Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    ESS Tuning Twin Screw Stage 2 (TS2) Supercharger Install Notes

    Introduction

    I'm a DIY kind of guy, and have maybe moderate experience wrenching on cars. I've done a lot of things at one point or another, probably everything except transmission work. So I feel somewhat experienced, but by no means a professional at all. Anyway, I always knew I would tackle the TS2 install myself, and along the way I took notes on things that you could say might be a good supplement the instructions that ESS provides. So here goes.

    I thought the install would take about 12-14 hours, but I ran into some challenges along the way and it took me closer to 16-18 hours. Some of my bigger issues involved snapping a stud on the head when tightening down the new ESS manifold to 22ft-lbs, resulting in the need to remove the manifold which ripped the gasket, so I needed to make another gasket, and then removing and ordering a replacement stud from BMW. Then I found out I had the wrong intake boot, which ESS quickly shipped the correct part overnight.

    General Recommendations

    Not all installations will go smoothly. Regardless if things go perfectly for you or not I suggest investing in a couple things that can help verify a healthy operating kit once you've completed your installation.

    Renovelo Bytelogger - Having a datalogging tool is very important to confirm fuel trims, ignition timing, and if you have a MS45.1 car you can even read your Air Fuel Ratio (AFR) and confirm you're running strong and reliably.

    Mityvac vacuum/boost tester - This little tool is very handy in a number of ways. Hook it to your new ESS manifold and you can confirm proper vacuum levels at idle, and boost levels at WOT. If you have any troubles with the kit what-so-ever, knowing you do or don't have a vacuum or boost leak is invaluable to know before you start throwing new parts at the car.

    Recommended OEM Parts to Replace
    I believe that if your car has any weak components in the system to start with, a supercharger installation will magnify those. So while you're in there, based on my experience with my car that has 100k miles on it, there are a couple OEM parts you may want to either have on hand or replace. I recommend picking up a fresh set of studs and nuts for the intake manifold in case some break. Pre-cat O2 sensors have about a 100k mile service life, and the DME will use those to keep your car running a healthy fuel mixture. I also suggest getting a fresh o-ring for your oil dipstick in case you need to re-seat it. ESS recommends a fresh fuel filter (which more critically includes the fuel pressure regulator that NEEDS to be working right) and a new or good running fuel pump. This is a great time to change your oil filter housing gasket, because its a huge PITA after the supercharger is installed. Clean your ICV and throttle body while they are in your hands (or replace the ICV if you have doubts about its function, its a real pain to change after the supercharger is installed).

    Installation Notes

    Removing the stock intake manifold
    I couldn't get to most of the bolts to remove it as one big piece, so I ended up removing the DISA, ICV, then the trottle body, and then I could get to the lower 16mm nut and remove the manifold

    Removing the IAT plug
    I had a hard time removing the intake air temperature sensor plug from my stock manifold. I ended up having to use needle nose pliers to grab onto the edge of it while using a screwdriver to release the clip. Had to lube it up to get it into the ESS manifold.

    Trimming the top alternator bolt
    The bolt I received that secures the new idler pullies to the alternator and oil filter housing gasket from ESS was slightly too long. Some have had their OFHG crack or shatter presumably because of this. The unthreaded "shoulders" were going to just slightly bottom out


    I used a grinder to slim it down


    Now it fits


    Intercooler pump
    I was initially sent smooth intercooler hoses with my TS2 kit that couldn't make the bends necessary without kinking. That is what initially led to the way I mounted the intercooler pump. But even after getting the ribbed hoses that can flex properly, I still found this mounting location to work better for me. Make sure to keep the mounting bracket low so that the fog light electrical connector will still have room when you mount the bumper.



    Intercooler hoses
    The instructions didn't say which port on the ESS manifold needed to go to the pump or the intercooler. I contacted ESS and they recommend connecting the upper port on the manifold to the outlet on the intercooler, and the lower port on the manifold to the inlet on the pump. This is more important than I thought. With the hoses in the wrong configuration I couldn't fill the system with coolant and it ran mostly air in there, which makes it useless. Here is the correct configuration.



    Fitting the ICV to the ESS manifold
    I found this to be difficult to fit properly. The 90 degree hose from ESS needs to be cut down a lot, and even then, the ICV twists in its rubber mount. Its just a weird angle but I guess it works.

    Prepping the ESS manifold gasket

    The instructions call for using Blue Loctite on the gasket to help it seal. In my experience, 20k miles later when I removed the manifold, the gasket was brittle and crispy everywhere I used the blue loctite. Instead of blue loctite, I recommend something like Permatex High-Tack Spray-A-Gasket Sealant.

    Intake Manifold Studs

    When I originally installed the ESS manifold and tried to torque it down to the torque specs in the instructions I snapped a stud. I did some research and BMW makes an exhaust stud in an M7x45mm size (BMW part number 07129908199). I can't find any info on the grade of the stud to validate that it is stronger, BUT, the BMW torque specs for these studs are higher than the stock intake manifold studs, so it stands to reason they should be stronger. Also at 45mm they are 10mm shorter than the stock intake manifold studs, which, when you're lifting that manifold in place, you'll come to really appreciate those extra 10mm. And you should be less likely to snap one of these studs.

