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01-06-2020, 08:28 PM | #1 |
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E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.26] |
Euro Headers + Stage FP Tune Review (35whp Gain)
After picking up my M roadster in 2018, I spent the next few months addressing both scheduled and preventive maintenance. With the 2019 track season underway, I scheduled a dyno session in June hoping I'd get confirmation of money well spent...
We all know peak hp #s are meaningless since every dyno reads differently but I was still surprised how LOW my baseline figures were. Out of 3 runs, my best was SAE 5: 251whp 209lb-ft (uncorrected 259whp 216lb-ft). I don't know what these other 'factory freak' M3’s have under the hood. Maybe they're quoting uncorrected figures but my s54 was certainly on the low end of the spectrum. Truth be told, I knew this car wouldn't be setting TT4 records as I wasn’t willing to commit to converting it to a full track car (e.g. seats, roll bar, etc.). I wanted to keep this one a street car that I can time trial occasionally. However, I'd like to know that I was in a position to put down some respectable lap times. So I started talking to few tuners as headers were already on their way. I considered the usual suspects (Frank Smith, Epic, Evolve, etc.) but I recall a shop down in NC who had done amazing work for the N52, including developing a turbo kit. AA was the first to offer a legit 3 stage manifold tune yet what Bob at BPC put out was truly impressive. Better low-mid range torque, higher peak hp and even optional maps for MILVs. So I sent Bob an email and turns out he had just ventured off and started his own company Stage FP. Though his claim to fame on Bimmerpost may be N52 and N57 tuning, Bob's no stranger to the S54. He’s tuned many of NASA's race cars in the mid-atlantic region. After explaining to him where I was, he was pretty confident he could get my car running the way it should. After emailing him my baseline dyno files, list of mods, and some custom requests (e.g. higher redline, remove delimiter, etc.) I was provided 2 maps 3 days later. The first was a performance tune for stock headers, second was performance tune for catless headers. Uploading the tunes was quite simple using a Win10 laptop and OBD cable. Had the car hooked up to a battery charger (not tender) and car was flashed under 40 mins. At the same time, I installed all new spark plugs, Euro headers and DKF Section 1 with 100 cell cats. After 3 pulls, I put down SAE 5: 285whp and 238lb-ft (uncorrected: 303whp and 252lb-ft), that's a gain of 35whp and 28lb-ft! If you're wondering why the latest dyno begins reading out at 3k instead of 2k, that's my fault. It was my first time in the driver seat during a dyno run and I shifted into 5th way too high. For anyone considering quality ecu tuning while saving few bucks, I highly suggest reaching out to Bob at StageFP. His prices are very competitive and I'm sure he has an application for you, whether it's m54, n52, s54, and even SC kits. Also what really sold me was his willingness to help the n52 community, working with members to provide tunes never seen before, answering all my inquires, etc. Some of the other tuners are so big they just don't have the time to field every question which is understandable but also makes forking over your hard earned money not so easy of a decision. And FWIW, if you check out his page you'll see he doesn't tune just BMWs but is familiar with every platform from American muscle to imports so the guy definitely knows his stuff. Last edited by 3002 tii; 01-19-2020 at 05:47 PM.. |
01-06-2020, 09:23 PM | #2 |
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Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75]
E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.26] |
(Yes I see the Xmas tree lights but they only came on during the dyno and disappeared once we got off the rollers so hoping its just a wheel sensor fluke).
Last edited by 3002 tii; 01-07-2020 at 04:49 AM.. |
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01-07-2020, 07:40 AM | #3 |
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Wowie!
That's an appx 14% inc....this is enormous! Perhaps I missed it, but are the performance headers installed in these numbers??
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01-07-2020, 08:35 AM | #4 | |
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Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75]
E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.26] |
Quote:
After was euro headers + 100 cell cat + tune. If I went full catless and k&n I think we could’ve hit 290whp. Also forgot to mention, aside from the gains the car just feels more lively across the band, it’s good for street and track. It’s almost as if sport button is in on but without the twitchiness. |
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01-07-2020, 09:12 AM | #5 | |
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Thanks for the clarity -
Quote:
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01-09-2020, 04:32 AM | #6 |
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Lol.. (rb) .. awesome read, thanks for sharing.
Amazing what these cars can do with the right mods. just been watching some of your track vids.. starting to get withdrawl symptons...
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01-09-2020, 06:47 AM | #7 |
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Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75]
E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.26] |
I haven’t been able to properly track the M so it’s really hitting me hard as well. I’ve done few open track days but it was more test n tune and no timing. These are the times I lived in the west coast.
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Vanne1623.50 |
02-03-2023, 07:45 AM | #9 |
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Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75]
E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.26] |
Because I had an N52 for 10 years before this
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