$$$ tho.
but if/when LS comes into play I'll need it anyways. I'm just hoping by then there's more than 2 options.
N54 head work
- Thread starter fmorelli
- Start date
but if/when LS comes into play I'll need it anyways. I'm just hoping by then there's more than 2 options.
Same here. Hoping it doesn't happen but if my block or anything directly attached pops I'm off to LS land.
This may interest you --? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007076114766
Correct. Was worth it to me. But yeah big bucks and a big tuning headache, flows so well ended up having lots of low load throttle closures I had to self tune to get rid of, on 20+ revisions of my own work and getting close to settling it out.
With N53 you'll also forever need custom turbofolds or a single kit built off a N53 exhaust flange. It's a niche setup.
I do have my stock N54 head laying around for anyone who wants to go the custom port route like Filippo and others. If going N53, I'd strongly recommend the kit from Omar (Hydra HP800), it's already set and ready to go.
Last edited:
So my car has been mothballed in storage for 13 months. I ended up buying a head on eBay, sending it straight to Tony Salloum @ VAC. He did a CNC stage whatever, and I had him CNC cut the valve angles. At this point the car is mothballed, a large pile of N54 drivetrain parts are in a steel storage container sucking A/C in some remote industrial warehouse.
Honestly if I did it again, when I ordered my turbos from Hydra, I would have manned up and ordered an N53 head with it. I think it was a pretty fair deal back then. I was just chimping out on the growing costs.
I installed a N54 ported head with high lift cams last month.
The increase in power at the same boost level is pretty impressive compared to the stock head.
Low load stumbles were solved by adjusting the vanos tables in 1 revision by Jake.
The increase in power at the same boost level is pretty impressive compared to the stock head.
Low load stumbles were solved by adjusting the vanos tables in 1 revision by Jake.
Yeah ... remember that was my Head port #1 lol ... train wreck and saga. That's when I called Tony and went with someone I'd known for 20+ years, and I got what I paid for.Has anyone attempted a DIY port job
After building my car and seen a few get built and helped sort out, to tell you the truth I wouldn't bother doing it again.
Save the money and do something else to your cars.
Waste of money.
Save the money and do something else to your cars.
Waste of money.
It's a long story that I don't care to repeat. Was trying to help someone out, in part. My advice is - go with someone you trust. For me that was Tony Salloum @ VAC.
I had my head ported professionally. And hell what a difference. For me a must do. You can run shittier fuel with way more timing and the engine is happy.
Yep. The stock heads are very small, and were done that way for the performance characteristics BMW was trying to achieve moving from NA to turbo motors. For making more power, etc, not what's needed.
John can you explain how a ported head allows you to run less octane Fuels? Not saying your wrong genuinely curious how it works
Ported head has nothing to do with the combustion cycle, it only allows for more air and fuel movement.
The only way you can run more timing and shittier fuel is running lower compression or decrease the boost and up the timing resulting in the same hp output due to the higher flow of the head.
No matter what you have to sacrifice boost or compression to run shittier fuel but hp can be gained back by altering the duration and lift of cams or a ported head but at a cost of both or either already mentioned.
The only way you can run more timing and shittier fuel is running lower compression or decrease the boost and up the timing resulting in the same hp output due to the higher flow of the head.
No matter what you have to sacrifice boost or compression to run shittier fuel but hp can be gained back by altering the duration and lift of cams or a ported head but at a cost of both or either already mentioned.
Polished combustion chamber is key as well.
The N54 heads have quite some potential hot spots around the spark plug thread for example.
The N54 heads have quite some potential hot spots around the spark plug thread for example.
