Active Autowerke tubos <long> part 1

[Jason Leung <bmwturbo@xxxxxxxxx>]

I went to Miami this weekend for the purpose of driving my car and
creating
a final punchlist of little things to be taken care of before Active
Autowerke 
releases the car back into my custody.  One of these items on the
punchlist 
was to replace a door panel!  It seems that my car lived in the Midwest 
without ever experiencing the dreaded door-panel-vinyl-bubbling
syndrome, 
but during its stay in hot Miami, and managed to bubble a door panel!

First things first, its really odd being in Miami for a Northerner
like me.  
Its 20F at home, but its 80F in Miami, and I couldn't sleep every night
without having the a/c on....in January!

Anyways, a short background on the car:

92 325i.  3.2 liter six, billet 4340 steel connecting rods, forged
aluminum
pistons, OBD1 computer, OBD1 intake runners, big Bosch HFM (different
from the Euro HFM), AP four-pot, 8.8:1 compression, M50 non-vanos
double-valve-spring head with M3 cams and Vanos retrofitted to the head.
Basically, a stage 2+ turbo setup for Active with the exception of the
non-vanos, yes-vanos head.  I used the older head for the double valve
springs.  I didn't want the single conical valve springs of the M50TU,
S50US, and S52US engines.  I figure this may give me just a tad more
margin for error in the event of a real mild misshift.  I've misshifted
my motor before, mildly, with no damage.

The installation the turbo system is very very sanitary. Spring loaded
hose clamps everywhere.  All pipes that are pressurized have rolled
lips to prevent the hoses from blowing off.

The turbo system is modular, and designed for easy servicing.
The whole entire wastegate assembly can be removed in 10
minutes for an average schmoe like me.  The beauty is in the
details.  

Details like the Euro Oil Cooler.  Active gets
these things imported, but throws away the mounting
brackets as supplied from BMW because Active feels
that the brackets are too flimsy.  Active welds up
their own steel brackets.

Details like the ECU code.  They partner
with Jim C to develop code for their
turbo systems.  Talk about going straight
to the source for the best....Active uses
Jim's Motronic Editor on a daily basis.

Details like Raceware head studs, metal
head gaskets, and o-ringed blocks.

There is a lot of thought that went
into this system...its easy to tell because
if its clamped, then its clamped with marine heavy
duty spring loaded clamps.  If its bolted and it only
needs 2 bolts, then they use 6 bolts to bolt it down.
If there needs to be a bracket to hold something in
place, then they have TWO brackets holding it
in place, and the steel for the brackets is twice
as thick as it needs to be.


<continued>




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