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      10-10-2019, 08:36 AM   #1
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O-ring seals for charge pipes

I've had some minor boost leak issues in the past that I've vanquished by replacing all of the pressurized OEM charge pipe seals with o-rings.

Harkes first put forward replacing the charge pipe to throttle body o-ring with a larger o-ring. I figured I'd flesh in the rest for those who want to replace the rest of the OEM seals with better sealing, inexpensive, non-directional o-rings. The grand total of this setup is $3.00, plus shipping. I've boost leak tested it up to 30 psi without any leaks.

Be warned that installing fresh o-rings requires significantly more effort. After they've been installed for a while, they form to the seal path better and are easier to reinstall. That first time is a real pain, but it can be done. Be sure to lightly grease both the o-ring and the sealing surface that it'll be sliding onto.

These are the largest cross section o-rings I've been able to fit. Hope this makes all of your boost leaks go bye bye, too.

Turbo outlet: 1 - 4.5mm X 49mm - $.98
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...ducts_id=17446

Throttle body: 1 - 4mm x 81mm - $.90
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...ducts_id=39576

Intercooler: 2 - 4mm x 59mm - $1.12
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...oducts_id=2242

For looser fitting charge pipe to IC cold side fitments, thejeremyman9 found that a 4.5mm x 60mm o-ring, lightly sanded to reduce it's thickness, worked best at eliminating leaks.

Loose intercooler cold side option - 1 - 4.5mm x 60mm - $1.07
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...ducts_id=17451
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Last edited by hardparker; 12-02-2019 at 08:04 AM..
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      10-10-2019, 11:19 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hardparker View Post
I've had some minor boost leak issues in the past that I've vanquished by replacing all of the pressurized OEM charge pipe seals with o-rings.

Harkes first put forward replacing the charge pipe to throttle body o-ring with a larger o-ring. I figured I'd flesh in the rest for those who want to replace the rest of the OEM seals with better sealing, inexpensive, non-directional o-rings. The grand total of this setup is $3.00, plus shipping. I've boost leak tested it up to 30 psi without any leaks.

Be warned that installing fresh o-rings requires significantly more effort. After they've been installed for a while, they form to the seal path better and are easier to reinstall. That first time is a real pain, but it can be done. Be sure to lightly grease both the o-ring and the sealing surface that it'll be sliding onto.

These are the largest cross section o-rings I've been able to fit. Hope this makes all of your boost leaks go bye bye, too.

Turbo outlet: 1 - 4.5mm X 49mm - $.98
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...ducts_id=17446

Throttle body: 1 - 4mm x 81mm - $.90
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...ducts_id=39576

Intercooler: 2 - 4mm x 59mm - 1.12$
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...oducts_id=2242
Huge thanks for posting this. I just wish i had waited a little longer lol - i got super impatient last night and ordered about 20 different Orings. Thankfully, the sizes you mentioned are captured in my order. I also got the exact same ID rings, but in 4.5mm and 5mm CS, just to see if i could squeeze in a larger one. I also got a range of larger IDs because i wasn't sure if people were posted in OD or ID, so i wanted to make sure i got both. I didn't order the turbo outlet size, but I do not plan to remove the TIC pipe anytime soon, and hopefully i don't have a leak there. I also got the same material/DURA, so i think i will be good.

The cheapest shipping was 2day air at $6.99, so really hoping i get them this weekend and can install.
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      10-10-2019, 01:17 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
Huge thanks for posting this. I just wish i had waited a little longer lol - i got super impatient last night and ordered about 20 different Orings. Thankfully, the sizes you mentioned are captured in my order. I also got the exact same ID rings, but in 4.5mm and 5mm CS, just to see if i could squeeze in a larger one. I also got a range of larger IDs because i wasn't sure if people were posted in OD or ID, so i wanted to make sure i got both. I didn't order the turbo outlet size, but I do not plan to remove the TIC pipe anytime soon, and hopefully i don't have a leak there. I also got the same material/DURA, so i think i will be good.

