Latest System Stats - March 2006
- RMS Stage II
- Vortech V2SQ
- RMS Stock Induction
- Aftercooler
- 3.5” HFM
- 38# Lucas injectors
- Buldogge 6” & 3.33” pullies ~11psi
- OEM S52 headers
- OEM S52 cams
- OEM HG
- MagnaFlow 14815s
- Full header-back custom mandrel bent dual 2.5” SS with ‘H’ section and high flow ‘Metal Cat’ cats
*No dyno since this addition
RaceMarqueSystems Stage II+ - November 2004
Quick Links: Foreword /// BuildUp & Specs /// Dyno /// Pics
At the time of install, my 2000 MC had ~31,500miles on it, with minor bolt-ons.
Challenge:
I wanted to give the MC a kick in the pants, but without building up the motor and/or wasting anymore money on minor bolt-ons. I wanted to
keep the MC streetable, linear power, with a hefty, big, giant, safety margin built in to avoid nasty breakages.
Solution:
a mild FI work over - Race Marque Systems Stage II Supercharger System. A relatively bolt-on system with no internal engine modification. The
power that will be put to the wheels under such mild boost is easily handled by the stock block and components
RMS Stage 2 Supercharger Kit
VORTECH V-2 SQ SC-TRIM SUPERCHARGER
Helical cut gear profile with SQ technology
3.5" Piping (upgrade from standard 3")
Near silent operation
Air to Water Intercooler
Fits engines up to 680 horsepower
9 psi (with conservative tune specified)
Maximum airflow: 1,000 CFM
36lb injectors
Maximum boost pressure: 20 PSI
Maximum impeller speed: 53,000 RPM
Adiabatic efficiency: 75%
Available with straight or curved discharge
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The Shop: Carolina Performance Racing BACK TO TOP
Tom Cistola, a CPR employee, was really the engineer of all this. Tom is a true car guy, with the intelligence to build a setup the way you want it. Tom's a good listener, and was *extremely* patient with all of my noob FI questions. I told Tom what I wanted, what I didn't want, we discussed our options, and he made it happen.
Tom and I discussed time after time after time that I wanted the tune to be conservative conservative conservative! He likely hates that word now and cringes every time he hears it.
The Kit & Company
From my discussions with Tom, the hardware included with the RMS kit is top notch. All of it is very well engineered, over-engineered in some cases. The fit of the kit is spot on. How RMS R&D'd the kit to get shoehorned into that space is no small feat.
I did not have any direct interaction with Osh, so I can't say much to the 'Customer Service' side of things unless it was through Tom. I will say the most frustrating part of the install was not the kit, or the labor install itself, but the tuning. Having to make dyno pulls, then overnight the ECU across the country for a reflash is a bit of a burden. Expectation management is key to keeping the project progresssing smoothly. There were a few instances of 'I'll do this', but no delivery. Communication was also a challenge at times due to the time difference.
Add Ons:
| VPD Oil Cooler |
The MZ3s run oil temps that are hotter than your garden variety M3s, thought mostly due to the so cramped engine bay with little room for hot air to escape. During ambient temps of ~80*F+, on the freeway at 80mph+, I can run and oil temps of ~260*F. The OM basically asks at that point that you pull over. From May to September in NC, summer temps are easily on average 80*F+; the hottest being July with an avg of 89*F.
This kit allows a configuration to have a thermal bypass valve installed, but I opted against using one. I expect to see temps during winter likely ~200*F and summer hopefully not above 240*F.
Another excellent feature of this cooler: the oil filer cap along with send and return lines tapped, now has a tapped for available feed to the SC, so no tapping of the oil pan. This eliminates having to tap the oil pan, and keeps the install slightly more clean with one less lengthy hose to run.
I am running Mobil1 5W-30.
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My Actual Kit Sub-page |
| AutoMeter Gauges |
I originally was accepting of the fact that I would have an A-pillar with a Boost and Fuel Pressure Regulator gauge. As I gave more thought to the appearance of the gauges, the more I realized they would look better, less obvious, and more OEM if they were installed in the factory locations of the clock, oil temp, and voltmeter. Tom agreed and confirmed that the routing really wouldn't be that much more of a challenge than that of the originally intended A-pillar setup. So Fuel Pressure, Oil Temp, and Boost - These were not my first choice, but the fuel pressure gauge in the "Traditional Chrome" was mechanical only in 2 1/16, so that wouldn't work. The only other set of gauges that met all the criteria of electric and of the same group were these; the Carbon Fiber Series
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| OEM Euro HFM |
Do it now, or do it later; increases flow and eases tuning; 3.5" dia so mates with the upgraded 3.5" piping from the RMS pieces
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JetHot Coated OEM Headers
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Headers in an of themselves seem like a hit or miss situation with the S52, and the options out there are $600-$1200, so no thanks. In an effort to reduce under hood temps, I decided to go with the JH process, and for at a fraction of the cost of new ones, it was an easy decision. |
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UUC Red TMEs
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This was another 'while you're in there' kind of thing. I've experienced the missed 2-3 shift before, so this was as good an any other time to get it done. |
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OEM BMW Clutch Fan |
Again with my concerns of the engine bay heating so easily, I figured the re-addition of the clutch fan would be a good idea since the SC is spinning even when idle. It will only be spinning at low to mid RPMs, so the more air movement, the better. The mild parasitic drag is of little concern now.
Interesting enough, the RMS Stage II kit comes with a new OEM unit but a smaller one designed for the 318 so as to fit will all the other front end components.
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330rwhp/279rwtq
Pre-install 220rwhp/220rwtq
Some will say these numbers are somewhat low for the hardware, and that's OK. I wanted to start out with a very conservative tune, and since this is my first FI application, I also wanted to be sure all the components played well together. No need to swing for the fences on my first at bat. I'm not so worried about having better dyno numbers that anyone else; I'm more interested in the having a fast and (relatively) reliable car. There is plenty of room to grow with the hardware and software.
| TME | TME | Heat Exchanger | JetHot OEM Headers | Aftercooler |
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| Oil Cooler | Injectors | The Unit |
Tight Clearances |
Oil Temp Sender |
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| VPD Oil Line to SC | Close | CAI | Gauges | Gauges |
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| Gauges | Finished | Unit | VPD Cooler | Trimmed |
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| Busy | ||||
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First Impressions:
- It (the V2 SQ) really is very quiet at idle. The heat exchanger fan and water pump are running continuously, and their whurrr overlaps most all of any whistle from the SC -sneaky-
- the power is not so overwhelming that its dangerous. Its quite smooth and controllable.
- its a new world of sounds and vibrations; I'm happy with the TMEs
- 1st and 2nd can come and go quickly
- the oil cooler is working: driving around town and on the freeway, with ambient temps in the 40s-50s, I am barely cresting 200*F. I'll look forward to seeing Spring & Summer temps. Added capacity by the cooler and lines is ~1qt.
- the aftercooler is always cool to just slightly warmer than cool tot eh touch, even after hard driving
