330Ci Sport performance upgrades

330Ci Sport performance upgrades

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Discussion

ICSD

Original Poster:

638 posts

233 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
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I've just picked up 330Ci Sport Coupe and I wondered if anyone can recommend some obvious performance uprades such as induction and exhaust etc.

I have to say that my biggest motivation is noise as it's so quiet I have to watch the clocks to change up - I can barely hear the engine!! BUT I wouldn't want to just by the cheapest loud exhaust I can find - that would be a bit naff - it needs to actually do something. Also, I don't want stupid loud - just audible!

Thanks

JimexPL

1,445 posts

211 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
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You wont see much performance benefit in the real world from either on the 3.0, but first of all I would check that the valve inside one of your tailpipes is either opening correctly, or stuck open (preferable!).

After that I'd look at a decent cold air induction, as it will be cheaper than a decent exhaust and provide you with 'noise' when you're on the gas, but will be refined when you're cruising. The couple of aftermarket exhausts on 328s/330s have droned when on a constant throttle. Don't know which ones to point you towards though - have a look on somwhere like bmwland or e36coupe (they talk about e46 also) for some info.

James

Flat6

588 posts

254 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
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Not much to be gained by all accounts on an 330 exhaust change. The BMW system seems to be very good at what it does.

Try pulling the vacuum pipe of the valve between the rear box and the tailpipes (and plug the vac pipe with something). This will keep the flap in the right hand tailpipe permanently open and make it a little more vocal at lower revs and on over-run...

ICSD

Original Poster:

638 posts

233 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
quotequote all
Interesting - I didn't know there was an exhaust valve on it.

OK, just been to look and the left pipe is valveless but the right pipe has a closed valve (engine switched off) which I can't move at all - is that correct or is it stuck shut?

Flat6

588 posts

254 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
quotequote all
Sounds like it could be stuck shut (which is common). I'm sure the default position is open but when you start the car the vacuum closes the valve. A little persuasion with a suitable sized bar should see it open biggrin

Flat6

588 posts

254 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
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ICSD

Original Poster:

638 posts

233 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
quotequote all
Cheers! It's well and truly stuck - just took a bar and a hammer to it and bent the valve (so it's slightly open now!). I've sprayed it with penatrating oil so I'll try again tomorrow.

RayArm

31 posts

214 months

Wednesday 30th September 2009
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I had a go on mine earlier - was stuck shut too - effectively limiting the car one out of the two exhaust pipes.

Even after going at it with a mallet it wouldn't move. Tried spraying it with WD40 but no joy.

Ended up using a chisel and hammering it until it broke off. I also unplugged the vacuum pipe and stuffed a screw into its end to seal it.

According to that E46 link above a member did the same to his car with no detrimental effects.

Result - car is even better than before (new MAF installed), no hesitation, dips etc. The exhaust note is now deeper, bassier.

Edited by RayArm on Wednesday 30th September 23:34

JimexPL

1,445 posts

211 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
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Unless the exhaust has been 'adjusted' by the owner, nearly every 330 that you come across these days is either stuck open or stuck closed. Even if the car has full BMWsh, they tend not to report it.

Dino D

1,953 posts

220 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
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Check out the Remus Power Sound backbox (just google remus power sound 330i and loads of clips an dinfo comes up).

I like the fact that it has a manually adjustable (with a screwdriver) valve that you use to make it quiet or loud. I fi Istill had the car I think I would have done this-quiet during the work for business rtrips and loud on the weekend for fun!

My old 330i was particularly throaty - from inside it sounded like it had an aftermarket airfilter but it did not and none of the other 3 cars I tested sounded the same. Some wise chap on here told me that there was some sort of factory option about removing a plug the firewall to let me induction noise into the cabin. IIRC it is like that as standard on the 330ci clubsport edition (the special edition one one with bling wheels and dodgy spoiler on the back.

I know what you mean about hitting the limiter - when driving spiritedly alongside another loud car it was very easy to hit the limiter without realising as the engine is just so smooth and the limiter very soft.

AB

16,969 posts

194 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
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This valve, is it just the 330 that it appears on? Or does it appear on the Z4 for example?

ICSD

Original Poster:

638 posts

233 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
quotequote all
RayArm said:
I had a go on mine earlier - was stuck shut too - effectively limiting the car one out of the two exhaust pipes.

Even after going at it with a mallet it wouldn't move. Tried spraying it with WD40 but no joy.

Ended up using a chisel and hammering it until it broke off. I also unplugged the vacuum pipe and stuffed a screw into its end to seal it.

According to that E46 link above a member did the same to his car with no detrimental effects.

Result - car is even better than before (new MAF installed), no hesitation, dips etc. The exhaust note is now deeper, bassier.

