BMW N54 Single Turbo or Stay Twin Turbo?
As an automotive enthusiast that loves to work on my cars. I find that at times you have to find ways to make this process as easy as possible. Such as using the correct tools for the job, or even replacing a part with an aftermarket equivalent that is of better quality. In the case of this article its the BMW N54 twin-turbo system.
I personally went to the single turbo route. Don’t get me wrong the new offerings of upgraded twin turbos are quite impressive. Achieving full boost as low as 2.5K RPM and achieving up to 700 HP. It’s just a marvel to see the advancements of this platform. When the first hybrid twin setup was introduced we were all thinking 500 HP was the limit. But still, this is not the reason why I went to a single turbo.
Going back to ease of working on the car is the reason I went single turbo. I went from stock twin turbos to upgraded Rob Beck hybrid turbos, and each time the downtime was long. Don’t even get me started on those oil lines. Compared to a top mount single turbo setup where you can swap out a turbo in under an hour without even having to put the car in the air! Also on an N54 single turbo setup, you will notice a lot of interesting things. Such as much better MPG, and lower engine oil temps. That’s coming from hot Florida temps and no oil cooler. So imagine how much better cooling you would get if your car is equipped with an oil cooler.
If I didn’t work on my car and had the extra funds to send it to a shop to fix, I think I probably would have installed one of the upgraded twin options. While I’ll still be out of the car for a few days, I wouldn’t have to deal with those turbo oil line :). All in all, in my opinion for the most reliable, efficient setup for a DIY N54 owner is a top mount single turbo setup.
i am in the process of a fully built n54, do not now my route i am taking on turbo set up, been in a couple single turbo cars ,and well top end performance is impressive i hated the lag on the bottom.if someone made a kit that would somewhat protrude through the hood i would be sold i think? i feel this could help with overall fitment and reduce engine bay heat , i also agree with the ease of maintenance, but as my fun weekend cruiser it would be hard to lose that bottom end power if you could have similar single turbo power on top, so as of now twins will be my choice .
I can see your point, the instant tq/pw is quite addictive on the twin setups, and for a weekend warrior setup, upgraded twins is a viable choice. Since having the car down for awhile is not a big issue, compared to someone that daily drives and need their car the next day etc. Paying special attention to the vanos tables in the tune definitely helps drop the single turbo spool time.
But a fully built n54!!! that’s a fun time right there. Top mount heat is definitely a concern if not mitigated correctly, a kit that pushes the turbo up and forward a bit would be nice. Since it would get more access to cooling air, in motion. Once I get my tig setup, just might mock something up to help on that front.