e36bmer's... e70bmer - X5M

[JoeyBimX5din]

Originally Posted by m5james

Completely different vehicle, but the same principle applies. I upgraded from an Eaton 1.6l (running 18psi) to a Kenne Bell 2.3l (running 15psi) with a sheetmetal intake and gained over 100hp. I can't imagine the wheel swap is THAT efficient that your psi changed, but I wonder if maybe you had a restriction somewhere that got fixed during the removal, rebuild and/or reassembly.

Did you have an 03 Mustang Cobra?

[m5james]

No, it's an 02 Harley Davidson F150 in dark shadow gray with a black interior. I'm almost embarrased to say how much I've spent on this truck for as little I drive it! This was a random purchase to fulfill my undying love for sleepers. I blew the stock engine from too much boost, then it snowballed into me "BMW upping a Ford" as my friends called it while it set for three months during the forged engine build. It started with gutting the interior to Dynamat everything, I've added LED puddle lights to the doors, wrapped EVERY panel that was plastic into a nice leather that is a dead match to the matte BMW leather used on my X5M's dash, custom triple gauge pod grafted into the dash, 7" touch screen, etc etc etc.

The X5M and HD are likely the same speed in the quarter, the HD could be much faster for far less...but even with a new Lighting suspension, frame stiffening, panhard bar, long bars, etc...it's still no BMW handling wise. Now it's sadly used as a truck or something different to drive when the mood strikes, but that mood only lasts a week at best lol

[JoeyBimX5din]

Originally Posted by m5james

No, it's an 02 Harley Davidson F150 in dark shadow gray with a black interior. I'm almost embarrased to say how much I've spent on this truck for as little I drive it! This was a random purchase to fulfill my undying love for sleepers. I blew the stock engine from too much boost, then it snowballed into me "BMW upping a Ford" as my friends called it while it set for three months during the forged engine build. It started with gutting the interior to Dynamat everything, I've added LED puddle lights to the doors, wrapped EVERY panel that was plastic into a nice leather that is a dead match to the matte BMW leather used on my X5M's dash, custom triple gauge pod grafted into the dash, 7" touch screen, etc etc etc.

The X5M and HD are likely the same speed in the quarter, the HD could be much faster for far less...but even with a new Lighting suspension, frame stiffening, panhard bar, long bars, etc...it's still no BMW handling wise. Now it's sadly used as a truck or something different to drive when the mood strikes, but that mood only lasts a week at best lol

Stock eaton m112's are 1.8 liters, not 1.6. The M90s are a bit closer to 1.6 at around 1.5 and change.

I have had a lot of mod motors, turned wrenches on a lot of fords, I get the desire to have one, Ive always liked the HD trucks. four door lightning is awesome. I could never understand why ford dropped the boost stock on the HD's. I have a current mod motor in my Tbird, but that has way different goals then an HD.

[m5james]

I stand corrected...I'd only owned the truck for maybe 6 month before I discovered whoever owned the truck before me has swapped to a bigger lower pulley and didn't add a tune as will. It's been running the KB 2.3l for the past 3-4 years.

Yeah, it was a spur of the moment purchase, much like the X5M...bored internet search, "oh, I like that" and next thing you know that's how we've got 5 cars and a motorcycle at the moment lol. I've read that they did it to save wear and tear on the drive train being that it's slightly heavier, so they went with a larger upper pulley to lower the boost. I liked the Tbirds as well, it's cool how much power people have pulled from simple mods on those cars.

Anyways, sorry to completely get us off topic here :-D. Any updates on your setup?

[e36bmer]

Originally Posted by m5james

Any updates on your setup?

Well, I've been getting a reduced power warning recently and haven't had time to track it down.

We went through firmwares v1, v2, v3, v3A and on V3b, it really was starting to get more boost and make good power. However, I got a reduced power warning and a code showing 30FF and a reduced boost or boost leak. However, I don't see anything for where it could be leaking and when I restart the car, it runs just fine. Now, I've even gone to Map4 and am still getting the warning, just only when I reach near redline.

