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      06-29-2010, 10:33 AM   #20
crfine88
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Drives: E86M
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Location: Cave Creek AZ.

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Motorsport Plenum

#19

I was visiting a local Indy shop to pick up brake pads and fluid. While I was there the owner showed me the new addition to his E46 M3. When he popped the hood, my jaw dropped. When he started the engine, a huge grin appeared on my face and I thought, “This thing sound like a CSL M3!”


The low down:
The Indy shop is getting these from a local carbon fiber fabricator who owns a grey market CSL. The fabricator made a mold from his plenum and a few custom snorkel pieces to accommodate different cars with the S54 engine. The CSL plenum is deeper and promotes better air-flow. The Indy shop owners M3 already had Dinan software and a Dinan CIA before he installed the CSL replica plenum. Dyno results showed that the addition of the plenum and a Bimmerworld elbow added 17 whp and 9 lbs torque to the M3. Bimmerworld streamline silicon elbow yields dyno gains of 4-6 whp, so simple math told me that this plenum would add 11 to 13 whp.


The performance gains were significant considering how difficult it is to squeeze more power out of the S54. The sound was intoxicating. The plenum added all the deep bark and growl of the CSL, but allowed me to keep my MAF. I was assured that this would be direct fitment for the Z4 M and that I would be able to keep my factory air box / MAF, so I went for it.


The initial excitement dwindled soon after I began installing the plenum. Keeping the plenum would require other modifications.


The Good:
1. The quality of the plenum was very good. Fit and finish were like OEM. The carbon fiber weave looked great, and all the hardware used was high quality.

2. The Indy shop offered as much support as they could in trying solve compatibility issues with other components.

The not so Good:
1. When I first test fit the plenum, it seemed that it would not fit with the stock air box in place. I was instructed to remove the air box first, install the plenum, and then the air box would fit. So I did, and fitment was off by 1.5 inches. I tried to get creative here, but the air box and plenum were touching. There was no room to budge.

2. To keep the plenum, I would have to run an aftermarket air intake to replace the factory air box.


3. Once I installed the plenum, the stock elbow did not fit on the plenum properly. I was informed that I would have to order the Bimmerworld streamline elbow. I was concerned about the vacuum line in the elbow, but I was told that it would be no problem to relocate this line to the plenum as it is on the M3.

4. I would have to buy a new vacuum line, or modify the one I had.

5. The crank case ventilation fitting that attaches to the top of the plenum had to be trimmed to fit inside the aluminum port.

6. What was supposed to be a plenum upgrade had turned into a mess. My intention was to upgrade the plenum only and leave everything else stock. I should have cut my losses and sold the plenum at this point, but I was determined to get that CSL growl and the power gains.



In the spirit of modification the journey continued, and the M had officially begun what would be a long period of down time.
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Last edited by crfine88; 07-09-2010 at 10:17 AM..
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