The cheapest shipping was 2day air at $6.99, so really hoping i get them this weekend and can install.
I tried o-rings larger than what I ended up with. Nothing bigger would fit. Even with those sizes, it's really tough to get them initially installed. I'd be interested to see if you can on your setup. Either way, hope the o-rings seal things up well for you.
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      10-13-2019, 03:30 PM   #4
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Following up - i ended up using the 4mm x 81mm Oring on the throttle body. This did make getting the VRSF CP onto the throttle body much more difficult. One thing to note, its not necessarily just the larger Oring, but the larger Oring makes the metal lip of the charge pipe catch more as you are trying to install, so you really need to wiggle it slightly while applying a lot of force.

As for the TIC-IC and CP-IC connections, I had a much more PITA experience, and a couple of noteworthy items to mention. First, I was NOT able to get the 4mm x 59mm Oring on the TIC-IC connection to work. There was absolutely no way. I spent over an hour trying to force this on, but it was simply not going to work. I tried various other 4mm Orings I had in the 50’s mm range and none would work either. I eventually ended up putting the stock tapered Oring back into the TIC pipe. That taper does indeed go back into the TIC pipe, away from the IC, which is the logical way that makes sense for the direction you slide it on.

As for the CP-IC connection, I did end up getting the 4mm x 59mm Oring to work. And yes, it was significantly harder to install than the stock one. One interesting note here is that I removed the VRSF CP and first started testing Orings on the stock IC on the ground. I could NOT get the VRSF CP to fit on the stock IC connection with the 4mm x 59mm Oring. Even with the IC on the ground and applying a ton of force, it simply would not go on. However, the VRSF CP DID fit on the VRSF IC with this same Oring (with some effort but not a crazy amount). This leads me to believe that the VRSF IC must be ever so slightly smaller diameter at the connection point than the stock IC, which would in turn lead to a loose/potentially leaky fit with the VRSF CP using a stock Oring. This is consistent with how easily the VRSF CP just slid onto the VRSF IC with zero effort when using stock Oring. FWIW I also tested a ton of other Orings (e.g., also 59mm but 4.5 mm and 5mm CS) and nothing bigger was going to fit on the VRSF IC-CP connection. I thought the 60mm x 4.5mm was a good contender, but it was not going to work (that 0.5mm makes a huge difference).

So to sum it up, I used the 4mm x 81mm Oring for VRSF CP-throttle body connection, the 4mm x 59mm Oring for VRSF CP to VRSF IC connection, and the stock Oring for stock TIC to VRSF IC connection. Each of those was the maximum size I could fit; trust me, I spend at least 3 hours trying different sizes, including with the components on the ground.

The most annoying part out of all of this is that my logs are no different, I am still not reaching boost targets, and I am starting to suspect stage 1 tune. I am as sure as you can be that I have no boost leaks as every connection is tight, bung plugs are Teflon taped and sealed, Orings are replaced, etc. I welcome any input on my post here: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...postcount=3487

On another note, my boost leak tester failed, as I describe here: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...8&postcount=14
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      10-15-2019, 09:56 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
Following up - i ended up using the 4mm x 81mm Oring on the throttle body. This did make getting the VRSF CP onto the throttle body much more difficult. One thing to note, its not necessarily just the larger Oring, but the larger Oring makes the metal lip of the charge pipe catch more as you are trying to install, so you really need to wiggle it slightly while applying a lot of force.

As for the TIC-IC and CP-IC connections, I had a much more PITA experience, and a couple of noteworthy items to mention. First, I was NOT able to get the 4mm x 59mm Oring on the TIC-IC connection to work. There was absolutely no way. I spent over an hour trying to force this on, but it was simply not going to work. I tried various other 4mm Orings I had in the 50’s mm range and none would work either. I eventually ended up putting the stock tapered Oring back into the TIC pipe. That taper does indeed go back into the TIC pipe, away from the IC, which is the logical way that makes sense for the direction you slide it on.

As for the CP-IC connection, I did end up getting the 4mm x 59mm Oring to work. And yes, it was significantly harder to install than the stock one. One interesting note here is that I removed the VRSF CP and first started testing Orings on the stock IC on the ground. I could NOT get the VRSF CP to fit on the stock IC connection with the 4mm x 59mm Oring. Even with the IC on the ground and applying a ton of force, it simply would not go on. However, the VRSF CP DID fit on the VRSF IC with this same Oring (with some effort but not a crazy amount). This leads me to believe that the VRSF IC must be ever so slightly smaller diameter at the connection point than the stock IC, which would in turn lead to a loose/potentially leaky fit with the VRSF CP using a stock Oring. This is consistent with how easily the VRSF CP just slid onto the VRSF IC with zero effort when using stock Oring. FWIW I also tested a ton of other Orings (e.g., also 59mm but 4.5 mm and 5mm CS) and nothing bigger was going to fit on the VRSF IC-CP connection. I thought the 60mm x 4.5mm was a good contender, but it was not going to work (that 0.5mm makes a huge difference).

