S54 Dyno Database

[Anri]

What kit are you developing? I sell an adapter to mate the ZF8 to the S54 and its really the only custom part in my configuration (aside from the trans cooler).

I'll be honest that I have an affection for manual transmissions, my other daily driver is an E53 X5 with a 5MT, but driving this car its just such a hoot. I don't think I would ever put a clutch pedal back in it at this point, with the paddle shifters its just a riot to drive on the street AND on the track.

I am squaring together a kit using 5spd light weight
gear box. I am very stubborn on the tranny weight to
be as low as possible. Fuck those boat anchor 150lb+
which affects the car front to rear bias.... yeah yeah I get
it its low to the ground and back but it is still connected to
the engine!

It will have racing-oriented ratios.The gear box will be
track focused and street friendly!. 0-62mph will be okay
which is not important for our cars...

Regards,
Anri

[ldmiller78]

Hi, im pretty new here but I found this forum due to a current search on S54 tuning issues I'm currently experiencing. Long story short, my 2003 LSB M3 is at Kassel in PA. The car is currently setup with a VF570+ kit running E85(@ 85% content), Kassel recommended injectors and plugs (1000cc I believe??), Radium fuel system to include microglass filter with press regulator, Walbro F900267 fuel pump rated for E85, electric fan setup, current headers are from bimmerworld custom single step with catless "magnaflow" full exhaust (Will be installing a full SS step/catless race exhaust before the next tune correction/session). This is the current build as it stands. The car had a DME issue due to an improperly installed tuned from a previous shop in MD that I will not name. That installed program put my BMW into limp mode and all kinds of EML and CEL lights with bad throttle response. The car was towed to PA and Matt (Kassel) managed to get the car properly coded and a basic tune put onto the car to make it operational and drivable under normal conditions and no throttle issues. Fast forward to the tuning process, currently the car is loosening power after 4k-5k (approx. 50+ or more hp). You could see the curve go up and drop off like a roller-coaster. That is without adding any timing or fuel or touching any parameters. For some reason or another, the car isn't happy at those rpms and its pulling timing (or detonating) as I was told. Matt advised me to do a VANOS test (which the car did pass with flying colors) to limit any mechanical factors. He later stated that it could be a DME related issues and swapped DMEs with a good working one to address the problem. Unfortunately the issue with the car on the dyno still exists at the 4k-5k rpms. Matt is pretty busy at the shop and had to put my car on the back burner until he can spend more time with the car. But in the mean time, I would like to post my situation on here to see if I could get some advice or information that could help with the problem.

[Slideways]

Hi, im pretty new here but I found this forum due to a current search on S54 tuning issues I'm currently experiencing. Long story short, my 2003 LSB M3 is at Kassel in PA. The car is currently setup with a VF570+ kit running E85(@ 85% content), Kassel recommended injectors and plugs (1000cc I believe??), Radium fuel system to include microglass filter with press regulator, Walbro F900267 fuel pump rated for E85, electric fan setup, current headers are from bimmerworld custom single step with catless "magnaflow" full exhaust (Will be installing a full SS step/catless race exhaust before the next tune correction/session). This is the current build as it stands. The car had a DME issue due to an improperly installed tuned from a previous shop in MD that I will not name. That installed program put my BMW into limp mode and all kinds of EML and CEL lights with bad throttle response. The car was towed to PA and Matt (Kassel) managed to get the car properly coded and a basic tune put onto the car to make it operational and drivable under normal conditions and no throttle issues. Fast forward to the tuning process, currently the car is loosening power after 4k-5k (approx. 50+ or more hp). You could see the curve go up and drop off like a roller-coaster. That is without adding any timing or fuel or touching any parameters. For some reason or another, the car isn't happy at those rpms and its pulling timing (or detonating) as I was told. Matt advised me to do a VANOS test (which the car did pass with flying colors) to limit any mechanical factors. He later stated that it could be a DME related issues and swapped DMEs with a good working one to address the problem. Unfortunately the issue with the car on the dyno still exists at the 4k-5k rpms. Matt is pretty busy at the shop and had to put my car on the back burner until he can spend more time with the car. But in the mean time, I would like to post my situation on here to see if I could get some advice or information that could help with the problem.

If you have covered all the usual bases, the next step might be to check the custom parts in the fuel system or maybe one of the knock sensors is faulty. It would be nice to go back to stock to diagnose a weird problem like this, but it sounds like a fairly custom VF setup based on your description.

[ldmiller78]

If you have covered all the usual bases, the next step might be to check the custom parts in the fuel system or maybe one of the knock sensors is faulty. It would be nice to go back to stock to diagnose a weird problem like this, but it sounds like a fairly custom VF setup based on your description.

