right sized intercooler(get the right rating for your HP, don't get a huge one, thats just silly), a good flowing turbo exhaust manifold.

i'm sure there is more, but i can't really think right now, i still have work lag since i just got home.

lpquick · Nov 13, 2003

I have a 2003 325ia with Dinan, high volume throttle body, Dinan cold air intake, Dinan Freee flow exhaust, stage 3 eng software, transmission software upgrade and front and rear strut braces. Best 0 - 60 is 6.82. Nothing awe inspiring, but take the speed, great car handling and luxury all rolled into one and you have a winner. I just love to drive my bmr. I have noticed an improvement in my mpg when driving conservatively. The Dinan upgrades improved hp and trq enough to increase the city from 22-25, to 26-29 and the highway from 28-30, to 32-36. I can go well over 400 miles on a tank full now. Using stock Castrol Syntec 5-30 oil.

astro76 · Nov 15, 2003

Re: Turbo!

beemerworld said:

My bimmer is with manual transmission.
I think I'l go with an chip tuning and hook up the CAI.
Then I'll see how it has effect.

I will perhaps purchase the M3 someday.
Now I'm a bit short of money, but one day... [thumb]

Turbo for 325i?

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