So to sum it up, I used the 4mm x 81mm Oring for VRSF CP-throttle body connection, the 4mm x 59mm Oring for VRSF CP to VRSF IC connection, and the stock Oring for stock TIC to VRSF IC connection. Each of those was the maximum size I could fit; trust me, I spend at least 3 hours trying different sizes, including with the components on the ground.

The most annoying part out of all of this is that my logs are no different, I am still not reaching boost targets, and I am starting to suspect stage 1 tune. I am as sure as you can be that I have no boost leaks as every connection is tight, bung plugs are Teflon taped and sealed, Orings are replaced, etc. I welcome any input on my post here: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...postcount=3487

On another note, my boost leak tester failed, as I describe here: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...8&postcount=14
That's the biggest thing I noticed with the VRSF IC and CP if you have the taper going towards the TB, it simply isnt snug or even remotely close. I dont know if its leaking boost there, but its just not a very reassuring connection. I think I will give the larger o-ring a try at some point, I wish I were tuned to be able to log, but I'm waiting for my warranty to expire next month.
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      10-15-2019, 11:17 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by khj24 View Post
That's the biggest thing I noticed with the VRSF IC and CP if you have the taper going towards the TB, it simply isnt snug or even remotely close. I dont know if its leaking boost there, but its just not a very reassuring connection. I think I will give the larger o-ring a try at some point, I wish I were tuned to be able to log, but I'm waiting for my warranty to expire next month.
If you're going to tune anyway you can buy a BM3 license and use the data logging feature without flashing. Then when you're ready to flash just flash.
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      10-15-2019, 11:49 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XxThe_RemedyXx View Post
If you're going to tune anyway you can buy a BM3 license and use the data logging feature without flashing. Then when you're ready to flash just flash.
Same thing for MHD. Infact, i would recommend doing this. It is nice to have the extra data. Get some logs before making any more modifications or doing any tunes.
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      10-15-2019, 01:55 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by XxThe_RemedyXx View Post
If you're going to tune anyway you can buy a BM3 license and use the data logging feature without flashing. Then when you're ready to flash just flash.
Oh ffs I wouldve bought it a long time ago had I known that lol. How did I miss this?
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      10-21-2019, 08:20 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
Following up - i ended up using the 4mm x 81mm Oring on the throttle body. This did make getting the VRSF CP onto the throttle body much more difficult. One thing to note, its not necessarily just the larger Oring, but the larger Oring makes the metal lip of the charge pipe catch more as you are trying to install, so you really need to wiggle it slightly while applying a lot of force.

As for the TIC-IC and CP-IC connections, I had a much more PITA experience, and a couple of noteworthy items to mention. First, I was NOT able to get the 4mm x 59mm Oring on the TIC-IC connection to work. There was absolutely no way. I spent over an hour trying to force this on, but it was simply not going to work. I tried various other 4mm Orings I had in the 50’s mm range and none would work either. I eventually ended up putting the stock tapered Oring back into the TIC pipe. That taper does indeed go back into the TIC pipe, away from the IC, which is the logical way that makes sense for the direction you slide it on.

As for the CP-IC connection, I did end up getting the 4mm x 59mm Oring to work. And yes, it was significantly harder to install than the stock one. One interesting note here is that I removed the VRSF CP and first started testing Orings on the stock IC on the ground. I could NOT get the VRSF CP to fit on the stock IC connection with the 4mm x 59mm Oring. Even with the IC on the ground and applying a ton of force, it simply would not go on. However, the VRSF CP DID fit on the VRSF IC with this same Oring (with some effort but not a crazy amount). This leads me to believe that the VRSF IC must be ever so slightly smaller diameter at the connection point than the stock IC, which would in turn lead to a loose/potentially leaky fit with the VRSF CP using a stock Oring. This is consistent with how easily the VRSF CP just slid onto the VRSF IC with zero effort when using stock Oring. FWIW I also tested a ton of other Orings (e.g., also 59mm but 4.5 mm and 5mm CS) and nothing bigger was going to fit on the VRSF IC-CP connection. I thought the 60mm x 4.5mm was a good contender, but it was not going to work (that 0.5mm makes a huge difference).

