Spanky's E82 135i DCT

[Spanky]

Crikey, it has been a minute hasn't it!

Seemingly my forum preference lies with trolling rather than ride thread updates 👀

Other than normal maintenance and servicing, I've been doing a few upgrades and other bits and bobs of late - some of the noteworthy items include:

• DCT Refresh (Fluid, Filters & Sump)
• Diff Refresh (Fluid)
• Pulley and Belt Refresh
• Spark Plug Refresh
• Coilpack Refresh
• Partial coolant loop refresh
• Some minor paintwork (which I am unsatisfied with, and will need to revisit)
  
• Wheel Refresh (After being very clear on expectations, the outcome, while good, did not fully meet my exacting standards)
  
• New Tyres (Non-RFT Goodyear Asymmetric 6 - 225/40R18 & 255/35R18)
  
• Wheel Spacers (12mm on all four corners - What a drawn-out mission this was with WheelWorx CPT)
  
• Brake Refresh (EBC Yellowstuff Pads + Vari Racing Slotted & Heat-treated Discs)

I took the opportunity to clean the wheels, arches, suspension and calipers while doing the rotor & pad install

I thoroughly enjoy the fact that my lowly non-M E82 has better looking rear calipers than the G80/G82

Quick evening rinse post brake install (Took me all of last Saturday to do both axles - 70% of the time spent on detailing )

Looking generally sexy AF

 

[VinceM]

Nice work on the car, good to see some love given to this beaut.

Like that colour on the callipers, What is the name of that colour

 

[Spanky]

Nice work on the car, good to see some love given to this beaut.

Like that colour on the callipers, What is the name of that colour

Thanks, Vince!

Not 100% certain on the colour but I'm reasonably confident that it's BMW 445 (Phoenix Yellow Metallic)

 

[Benji]

Car is looking epic! Are those OEM E82 calipers or did you upgrade/paint them?

This is the trouble with being OCD - cleaning wheel wells that nobody will ever see and it adds 70% more time to the job...Im doing something similar to the E39 - It is supposed to be a suspension refresh, but most of the time is spent getting rid of evidence of 25 years worth of oil leaks

 

[Rick_29]

Looks awesome!!! Well done it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Spanky]

Car is looking epic! Are those OEM E82 calipers or did you upgrade/paint them?

This is the trouble with being OCD - cleaning wheel wells that nobody will ever see and it adds 70% more time to the job...Im doing something similar to the E39 - It is supposed to be a suspension refresh, but most of the time is spent getting rid of evidence of 25 years worth of oil leaks

Thanks, Benji! It is a now-discontinued OEM BMW Performance kit. Calipers came from BMW in that colour.

Yea, it is a gift and a curse honestly...

 

[Greenz]

Fitment looks awesome and those calipers just finish it off nicely.

 

[Spanky]

Fitment looks awesome and those calipers just finish it off nicely.

Thanks, man!

The spacers help tremendously for the look. Much more meaty!

Started with 15mm at the rear but the rub was real. Went to 12.5mm and the rub was still quite bad. Now, with the 12.0mm, there's the slightest rub on the rear when going through deep compressions + passengers onboard. Maaaaaybe I'll roll the fenders one day....

 

[M3boi]

Crikey, it has been a minute hasn't it!

Seemingly my forum preference lies with trolling rather than ride thread updates 👀

Other than normal maintenance and servicing, I've been doing a few upgrades and other bits and bobs of late - some of the noteworthy items include:

• DCT Refresh (Fluid, Filters & Sump)
• Diff Refresh (Fluid)
• Pulley and Belt Refresh
• Spark Plug Refresh
• Coilpack Refresh
• Partial coolant loop refresh
• Some minor paintwork (which I am unsatisfied with, and will need to revisit)
  
• Wheel Refresh (After being very clear on expectations, the outcome, while good, did not fully meet my exacting standards)
  
• New Tyres (Non-RFT Goodyear Asymmetric 6 - 225/40R18 & 255/35R18)
  
• Wheel Spacers (12mm on all four corners - What a drawn-out mission this was with WheelWorx CPT)
  
• Brake Refresh (EBC Yellowstuff Pads + Vari Racing Slotted & Heat-treated Discs)

I took the opportunity to clean the wheels, arches, suspension and calipers while doing the rotor & pad install

I thoroughly enjoy the fact that my lowly non-M E82 has better looking rear calipers than the G80/G82

Quick evening rinse post brake install (Took me all of last Saturday to do both axles - 70% of the time spent on detailing )

Looking generally sexy AF

Looks great! Explain the mission with the spacers?

