Pennzoil UOA Program - BMW 5w-30 in 2011 N55 135i

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Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Again, the "N54 has more forged internals" thing is a wife's tale.

If it's built more for cost, honestly I'll take variable timing on intake and exhaust all day long for routine day to day use.

I don't disagree that the two single turbo setup makes for more tuning options, but the rest isn't necessarily true. I'm sure the turbo design and variable timing makes tuning tougher, especially the turbo design. No doubt. But ultimately I think advanced turbos with more internal capabilities (motor/generator especially)!will come into existence so I'm glad they're moving tech forward.


The N54 was overbuilt. The N55 isn't, and it is a better more reliable engine when left stock or mildly modified. Both engines have variable timing on the intake and exhaust, that's VANOS. Valvetronic is valve-lift controlled throttle.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW

The N54 was overbuilt. The N55 isn't, and it is a better more reliable engine when left stock or mildly modified. Both engines have variable timing on the intake and exhaust, that's VANOS. Valvetronic is valve-lift controlled throttle.


Yeah, I was off on that. N55 gets lift...

Knocked off another site:

The N54 uses Double VANOS, while the N55 uses Valvetronic.
This means that the N54 has full variable valve timing on intake and exhaust ports, with the "double" part dealing with exhaust gas re-circulation.
The N55's valvetronic means full variable valve timing and lift.

The knock-on effect of the valvetronic in the N55: you get throttle control from the engine computer adjusting valve lift and timing (i.e. no throttle butterflies)--though I'd heard that BMW has a physical throttle butterfly any way as some sort of emergency backup.

The N54 has a traditional throttle plate with butterfly valves.

That valvetronic hardware is heavier than the more basic double VANOS, and that extra weight sits up high in the engine bay.
 
Originally Posted By: ryanm8
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Again, the "N54 has more forged internals" thing is a wife's tale.

If it's built more for cost, honestly I'll take variable timing on intake and exhaust all day long for routine day to day use.

I don't disagree that the two single turbo setup makes for more tuning options, but the rest isn't necessarily true. I'm sure the turbo design and variable timing makes tuning tougher, especially the turbo design. No doubt. But ultimately I think advanced turbos with more internal capabilities (motor/generator especially)!will come into existence so I'm glad they're moving tech forward.


The turbos have nothing to do with it. Sure, the N54 is more tunable stock for stock compared to the N55, but for ~850whp people are running a big single turbo. Stock turbos are out the window at anything over 500whp. The fact is you can run the same exact turbo on an N54 as on an N55, and the N54 will make 200-300 more whp. And the limits of the N54 have still not been found. Fueling is what the issue is at > 800whp on the N54, not the internals (yet). Maybe the N54 doesn't have more forged internals, but it can hold much more whp so something is going on there.
smile.gif



Ill have to look at that. The setup for the N55 has to be plumbed differently than the N54 based upon the twin single turbos vs the single body, dual scroll. Neat stuff.

No interest in a big single turbo, the drivability would be horrible Id think...
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: ryanm8
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Again, the "N54 has more forged internals" thing is a wife's tale.

If it's built more for cost, honestly I'll take variable timing on intake and exhaust all day long for routine day to day use.

I don't disagree that the two single turbo setup makes for more tuning options, but the rest isn't necessarily true. I'm sure the turbo design and variable timing makes tuning tougher, especially the turbo design. No doubt. But ultimately I think advanced turbos with more internal capabilities (motor/generator especially)!will come into existence so I'm glad they're moving tech forward.


The turbos have nothing to do with it. Sure, the N54 is more tunable stock for stock compared to the N55, but for ~850whp people are running a big single turbo. Stock turbos are out the window at anything over 500whp. The fact is you can run the same exact turbo on an N54 as on an N55, and the N54 will make 200-300 more whp. And the limits of the N54 have still not been found. Fueling is what the issue is at > 800whp on the N54, not the internals (yet). Maybe the N54 doesn't have more forged internals, but it can hold much more whp so something is going on there.
smile.gif



Ill have to look at that. The setup for the N55 has to be plumbed differently than the N54 based upon the twin single turbos vs the single body, dual scroll. Neat stuff.

No interest in a big single turbo, the drivability would be horrible Id think...


Yeah, you don't really start making boost until over 3500 rpm. But once you do, it's a kick in the face
smile.gif
 
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