[F3X978]

Hello everyone, the parts will be installed on a 2015 435i XI auto N55 and I'm posting this to log the progress and install for informational purposes for those who are interested in this combination for a similar car since after searching the forums it was data mostly for F30s (3 series). Now I know that although they are a similar if not identical platform, I myself would have felt better confirming setups and mods done to an F32 that is as close in specs to mine as possible opinion and preference wise.

This is my first time owning a BMW and the car is bone stock as of writing this. After a few weeks of deliberation during the initial ownership I have concluded to go maintenance before modification. I know that sounds hypocritical since I'm going to modify some stock parts inside the engine but personally I see them more as necessary supporting mods to have even if I were to never tune it or go beyond stock.

As we all know, or have come to known, the stock charge pipe fails even on stock boost since it's made of plastic, and after reading up on everyone's experience to me now it seems more like a ticking time bomb. I can't imagine the hassle of having to get my car towed along with time wasted dealing with something I could potentially avoid. So after reading as much as I could, I chose to go with the Evolution Racewerks charge pipe since it seems to be the best quality and fitment. And here are the reasons why I didn't pick up the competition and why I chose the ER.

VRSF - Aggressively-priced. I have read complaints of it not sitting stable and very few people having boost leaks (improper install likely). The last issue I know of is fitment issues with other brands of FMIC, but I've read from multiple vendors that this problem has been fixed. In no way or form am I throwing shade as this is just what I've read up on and is merely an inconclusive observation.

Active Autowerke - I personally wouldn't have minded going for this as it was somewhat of a mid grade in between the lower VRSF and the more expensive ER. Given that they have a strong reputation, I most likely would have selected this if it weren't for it particularly NOT fitting in XI models as the disclaimer on the bottom page says.

Evolution Racewerk - Best fitment and the most expensive, many positive reviews as well. The only downside is that apparently it does not fit with certain FMICs such as a VRSF one but I have no confirmation of that having changed and mixed reviews that it will.

Honestly as long as it serves it's intended purpose I would have chosen VRSF for both charge pipe and IC but personal fear of fitment and problems had me looking for other options. Next is why I went with the Wagner Evo 1 performance and not the competition.

VRSF - I would have loved to gone with a 5" HD street since the most I would ever go is stage 2 BM3, and many people do vouch for their higher line of race intercoolers, but I was unsure of getting the VRSF charge pipes as I heard fitment wasn't always great from other people's feedback. Again these fitment issues might only be for a select few and for all I know a VRSF setup would have met my needs perfectly with no issues, but at this point I'm going with personal preference opting for something different.

Evolution Racewerk - Now I bet you're thinking why I didn't choose to go with ER since I have a ER charge pipe, and the reason is for my personal needs. Living on the east coast temperatures wouldn't necessarily be brutally hot such as Florida, Texas, etc. and I know I'll never track my car and it is my weekend warrior. Aside from one or two hard pulls a week I don't expect to be driving hard most of the time. The ER IC seems very big and although I know it will lower the IAT significantly, because it is a bigger IC, I had to consider the pressure loss and turbo lag that might occur on a car with stock turbos and boost. I've also read that unless you upgrade the turbos, most 5" aftermarket ICs would be able to handle stage 2 decently well if not being more than plenty.

Wagner Evo 1 performance - The lightest between the 3, the size that suits my needs (5") and being confirmed to fit an ER charge pipe, I chose Wagner for these reasons as well as from positive reviews. Now I may be completely wrong here but the Evo 2 is comparable to an ER Competition IC, therefore wasn't the size I was looking for. The Evo 1 competition it seems has better flow but I have read that it sacrifices having better IAT. Perhaps having better flow = more tuned hp but I preferred having lower IATs with minimal boost lag.

Any other IC would be comparable to the above aforementioned but I chose Wagner since it is one of the lighter ones and fits my needs along with confirmed CP fitment. All the information above are just observations and I may be completely wrong in some areas about each product, which is why I made this post and would love any of the feed back you guys give me. The only regret I may have is if I were to ever go stage 2 BM3, if an ER IC were to outperform the Wagner by giving me more hp and be a better bang for the buck. But since the most I'll do is a downpipe and a BM3 tune after this, along with spark plugs, coils, and any other supporting maintenance work, I don't mind as much since I won't be racing or tracking the car.

Shoutout to mike@x-ph for the parts and I'll continue to update the post once everything is installed and tested as well as a few months later of ownership to give more additional feedback. I hope that this thread will be able to provide information to those who want some feedback and info pertaining to modifications specifically done to an N55 F32 similar to mines.