 

[gavsadler]

Looking great man, keep up the good work.

 

[Spanky]

Explain the mission with the spacers?

It was actually two issues now that I think about it...

I had a set of spacers bought from a fellow forumite, but as mentioned in the comment prior to yours, the sizing was off - got too much rub at the rear.
So, I went to WheelWorx to get another complete set.

First issue: After politely informing everyone that I had JUST had the rims refurbed and to 'please be careful', someone proceeded to drag the one wheel along the trapezoidal thread of the balancing machine's shaft. Nice chunk of paint removed. Worker denied it, but I watched and heard it happen. Rookie mistake, especially since A) I had politely warned everyone and B) they literally do rim refurbs themselves every single day. Like, you take off and install wheels for a living bud. Time to get gud. Annnnnynyway.

Second Issue: They didn't have enough spacers, or bolts. I was initially told there was stock but fair enough, I'll come back.
It took no less than 5 one-sided follow-ups for the correct bolts, which I ended getting in March, to arrive. My initial visit was mid-December.
I used the bolts from my other set of spacer in the interim. The stock is one thing, shit happens, but the communication or lack thereof was uncool.

Just a really meh experience.

 

[PDBoosted]

Looking too good Spanky!!

 

[Spanky]

Once again, been a minute!

Car still ticking over having just hit 156k km. A few small things done, with more planned -

- New fender indicators




- Got rid of an annoying vibration @ 140ish by doing a road force balancing. Not many tyre shops offer the service with the full-fat Hunter machine. Pricey at R375 per corner, but well worth it if you're hunting an elusive vibration


- New HPFP. Pressures started to fluctuate, especially on cold start. Looks like this guy has never been swapped in the car's life. R21k for this fucking 'consumable'.


- While doing the HPFP, Garage808 kindly inspected the intake ports at my request. Looking decent, I'd say, considering the mileage...
Cyl3


Cyl4


Cyl5


- Finally got a MHD Universal Adapter to replace the fongkong wired solution I bought 7 years ago. With my luck though, the bloody thing won't go to sleep with my car (unique case due to manufacturing period) so MHD is working on a test firmware for me. Cool guys.


- Refurb'ed carbon mirror cap (Man yells at sky)






- Replaced central brake light



I've purchased a DA polisher, so the next tasks are to refurb/refresh the headlights as well as thoroughly detail the bodywork!

She wide



There's one big addition that I'll document in a subsequent post as it deserves its own focus

 

[jayaynikkal]

WTF 😱

 

[Spanky]

WTF 😱

I assume in response to the HPFP?

 

[Spanky]

So I've been toying with MHD+ a lot since they added that functionality to N55e. The anti-lag and map switching is really a great addition to the platform.

Anyhoo, while reading up on various things related to that, I stumbled upon a DCT tune that was being developed over at the Spoolstreet forums - Two gents had taken the factory GTS DCT tune, and back-ported it to other cars using the exact same transmission.

The approach is great -

• There's a free flasher app with full logging, TCU statistics and TCU code reading capabilities - CAFlash DCT
• There's a free demo tune available (limited to 5800RPM)
• There's configurable settings (creep, shift maps, final drive ratio, launch RPM, shift noise)
• Uses MHD Universal adapter, or K+DCAN Cable, for flashing
• The final price is 200USD

The fact that you can run a demo file for FREE is huge IMO. xHP is quite a bit more expensive and there is no such trial available.

So yea, the approach is very community-centric and I love that.

I ran the demo file for a while to get a feel for it, and then bought the full file.

The result -
Wow, where do I start!? The GTS calibration is absolutely phenomenal and the increase in the refinement of the DCT is actually unbelievable.

• Driving the car in normal D mode is far better and more responsive and predictable. I actually use this mode now.
• Partial throttle shifts while in Sport/S/Sport+S are essentially imperceptible and a lot faster than stock
• The shift punch/kick is removed, with the goal being minimal weight shift for tracking, which makes sense (It might be a configurable option in future)
• WOT shifts are absolutely cataclysmic! So fucking fast and solid. I didn't think the box could shift quicker, but I was certainly mistaken!
• Throttle tip-in is more predictable and firm, which is great
• There's a more pronounced deceleration on downshift and lift, even in D, which is reassuring and adds to the 'solid' and connected feel
• Where the standard tune got things right I'd say 80% of the time, the GTS calibration gets things right 98% of the time in my experience

So, if you have a 135/335/Z4 with a DCT, head over to original thread and check it out!
I have no affiliation with these guys whatsoever, I genuinely just want to spread the word


Some app shots -