    Installing the ESS manifold
    This is not very easy. Take some extra time to lay out the electrical components around the engine bay before you hoof this thing into the car. ICV in the middle, TB and MAF to the drivers side strut tower, and FVV components up front. Whatever length you think you will need for the throttle body and MAF connectors, add a couple inches more. Have someone hold the manifold about 4-6" from its final mounting place to give you a chance to hook up the ICV, FVV vaccum line and electrical connector, and the lower intercooler hose. Then carefully maneuver the manifold into position making sure that the lower intercooler hose routes BELOW the two coolant hoses coming out of the firewall, and be careful not to damage them while maneuvering the manifold into place! I am no professional but I would suggest torquing to something like 16ft-lbs (bentley manual says 11ft-lbs, but its a heavy manifold, so I compromised with 16ft-lbs). I snapped one of the stock intake manifold studs at 22ft-lbs, and yes I verified my torque wrench was accurate.



    Bolting down the fuel rail
    When mounting the fuel rail it is best to push it as close to the intake runners as possible while you bolt it down. This is to ensure you can get the injectors angled towards the cylinder head as much as possible. Apparently this can help with some cold starts.

    Installing the plastic cover around the brake booster
    This is a major PITA. I finally got pissed and used every ounce of force I could muster to twist it in there right. How exactly I did it, I'm not sure, I just know I finally got it down there after about 20-30 minutes of pushing, pulling, sweating, swearing, looking for a punching bag, questioning my choices in life, etc.

    Routing the PCV hose
    I found the best way was to run it over and behind the top intercooler port on the ESS manifold, and keep it on top of everything. There is room back there even after the cabin air filter tray is reinstalled. Otherwise its hard to get the intercooler hose to gently arch down into the engine bay without kinking.



    Routing the brake booster hose
    It wouldn't lay right no matter which way I twisted or tucked it, so I ended up pulling the top section of the brake booster hose off of the Y-junction/valve and cutting off that last 90 degree bend (it's about a 3" length or so that I cut off, including the 90 degree bend). Then I reconnected it to the y-junction/valve and it lays in there real nice now.



    Filling the intercooler with coolant
    Not that its difficult, but I'll tell you what I did, not that I'm recommending it, do this at your own risk. I noticed it was filling very slowly, and almost came to a stop, and I was impatient, so I wiped off the end of the hose and wrapped my mouth around that hose and blew into it gently. That forced the coolant down through the pump a bit quicker and allowed me to get a good initial fill on the system. I had to do this a few times until coolant finally dribbled out of the top intercooler port on the manifold. Get it filled, then run the pump for a few minutes per the instructions, and fill again.

    Supercharger Oil
    I did a lot of research on this. I called Lysholm directly and the correct oil to use is a vortech part number 009028. This is a synthetic oil specifically formulated for twin screw superchargers and is a much thinner oil than the motor oils such as the Castrol TWS 10w-60 that ESS specifies in their instructions. Lysholm says NOT to use anything other than the Vortech 009028 oil, especially not a motor oil. Part number 009028 is about $50 directly from Vortech.



    Turns out this Vortech part number 009028 is actually Nye Synthetic Oil 605, which is also sold as Ford specification ESE-M99C115-A, and GM part number 12345982. Get the GM stuff, its about $12 for a 4oz/120ml bottle. Perfect.

    Experience has shown that 4oz/120ml is too much oil for the charger, you'll have oil come out of the snout of the charger and sling all over your engine bay. From what I can tell, the sweet spot is probably about 3oz if filling from empty.

    Startup and first drive
    The car took two tries to fire up, and it stumbled quite a bit initially for about 5-10 seconds or so. Then the car settled into a nice easy idle. The first few times I accelerated up past about 3k-4k RPM or so there was a little bit of hesitation. I don't know if that was more air working its way out of the fuel system or if the DME was still learning things, or if the throttle is just a lot more sensitive, but it's gone away once I put 50 miles or so on the kit. These may or may not happen to you, because in my case I had the FPR hose connected to the wrong place initially (I left it connected to the intake tube instead of moving it to the ESS manifold like I was supposed to). After correcting that the car idles perfectly and power is nice and smooth.

    Conclusion

    I love the extra torque and power that this kit provides. The power gains come on very early (like 2500 RPM early) and it just pulls so nicely to redline. The supercharger whine is very subtle compared to my exhaust (cat-less headers and magnaflow cat-back). The LSD is almost a must, I can't imagine not having it. Rainy days are very sideways, and I've found the 3.07 diff gearing in my car to be pretty much perfect because on dry days I still can use first gear.

    Parting ways

    Another nice thing about this kit is that there really aren't any permanent modifications necessary. But there are a couple parts or changes necessary to return the car to stock, or if you sell your used TS2 kit to someone else. You know, just in case...

