Custom Velocity Stack Intake for M57 X5

[ucsbwsr]

Diesel X5 owners may be familiar with my original intake design which has been used as "inspiration" by many others. OG design can be seen here:
https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/show....php?t=1670696

I decided to try a different intake setup. The original design has served me well over the past 4+ years but I wanted to try something with better filter protection. Now that I live in Colorado (previously San Diego) I find myself driving more off road and in winter conditions where there is exponentially more airborne dirt and grime. Yes, I know there is the OEM intake I could reinstall but that's so boooooring.

This V2 intake was largely inspired by the system I built for my N54 which utilizes the same filter and velocity stack.


"Less is more" was the mindset of this intake with the priorities being to minimize restriction and keep airflow smooth entering the MAF. Aside from having the outlet of the velocity stack slightly ovalized to perfectly match the MAF, this is as good as it gets. The bonus of the minimalistic design is a shorter and less expensive parts list.

Measuring hood clearances, it will be tight but possible!


RACE TROCK!


The straight coupler's 4" length was a bit too tall and I needed to position the velocity stack as low as possible so I cut it down to 3". The filter literally has millimeters of clearance around it and when the hood is shut the padded insulation on the bottom of the hood juuuuuust barely touches the top of the filter. The insulation has maybe 3/4" of give to it so I don't foresee any issues with the tight clearances and the engine movement while under load but it is something I will keep an eye on.



~$200 worth of parts:
Vibrant 10960 Filter
Vibrant 10592 Velocity Stack
3.5" Coupler
3.5"-3" Reducing Coupler
HPS Worm Gear Clamps



For those who aren't familiar the Vibrant filter and velocity stack are designed to work together.



This filter is really stuffed into the engine bay so there were a couple modifications to accommodate. I used a large zip tie to pull the AC line out of the way and then my 335D engine cover needed a slight trim.



Finished product (for now). Initial impressions are very positive. Overall in the intake performs just like the cold are intake with excellent response. The most noticeable difference is the added induction noises in the cabin; the *whooooses* *psst pssts* and *wuhbuhbuh* is easily heard from the driver's seat. Some might find it annoying but I love hearing what the turbos are doing. There is still plenty of noises heard from outside the vehicle as well.

I am very aware that this intake will be pulling warmer air from the engine bay and that was a sacrifice I was willing to make in exchange for the filter protection and turbo response. I plan to install an air scoop which will direct cold air towards the filter. I may also entertain building an additional heat shield to act as a partition between the filter and the exhaust manifold and turbos.

[jbash87]

Haha always tinkering. Love it.

[ucsbwsr]

Originally Posted by jbash87

Haha always tinkering. Love it.

always!

[RL18]

Have you watched your intake temps? I did my filter similar to that although it was horizontal instead of vertical like yours but would overheat fast. Even worse when the ac was running. Would actually drive the temps up while driving which was scary. I ultimately moved my filter towards the back piped almost the way the stock one is piped and all the issues have mostly gone away… still heats up but not nearly as quickly and it’ll cool down much quicker once you start moving. In the winter it’s not an issue though just in the summer.

[Daytonawim]

Nice peace of work!

Put it on a dyno to see the diverence between a hot air intake and a cold air intake.

The setup with the airchannel looks like a far better sololution.

A scoop good work, but Watch the airflow over the hood.

[ucsbwsr]

Originally Posted by RL18

Have you watched your intake temps?In the winter it’s not an issue though just in the summer.

I haven't yet but I will. I have this intake, my cold air setup, and the OEM so I can run whichever is best given my circumstance or if I run into issues.

Originally Posted by Daytonawim

Nice peace of work!

Put it on a dyno to see the diverence between a hot air intake and a cold air intake.

The setup with the airchannel looks like a far better sololution.

A scoop good work, but Watch the airflow over the hood.

I have already dynoed my cold air setup vs OEM, you can search my threads to find that info.

What do you mean "airflow over the hood"?

[aznbo187]

Planning on ordering the same, how has it been with a few more miles under your belt?

[ucsbwsr]

Originally Posted by aznbo187

Planning on ordering the same, how has it been with a few more miles under your belt?

I have 1,000+ miles and a few snowboard trips under my belt. No issues. filter is looking clean which is nice. I have a scoop I will install for help direct cold air to the filter as summer and warm temps approach (need to datalog this) but I am happy with the fit, performance, and wooshy sounds.

Evan

[gilberjj]

Do you get more turbo wooshy noises out of this setup compared to your cold air intake setup?
Any videos to share?

[ucsbwsr]

Originally Posted by gilberjj

Do you get more turbo wooshy noises out of this setup compared to your cold air intake setup?
Any videos to share?

You get more in-cabin noise as the filter is in the engine bay and not out front of the radiator. Presumably turbo noises outside the vehicle are not as loud as the cold-air but still audible. Personally I like to hear the induction noises when driving and in terms of sound prefer the velocity stack setup.

Evan

[RL18]

Originally Posted by gilberjj

Do you get more turbo wooshy noises out of this setup compared to your cold air intake setup?
Any videos to share?

My intake sits on top of the manifold, but also an open intake this is what you can expect for turbo noises though

https://youtube.com/shorts/PBhgETHa8...ok4YK1ktYp7fKE

[gilberjj]

Originally Posted by RL18

My intake sits on top of the manifold, but also an open intake this is what you can expect for turbo noises though

https://youtube.com/shorts/PBhgETHa8...ok4YK1ktYp7fKE

Would you please share some pictures? Sounds amazing! 🤩

[gilberjj]

I've heard that these style intakes don't play nicely with all tunes. I have a DUDMD tune, but I was told that I may have issues with my MAF with this style of an intake... I kinda want to try it anyway because I'd love more turbo and wooshy noises!

[RL18]

Originally Posted by gilberjj

Would you please share some pictures? Sounds amazing! 🤩

Here you go. Excuse the salty engine bay

[aznbo187]

Just got done installing this and at first didn't cut the 4" coupler, but realized soon after trying to close the hood that it's crucial - as well as placing the filter as far down the velocity stack as well!

Do you have a weird "flute" like noise on throttle? Mostly heard from 3-5k. It's not the turbo noises, but more of a constant flute note that holds in tone and steps up 2-3 octaves. It almost sounds electronic. This is different than the wosh wosh and pshh noises.

[ucsbwsr]

Originally Posted by aznbo187

Just got done installing this and at first didn't cut the 4" coupler, but realized soon after trying to close the hood that it's crucial - as well as placing the filter as far down the velocity stack as well!

Do you have a weird "flute" like noise on throttle? Mostly heard from 3-5k. It's not the turbo noises, but more of a constant flute note that holds in tone and steps up 2-3 octaves. It almost sounds electronic. This is different than the wosh wosh and pshh noises.

That "bendy straw" noise is common on X5s with aftermarket/custom intakes. I believe it is the EGR port on the back of the low pressure turbo. I don't suffer from it as I run a hybrid turbo and I intentionally used a 335d turbo as my core for this reason.

Evan