Immaculate low mileage 2004 Silver Grey CSL Inspired Build

[Slideways]

Not sure if Avedis's are the same but just looked at mine (Genuine BMW) I have sitting on my desk and they have 4 seams (e.g. every 90 degrees) so there isn't a “up vs “down”


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Ah, the old ones have one seam that you can usually put facing down.

[karter16]

the seam on the throttle body boots is facing up rather than down

Not sure if Avedis's are the same but just looked at mine (Genuine BMW) I have sitting on my desk and they have 4 seams (e.g. every 90 degrees) so there isn't a “up vs “down”


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[D-O]

The strut tower reinforcement plates that go on the strut top mounts will help with that.

For sure, but I would think a brace making full contact on the top side would assist in reinforcing the strut tower.

[Slideways]

Would a brace that makes full contact with the strut tower not give more protection against mushrooming?

The strut tower reinforcement plates that go on the strut top mounts will help with that.

[D-O]

Would a brace that makes full contact with the strut tower not give more protection against mushrooming?

[Slideways]

That's a disappointment.

Why? Stock, BMW Perf, Karb and Slon all use the same design.

[D-O]

Raised spots like on the genuine BMW version.

That's a disappointment.

[Slideways]

Looks fantastic. Does the strut tower brace make full contact with the strut towers, or does it have just the three raised spots that contact the strut tower?

Raised spots like on the genuine BMW version.

[D-O]

Looks fantastic. Does the strut tower brace make full contact with the strut towers, or does it have just the three raised spots that contact the strut tower?

[karter16]

but I will likely go with a CSL dipstick in the near future.

FYI - the CSL dipstick tube appears to be pending a manufacturing run. I ordered mine at the beginning of June and have been given a November delivery estimate. Might be worth looking around for anyone who has one on the shelf if you want it sooner.

[AWE46M3]

This build thread is making my brain tingle - thanks for sharing your progress. Love the pics of the MAP sensor install - very helpful to have those for anyone commissioning a shop to the the work.

[CrisSilberGrau]

Stunning, envious of how clean everything is. Very well done, will refer back to some of this.

[0-60motorsports]

Looks amazing

[Avedis]

Phase 4 and 5 was modification, preparation and installation of the CSL intake. First, all the components were ceramic coated. I again used the gloss ceramic coating on top of the matte clear coat to achieve a satin like finish. I already covered this process in detail in the CSL door panel install, so I won’t be going over it again here. Just wanted to share some photos of these glorious trumpets.




Next I installed heinzboehmer 3D printed secondary air hole plug, a really well designed part. The factory rubber standoffs were also transferred over.




I then applied a self adhesive floor protection covering to the top of the intake to protect it during installation. With a gloss clear coat, you can afford to scratch it because it can be wet sanded and polished out. With my matte clear coat, one scratch would mean the entire air box would need to be refinished. I took no chances on this one. I then installed the factory boots utilizing genuine BMW boot clamps (not pictured). The intake got its first mock up.



Next I installed a genuine BMW CSL filter, followed by heinzboehmer bushings on the lower alignment pegs. Note that these are his older V1 designs and he was generous enough to send me his V2 which are even better. The bushings help to dampen rattling of the two halves of the intake. I find it amazing that forum members seem to know the products better than the actual companies who manufacture them.



Plug and play MAF to IAT sensor conversion was installed. Getting this thing in California was ridiculous. I had to buy it through Turner/ECS's eBay store, ship it to a friend in Nebraska, then pay my friend to ship it back to me. California.......



Second half of the intake was installed.


In order to secure the factory clamps easier, I removed the air rail (not pictured). Then the clamps were secured with the proper tool. Finished photo of the clamps, so clean.



Phase 6 was the finishing touches. First I needed to apply the BMW M Power decal. I initially followed the measurements of the original CSL placement. What I found was that this placement was not designed around the BMW Performance style strut bar I had recently installed. I ended up moving the decal to better suit the strut bar.



A very satisfying peel off.



Almost there



Everything was nearly back together and looked absolutely incredible.







Surely, you noticed that the snorkel is missing. Phase 7 was a little bit out of order. I had misplaced my hardware for the snorkel, so I had to wait for the replacements to be delivered. I found some nice socket cap M6 bolts that matched the Karbonius hardware well. The Mile End CSL front bumper installation won't be happening for a while, so I made a temporary front bumper intake tube. I got this idea from jbfrancis3 who posted a DIY on this exact modification.

First I removed the fender liner and pulled the intake tube off of the brake duct. I then cut off 1in of the flexible to make room for the extra long snorkel.



The flared/flexible section was then snapped back onto the base


Next, I took my heat gun and heated the flared section until it was malleable. Once the plastic was soft enough, I forced the triangular portion of the snorkel into the intake tube. This changed the shape of the flared section from a circle to a triangle, creating a nice tight seal around the snorkel.




Final piece of the puzzle was to reattach the intake tube to the brake duct, then reinstall the fender liner.



Project complete! I don't mean to sound cheesy, but it was a little bit surreal. If you are anything like me, you've probably watched every video on YouTube that includes a CSL intake. I have been watching videos on it for so long that in a way, it became so legendary. Seeing it in person, installed on my own car, was kind of like meeting and hanging out with your favorite professional athlete, driver, actor, or whatever else you are into.

[Avedis]

This car is the first time I’ve taken on a build project with kids, and I’m finding it really interesting. With young kids, projects seem to take 10x longer, but the final product has been 2x better than when I didn’t have kids. In general, I only have an hour or so a day to work on any given project. What this means is that the sessions are far more premeditated, and I never get to work on the project long enough to get frustrated and force things through. I have no expectation that I’m going to finish the project that day, so I just chip away in short focused sessions.

The CSL intake is a good sized project, so I broke it down to phases.

Phase 1 was removal of the factory components.


Once I got the factory intake components removed, I took the time to clean the area. Rather than introduce water, soaps and degreasers into the sensitive areas, I opted to lift the dirt and grime out with wipes, towels and my oversized gun cleaning q-tips. I dedicated a full hour to cleaning everything I could reach, including the throttle bodies.





Phase 2 was modification of the engine bay. First I cut the radiator shroud down 3/4in to make room for the oversized intake. I wet sanded and polished the cut edge for a factory look.



Next I rotated the dipstick around to clear the intake. I pulled the rubber spacer off of the old air shut off valve, which would no longer be used anyways. I tried a couple different dipstick locations recommended by forum members, but wasn’t really happy with any of them. I left the dipstick near the wiring harness mounted on the strut tower for now, but I will likely go with a CSL dipstick in the near future.




With that complete, I moved onto the MAP sensor, which turned out to be a whole project in itself. For this conversion I utilized COVID-19 kit. First, the vacuum line was cut.



MAP sensor valve was installed. Rather than use the generic clamps that came with the kit, I opted for genuine BMW vacuum line clamps for a factory look.





Next up was the MAP sensor wiring. I ran the wires through the factory grommet into the ECU box. The wires were supposed to be tapped into the DME wiring harness with splicing clamps and spade connectors. I’m personally not a fan of this method and wanted a more factory look. Here you can see the wires as provided were too short for my method. I do want to point out that there is nothing wrong with COVID-19 kit, we’re really lucky that we have someone in house offering this solution, I just chose to make some changes.


Wires were extended



Then the wires were spliced inline, heat shrunk, and put back into the wiring harness.




This is the end result. Those of you familiar with the ECU box will appreciate how factory this looks.



ECU box cover back on, then the MAP sensor wiring received some split wiring loom protection. While I was here, the new air shutoff valve was installed.