[ceedawg]

Originally Posted by F3X978

Hello everyone, the parts will be installed on a 2015 435i XI auto N55 and I'm posting this to log the progress and install for informational purposes for those who are interested in this combination for a similar car since after searching the forums it was data mostly for F30s (3 series). Now I know that although they are a similar if not identical platform, I myself would have felt better confirming setups and mods done to an F32 that is as close in specs to mine as possible opinion and preference wise.

This is my first time owning a BMW and the car is bone stock as of writing this. After a few weeks of deliberation during the initial ownership I have concluded to go maintenance before modification. I know that sounds hypocritical since I'm going to modify some stock parts inside the engine but personally I see them more as necessary supporting mods to have even if I were to never tune it or go beyond stock.

As we all know, or have come to known, the stock charge pipe fails even on stock boost since it's made of plastic, and after reading up on everyone's experience to me now it seems more like a ticking time bomb. I can't imagine the hassle of having to get my car towed along with time wasted dealing with something I could potentially avoid. So after reading as much as I could, I chose to go with the Evolution Racewerks charge pipe since it seems to be the best quality and fitment. And here are the reasons why I didn't pick up the competition and why I chose the ER.

VRSF - Aggressively-priced. I have read complaints of it not sitting stable and very few people having boost leaks (improper install likely). The last issue I know of is fitment issues with other brands of FMIC, but I've read from multiple vendors that this problem has been fixed. In no way or form am I throwing shade as this is just what I've read up on and is merely an inconclusive observation.

Active Autowerke - I personally wouldn't have minded going for this as it was somewhat of a mid grade in between the lower VRSF and the more expensive ER. Given that they have a strong reputation, I most likely would have selected this if it weren't for it particularly NOT fitting in XI models as the disclaimer on the bottom page says.

Evolution Racewerk - Best fitment and the most expensive, many positive reviews as well. The only downside is that apparently it does not fit with certain FMICs such as a VRSF one but I have no confirmation of that having changed and mixed reviews that it will.

Honestly as long as it serves it's intended purpose I would have chosen VRSF for both charge pipe and IC but personal fear of fitment and problems had me looking for other options. Next is why I went with the Wagner Evo 1 performance and not the competition.

VRSF - I would have loved to gone with a 5" HD street since the most I would ever go is stage 2 BM3, and many people do vouch for their higher line of race intercoolers, but I was unsure of getting the VRSF charge pipes as I heard fitment wasn't always great from other people's feedback. Again these fitment issues might only be for a select few and for all I know a VRSF setup would have met my needs perfectly with no issues, but at this point I'm going with personal preference opting for something different.

Evolution Racewerk - Now I bet you're thinking why I didn't choose to go with ER since I have a ER charge pipe, and the reason is for my personal needs. Living on the east coast temperatures wouldn't necessarily be brutally hot such as Florida, Texas, etc. and I know I'll never track my car and it is my weekend warrior. Aside from one or two hard pulls a week I don't expect to be driving hard most of the time. The ER IC seems very big and although I know it will lower the IAT significantly, because it is a bigger IC, I had to consider the pressure loss and turbo lag that might occur on a car with stock turbos and boost. I've also read that unless you upgrade the turbos, most 5" aftermarket ICs would be able to handle stage 2 decently well if not being more than plenty.

Wagner Evo 1 performance - The lightest between the 3, the size that suits my needs (5") and being confirmed to fit an ER charge pipe, I chose Wagner for these reasons as well as from positive reviews. Now I may be completely wrong here but the Evo 2 is comparable to an ER Competition IC, therefore wasn't the size I was looking for. The Evo 1 competition it seems has better flow but I have read that it sacrifices having better IAT. Perhaps having better flow = more tuned hp but I preferred having lower IATs with minimal boost lag.

Any other IC would be comparable to the above aforementioned but I chose Wagner since it is one of the lighter ones and fits my needs along with confirmed CP fitment. All the information above are just observations and I may be completely wrong in some areas about each product, which is why I made this post and would love any of the feed back you guys give me. The only regret I may have is if I were to ever go stage 2 BM3, if an ER IC were to outperform the Wagner by giving me more hp and be a better bang for the buck. But since the most I'll do is a downpipe and a BM3 tune after this, along with spark plugs, coils, and any other supporting maintenance work, I don't mind as much since I won't be racing or tracking the car.