Edited by RayArm on Wednesday 30th September 23:34
Yep - I think I'm going to end up doing the same - beem hammering away for a couple of days now and it's about a third open due to bending the flap!!

Why the new MAF?

ICSD

Original Poster:

638 posts

233 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
quotequote all
AB said:
This valve, is it just the 330 that it appears on? Or does it appear on the Z4 for example?
Probably irrelevant as it would take quite a burley hairdresser to fix the problem anyway biglaugh

JimexPL

1,445 posts

211 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
quotequote all
AB said:
This valve, is it just the 330 that it appears on? Or does it appear on the Z4 for example?
The Z4s don't have any valves in the exhaust so they sound better out of the box than the E46. A 3.0i Z4 also has a sound generator pipe hooked up to the air box which diverts intake sound into the car. By altering the amount of foam in the pipe you can change the amount and quality of the induction noise. You can retro fit these to the 2.5i Z4 and there's probably a way of hashing it up on an E46.


ICSD

Original Poster:

638 posts

233 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
quotequote all
Dino D said:
Some wise chap on here told me that there was some sort of factory option about removing a plug the firewall to let me induction noise into the cabin.
Can anyone elaborate on this - sounds rather interesting!

Cheers

JimexPL

1,445 posts

211 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
quotequote all
ICSD said:
Dino D said:
Some wise chap on here told me that there was some sort of factory option about removing a plug the firewall to let me induction noise into the cabin.
Can anyone elaborate on this - sounds rather interesting!

Cheers
This is the Z4 3.0i unit -

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BT52...

I suppose you need to see if there is a spare hole in the bulkhead and make a hole in your airbox if there isn't a blanking plate

RayArm

31 posts

214 months

Thursday 1st October 2009
quotequote all
ICSD said:
RayArm said:
I had a go on mine earlier - was stuck shut too - effectively limiting the car one out of the two exhaust pipes.

Even after going at it with a mallet it wouldn't move. Tried spraying it with WD40 but no joy.

Ended up using a chisel and hammering it until it broke off. I also unplugged the vacuum pipe and stuffed a screw into its end to seal it.

According to that E46 link above a member did the same to his car with no detrimental effects.

Result - car is even better than before (new MAF installed), no hesitation, dips etc. The exhaust note is now deeper, bassier.

Edited by RayArm on Wednesday 30th September 23:34
Yep - I think I'm going to end up doing the same - beem hammering away for a couple of days now and it's about a third open due to bending the flap!!

Why the new MAF?
The MAF on my car was faulty I think as the car had hesitation and just felt slow with it plugged in. With the MAF unplugged the car was a lot more sprightly.

I created a separate thread about it here.

I bent the exhaust valve by hammering it too. It curls in on itself on the right hand side. Use a strong chisel and mallet. Aim for the top middle shaft thing (where it connects to the motor). After 3 blows it just snaps off!

Edited by RayArm on Thursday 1st October 18:29

browna

334 posts

182 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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has anyone heard of this? firewall plug?

ICSD said:
Can anyone elaborate on this - sounds rather interesting!

Cheers
Some wise chap on here told me that there was some sort of factory option about removing a plug the firewall to let me induction noise into the cabin. IIRC it is like that as standard on the 330ci clubsport edition (the special edition one one with bling wheels and dodgy spoiler on the back.

twoblacklines

1,575 posts

160 months

Friday 14th November 2014
quotequote all
5 year old topic!

Not heard about the plug, but clubsports lack the sound deadening found on the back of the bonnet (which just clips off).

I did the golf-tee-valve mod and found it too boomy for motorway driving, but then I also bought a standard airbox, got a hacksaw and cut out the bottom front and right of it (cold side to engine bay and before the air hits the panel filter and then maf) this was the best thing I did for noise, at around 2800rpm - 3500rpm I got a lovely, 12v vr6 esque induction roar, it was very addictive.

Next time round I will be buying one of these which I actually had on order but sold the car yesturday:
http://ramair-filters.co.uk/club-spec-induction-ki...
Pic::
http://ramair-filters.co.uk/577-917-thickbox/bmw-e...

All you need then is a heatshield to put around it.

browna

334 posts

182 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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yeah ive not heard of the bulkhead insulation removal before, its obviously not an easy mod or it would have been found by now.

the heard part of your plan is finding a cheap effective heatshield. my already had the golf tee mod done, and ive removed the bonnet insulation (didn't do much).

ill prob get a second hand simota intake to try out, see if how it sounds, should be ok with any serious heatsoak now until the summer, and I only do short journeys, or not in traffic jams.

I loved the bmc intake on my VR6, but not holding my breath to get such a nice burble from the bimmer. smile

need a v8 really.