[Supr3me]

So I've been weighing the decision of whether to tackle the turbo replacement myself or pay to have it done and asked for some quotes from local shops. One shop in town specializes in foreign and classic cars and they declined to quote it saying that it would require them to order some specialized tools to complete the job. The gal I spoke with couldn't elaborate further, but it definitely made me stop and reconsider. I know a few of you have done turbo swaps at home - what tools were required that you'd consider specialized? I don't consider torx bits or sockets specialized and this shop definitely would've had all that.

Think they were pissing on me and telling me it's raining?

[awilki0101]

Manual states some specialty tools but honestly aren't needed. Pretty basic tools for this job.

[eluded]

I think just a 14 mm socket is all u need.

[E90ROXS]

There is no special tools. I installed Bigboost turbo with a few sockets and wrenches.
1. Remove intake
2. remove chargepipe and also remove all of the connectors on chargepipe, intake, o2 sensors and wastegate actuator
3. remove downpipe and O2 sensors
4. remove oil line from engine block, remove oil return line from bottom of turbo.
5. remove water coolant from aux pump and engine block (make sure you have something to collect the coolant)
6. remove the 7 (gold) nuts on the turbo manifold (top row). Remember never remove the studs else you might fuck up the threads on the engine block. Yes my dumbass mechanic did this. I hired this fool from local FB group.
7. Loosen the nuts on the bottom row of the turbo manifold so you can pull it out (don't remove these nuts)

**The oil line and water coolant heads are a pain in the ass to remove. You have to wiggle and pull at the same time. It will take you around 5-10 mins per head. This shit is such a bad design from Bimmer.

For peace of mind installation, go with Pure or VTT as they are direct OEM replacement. With Bigboost it's harder to install. You will need a person to help you.

[Supr3me]

Thanks for the info. I'm guesstimating that this is a weekend job for an amateur - maybe 5 or 6 hour day on Saturday to remove and another 5 or 6 hours on Sunday to install the new turbo, refill fluids, etc?
Does that sound about right?

[E90ROXS]

Originally Posted by Sµpreme

Thanks for the info. I'm guesstimating that this is a weekend job for an amateur - maybe 5 or 6 hour day on Saturday to remove and another 5 or 6 hours on Sunday to install the new turbo, refill fluids, etc?
Does that sound about right?

It should take you 9-10 hours. You need to jack up the car and get extension adapters for the wrench. Removing the oil and coolant line heads is a bitch. Be really really careful with the studs on the block as you can easily damage the threads when you're pulling out the turbo. Pure800 is OEM fit. Unlike the Bigboost turbo, it's a nightmare. Overall, the turbo on this B58 engine is super easy to work with.

[baldeagleman]

Originally Posted by E90ROXS

Pure800 is OEM fit. Unlike the Bigboost turbo, it's a nightmare. Overall, the turbo on this B58 engine is super easy to work with.

Are you trying to say the BigBoost is a nightmare or doing pure800 is?

[E90ROXS]

Originally Posted by baldeagleman

Are you trying to say the BigBoost is a nightmare or doing pure800 is?

Bigboost is a true custom kit. It's harder to install. You have to read the install guide from Juan.

[baldeagleman]

Originally Posted by E90ROXS

Bigboost is a true custom kit. It's harder to install. You have to read the install guide from Juan.

Gotcha, how hard do you think it would be to do pures for a novice with basic tools?

[E90ROXS]

Originally Posted by baldeagleman

Gotcha, how hard do you think it would be to do pures for a novice with basic tools?

It shouldn't be hard! You need to jack up the car in order for you to go down and remove the dp and the cover underneath the engine. Go to eBay and search for the b58 turbo listings. You can look at the picture of the actual turbo and see where the oil and coolant lines go. The turbo on this car is very easy to work with but you have to know how to handle the parts and know the basic of removing and attaching things.

[Supr3me]

Gonna tear into this starting tomorrow. I've got 7 quarts of 0W-40 Mobil 1. I don't know if that's the best oil to run long term with a bigger turbo and full ethanol (some have said they don't like it with ethanol). Any strong opinions? It doesn't get super hot here in South Dakota but it will start warming up over the next couple months.


I still need to grab a some coolant - any idea what the capacity is? I'm reading that it's 6-7 liters, which is basically the same as the oil capacity. Do I need the full capacity worth of coolant as part of the turbo replacement process or am I only draining a portion of the capacity? Also, any resources or tips on DIY coolant refilling without a vacuum filler? I seem to remember reading that basically you just have to do it over a much longer period of time, is that correct?

[kern417]

0w40 should be fine. The only recommendaitons is to do oil changes more often when running ethanol.

Every cooling system I've ever used requires 2 gallons, 1 gal of coolant and 1 gal of distilled water. I'd keep at least that much on hand just in case.

Old school bleeding method is the same as any other car. Let the engine idle until it gets up to temperature with the coolant cap off. Should take 20 minutes or so. Turn off the car, top off as needed. You can squeeze some of the coolant hoses to help move the bubbles around. Then keep an eye on it as you drive the next few days and top off as needed.

There's also a way to manually run the water pump, but it can still require topping off after driving a bit.

[Supr3me]

Halfway done. Got the old one out today and prepped the new one for install. Took about 6 work hours to get the old one out, taking our time, not rushing. That was the plan, out one day, in the 2nd day.

For anyone who is considering doing it themselves, you can do it. I definitely think it's a two man job, need a second pair of hands if you're not an accomplished mechanic. Make sure you have a full set of Torx bits, including the big ones. And you'll need a pair of snap-ring pliers to move the snap-ring from the waste gate actuator on the old turbo to the new one. That's about it so far. The BMW instructions reference a few specialized tools but it's BS, you don't need them.

Also, you will need coolant to refill most of the capacity but as far as I can tell, more than a quart of oil isn't needed. I don't think we spilled more than like, a few ounces. Might be how we've got the car jacked up that prevented much oil from spilling.

[kern417]

Nice. Maybe it's just me but I've had bad luck with it. That + no dipstick led me to just plan on drain/refill.

[Supr3me]

Update #2
We were on track to button up last night but when disconnecting the turbo, 4 of the 7 exhaust manifold studs unscrewed and fully came out (instead of just the nut). Two of those had some minor thread issues that didn't allow them to be easily reinstalled so I decided to play it safe and order 7 replacement studs and will have to wait until Wednesday to pick them up.

[E90ROXS]

Originally Posted by Sµpreme

Update #2
We were on track to button up last night but when disconnecting the turbo, 4 of the 7 exhaust manifold studs unscrewed and fully came out (instead of just the nut). Two of those had some minor thread issues that didn't allow them to be easily reinstalled so I decided to play it safe and order 7 replacement studs and will have to wait until Wednesday to pick them up.

Yeah you should spray those creeping oil and let it sit for an hour or so then remove the bolts. Be very careful with this part as you can damage the stud holes on the block.

[Supr3me]

Originally Posted by E90ROXS

Yeah you should spray those creeping oil and let it sit for an hour or so then remove the bolts. Be very careful with this part as you can damage the stud holes on the block.

Yeah thanks. Picked up some PB Blaster and gonna be extra careful.