So to sum it up, I used the 4mm x 81mm Oring for VRSF CP-throttle body connection, the 4mm x 59mm Oring for VRSF CP to VRSF IC connection, and the stock Oring for stock TIC to VRSF IC connection. Each of those was the maximum size I could fit; trust me, I spend at least 3 hours trying different sizes, including with the components on the ground.

The most annoying part out of all of this is that my logs are no different, I am still not reaching boost targets, and I am starting to suspect stage 1 tune. I am as sure as you can be that I have no boost leaks as every connection is tight, bung plugs are Teflon taped and sealed, Orings are replaced, etc. I welcome any input on my post here: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...postcount=3487

On another note, my boost leak tester failed, as I describe here: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...8&postcount=14
Quote:
Originally Posted by khj24 View Post
That's the biggest thing I noticed with the VRSF IC and CP if you have the taper going towards the TB, it simply isnt snug or even remotely close. I dont know if its leaking boost there, but its just not a very reassuring connection. I think I will give the larger o-ring a try at some point, I wish I were tuned to be able to log, but I'm waiting for my warranty to expire next month.
Another thing to try with o-rings that don't quite fit is to sand down the outside diameter a little to reduce the cross section a little.
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      10-21-2019, 02:13 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hardparker View Post
Another thing to try with o-rings that don't quite fit is to sand down the outside diameter a little to reduce the cross section a little.
Yeah, i have done that in other situations, but this time around i went overboard with the Oring order out of frustration so i had ordered multiple CS of the same diameter Orings in 0.5mm increments (e.g., 4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm CS in same ID size). I tried the largest first and went down until i could get one to fit. I didnt want to risk making the Oring have low/high spots by sanding. I am pretty confident with those connection points/seals now.

I plan to attempt to make a boost leak tester (v2) again this coming weekend to be absolutely certain of no leaks.
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      10-21-2019, 05:05 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
Yeah, i have done that in other situations, but this time around i went overboard with the Oring order out of frustration so i had ordered multiple CS of the same diameter Orings in 0.5mm increments (e.g., 4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm CS in same ID size). I tried the largest first and went down until i could get one to fit. I didnt want to risk making the Oring have low/high spots by sanding. I am pretty confident with those connection points/seals now.

I plan to attempt to make a boost leak tester (v2) again this coming weekend to be absolutely certain of no leaks.
Keen to see how this goes, I think I will redo mine the first weekend of November following your method if everything checks out.
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      10-21-2019, 06:46 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by khj24 View Post
Keen to see how this goes, I think I will redo mine the first weekend of November following your method if everything checks out.
I will definitely keep this thread and the boost leak thread updated of any progress (or lack thereof) that i make.
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      10-23-2019, 09:04 PM   #13
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Well whatever I've done continues to produce the same result, this—-
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      10-23-2019, 10:18 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by khj24 View Post
Well whatever I've done continues to produce the same result, this—-
Hard to tell exactly, but i assume that is oil or grease coming out of the IC-CP connection? Did you put that amount of oil on it when you were assembling, or are you implying that is blowby?
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      10-24-2019, 06:38 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by khj24 View Post
Well whatever I've done continues to produce the same result, this—-
Hard to tell exactly, but i assume that is oil or grease coming out of the IC-CP connection? Did you put that amount of oil on it when you were assembling, or are you implying that is blowby?
Yea that's oil and although I use a little when installing; it's nowhere near the couple of ML that has accumulated at the connection and dripped down the intercooler. I switched over to the larger non directional o ring last night and it was very difficult to slide over the IC which makes me optimistic.
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      10-24-2019, 07:32 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hardparker View Post
I've had some minor boost leak issues in the past that I've vanquished by replacing all of the pressurized OEM charge pipe seals with o-rings.

Harkes first put forward replacing the charge pipe to throttle body o-ring with a larger o-ring. I figured I'd flesh in the rest for those who want to replace the rest of the OEM seals with better sealing, inexpensive, non-directional o-rings. The grand total of this setup is $3.00, plus shipping. I've boost leak tested it up to 30 psi without any leaks.