Shoutout to mike@x-ph for the parts and I'll continue to update the post once everything is installed and tested as well as a few months later of ownership to give more additional feedback. I hope that this thread will be able to provide information to those who want some feedback and info pertaining to modifications specifically done to an N55 F32 similar to mines.

Saying goes you get what you pay for with certain things.

Love my Wagner Evo Comp 2 fmic and FTP charge pipe. Car is a beast.

[TSA8151]

I have a ER chargepipe and a 5 inch vrsf intercooler. Works great!

[mike@x-ph.com]

Congrats OP and thank you for the shoutout

Please post pictures of your mods when you get a chance

[Yungsta]

When people talk about chargepipe failures on the N55 engine, are they talking about the chargepipe connected to the turbos or the intercooler? Sorry for my ignorance. I'm planning on installing bootmod right after my warranty expires in 10k miles.

[G80S58]

Hey OP, I am most likely going to do the same setup with ER CP and Wagner IC.
Can you and perhaps someone else explain whats the diff between the Evo1 and Evo2 IC since the prices are very similar.

mike@x-ph.com can you chime in?

Thanks

[6SpeedCrewCab]

Originally Posted by Yungsta

When people talk about chargepipe failures on the N55 engine, are they talking about the chargepipe connected to the turbos or the intercooler? Sorry for my ignorance. I'm planning on installing bootmod right after my warranty expires in 10k miles.

The chargepipe that goes from the FMIC to the throttle body. Mine blew about a month ago.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by Yungsta

When people talk about chargepipe failures on the N55 engine, are they talking about the chargepipe connected to the turbos or the intercooler? Sorry for my ignorance. I'm planning on installing bootmod right after my warranty expires in 10k miles.

Originally Posted by 6SpeedCrewCab

The chargepipe that goes from the FMIC to the throttle body. Mine blew about a month ago.

Correct.

the turbo to intercooler pipe is only needed if you are upgrading your turbo

Originally Posted by CRAMAZIN

Hey OP, I am most likely going to do the same setup with ER CP and Wagner IC.
Can you and perhaps someone else explain whats the diff between the Evo1 and Evo2 IC since the prices are very similar.

mike@x-ph.com can you chime in?

Thanks

EVO 1 is 5"
EVO 2 is 6"

performance is bar and plate
Competition is Tube and fin

[BigJack75]

I've got a vrsf charge pipe and intercooler. Both were a bitch to install (myself) but seem to be working fine. Fitment issues are most likely due to incorrect install.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by Yungsta

When people talk about chargepipe failures on the N55 engine, are they talking about the chargepipe connected to the turbos or the intercooler? Sorry for my ignorance. I'm planning on installing bootmod right after my warranty expires in 10k miles.

Although vendors and members have posted this a bunch of times, it's not a matter of if your charge pipe will fail but when. You're better off making it one of your first upgrades then ending up like the many customers who going through panic and end up spending a lot more for overnight shipping so they can get to work the next day.

Originally Posted by 6SpeedCrewCab

The chargepipe that goes from the FMIC to the throttle body. Mine blew about a month ago.

[6SpeedCrewCab]

Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com

performance is bar and plate
Competition is Tube and fin

What are the pros/cons of each design?

[F3X978]

Big update! After some thinking I thought about what I really wanted to do with the F32 and I have concluded to go to stage 2, possibly maxing out with Pure Stage 2 Turbos at some point. With that being said I have changed the FMIC to the ER Competition FMIC as I got a deal on it and I believe both should fit perfectly. Install will be when I have time and I will update on the changes I'll be seeing.

Currently, I'm using BimmerLink to record the turbo boost pressure and it reads it as 1.02 bar on idle. Not sure if this is normal since it translate to about 14 psi of boost and after searching the forums people have said that these cars average around 10 psi stock. Is this normal? I know that I'll probably need some tuning software to further accurately log things, but would just like your inputs. Thanks guys.

[Munchi435i]

1.02 bar at idle sounds abut right when you subtract ambient pressure, which is roughly 1.01 bar at sea level.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by 6SpeedCrewCab

What are the pros/cons of each design?

Tube and fin is lighter (up to 40%) and recovers temperature a lot faster after a pull. Its a really good option for track users.
its cons is that its more expensive

[F3X978]

Finally have everything installed. To my surprise the car runs better than I thought it would. The huge ER FMIC did not cause any noticeable boost lag despite being on stock tune, imo at least. Will do some more testing this weekend and will do a final update after.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by F3X978

Finally have everything installed. To my surprise the car runs better than I thought it would. The huge ER FMIC did not cause any noticeable boost lag despite being on stock tune, imo at least. Will do some more testing this weekend and will do a final update after.