    To return to stock you need:
    About 4 1" hose clamps
    New PCV hose (11617533398)
    New brake booster hose (34336751108)

    To resell the kit you need:
    Blue Loctite
    Intake manifold gasket
    Possibly some longer hoses, since I cut mine to length
    Last edited by rkneeshaw; 10-28-2018 at 03:50 PM.
    2003 BMW 330i ZHP
    ESS Twin Screw Stage 2 - Wavetrac - Headers - Borla - BMW Performance
    Turner Motorsports - Powerflex - Hawk Performance

    Build thread: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showt...yan-s-2003-ZHP
    Wheelwell: 2003 BMW 3 Series
    Fuelly: 2003 BMW 330i

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Thank you for sharing your experiences with installing the kit. These things are almost never noted in most installs and usually assumed some tiny little modifications to get it to fit properly. Do you have a pic of the horizontal pump pictured in the ESS manual?

  3. #3
    Thanks for the writeup I intend to do this for my ZHP within the next few years so any information regarding the install is helpful

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Kitchener, ON
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    excellent write-up, and THANKS for taking the time to do so - this is exactly the info we crave!

    enjoy the boost! i'd love to get a ride/drive in a car like yours.

    peter
    peter

    2004 330i ZHP
    2005 330iT ZHP
    2010 328iT M Sport

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    Northern Michigan
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    Your welcome guys, I hope this helps others. It was a big DIY job, but worth it in the end I'll get an "after" dyno done in July and see how it compares to my baseline.

    Quote Originally Posted by derbo View Post
    ...Do you have a pic of the horizontal pump pictured in the ESS manual?
    Not really, I coudln't get the tiny pictures in the instructions to zoom in. I did a quick google search and found something close, this is the way they wanted me to mount it:

    Name:  DSCF2056.JPG
Views: 3203
Size:  75.8 KB

    My issue was that there was no way to get the hose coming off the top of the pump to route underneath the brake duct. That brake duct seals against the fender lining. So I kept everything above it.
    2003 BMW 330i ZHP
    ESS Twin Screw Stage 2 - Wavetrac - Headers - Borla - BMW Performance
    Turner Motorsports - Powerflex - Hawk Performance

    Build thread: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showt...yan-s-2003-ZHP
    Wheelwell: 2003 BMW 3 Series
    Fuelly: 2003 BMW 330i

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
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    +1 to what everyone said. This is awesome information


    Sent from mobile
    Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
    "ZHP or not, I still like you"


    ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
    ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
    Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
    Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
    BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
    Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnrando View Post
    +1 to what everyone said. This is awesome information


    Sent from mobile
    +1

    A lot of this seems like info to send to ESS for modification of their M54 kit...

    Sent from an HTC One

    Current:
    1988 BMW 325is
    1996 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 x3 Locked - Restoration/Project Thread on ih8mud.com
    Sold:
    "Scarlett" the 2005 BMW 330i ZHP 6MT - Project/Maintenance Thread
    2011 BMW M3 E92 6MT - Info/Maintenance Thread

  8. #8
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    Sep 2011
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    Looks like this is how Au2Bahn did it. (Forgot his name but he used to own a zhp here)

    Quote Originally Posted by Au2bahn View Post
    I started this winter project with the notion of just rebuilding my Vanos and cooling system overhaul. While I had everything apart in my heated garage, I figured while I was in there, I might as well add an ESS TS2 kit which I planned to install eventually. Since ESS had a holiday promo back in December, I took advantage of it and hence the prolonged winter project. Its taking me longer than normal since I work on it only on weekends, I replace and add things as I go and also work on other projects for friends. Part of the purchase decision was the challenge of doing the install myself. I have always worked on cars since I was 16 and I figured this will be a moderate task and not time consuming like an engine rebuild. I rate the install with 10 being the hardest as a 6. The ESS kit is spot on except for some modifications I did to ensure the TS runs flawlessly without contamination. I was only able to test the car for 3 miles to ensure it was running flawlessly but stupid snow hampered additional test runs and break in period. Im only running it to 4k rpm but at this point, all I can say is :excited:. Its definitely quick!!!! I work on a lot of 335's, from suspension to engine tuning and I dunno.........Im pretty sure I can take them easily. :evil:

    Here are some pics of the progress so far:

    Started to take off pieces:





    Vanos Removed and ready to be rebuilt:



    Vanos Rebuild Process:







    Vanos Rebuild all done:




    Cooling System off:




    Cooling System Components:


    Thats an EMP Stewart water pump!!!



    Now for the fun part:

    Intake Manifold Before:



    Intake Manifold Removed:





    Removed TB, ICV and cleaned thoroughly:



    New Bigger injectors:




    Air to Water Intercooler installed:



    IC Pump:



    Twin Screw Installed:





    Running lines and hoses for boost gauge:





    In the process of the finishing touches this weekend. I will add additional pics of the final product upon completion.:

  9. #9

    ESS Tuning Twin Screw Stage 2 (TS2) Supercharger Install Notes

    Quote Originally Posted by derbo View Post
    Looks like this is how Au2Bahn did it. (Forgot his name but he used to own a zhp here)
    His name is Jon...


    Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by cakM3 View Post
    His name is Jon...


    Sent from my iPhone5S using Tapatalk
    That was what I thought it was but I wasn't 100% sure.

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