suspenceful

I appreciate the offer, but the car actually came with a JB4 that I'll be updating.

Once I get a tune setup on this thing, I'll be able to monitor that info. But yeah, I'm sure the old stuff wasn't functioning up to par.

Had a tough time selling my X5 too, people that buy X cars don't usually care about their spec. Well-specd enthusiast cars aren't as sought after. They just want an SUV, otherwise they will get the X5M. That was my experience anyways, but with an X5 and at a higher price point. Either way, GLWS!

This week I changed the spark plugs and ignition coils and wanted to shed some light on the process. I filmed an in-depth video and wrote a guide to help others properly replace, gap and install their new plugs & coils. Ultimate N54 Spark Plug Guide: https://bmw335i.com/2019/05/22/bmw-n54-spark-plug-replacement-gap-guide/ https://youtu.be/-g3dpQopvew My old plugs were gross and some of them were coated black. Smelled like fuel, so I'm guessing my index 7 injectors are leaking But anyways, I got Burger Motorsports' new spark plug kit which includes 2-step colder NGK spark plugs, a spark plug removal socket, a spark plug gapping tool and a feeler gauge. I also got some Bav Auto high performance ignition coils to try out. They seem great so far! I'm in love with the BMS spark plug gapper tool, wish I had it a long time ago. Can't wait to use it every time in the future for both my 335i and 135i. If you're curious how it works, I walk through the process in my video above. I even used my Dragy to get some real-life performance results before and after swapping the plugs & coils! I did a 0-60mph run before and the best result I could achieve was 5.71 seconds. After installing the upgraded parts, I went out for another run and was able to knock it down to 5.53 seconds! I guarantee if you watch the video or read my complete blog post, you'll learn something that you didn't know before. Either way, let me know what you think!

Here's one from last month

Same location, two different lenses Follow me on Instagram for more photo content: https://instagram.com/jakespence

It was gluten free though, non-GMO.

I haven't been able to do a 1-2 shift at full power yet, but it's been good so far. Once the clutch is fully broken in, I'll try a NLS 1-2 redline shift and if it works, I'll be thrilled. I just had to Google that word... This is all too much for my brain to handle on a Friday...

Welp, my Spec Stage 3+ clutch started to slip after only 5k miles at 750whp so I was forced to search for another new clutch. The Spec clutch was only rated at 671 tq, I thought it would be capable of holding more power. My search of 1000+ tq rated clutches led me to research twin disc options for the N54. As some of you might be aware, there is a new twin disc clutch option for those of us with manual N54's. Xtreme Performance Clutch (or XClutch) is an Australian company that specializes in clutches for performance vehicles overseas. With the recent group buy, I decided to give their clutch a shot given the price is much cheaper than the Motiv or MFactory twin discs. For more detailed information, check out my complete blog post about this topic. I also included a video at the bottom of this post that shows the noise and pedal engagement. I ordered the ceramic version of the clutch, which is capable of holding more torque and is meant for track-driven cars. There is also an organic version for those of you who might not need the 1350 tq rating. I received the clutch a few days after ordering and was very impressed with the quality! It includes the clutch & flywheel assemblies, metal throwout bearing, pilot bearing, flywheel bolts, machined alignment tool and locktite. The recommended break-in mileage is 1000 kilometers (621 miles). I noticed that the driveability gets better and all noises quiet down a little after putting on some miles. It will never be as quiet or as smooth as a stock clutch... but it's much more capable than the stock clutch. Noises: If you install the metal throwout bearing that is included with the kit, it will produce a metallic whirring noise when the clutch is depressed. This does not bother me, but it might bother some of you who don't like noise. Please watch my video at the bottom of this post to hear the noise. The metal throwout bearing included with the kit is recommended and more robust, but this is the OEM-style throwout bearing if you'd like to avoid the noise: https://bit.ly/2Hy6rX3 As with any SMFW or twin disc, you will have low RPM gearbox chatter. While idling and while driving at high load/low RPM, you can hear it. If this bothers you, you will have to stick with an OEM-style DMFW clutch setup. Otherwise, you can raise the idle via MHD to 900 RPMs or so to reduce the chattering. Driveability: I knew the ceramic version of the clutch would be a little more difficult to drive than the organic version, so please take that into consideration when reading my review or purchasing the clutch. The pedal is stiffer/heavier than stock, but not by much. It's effortless to depress, which is good. Engagement doesn't happen until the top of the pedal during release. My stock clutch and my Spec Stage 3+ clutch both engaged a lot closer to the floor, so this took some getting used to. Installing the clutch stop helped, but still has a large area of dead space in the pedal. Again, watch my video at the bottom of this post to see how much dead space there is. Once the engagement starts, the window is fairly small. You don't have a lot of slipping area, and this can result in a shuttering take-off until you learn the clutch. I've heard that the organic version is a little more forgiving in this sense. The clutch itself is very grabby, just like it should be. I have no concerns about it holding any power I'm capable of making right now (750whp+).

