[KTM]

Hello,
I'm in the process of building up my E90 335i Xdrive and have been baffled by the price for port injection kits or the Evolution of Speed intake manifold w/ PI. Therefore I'm looking to build my own. I'm starting the manifold design right now and am looking to hear from you folk with more N54 experience. What type of features would make your 'ultimate intake'? Structural integrity and flow characteristics are obviously my principle concern, for which I will fun CFD/FEA simulations on whatever design I make to ensure a safe and high-performance intake manifold.

As of now I'm looking to include ports for adding fuel injectors, redesigning the flow path from the air box, ensuring equal runner length/cross-sectional area, and maximizing the plenum volume. What other things would you want if you were to be starting from scratch? I've seen the STETT intake for these cars and am highly considering designing around that cold-air intake as it frees up so much room for the manifold - any input on this?

I have wrought 6061 stock and a machine ready to go whenever I get this design done, so I'm really looking to do this quickly. As such, does anyone have an engineering drawing of the intake ports, or a model of the original intake? If not I'll snag a used OEM manifold to laser scan and re-engineer.

Thanks!
Kyle

Expected project completion: June 2026

[KTM]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Expected project completion: June 2026

Thanks for the constructive comment, your air of superiority is duly noted.

[shadow191]

If you were really going to pursue this, why design around a STETT? Just use passenger side inlets. Stett still takes up a bunch of room over the charge pipe. I have a STETT sitting around and the only room you save is that the pipe is smaller than a cone filter. Still a lot of piping there.

Honestly $1500 doesn't seem that bad for the Evolution of Speed one. By the time you actually model everything, the time you've put into it would likely be more than the cost of that one. But that's just me. If you're doing this for fun and have the equipment, go for it.

[Torgus]

1st get passenger side inlets. Don't design around any intake on the driver's side.

2nd you want a tapered log style IM with velocity stacks off the floor and away from the walls. Just look up basic intake design: http://horsepowercalculators.net/int...anifold-design

3rd you probably are not going to gain squat. Literally nothing. VAC stage 3 heads add no HP same with manifold. Now if you machined the manifold with larger runners and port matched & enlarged the ports then a stage 3 head might have some gains. If you are below 700whp you will has no gains.

So yeah it's kind of a waste of time unless you are making jam. Just copy the doc race intake manifold.

[KTM]

Originally Posted by shadow191

If you were really going to pursue this, why design around a STETT? Just use passenger side inlets. Stett still takes up a bunch of room over the charge pipe. I have a STETT sitting around and the only room you save is that the pipe is smaller than a cone filter. Still a lot of piping there.

Honestly $1500 doesn't seem that bad for the Evolution of Speed one. By the time you actually model everything, the time you've put into it would likely be more than the cost of that one. But that's just me. If you're doing this for fun and have the equipment, go for it.

That is really the biggest motivating factor for me, just for shits. I am a mech E with too many toys to play with, and not enough projects that I need to do. The time spent modeling or manufacturing any of these parts is negligible as it is my hobby.

Anyway, regardless I am trying to wind up with a port injection setup. That said, is the OEM design + ports for injectors completely adequate (a mimic of the Evolution of Speed manifold)?

[trixdout]

Now if you can make the same IM work for both a n54 and n55 then you can even make more money, as the same unit will be interchangeable amongst the two differing platforms.

[Torgus]

Just a public service reminder intake manifolds and worked heads have yet to show any real gains.

[terryd5150]

Originally Posted by Torgus

Just a public service reminder intake manifolds and worked heads have yet to show any real gains.

Perhaps because these components aren't currently the primary restriction; look upstream....

[Torgus]

Originally Posted by terryd5150

Perhaps because these components aren't currently the primary restriction; look upstream....

go back to cooking burgers and fries!

I assume upstream you mean towards the engine. Lack of cams mean we are stuck with the stock lift.

[terryd5150]

Originally Posted by Torgus

go back to cooking burgers and fries!

I assume upstream you mean towards the engine. Lack of cams mean we are stuck with the stock lift.