Be warned that installing fresh o-rings requires significantly more effort. After they've been installed for a while, they form to the seal path better and are easier to reinstall. That first time is a real pain, but it can be done. Be sure to lightly grease both the o-ring and the sealing surface that it'll be sliding onto.

These are the largest cross section o-rings I've been able to fit. Hope this makes all of your boost leaks go bye bye, too.

Turbo outlet: 1 - 4.5mm X 49mm - $.98
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...ducts_id=17446

Throttle body: 1 - 4mm x 81mm - $.90
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...ducts_id=39576

Intercooler: 2 - 4mm x 59mm - 1.12$
https://www.theoringstore.com/store/...oducts_id=2242
I must be mis-understanding. Are you saying the Genuine BMW replacement o-rings will not work?

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=13_1500
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      10-24-2019, 11:39 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
I must be mis-understanding. Are you saying the Genuine BMW replacement o-rings will not work?

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=13_1500
We aren't saying that they definitely wont work. It really depends on your specific CP-IC setup. As i noted in bold in my post above, the connection between the VRSF IC-CP was much looser than the connection between stock IC and VRSF CP. Therefore, i would be concerned about running the stock Oring between the VRSF IC-CP connection as it may be insufficient. However, this could just be my specific VRSF IC-CP and YMMV.

Your best bet is to check your own IC-CP connection (and TIC-IC and CP-TB for that matter) and make sure that the are solid connections with stock Orings. Keep in mind the manufacturing/tolerances with aftermarkets companies may not be to stock specifications exactly. Hence, the larger Orings to make up any differences and create a solid seal. Having a more solid connection and better seal certainly isnt going to hurt.


Quote:
Originally Posted by khj24 View Post
Yea that's oil and although I use a little when installing; it's nowhere near the couple of ML that has accumulated at the connection and dripped down the intercooler. I switched over to the larger non directional o ring last night and it was very difficult to slide over the IC which makes me optimistic.
Hmm to me that is saying two things: (1) your seal wasn't great and (2) you have a lot of blowby; presumably from the PVC going into the intake hose and through the IC. Another source could be the 8AT vent if you are auto. If you really wanted to you could look in your turbo inlet for oil, and/or the chargepipe for those two sources respectively.

I will be interested to see if the larger Oring stops that "leak" after a few weeks of driving. I felt the exact same way with my non directions Oring being more difficult to slide over the connection. Keep us posted.
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      10-24-2019, 02:41 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
We aren't saying that they definitely wont work. It really depends on your specific CP-IC setup. As i noted in bold in my post above, the connection between the VRSF IC-CP was much looser than the connection between stock IC and VRSF CP. Therefore, i would be concerned about running the stock Oring between the VRSF IC-CP connection as it may be insufficient. However, this could just be my specific VRSF IC-CP and YMMV.

Your best bet is to check your own IC-CP connection (and TIC-IC and CP-TB for that matter) and make sure that the are solid connections with stock Orings. Keep in mind the manufacturing/tolerances with aftermarkets companies may not be to stock specifications exactly. Hence, the larger Orings to make up any differences and create a solid seal. Having a more solid connection and better seal certainly isnt going to hurt.




Hmm to me that is saying two things: (1) your seal wasn't great and (2) you have a lot of blowby; presumably from the PVC going into the intake hose and through the IC. Another source could be the 8AT vent if you are auto. If you really wanted to you could look in your turbo inlet for oil, and/or the chargepipe for those two sources respectively.

I will be interested to see if the larger Oring stops that "leak" after a few weeks of driving. I felt the exact same way with my non directions Oring being more difficult to slide over the connection. Keep us posted.
Agree with everything you said at the top, this started with the installation of the CP for me, the IC(installed after) didn't really change anything, but could be tolerances as you mentioned. Im not going to call anyone out over this until I notice a solution, if a larger o-ring or different CP fixes this it clearly isn't something I or BMW did wrong as stock configuration is fine.

The last time I messed with the gasket/oring was a few months ago, so I am not too worried about the amount. The leak is probably acting like a catch can so to speak with the can being the intercooler surface lol. I just think it isn't reaching the manifold so its obvious how much oil gets ran through the piping by design(which you would notice with an OCC).

