[DoiyaSan]

Hi all,

I have read a lot about this but still have not got a conclusion:

So my car is 320xi N20 without any mod except a BM3 stage 1. Do I need a FMIC and/or a charge pipe? BTW I will never go to stage 2.

I saw a number people saying a chargepipe is a must have for the N55s. But how many of you guys with N20s ever had your stock chargepipe running into issues? I don't think I need one because the stage 1 tune targets only 17 ish PSI.

And your thoughts about FMIC? FYI, I live in NY state, USA.

[alohasurftoad]

stage 1 or less, charge pipe is not really needed.

i have FTP Motorsport, charge/TIC pipe combo with my stage 1 flash, because at the time, i didn't know changing the CP wasn't necessary, unless running much higher boost.

the stock intercooler is great, however when the weather is hot and humid in NY, the best FMIC for stage 1 is the Wagner Evo 1 competition. it is not cheap, though. if you can't afford that, there are other 5" stepped intecoolers available that do a reasonably good job. i have a CTS Turbo FMIC, nice quality and fitment, works great, on sale shipped to your door, here... https://www.ctsturbo.com/product/cts...it-direct-fit/

[Killakittie]

Fmic is always a good idea for hot climates especially when running higher boost pressures.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Its always recommended upgrading your charge pipe and intercooler when tuning a BMW. That being said, its not mandatory on stage 1 application

[Yiolli]

Originally Posted by DoiyaSan

Hi all,

I have read a lot about this but still have not got a conclusion:

So my car is 320xi N20 without any mod except a BM3 stage 1. Do I need a FMIC and/or a charge pipe? BTW I will never go to stage 2.

I saw a number people saying a chargepipe is a must have for the N55s. But how many of you guys with N20s ever had your stock chargepipe running into issues? I don't think I need one because the stage 1 tune targets only 17 ish PSI.

And your thoughts about FMIC? FYI, I live in NY state, USA.

I was told by my indie mechanic that he doesn't see charge pipe issues with N20s nearly as much as with n55 engines

[prkr]

Originally Posted by Yiolli

I was told by my indie mechanic that he doesn't see charge pipe issues with N20s nearly as much as with n55 engines

That could have to do with the fact that more people modify n55s rather than n20s. I'd be willing to bet the majority of n20s remain stock.

[Yiolli]

Originally Posted by prkr

That could have to do with the fact that more people modify n55s rather than n20s. I'd be willing to bet the majority of n20s remain stock.

True. I'm rolling with a JB stage 1 in my 428i (only about 200 miles in). From my understanding if the charge pipe blows, you'll have to get towed but you don't have to worry about blowing your engine and having a $15k bill from the dealer.

I'm more concerned with the extra stress on the timing chain as these have blown in many peoples n20 engines without tunes :

[johnung]

Originally Posted by Yiolli

I was told by my indie mechanic that he doesn't see charge pipe issues with N20s nearly as much as with n55 engines

The N55 charge pipe breaks because it is a poor design. It always breaks at the 90 bend. It breaks on completely stock engines and BMW just shrugs and replaces it if it's under warranty. Increasing the boost with a tune just exposes a poorly designed part on what is an otherwise ruggedly designed engine.

So that's why it would be unusual for a charge pipe to break on an N20 because they don't have that ridiculous bend in the charge pipe design.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by johnung

The N55 charge pipe breaks because it is a poor design. It always breaks at the 90 bend. It breaks on completely stock engines and BMW just shrugs and replaces it if it's under warranty. Increasing the boost with a tune just exposes a poorly designed part on what is an otherwise ruggedly designed engine.

So that's why it would be unusual for a charge pipe to break on an N20 because they don't have that ridiculous bend in the charge pipe design.

Photo of N55 stock charge pipe

[johnung]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

stage 1 or less, charge pipe is not really needed.

i have FTP Motorsport, charge/TIC pipe combo with my stage 1 flash, because at the time, i didn't know changing the CP wasn't necessary, unless running much higher boost.

the stock intercooler is great, however when the weather is hot and humid in NY, the best FMIC for stage 1 is the Wagner Evo 1 competition. it is not cheap, though. if you can't afford that, there are other 5" stepped intecoolers available that do a reasonably good job. i have a CTS Turbo FMIC, nice quality and fitment, works great, on sale shipped to your door, here... https://www.ctsturbo.com/product/cts...it-direct-fit/

FYI- Extreme Powerhouse announced last week that the Wagner Competition EVO1 price had dropped by $160. So that helps.

[floridaorange]

This topic has literally been beaten to death. Just use the search function🤟🏻

[johnung]

Originally Posted by DoiyaSan

Hi all,

I have read a lot about this but still have not got a conclusion:

So my car is 320xi N20 without any mod except a BM3 stage 1. Do I need a FMIC and/or a charge pipe? BTW I will never go to stage 2.

I saw a number people saying a chargepipe is a must have for the N55s. But how many of you guys with N20s ever had your stock chargepipe running into issues? I don't think I need one because the stage 1 tune targets only 17 ish PSI.

And your thoughts about FMIC? FYI, I live in NY state, USA.

An FMIC is one of those things that you don't know that you need until you have one, and then could never live without it.

I was driving around with a BMW MPPK tune which is not as powerful as a BootMod3 Stage1 tune. Then I got my Wagner Competition EVO1 FMIC installed. Suddenly heat soak, that I didn't realize that I had, was gone! My engine felt strong all of the time.

Now I'm running BootMod3 Stage2 and my Wagner Competition keeps it going strong.