Becker Headers +15rwhp / +8rwtq Dyno results inside

[tdott]

So after looking at these headers for 1+ yrs, I finally made the plunge and the took the risk on these since there seems to be very little info out there on these headers. I've wanted to try a full catless setup so this is two mods in one for me.


Got these for ~$1k on ebay.
ebay link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/232627578439

Currently I have test pipes (stock secondaries still in place), ms intake, bpm stage 2 tune, cnt exhaust.
I'll be installing these myself on my lift.
I'll document the process.

Notes on the install are on my blog, there were major issues with the length @[pbonsalb](contact:111897) & @[SAMM3Y](contact:373951) called it, the end of the end pipes were too long on one side and required cutting, pictures in part 2 link below:

• Part 1: Before Dyno
• Part 2: Install
• Part 3: After Dyno

Conclusion, Becker Performance Headers & xpipe made +15whp / +8wtq over test pipes. Dynos where done within a week of eachother, using the same tank of 93. Conditions were 93F & 96F. ~40% Humidity

[tdott]

I couldn't wait any longer, I want to install the headers, so I went and got the before dyno today.

Thank you to everyone that contributed. All the info I provide is a direct result of the generosity of the community.
@[8500RPM](contact:367898) @[SAMM3Y](contact:373951) @[amrazM](contact:82976) @[burnrbr](contact:281932) @[Krypptic](contact:109115) @[6ixSpd](contact:303747) and all my M3Post WhatApp Chat Buddies.

https://youtu.be/d90VLlTMvkM

Results are not great (peak number wise), but it is 93F Heat & 40% Humidity

STD: 344rwhp 251rwtq


SAE: 336rwhp 245rwtq

[tdott]

DYNO RESULTS ARE IN!!

I am happy to say these headers made power over the entire range and sound great in my opinion, it adds raw engine sounds and more motor noises without being insanely loud like a few setups I've heard. My goal is to have a Eisennman Race to replace the CNT racing one day:

+15whp / +8wtq in hotter conditions 96F vs 93F, same 40% humidity

https://youtu.be/-52FI-dQpjU

Before & After Overlays:

STD:


SAE:


Notes on the install are on my blog, there were major issues with the length @[pbonsalb](contact:111897) & @[SAMM3Y](contact:373951) called it, the end of the end pipes were too long on one side and required cutting, pictures in part 2 link below:

• Part 1: Before Dyno
• Part 2: Install
• Part 3: After Dyno

ebay link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/232627578439

[Tonggi]

How was the install for the headers? As annoying as the E46?

[tdott]

Since I can speak freely here, I had a question about tuning.

First I had a BPM Stage 2 prior to the headers as mentioned above.
After the headers, I noticed a slight drivability issue, in 6th or 7th gear, low rpm if you gave it too much throttle, it would bog/stumble around 1.5k-3k rpm, then pickup and pull fine. Randy at Epic had told me this: "At low RPM the air loses velocity and stalls and you get a flat spot where the drivability suffers but it can be corrected in the calibration."

I would have loved to get Randy to tune the car, but it didn't seem worth it to spend $1k + $150/hr dyno time.
I decided to go with Alex (Alpine MS) because he said he would make header specific changes and also offered 93 and E85 files.

93 tune felt great, smoothed out a bit, but the stumble/bog in high gear low rpm is still there but slightly less.

I decided to give E85 a try.
Car felt a good bit stronger and top end was really noticeable to me.
But there were some downsides drivability wise. Common issue with E85 is cold starts, it does crank a bit longer and if I leave it for a few days without started it will take a good 10s of cranking before it starts. Then next issue is while the engine is cold and hasn't warmed up yet, it doesn't like ~50%+ to full throttle. It would bog and shake pretty bad, then throw the car into limp mode, which was basically un-driveable. It wouldn't maintain speed or accelerate from a stop. The car needed to be turned off right away and restarted, a few times this happened no check engine light after restarting. Once when this happened on the highway (fully warmed up) in D2, the rpm was too low and I tried to give it gas after a slow down in traffic and it bogged/stumbled and went into limp mode. I had to pull aside quickly to restart it, this time the engine light stayed, the codes pulled where:


Alex said it could be the injectors not flowing as well, plugs are new and coils are original and have 100k miles on them. Once cleared the codes don't come back if I avoid high load at low rpm.

Additionally I'll just mention that the car drove really well on the track, ran great with no issues because it lived at high rpm, loved it.
Then a few days later at an autocross event, I noticed it had issues launching, it would hesitate when rolling on the throttle in first gear from a stop, at around 1.5-3k rpm it would hesitate, then take off and rev fine to redline.

Due to that, I think I am going to go back to the 93 tune and look at getting my injectors cleaned/flow tested.

[tdott]

How was the install for the headers? As annoying as the E46?