I just got back from some vacation and need to try to figure out what the issue is.

[m5james]

What are you using to read codes? JB4 was giving me odd codes but Carista (an OBDII app) is what told me I was getting misfires and what prompted me to go two steps colder plugs with tighter gaps and hasn't come back since. I assume you've already done that though. As for a vacuum leak, it took almost a year before I figured out my leak was coming from the hard line between the engine and mufflers, which I deleted via removing one of the vacuum line T's on the passenger side in the engine bay which ran over to the fender and then ran the entire length of three car...easy 5 min check if you wanna try that. Fingers crossed you find out what it is since my meth kit is arriving today :-)

[e36bmer]

Originally Posted by m5james

What are you using to read codes? JB4 was giving me odd codes but Carista (an OBDII app) is what told me I was getting misfires and what prompted me to go two steps colder plugs with tighter gaps and hasn't come back since. I assume you've already done that though. As for a vacuum leak, it took almost a year before I figured out my leak was coming from the hard line between the engine and mufflers, which I deleted via removing one of the vacuum line T's on the passenger side in the engine bay which ran over to the fender and then ran the entire length of three car...easy 5 min check if you wanna try that. Fingers crossed you find out what it is since my meth kit is arriving today :-)

I'm using the Carly app to check codes. I have changed my plugs and don't think that's the issue. I already replaced all of my vacuum lines, but the one running to the muffler and since I have the muffler flaps held open, I can pretty easily blocked that one off. I'll have a look today to see if I can find a leak. I also have a smoke machine to help with vacuum and boost leaks, so I can give that a try as well.

[m5james]

Mine were blocked open by the PO, but when I bought the truck, it didn't have a tune. It wasn't until the tune and hard driving that it'd come up. I searched around in the trunk and verified it was plugged back there, yet I still got the warning on the daily, to the point where I could tell by how the engine sounded that it was coming. Once I deleted that extra T in the engine bay, my problems finally went away.

[RichardH]

Originally Posted by m5james

Mine were blocked open by the PO, but when I bought the truck, it didn't have a tune. It wasn't until the tune and hard driving that it'd come up. I searched around in the trunk and verified it was plugged back there, yet I still got the warning on the daily, to the point where I could tell by how the engine sounded that it was coming. Once I deleted that extra T in the engine bay, my problems finally went away.

Thanks for this James
In my X5 the vacuum house that fits into solenoid in the truck was kinked, because the bracket was broken.
Sorted
Also changed the couplers on the cooler with silicone ones.

JB4 arrives soon!

[e36bmer]

I've bypassed that T for the exhaust, removed the meth nozzles, put the bov hoses back on and checked for any other leaks. I still am having the reduced power warnings for a boost leak on all maps, except for Map 0. I'll have to get with Terry to see what he thinks and into then, keep looking for anything else that could create this problem.

James, if you want the firmware for meth, I'm sure Terry will share that with you as well, or I could also share if you'd like.

[JoeyBimX5din]

Originally Posted by m5james

I stand corrected...I'd only owned the truck for maybe 6 month before I discovered whoever owned the truck before me has swapped to a bigger lower pulley and didn't add a tune as will. It's been running the KB 2.3l for the past 3-4 years.

Yeah, it was a spur of the moment purchase, much like the X5M...bored internet search, "oh, I like that" and next thing you know that's how we've got 5 cars and a motorcycle at the moment lol. I've read that they did it to save wear and tear on the drive train being that it's slightly heavier, so they went with a larger upper pulley to lower the boost. I liked the Tbirds as well, it's cool how much power people have pulled from simple mods on those cars.

Anyways, sorry to completely get us off topic here :-D. Any updates on your setup?

witch setup, the X, or the bird?

