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      07-14-2011, 10:19 PM   #1
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ESS VT2-500 Supercharger Kit Installed! Impressions, pictures, video.

UPDATE: The fruits of the labor. More media coming soon.



Original Post:
I got my Z4MC back today. I've only put about 40 miles on it with the kit, but these are my immediate impressions and questions for guys who already have the VT2-500.

The Build:
- Installation was apparently quite challenging. This was Alekshops' first S54 VT kit, though Aleks has done numerous S65 kits. Fitting the parts was challenging to say the least, but Aleks went above and beyond spending the time to make it right. It took him 3 hours to get one particular intake pipe to join smoothly. There is no doubt it took longer than the ~13 hours I was quoted, but Aleks stuck by his estimate even though he replaced all the plastic BMW fasteners with new ones.
- Don't forget to change the crankshaft pulley! Roffle Waffle missed this because it wasn't in the instructions; Aleks missed it because he wasn't even sent the part, in addition to it not being in the instructions. So unfortunately for now I am running with the stock pulley, which results in an indeterminately lower supercharger boost pressure. ESS has already stepped in to remedy the mistake at no cost, but since I am leaving for SoCal on Saturday, the work will probably be done there.

The Drive:
- The S/C wasn't too noisy at first, but now that it has broken in somewhat, it definitely sounds like the bucket of bolts that others warned it would during the break-in period. Honestly you could mistake the car for an idling diesel.
- Probably due to the pulley not driving the S/C as fast as it should, the whine of the charger is subtle, but oh-so-satisfying. In order to hear it with the windows up, I need to exceed about 3kRPM with the engine under only light load.
- The tune is still rough, but there is no doubt that as an Alpha-N system, it is still learning after a mere 40 miles of driving. The idle wavers a bit a times and especially after letting off the throttle while still in gear, the output of the engine is uneven and wavers a bit. I'm pretty confident these issues will go away with more driving, and also that they are exacerbated by the wrong S/C drive ratio.
- Despite the lower boost pressure and recently-reset DME, the car roars like a banshee at WOT from 3k to 4.5k! (At this stage of break-in I am avoiding higher RPMs) The power improvement is already apparent by 2kRPM, and the car gets away from you pretty easily in 1st gear. I'm used to N/A or Turbo, not the supercharger--so having boost when just casually going through 1st without high load is new to me!

Questions:
- The bypass valve makes a little whistle noise at the exact point where air starts to flow through it, so it is actually possible to be at an RPM/throttle level combination where the whistle is constant. I find the noise extremely ricey and annoying, already. At the engine speeds I have been operating at so far, I've not heard any desirable noises from the BPV yet, even with the windows down; certainly nothing like the refreshing "woosh" of a straight-out BOV. Beedub, others--does your BPV whistle at the tipping point?
- How long did it take your DME to adapt after installing the VT2-500?

Here's a video of the car at idle, complete with the noisy S/C and drifting idle towards the end:


More videos and photos to come in this thread in the future!

Last edited by iPhoneEngineer; 10-21-2011 at 04:12 PM..
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      07-15-2011, 04:46 AM   #2
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right ok..... this car will not drive properly without the crank pulley, its critical for not only good boost but a nice idle.....

now my idle is ROCK smooth, digitally smooth, no surging, idle fluctuation @ all!! Better than stock infact
your car will need a good 200 miles to adapt, DO a couple of redline pulls so the car can adapt to high rev work also, just 2-3 in this first few hundred miles, but try and gently use a wide range of revs so that ecu can see as many variations as possible, but be easy on her :-)

the s/c will quieten down, keep an eye on the fluid level, idle is key to a quiet blower, once you get your proper crank pulley on, it'll be SO much quieter :-) also the whistle you hear isnt from your BOV, its from the breather @ the top of the s/c, its vents and creates this noise a lowish revs

the crank pulley is a very nice piece of kit :-)


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      07-15-2011, 06:38 AM   #3
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And yes this isnt an easy install at all!! very complicted.
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      07-15-2011, 09:09 AM   #4
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Sweet! Glad to see a Silver Grey getting supercharged!
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      07-15-2011, 09:09 AM   #5
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....Thats why we're behind schedule too, hoping to finish by saturday night. *sigh
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      07-15-2011, 09:19 AM   #6
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You're driving down to socal tomorrow? DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CARMAGEDDON????!!!
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      07-15-2011, 09:45 AM   #7
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arhh come on ess, school boy error imo!!!!
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      07-15-2011, 12:06 PM   #8
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Here's a video with some revs in a parking garage

I heard Roman is going to some events in SoCal during the same time...I'm not up to date on what's happening soon. Haven't even heard of the M-fest he mentioned, surprisingly. Any recommendations for events to attend while I'm down there?

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      07-15-2011, 12:09 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cliffhopper View Post
You're driving down to socal tomorrow? DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CARMAGEDDON????!!!
Oh shit, thanks for the heads-up...I need to learn more about the hours of closure and may drive in the dead of night, setting out tonight perhaps?
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      07-15-2011, 12:14 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beedub View Post
right ok..... this car will not drive properly without the crank pulley, its critical for not only good boost but a nice idle.....

[...]

the s/c will quieten down, keep an eye on the fluid level, idle is key to a quiet blower, once you get your proper crank pulley on, it'll be SO much quieter :-) also the whistle you hear isnt from your BOV, its from the breather @ the top of the s/c, its vents and creates this noise a lowish revs
]
Why is the crank pulley so important to idle, of all things? Is it related to harmonics? Seems unusual.