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll pass this information to Matt. Yea my setup is kind of custom.

[ZiMMie]

Hi, im pretty new here but I found this forum due to a current search on S54 tuning issues I'm currently experiencing. Long story short, my 2003 LSB M3 is at Kassel in PA. The car is currently setup with a VF570+ kit running E85(@ 85% content), Kassel recommended injectors and plugs (1000cc I believe??), Radium fuel system to include microglass filter with press regulator, Walbro F900267 fuel pump rated for E85, electric fan setup, current headers are from bimmerworld custom single step with catless "magnaflow" full exhaust (Will be installing a full SS step/catless race exhaust before the next tune correction/session). This is the current build as it stands. The car had a DME issue due to an improperly installed tuned from a previous shop in MD that I will not name. That installed program put my BMW into limp mode and all kinds of EML and CEL lights with bad throttle response. The car was towed to PA and Matt (Kassel) managed to get the car properly coded and a basic tune put onto the car to make it operational and drivable under normal conditions and no throttle issues. Fast forward to the tuning process, currently the car is loosening power after 4k-5k (approx. 50+ or more hp). You could see the curve go up and drop off like a roller-coaster. That is without adding any timing or fuel or touching any parameters. For some reason or another, the car isn't happy at those rpms and its pulling timing (or detonating) as I was told. Matt advised me to do a VANOS test (which the car did pass with flying colors) to limit any mechanical factors. He later stated that it could be a DME related issues and swapped DMEs with a good working one to address the problem. Unfortunately the issue with the car on the dyno still exists at the 4k-5k rpms. Matt is pretty busy at the shop and had to put my car on the back burner until he can spend more time with the car. But in the mean time, I would like to post my situation on here to see if I could get some advice or information that could help with the problem.

Find another shop. That will make you a priority.

[EthanolTurbo]

I am squaring together a kit using 5spd light weight
gear box. I am very stubborn on the tranny weight to
be as low as possible. Fuck those boat anchor 150lb+
which affects the car front to rear bias.... yeah yeah I get
it its low to the ground and back but it is still connected to
the engine!

It will have racing-oriented ratios.The gear box will be
track focused and street friendly!. 0-62mph will be okay
which is not important for our cars...

Regards,
Anri

I would be really interested in this kind of 5 speed swap in the future. Would love to stop by your shop sometime and see what you've got cooking up.

[George Hill]

Scott, average of 294hp and 243lb-ft of torque. Stock, getting SS V1 headers, cats and Dinan muffler next, this is our baseline pull to see the delta in change.

Ok, here is where we are at with Scotts M3, we left off with the car making 294/243.

And as of now the setup is making 320/251 with an HTE Performance dyno tune, Supersprint V1 headers and cats, Supersprint oversized and resonated section 2 exhaust and Dinan CAI.

Here's the different combos we tested, not in order of testing but in order of what I think is most relevant. I know some people follow me on IG and I posted about this there as well. Some of the numbers are different because on that post I picked the "middle of the road" run and stated that, but here I took the totals from all the particular runs and averaged them.

*Note I should have put the AFR in the graphs but I just thought of that now and it took a bit of time making all these screen grabs and I don't feel like going back to do it now. Maybe I will in the future though.

2--Euro Tune, V1 & Cats 302-250 (In the past we found the Euro tune does well on Euro header cars so I expected that to be the same here, but I guess with the SS headers it was to lean for comfort so we switched back to the US tune for all the remaining "stock tune" tests).




3--US Tune, V1 & Cats 306-250




4--US Tune, V1 & Cats, S2, Stock Intake 308-250




5--US Tune, V1 & Cats, S2, CAI 309-249




6--HTE, V1 & Cats, S2, Stock Intake 320-253 (Note this tune was not optimized for the stock intake, but it is what HTE did for the Dinan and we just swapped back in the stock intake to see if there was a change.)




7--HTE, V1 & Cats, S2, CAI 320-251




8--Baseline to Final




I'm really surprised at the results of the Dinan CAI vs the Stock intake. We've seen about the opposite in change (small bump with the Dinan CAI vs stock) on a euro header car. I would be curious to know if there is something else that is now hindering the setup, maybe we will try an oversized intake elbow next? Also, we had been waiting on a new Dinan muffler so all of these tests were with a stock muffler. The Dinan is here so we will get it installed and schedule dyno time to see the change that one has. Also note that all of the runs were broken up over 3 different trips -- 1. Baseline, 2. Euro/US Tune with SS V1 & Cats, 3. All the remaining

[stash1]

^^^Nice dyno progression/mod list...should prove very helpful to other members looking at bolt-on power mods.