Awesome!

[F3X978]

Final Update:

Aesthetics

Everything had perfect fitment. The ER charge pipe looks really nice with a glossy black finish and the black ER FMIC looks incredibly stealthy, you wouldn't be able to even tell I have an IC until you looked up close. A few extra clamps was added on to the charge pipe to ensure no boost leak.

Performance

I had initially wanted to go with Wagner EVO 1 because I was fearful of the drop in boost resulting from a huge FMIC. But I also read about how people were also almost maxing out their EVO 1 Performance ICs with a stage 2 tune. I was thinking about upgrading the turbo at some point along the line, either most likely PS1, or maybe a PS2, with a GFB DV+ upgrade. At that point, I figured I might have to upgrade my FMIC once again, so I chose the ER FMIC over the Wagner EVO 1 since it would be the last FMIC I'd need for all those future upgrades. My goal is to reach at least 400+ whp, and I believe the bigger ER FMIC will help much more in the longer run.

Right now I'm not running any tune. It's on a stock tune with an MST intake, ER charge pipe and ER FMIC. The car picks up normally in comfort mode, but in sport mode it is still very responsive. I was expecting a little bit of lag to happen in response to the huge FMIC, but so far after a week's worth of driving I feel no such thing as compared to stock.

I strongly recommend upgrading the charge pipe in these cars as it was my main fear of it exploding for no reason that led me to making sure it was one of the first couple upgrades I get. Since I'd have to remove the FMIC to install it, I'd figure I'd replace that too. Overall, I'm happy with my progress so far. My next upgrade are some new coils and spark plugs. My main focus is to make sure the car is fully ready with all supporting mods before I give a tune and increase the boost pressure.

Asides from coils and plugs, I am also in the works of installing a very specific downpipe for my build, which I will be going over in another thread. Thanks for all the support and comments thus far, and thanks to Mike @ X-ph for helping me with getting these upgrades. Sometimes he's busy and may not respond right away, sometimes he responds in mere minutes, but in the end it was worth it as I got all my parts in tip top condition for a great price with professional service. I highly recommend anyone looking to buy parts for their BMW to check out X-ph.com

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by F3X978

Final Update:

Aesthetics

Everything had perfect fitment. The ER charge pipe looks really nice with a glossy black finish and the black ER FMIC looks incredibly stealthy, you wouldn't be able to even tell I have an IC until you looked up close. A few extra clamps was added on to the charge pipe to ensure no boost leak.

Performance

I had initially wanted to go with Wagner EVO 1 because I was fearful of the drop in boost resulting from a huge FMIC. But I also read about how people were also almost maxing out their EVO 1 Performance ICs with a stage 2 tune. I was thinking about upgrading the turbo at some point along the line, either most likely PS1, or maybe a PS2, with a GFB DV+ upgrade. At that point, I figured I might have to upgrade my FMIC once again, so I chose the ER FMIC over the Wagner EVO 1 since it would be the last FMIC I'd need for all those future upgrades. My goal is to reach at least 400+ whp, and I believe the bigger ER FMIC will help much more in the longer run.

Right now I'm not running any tune. It's on a stock tune with an MST intake, ER charge pipe and ER FMIC. The car picks up normally in comfort mode, but in sport mode it is still very responsive. I was expecting a little bit of lag to happen in response to the huge FMIC, but so far after a week's worth of driving I feel no such thing as compared to stock.

I strongly recommend upgrading the charge pipe in these cars as it was my main fear of it exploding for no reason that led me to making sure it was one of the first couple upgrades I get. Since I'd have to remove the FMIC to install it, I'd figure I'd replace that too. Overall, I'm happy with my progress so far. My next upgrade are some new coils and spark plugs. My main focus is to make sure the car is fully ready with all supporting mods before I give a tune and increase the boost pressure.

Asides from coils and plugs, I am also in the works of installing a very specific downpipe for my build, which I will be going over in another thread. Thanks for all the support and comments thus far, and thanks to Mike @ X-ph for helping me with getting these upgrades. Sometimes he's busy and may not respond right away, sometimes he responds in mere minutes, but in the end it was worth it as I got all my parts in tip top condition for a great price with professional service. I highly recommend anyone looking to buy parts for their BMW to check out X-ph.com

My pleasure!!