The whistle I mention is most definitely not only at low RPMs--there is a separate S/C whistle at 1.2k-2k that I find quite appealing and can be heard in the rev video I just posted. The whistle can occur at any RPM with light throttle; less throttle and it goes away, more throttle and it goes away. There is a tiny range in which the throttle can adjust the noise slightly. It seems to be pretty clearly the BPV based on its behavior, to me, and I come from turbo cars...
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      07-15-2011, 12:42 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blind32 View Post
Sweet! Glad to see a Silver Grey getting supercharged!
Silver Grey represent!



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      07-15-2011, 12:45 PM   #12
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how are you tires handling it?
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      07-15-2011, 12:56 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roffle Waffle View Post
how are you tires handling it?
I've been pretty gentle so far, only seen 5kRPM at WOT. That's pretty furious, though, and I have slipped the tires at that speed in 2nd gear on high-quality pavement (though with high ambient humidity/fog, probably made it moist though not wet). Roman has instructed me not to pull all the way to redline yet due to the crank pulley, since the belt won't be properly tensioned. I'm going to check the tension by hand to see if I can be relatively sure it is safe for a WOT pull, now that the S/C has at least an hour of idling (most done by Alekshop to stabilize the idle) and 80 miles of driving worth of break-in time, and will report more.
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      07-15-2011, 01:21 PM   #14
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the crank pulley will not make a huge difference but its simple really the tune, kit is designed in a certain way, its not doing what it should be due to the missing component, either way my idle was rock steady from the off ;-)
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      07-15-2011, 01:24 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iPhoneEngineer View Post
Why is the crank pulley so important to idle, of all things? Is it related to harmonics? Seems unusual.

The whistle I mention is most definitely not only at low RPMs--there is a separate S/C whistle at 1.2k-2k that I find quite appealing and can be heard in the rev video I just posted. The whistle can occur at any RPM with light throttle; less throttle and it goes away, more throttle and it goes away. There is a tiny range in which the throttle can adjust the noise slightly. It seems to be pretty clearly the BPV based on its behavior, to me, and I come from turbo cars...
maybe its a slight venting noise, i dont really hear it??? probably my loud exhausts??

what type of boost are you seeing without the ESS pulley?? do you know when its coming in??
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      07-15-2011, 01:29 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iPhoneEngineer View Post
Oh shit, thanks for the heads-up...I need to learn more about the hours of closure and may drive in the dead of night, setting out tonight perhaps?
South closes starting 7pm tonight...the entire thing will be closed at midnight.

Stick to the 5 if you can.

Where are you going in socal?
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      07-15-2011, 01:44 PM   #17
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check out this iphone :-) idle clips fyi



dead smooth idle (doesnt even slightly idle hunt) and s/c noise only showing whistle noise :-) your s/c will quieten down slightly for sure :-)

note ; my idle is DIGITALLY smooth, it doesnt even fluctuate slightly..... its far smoother that the stock MAF tune, this was specifically one of the things i was most impressed with, as your only missing the crank pulley, im guessing thats all thats causing your idel issue?? what else can it be, dont be afraid to "sympathetically" use the entire rev range, the car needs to learn fueling EVERYwhere, ;-) im saying beat the hell out of it, im saying just gently push the revs alittle higher and for the ecu to see the higher rev range, you will not be running lean at all ;-)

wait till you get the full boost and proper rev range performance!!! properly fast.
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      07-15-2011, 01:45 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cliffhopper View Post
South closes starting 7pm tonight...the entire thing will be closed at midnight.

Stick to the 5 if you can.

Where are you going in socal?
Indeed, I'll take the 5, but still have shifted plans to leave Saturday evening instead of in the morning to avoid as much of the effects on the rest of the road network as possible.

I will be staying in Oceanside and Murrieta at different times, with day trips to places in Orange County.
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      07-15-2011, 03:22 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iPhoneEngineer View Post
Indeed, I'll take the 5, but still have shifted plans to leave Saturday evening instead of in the morning to avoid as much of the effects on the rest of the road network as possible.

I will be staying in Oceanside and Murrieta at different times, with day trips to places in Orange County.
I live in orange county, I'd love to see your car...

You down here for business or pleasure?
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      07-15-2011, 04:31 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iPhoneEngineer View Post
Here's a video with some revs in a parking garage

I heard Roman is going to some events in SoCal during the same time...I'm not up to date on what's happening soon. Haven't even heard of the M-fest he mentioned, surprisingly. Any recommendations for events to attend while I'm down there?
July 23rd is Mfest at Oakley HQ in Foothill Ranch.
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      07-16-2011, 11:02 AM   #21
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My ESS whistle and noises

My roadster usually has top down.....so whistle not really noticed....except when car is cold and at idle for first 30-40 seconds when it is quite horrible. It goes away at idle when warm.
When just driving around town and you listen hard for it, you can notice.....but easy to get rid of it.....just stomp on the gas.
Mine idles rock solid.
When I shut the car off, it ends with a 1 second rattle that sound exactly like a bucket of bolts grinding together....but seems to be running just fine.
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      07-16-2011, 12:35 PM   #22
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jfb, lol the rattle on shut off is quite funny, this kit adds so many mecanical noises you really have to take the time to learn whats whats.......... im oblivious to them now, i do however pin point new noises instantly.......

updates pleaaassseeee
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