Maybe! Say hi next time, always cool to bump into other local BMW guys. I probably always look like I'm on a mission Hopefully yours isn't as bad as mine!

Are you comfortable removing the DME from the car and shipping it somewhere? I know of a few guys who can unlock it for you and send it back.

Smoother idle, better cold start, restored performance (more power, smoother powerband).

I finally set aside some time to give this car the walnut blast it deserved. Here are the supplies I used: Fine Grade Walnut Shells Intake Valve Cleaner Intake Manifold Gaskets (6) Abrasive Blaster Kit Vacuum Adapter & Blasting Wand Brass Adapter Fitting Remote Starter Switch Pick Set 8mm, 10mm, 11mm, T20, T25 & Hex Sockets Pistol Grip Blow Gun Shop Towels Vacuum Air Compressor Let's get started... Well, I think I figured out why the car couldn't eclipse 13's in the 1/4 mile! I couldn't believe what I found after removing the intake manifold! After loosening up some of the carbon with a pick... Then after one pass of walnut blasting... Lots of walnuts and manual scrubbing later... I even cleaned up the intake manifold ports because those were caked with carbon as well. You can see the cleaned port on the left and the dirty port on the right. It was a lot of work, but totally necessary. If you want to watch my whole process with more of a DIY/How-To style, check out my YouTube video. It also has some more information and a drive at the end showing the power increase/restoration.

Yeah, I've been really impressed with it. It's basically a Vbox, but more accurate and easier to use. Also has a pretty cool area for everyone to share their results and categorizes them by manufacturer (BMW, Audi, VW, etc.) I'd highly recommend it, if that's your sort of thing!

I went to my local 1/4 mile drag strip to get some baseline results before I start diving into maintenance and modifications! It was my first time launching or racing one of these cars with an automatic transmission. Definitely a learning moment, especially after getting used to my 750whp manual 135i. Two completely difference experiences! It was hard to tell the 335i was even doing anything because the stock exhaust is so quiet :lol First-ever pass down the strip netted me a 14.71 at 95mph. Not great. I foot-braked the car and wasn't sure how high the stall would let me go before starting to spin the rear tires. For the second pass, I left off idle thinking that might help. It didn't. Lost a tenth to the 60ft, but seemed to go down the back half of the track faster. The car was a lot cooler on this run as it didn't heat-soak in the staging lanes like it did on for the first run. I've been wanting to test the accuracy of my Dragy device, so I had it on during my first two runs. I was impressed to find that it was within 0.03s and hit the MPH on the head! Take a look at the Dragy results below compared to the actual slips and you'll see each measurement is almost spot on. It's an awesome little device for measuring all sorts of stuff. 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, 0-60mph, 60-130mph, etc. You can order one on Amazon! Since the Dragy was so accurate and the track was packed, I decided to hit a couple backroads on the way home instead of waiting in line for 1hr per pass. For my third attempt, I held the e-brake along with the foot brake to stall up the RPMs. Once I was ready to go, I released both brakes and it resulted in a much better launch. Unfortunately, the tires spun on my first street attempt because the tires were cold. So I did a u-turn and went right back to the same spot and did a 4th run after warming the tires up. Same exact launching strategy and the tires hooked, resulting in a better 60ft and much better ET than my original 14.7. All passes were done in sport mode, without manual shifting. I let the car automatically shift for me to keep things consistent. I probably could've squeezed some faster times out of it if I shifted earlier to keep the car in it's powerband. I can feel the boost tapering off up top being stock. Best of 14.31 @ 97mph leaves a lot of room for improvement. Next step is some much needed maintenance. The car has 140k on it and has never had a walnut blast (to my knowledge), and it could use some spark plugs/coil packs. Check out the video of my runs, you'll get an awesome POV-style view of me going down the track