I do believe with the Harley trucks that doing the lower pulley puts the boost in the lightning HP range, and may not have required a tune. Around there era when those trucks were newish, A tune shop (who I shall not name) popped up in my area and did a lot of work with these trucks. I do remember hearing that at the time, though I could be wrong. The tune shop was horrible, so the information may have been incorrect. I remember a buddy at the time dropped off his Thunderbird to just have a lightning map and dyno tune completed on his bolt on mod 96 tbird. They couldn't get the car to run at all. So he ordered an online tune from someone who knew what they were doing and kept it moving.

[m5james]

Originally Posted by RichardH

Thanks for this James
In my X5 the vacuum house that fits into solenoid in the truck was kinked, because the bracket was broken.
Sorted
Also changed the couplers on the cooler with silicone ones.

JB4 arrives soon!

Cool, it took me a while to sort this out...70+hr mandatory weeks at Boeing didn't help, so it went on for over a year.

Congrats on being able to get a JB4, there's mixed signals over on N54Tech if they're going to continue producing them for use on the S63.

[m5james]

Originally Posted by e36bmer

I've bypassed that T for the exhaust, removed the meth nozzles, put the bov hoses back on and checked for any other leaks. I still am having the reduced power warnings for a boost leak on all maps, except for Map 0. I'll have to get with Terry to see what he thinks and into then, keep looking for anything else that could create this problem.

James, if you want the firmware for meth, I'm sure Terry will share that with you as well, or I could also share if you'd like.

No luck with the smoke machine? A buddy tried halfassing a fog machine into a smoke machine but it didn't work lol. I replaced all the vacuum lines above the turbos but I've yet to replace everything from the vacuum solenoids to the turbos themselves. What about the 1" diameter plastic vacuum line that sits on the bridge over the turbos, #3 in the LH picture? I had a hairline crack in mine, along the bottom edge, that was only visible when removed and bent 180*. I've already replaced everything in the RH picture, I've yet to finish the two parts running of the valve covers from the LH picture. I've got a catch can setup just sitting on my shelf waiting to get installed to replace the typical BMW plastic that goes brittle too quickly common to all the PCV/CCV stuff.

I knowingly bugged Terry too much in the beginning of my JB4 tuning, had some logging issues, figured out along the way that mine didn't like E30 and the colder plugs trick to fix the misfires, where it all ultimately got to the point where he told me to find a local tuner. Point being, if you don't mind posting the firmware here, I'll take it since I don't wanna bug Terry anymore than needed. I'm sure the time will come though.

[e36bmer]

Originally Posted by m5james

No luck with the smoke machine? A buddy tried halfassing a fog machine into a smoke machine but it didn't work lol. I replaced all the vacuum lines above the turbos but I've yet to replace everything from the vacuum solenoids to the turbos themselves. What about the 1" diameter plastic vacuum line that sits on the bridge over the turbos, #3 in the LH picture? I had a hairline crack in mine, along the bottom edge, that was only visible when removed and bent 180*. I've already replaced everything in the RH picture, I've yet to finish the two parts running of the valve covers from the LH picture. I've got a catch can setup just sitting on my shelf waiting to get installed to replace the typical BMW plastic that goes brittle too quickly common to all the PCV/CCV stuff.

I knowingly bugged Terry too much in the beginning of my JB4 tuning, had some logging issues, figured out along the way that mine didn't like E30 and the colder plugs trick to fix the misfires, where it all ultimately got to the point where he told me to find a local tuner. Point being, if you don't mind posting the firmware here, I'll take it since I don't wanna bug Terry anymore than needed. I'm sure the time will come though.

I haven't gotten the chance to get to it yet. Maybe next week. I've actually already replaced every line in the crankcase vent system already. I will check them all again though. I'll email you the last couple firmware revisions I got.

[m5james]

I've been getting the 30FF error as well since running the 3B firmware, I've yet to try and flash back to 3A to see if it helps. As for the meth install, you drilled and tapped those two holes on the charge pipes...are those for meth or for an analog boost gauge? I've got my charge pipes out, I remember you mentioning where you put the meth bungs and wishing you'd used a different location, but I can't find the thread or email saying so. In the meantime I'm doing the routing from the trunk to the engine bay as we speak.