Zach’s N54 E90 335i Build
First, I’ll lay out my current mods and then move onto a few of the mods I have planned for the future. It’s nothing crazy, but it’s an awesome car.
N54 Engine Mods
- JB4 + MHD BEF
- BMS DCI
- VRSF 7.5″ FMIC
- VRSF Catless DP’s
- Stage 3 Dual Walbro 450 LPFP’s
- Phoenix Racing Port Injection Manifold (w/ 750cc injectors)
- VRSF Inlets
- VRSF Aluminum Outlets
- N20 3.5 bar TMAP
- RB Twos Plus
N54 Engine Maintenance
In mid-2019 I decided I was keeping the 2007 335i alive for the long-run. It was time to get this car prepared for another decade. That meant spending quite a bit of money on preventative maintenance. A few of the maintenance items were done prior to 100k miles. However, a bulk of it was done at the same time right around 113k miles on my N54.
- Index 12 injectors
- Water pump / thermostat
- Expansion tank
- Coolant hoses
- Radiator
- Cooling fan
- Oil pan gasket
- Oil filter housing & gasket
- Valve cover & gasket
- Walnut blasting
- Belt & Pulleys
- All four O2 sensors
Most of the accessories on my N54 are nearly brand new. It’s part of owning these cars. The N54 engine itself is awesome, but the parts around the engine are questionable at best. I might even be missing a few maintenance items above. Nonetheless, it wasn’t cheap to knock all of this out.
What did I get out of it? My N54 335i doesn’t make a chirp at idle. Sometimes I honestly forget the engine is turned on when inside. The idle is around 650 RPM’s and it’s incredibly smooth. It runs well. Very well considering I beat the living sh** out of my N54 on a daily basis. No hiccups, no stuttering, not a single oil leak, etc.
Apart from sticking with basic maintenance I don’t have any major plans. I’ve touched most of the problem areas on the N54. Hopefully I’ll get at least a few years of a very reliable car. I’ll just knock out these items again as they pop up.
N54 Suspension Mods
Part of this is simply maintenance, too. However, it all goes into handling. My E90 335i is still my daily driver so I didn’t go too excessive with suspension mods. A lot of it was simply OEM parts, but I threw in some upgrades.
- TC Kline Coilovers
- M3 Front & Rear Control Arms
- M3 Subframe Bushings
- ECS Trailing Arms & Bushings
- Sway Bar End Links
- Sway Bar Bushings
- Engine Mounts
- Transmission Mounts
- Tie Rods
- Shock Mounts
I might be missing a few things on this list. Nonetheless, nearly the entire suspension is brand new with OEM parts. The exceptions being the TC Kline Coilovers and ECS trailing arms. M3 control arms are OE from the E9x M3 and they fit right onto the E90 chassis.
The car handles well. Steering feel is spot on in every way possible. Cornering is very flat. It rides a little rough in the city, but it’s not horrible. The ride could be much worse had I opted for solid subframe bushings and motor/trans mounts. I’d do these mods and refresh 10x over. Nothing else planned for suspension currently, but I may do a few more upgrades down the road.