Yes it's pretty bad, had to drop the front subframe. Almost as much work as doing the rod bearings, lol would be a good mod to do a the same time.

[PerformanceEurowerks]

Love seeing threads like this, narrating the progression of modifications and numerical data.

By chance, do you have a data logger or any other data from those dyno runs?
For example, Intake Air Temps and Ignition?

We just reverted my Melbourne Red E90 M3 back to stock (power wise) to dyno on our incoming DynoJet. We plan to dyno it stock, with test pipes, and then test pipes with our Stage 2 tune. After that, we'll be doing these headers on stock tune, then headers with our Stage 2+ tune. I plan to use my car for the header development calibration.

With our data logging software, we plan to keep all of our dyno sessions as controlled as possible. The MSS60 ECU is so sensitive to intake air temps and other parameters, so we want to try to control those and minimize variables so that our dyno runs depict as true of a delta as possible!

Thanks for sharing your experience. Your threads are what convinced us to try this out also.

[tdott]

Love seeing threads like this, narrating the progression of modifications and numerical data.

By chance, do you have a data logger or any other data from those dyno runs?
For example, Intake Air Temps and Ignition?

Thanks for sharing your experience. Your threads are what convinced us to try this out also.

Thank you, at the time I did not know of a datalogger but since then I found BMW logger and I sent some logs to BPM but he says everything was fine and nothing was to be gained from a retune.

Since installing the headers there are a few drivability issues I was hoping a tune can clean up, but aside from paying epic $1k + $150/hr it doesn't seem like anyone can smooth things out and extract any power.

I purchased Alex's Alpine MS tune 93+E85 which he said was modified for headers but didn't notice much difference on 93, and E85 tune got worse, car bogs/stumbles at low rpm high load. But felt stronger outside of those conditions. Alex is currently blaming the car , saying something must not be right. Once things return to normal I plan to get the injectors cleaned/flow tested.

Would be interested if you were able to sort out the tune.

[dmlf]

Thank you, at the time I did not know of a datalogger but since then I found BMW logger and I sent some logs to BPM but he says everything was fine and nothing was to be gained from a retune.

Since installing the headers there are a few drivability issues I was hoping a tune can clean up, but aside from paying epic $1k + $150/hr it doesn't seem like anyone can smooth things out and extract any power.

I purchased Alex's Alpine MS tune 93+E85 which he said was modified for headers but didn't notice much difference on 93, and E85 tune got worse, car bogs/stumbles at low rpm high load. But felt stronger outside of those conditions. Alex is currently blaming the car , saying something must not be right. Once things return to normal I plan to get the injectors cleaned/flow tested.

Would be interested if you were able to sort out the tune.

Your issue sounds exactly like mine, exact same issue since I switched to full decat ( no more primary, no more secondary ), 8 new ngk plugs, 8 new injectors, 8 new coils, all genuine bmw parts.

[tdott]

Your issue sounds exactly like mine, exact same issue since I switched to full decat ( no more primary, no more secondary ), 8 new ngk plugs, 8 new injectors, 8 new coils, all genuine bmw parts.

There are actually now more than a handful of owners with this issue. It seems to be related to a more freer flowing exhaust with less backpressure, so the tune needs to be recalibrated to take it into account.

Epic seems to be able to tune for it, but I didn't really want to buy another tune.

Since March, I was able to log the issue and can pinpoint where it is happening, it looks like it actually starts at 2k rpm for me. You can see the first arrow pointing to the rpm value, it doesn't increase smoothly, at 2k rpm it flattens for a split second then increases evenly after this, while throttle is 100% the whole time and DSC is off.

The second arrow shows a dip in AFR ratio at this point. It dips to 0.84 then goes to 1, then works its way down a bit.

Not really sure what this means or what it points to:


This is the graph with timing, fuel pulse, lambda 1+2

[tdott]

Additionally I will say I sent these logs to Alex at Alpine MSS and he said no one else had this issue and is blaming the car. Since then we have several more on his tune with this issue, and a few others with other tunes with the same issue.

Alex also mentioned that below 3k rpm all his tunes are stock. I wish he told me that before or when he said he tunes for headers because it creates a problem down low if he doesn't calibrate for the difference in flow.

[dmlf]

I'm not yet familiar on how the mss60 monitors lambda.
Maybe we are getting out of closed loop lambda control and the ecu is still using some stock VE correction table...

[tdott]

I'm not yet familiar on how the mss60 monitors lambda.
Maybe we are getting out of closed loop lambda control and the ecu is still using some stock VE correction table...

Im no expert but from what I heard. Another tuner was about to fix this with some vanos changes.

[dmlf]

Im no expert but from what I heard. Another tuner was about to fix this with some vanos changes.

I hope Alpine will be able to fix this, I'm tired of throwing time and money knowing this was a tune issue all along :-(