That's downstream, silly.

What happens before the intake?

I'm not allowed to do the burgers yet.

[Sshec152]

I would definitely be interested in an intake manifold 1, if it was metal (so i could port match, not blow up from nls, and be polished), 2 if it was compatible with the stock chargepipe, and 3 if it had port injection built in like the eos manifold. Anything more than that would be icing on the cake.

[DennisPacMo]

DOC Race just tested their new intake manifold for the N54 the other day. It's similar in design to their S54 design but with changes for the location of the throttle body. You may want to take a peak at it.

[Torgus]

Originally Posted by terryd5150

That's downstream, silly.

What happens before the intake?

I'm not allowed to do the burgers yet.

I guess that would be the throttle body. Do you know what size the stock n54 is? Are you saying we need a 102mm TB

[terryd5150]

Originally Posted by Torgus

I guess that would be the throttle body. Do you know what size the stock n54 is? Are you saying we need a 102mm TB

Well, the TB is one component that appears prior to the intake, but I suspect that if it's ≥ 76mm that it may not be the immediate problem.

Think of the bigger picture: what else is there? What is the system comprised of prior to that point?

I know you have this answer, my friend.

[Torgus]

Originally Posted by terryd5150

Well, the TB is one component that appears prior to the intake, but I suspect that if it's ≥ 76mm that it may not be the immediate problem.

Think of the bigger picture: what else is there? What is the system comprised of prior to that point?

I know you have this answer, my friend.

Hmm....

For starters a cold side charge pipe that is not 3'' on most cars, an intercooler that does not have 3'' in and outs on most cars.

Terry's ST didn't show any gains with the headwork iirc. To quote him "I prefer to think of cylinder head porting as a "stealth" mod. It's so stealthy not even your dyno operator will know you've done it... "

[terryd5150]

Originally Posted by Torgus

Hmm....

For starters a cold side charge pipe that is not 3'' on most cars, an intercooler that does not have 3'' in and outs on most cars.

Outstanding.

Originally Posted by Torgus

Terry's ST didn't show any gains with the headwork iirc. To quote him "I prefer to think of cylinder head porting as a "stealth" mod. It's so stealthy not even your dyno operator will know you've done it... "

With certainty, Terry is correct in his position.

The entire system prior to the head has to be capable of outflowing a stock head before headwork will show substantial benefit.

The same can be said for a proven manifold design, such as the DR unit.

Use the approach above to find & remove the constraints prior to those components.

[trixdout]

Originally Posted by Torgus

Hmm....

For starters a cold side charge pipe that is not 3'' on most cars, an intercooler that does not have 3'' in and outs on most cars.

Terry's ST didn't show any gains with the headwork iirc. To quote him "I prefer to think of cylinder head porting as a "stealth" mod. It's so stealthy not even your dyno operator will know you've done it... "

All depends on the engine and where the restriction is. Maybe it could be the valvetrain.

[terryd5150]

Originally Posted by trixdout

All depends on the engine and where the restriction is. Maybe it could be the valvetrain.

OK, then let's examine it closer and see if we can find the answer.

Let's answer the following questions regarding the valve train.

Part 1

* What would increasing duration do?
* What would increasing lift do?
* What would changing the rocker arm ratio do?

Part 2

* What would increasing the valve size do?
* What would porting the valve seat/unshrouding the valve do?
* What would a multi-angle valve job do?
* What would CCing the chamber do?

[Cory S]

Originally Posted by terryd5150

OK, then let's examine it closer and see if we can find the answer.

Let's answer the following questions regarding the valve train.

Part 1

* What would increasing duration do?
* What would increasing lift do?
* What would changing the rocker arm ratio do?

Part 2

* What would increasing the valve size do?
* What would porting the valve seat/unshrouding the valve do?
* What would a multi-angle valve job do?
* What would CCing the chamber do?

All contribute to the same result. More cylinder fill.

[terryd5150]

Originally Posted by Cory S

All contribute to the same result. More cylinder fill.

Excellent.