When I say it took much more effort to install I mean it, the stock one literally can be dropped onto the IC with absolutely no resistance. I had to use both hands from underneath(not easy) to yank this down over the lip of the IC, and it is infinitely more rigid and secure. I did not use the TB ring or try the TIC side, as I'm certain they aren't an issue. I keep banging on about this but when it comes to force required stock would be about a 0.5 and o-ring would be an 8 or 9.

I will definitely keep an eye on the connection to see if any oil accumulates, if so I might just buy a new CP and go from there. Thankfully you can see the connection without having to take the undertray off.
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      10-24-2019, 04:19 PM   #19
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Agree with everything you said at the top, this started with the installation of the CP for me, the IC(installed after) didn't really change anything, but could be tolerances as you mentioned. Im not going to call anyone out over this until I notice a solution, if a larger o-ring or different CP fixes this it clearly isn't something I or BMW did wrong as stock configuration is fine.

The last time I messed with the gasket/oring was a few months ago, so I am not too worried about the amount. The leak is probably acting like a catch can so to speak with the can being the intercooler surface lol. I just think it isn't reaching the manifold so its obvious how much oil gets ran through the piping by design(which you would notice with an OCC).

When I say it took much more effort to install I mean it, the stock one literally can be dropped onto the IC with absolutely no resistance. I had to use both hands from underneath(not easy) to yank this down over the lip of the IC, and it is infinitely more rigid and secure. I did not use the TB ring or try the TIC side, as I'm certain they aren't an issue. I keep banging on about this but when it comes to force required stock would be about a 0.5 and o-ring would be an 8 or 9.

I will definitely keep an eye on the connection to see if any oil accumulates, if so I might just buy a new CP and go from there. Thankfully you can see the connection without having to take the undertray off.
Yeah, I don't think you/BMW did anything wrong, i would just sum it up as an aftermarket CP/IC/TIC maybe require an aftermarket Oring for best results, even if it is designed to be a stock replacement.

With regards to the oil, i would just comment that i noticed virtually zero oil in my intake, CP, and TIC pipe when I removed the stock IC+CP and was messing around with the intake for boost leak testing. My car has 41k miles.

I am on the same page with the increase in effort - my VRSF CP-IC connection literally fell on with zero effort when using stock Oring. I had to pull down with both hands to slide the same connection on using the aftermarket Oring. There is also basically no play in the connection now with the aftermarket Oring. On the other hand, there was no way i could use anything other than stock Oring on the stock TIC to VRSF IC connection. i applied probably 100lbs of force trying to get the TIC onto the IC with the aftermarket Oring and there was no way it was going on, so i ended up with stock. That connection felt fine. I dont think i had a issue with stock Oring on CP-TB connection, but i ended up using the larger one anyways, also with increased effort.
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      10-24-2019, 09:44 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by khj24 View Post
Agree with everything you said at the top, this started with the installation of the CP for me, the IC(installed after) didn't really change anything, but could be tolerances as you mentioned. Im not going to call anyone out over this until I notice a solution, if a larger o-ring or different CP fixes this it clearly isn't something I or BMW did wrong as stock configuration is fine.

The last time I messed with the gasket/oring was a few months ago, so I am not too worried about the amount. The leak is probably acting like a catch can so to speak with the can being the intercooler surface lol. I just think it isn't reaching the manifold so its obvious how much oil gets ran through the piping by design(which you would notice with an OCC).

When I say it took much more effort to install I mean it, the stock one literally can be dropped onto the IC with absolutely no resistance. I had to use both hands from underneath(not easy) to yank this down over the lip of the IC, and it is infinitely more rigid and secure. I did not use the TB ring or try the TIC side, as I'm certain they aren't an issue. I keep banging on about this but when it comes to force required stock would be about a 0.5 and o-ring would be an 8 or 9.

I will definitely keep an eye on the connection to see if any oil accumulates, if so I might just buy a new CP and go from there. Thankfully you can see the connection without having to take the undertray off.
Yeah, I don't think you/BMW did anything wrong, i would just sum it up as an aftermarket CP/IC/TIC maybe require an aftermarket Oring for best results, even if it is designed to be a stock replacement.

