N52 Velocity Stacks + CSL Plenum: Before You Buy

Here’s a full breakdown of what you need, what you might want and where to get it all. Of course I’ll be talking about my velocity stacks. 

Required for Installation

• PrintablesAuto Velocity Stacks ~660$ USD with stainless 
• N52 IAT Relocation Kit (Turner Motorsports) (or DIY) - This allows for us to delete the mass air flow sensor while keeping the intake air temperature sensor that's usually built in, with a external E36 intake air temp sensor. ~140$ USD
• A tune from Chaos Calibrations is necessary as we delete the throttle body and changing from a MAF system to a Alpha-N system. Chaos Calibrations has shown consistent reliability and performance for my intake manifold system. ~550$ USD
• We use the metal alignment dowels from any N52 intake manifold (OEM, 3IM, or N54) to prevent crushing of the plastic in long term use. These metal dowels prevent over tightening of the manifold, also having a little wiggle to move for installation, usually recommending some black RTV. ~Free.99$

Things Recommend After Install and Tune

∙ One Way Valve: If you got a plastic valve cover, or a amazon metal plastic cover, you have a one way valve and oil separator already, you can vent to atmosphere with no issues.  On vehicles with a magnesium cover, I would recommend a 3/4 one way check valve (Mishimoto, URP, EC). Why? it helps prevent burning oil, and proper crankcase pressure.
∙ N52 CSL Intake Plenum Cover, Helps dramatically with reducing intake manifold temps, air speed, reducing some low end drone, and overall being a better experience. Bolts only the stainless top or the base runners, coming with a air filter cap for the 8.5" bell mouth inlet. 

∙ Our Framerail heatshield, as it blocks the radiator fan heat, coolant hoses, and exhaust side heat from creeping over into the cold side. uses the nuts from the power steering res bracket that holds the AC bracket on, are the same thread and work for the studs coming out of the framerail.

∙ Cold Air Feed from a fog light delete, velocity pipe beside the fog, or a custom feed to capture lower bumper air and guide it into the manifold, helps drop manifold temps even more bringing it even closer to ambient.

Daily Driving

As my own personal experience, as long as all sensors are working and not actually damaged, your chance of a limp condition (at least with Chaos Calibrations) has been a rare occurrence. As the manual AWD that caused issues for previous tuners, I've only have had good experiences and has been the daily for the last 3+ months, with mainly the stainless filter and prototype CSL plenum. Most of my time I don't no have to drive through dusty or sandy conditions, and when I do, I try to put into neutral to reduce rpm to not create intake vacuum. Our CSL plenum will come with a air filter top with air foam to increase confidence on the safety of the vehicle while still driving around. 

HP and Torque

no dyno numbers yet, i know that's what everyone wants, but what we should focus on is drivability, and oh boy that has improved dramatically.

Tuning

Since this is semi new manifold and new tuner, and no MAF to auto calculate, revisions are expected on this setup. PC or android, flashing and logging can be done through their own custom app.

Options

I want to try and offer as many options and accessories that I can for this stacks and manifold setup. We got 2.5L and 3L! open plenum, filtered open plenum, our CSL plenum and hoping to expand to something more. Want this to be modular and a more open platform of stacks for doing what you want to do. If you want to change some text, add a feature I missed out, or something to improve your experience I'm all ears. 

With the being 3D printed, I do not want to attempt plastic welding parts to hold MAF, due to warping of parts (during printing process), plastic weld points having pinhole leak causing issues, and long term issues that might? occur, for your satisfaction and mine.