[maupineda]

Does anyone know how much there is between v1 stepped v euro headers? I am on a fence trying to decide if the change is worth

[EthanolTurbo]

Does anyone know how much there is between v1 stepped v euro headers? I am on a fence trying to decide if the change is worth

I will be installing V1s and full exhaust with cams etc and retuning in a couple weeks. Will show the difference on a dyno overlay between Euro headers + regular exhaust setup vs SSv1 + oversize dual exhaust.

It will be a bit tricky though with the cams going in as well, plus the lower temps vs when I dyno'd in the summer.

[maupineda]

Will be a good data point. I have only seen one data point on a Euro Z4M where SS V1 gained 9hp over Euro headers but it lost torque in some areas low-mid range and gained a few torques up top. So not sure they would make a notable difference.

[stash1]

Does anyone know how much there is between v1 stepped v euro headers? I am on a fence trying to decide if the change is worth

Euro header set up is still the best bang for the buck exhaust mod, but I've seen a couple dyno comparisons in person, and on different forums (like the old M3F) that generally show between a 5-10 HP difference...depending on other supporting mods.

[/M3]

Ok, here is where we are at with Scotts M3, we left off with the car making 294/243.

And as of now the setup is making 320/251 with an HTE Performance dyno tune, Supersprint V1 headers and cats, Supersprint oversized and resonated section 2 exhaust and Dinan CAI.

Here's the different combos we tested, not in order of testing but in order of what I think is most relevant. I know some people follow me on IG and I posted about this there as well. Some of the numbers are different because on that post I picked the "middle of the road" run and stated that, but here I took the totals from all the particular runs and averaged them.

*Note I should have put the AFR in the graphs but I just thought of that now and it took a bit of time making all these screen grabs and I don't feel like going back to do it now. Maybe I will in the future though.

2--Euro Tune, V1 & Cats 302-250 (In the past we found the Euro tune does well on Euro header cars so I expected that to be the same here, but I guess with the SS headers it was to lean for comfort so we switched back to the US tune for all the remaining "stock tune" tests).




3--US Tune, V1 & Cats 306-250




4--US Tune, V1 & Cats, S2, Stock Intake 308-250




5--US Tune, V1 & Cats, S2, CAI 309-249




6--HTE, V1 & Cats, S2, Stock Intake 320-253 (Note this tune was not optimized for the stock intake, but it is what HTE did for the Dinan and we just swapped back in the stock intake to see if there was a change.)




7--HTE, V1 & Cats, S2, CAI 320-251




8--Baseline to Final




I'm really surprised at the results of the Dinan CAI vs the Stock intake. We've seen about the opposite in change (small bump with the Dinan CAI vs stock) on a euro header car. I would be curious to know if there is something else that is now hindering the setup, maybe we will try an oversized intake elbow next? Also, we had been waiting on a new Dinan muffler so all of these tests were with a stock muffler. The Dinan is here so we will get it installed and schedule dyno time to see the change that one has. Also note that all of the runs were broken up over 3 different trips -- 1. Baseline, 2. Euro/US Tune with SS V1 & Cats, 3. All the remaining

God bless the BMW engineers for their amazing true cold air intake design.

Not to mention, I remember HPF made a comparison between different mufflers and how they tested the OE section 3 to be the best flowing muffler after their muffler (basically a straight pipe muffler, guessing more ideal for a highly boosted turbocharged car).

[George Hill]

I feel like we've seen a gain with the Dinan intake on a previous car, but maybe that was on a stock tune and HTE's tune is able to work around it? IDK, good data for this car either way. I still bought some more Dinan CAI's for future builds lol. Also need to compare the graphs and see if the Dinan picked up anywhere under the curve compared to stock as well.

Next test will be a Dinan muffler and larger intake elbow.

Stromoung told me they do not try to make more power than BMW M mufflers, but only build them if they can maintain that power and create a lighter muffler.

Years ago I dyno'd an M3 with a Scorpion muffler, no muffler and a factory muffler. I think the delta was 12whp and the factory made the most.

[HanSooloo]

Stock 2004 US spec M3 at RRT Racing for a few upgrades. This is the baseline dyno result. Will post the updates after the project is completed.

List of upgrades coming up:

1. Karbonius airbox with operational flap
2. OEM CSL MAP sensor and air rail
3. Schrick 280/272 camshafts
4. SSv1 header, catted section 1, resonated section 2
5. CSL inconel exhaust valves
6. Rod bearing and VANOS maintenance
7. Cleaned injectors