With regards to the oil, i would just comment that i noticed virtually zero oil in my intake, CP, and TIC pipe when I removed the stock IC+CP and was messing around with the intake for boost leak testing. My car has 41k miles.

I am on the same page with the increase in effort - my VRSF CP-IC connection literally fell on with zero effort when using stock Oring. I had to pull down with both hands to slide the same connection on using the aftermarket Oring. There is also basically no play in the connection now with the aftermarket Oring. On the other hand, there was no way i could use anything other than stock Oring on the stock TIC to VRSF IC connection. i applied probably 100lbs of force trying to get the TIC onto the IC with the aftermarket Oring and there was no way it was going on, so i ended up with stock. That connection felt fine. I dont think i had a issue with stock Oring on CP-TB connection, but i ended up using the larger one anyways, also with increased effort.
Wonder if it's could have been a bad batch, with how easy they fit with the OEM part it's really hard to be certain there's no leak even if it isn't leaking oil like mine which is an obvious sign.

When I initially replaced the charge pipe and then the Intercooler there was a light film in the plastic CP at most, most of it just gets pushed into the engine and burned off, well with a leak like mine in the system it's acted as a nice drain for that oil.
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      10-25-2019, 11:56 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by thejeremyman9 View Post
We aren't saying that they definitely wont work. It really depends on your specific CP-IC setup. As i noted in bold in my post above, the connection between the VRSF IC-CP was much looser than the connection between stock IC and VRSF CP. Therefore, i would be concerned about running the stock Oring between the VRSF IC-CP connection as it may be insufficient. However, this could just be my specific VRSF IC-CP and YMMV.

Your best bet is to check your own IC-CP connection (and TIC-IC and CP-TB for that matter) and make sure that the are solid connections with stock Orings. Keep in mind the manufacturing/tolerances with aftermarkets companies may not be to stock specifications exactly. Hence, the larger Orings to make up any differences and create a solid seal. Having a more solid connection and better seal certainly isnt going to hurt.


Hmm to me that is saying two things: (1) your seal wasn't great and (2) you have a lot of blowby; presumably from the PVC going into the intake hose and through the IC. Another source could be the 8AT vent if you are auto. If you really wanted to you could look in your turbo inlet for oil, and/or the chargepipe for those two sources respectively.

I will be interested to see if the larger Oring stops that "leak" after a few weeks of driving. I felt the exact same way with my non directions Oring being more difficult to slide over the connection. Keep us posted.
This is a bit concerning. I have a CTS Turbo charge pipe in my 435i currently w/ OEM IC. I have a VRSF IC lying around in the house waiting to be installed, but this is a bit worrisome. Has anyone else had problems or is this possibly a bad batch?

Also, when did you buy your VRSF IC, and which model is it (5" HD, etc.)?
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      10-25-2019, 12:11 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by pw0n View Post
This is a bit concerning. I have a CTS Turbo charge pipe in my 435i currently w/ OEM IC. I have a VRSF IC lying around in the house waiting to be installed, but this is a bit worrisome. Has anyone else had problems or is this possibly a bad batch?

Also, when did you buy your VRSF IC, and which model is it (5" HD, etc.)?
I believe in the posts above some other people reported a looser connection between aftermarket CP-IC than to stock IC, but it may not be universally true as i have read plenty of people use stock Orings with aftermarket CPs and ICs of various brands. At a minimum, the connection is tighter with the aftermarket, non-directional Orings we discussed. I dont see any reason not to just run the largest, tightest sealing Oring you can? Having done this install more than once, there is no way i would even try the install without having the other Orings on hand in case i needed them. They are cheap, shipping is kindof annoying at around $6, but i got them in <48 hrs from time of order. By comparison i believe 1 stock Oring is $15 (not that the price matters, i would just get the best sealing one).

I bought my IC+CP on labor day weekend. It is the 5'' HD that was $379.99 base price IIRC. I believe there is only the one charge pipe option, 8AT RWD. It was honestly a really annoying buying experience. The product was not in stock (despite no indication on XPH website). It took me almost a month to get my IC and CP, and after i got the IC there was clear fin damage and beyond that a metal "bubble" on the front that i am concerned might be a small leak (I have a picture of that over on this thread https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...8#post25366268). I'm not bashing anyone and i dont really care about the delays as long as the product works, which i hope to confirm this weekend with a boost leak test.
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