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      05-21-2020, 09:42 PM   #1
Commanderwiggin
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M2C S55 Wagner Intercooler Installed with ESS Charge Pipes

So I haven't seen any threads with this intercooler installed in an M2C.

Little background, car has been relatively stock with the exception of some exhaust mods and an Ecutek flex fuel tune by Bend Calibration as seen in my build thread here: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1584371

So since my M2C makes roughly 575whp on the higher ethanol content side of my calibration I decided to invest in some ESS Charge pipes and a Wagner Intercooler. I'm extremely impressed with the quality of the parts and so far on a 3rd gear pull with similar ambient conditions and same calibration I've gone from a 10'C increase in temp on the OE Intercooler roughly to a 2'C increase in temp on the Wagner. Also I noticed immediately an increase in throttle response. In my calibration my tuner will be making some adjustments to the intercooler backpressure modelling to adjust for the change. In my logs I've also seen a slight jump in the boost achieved and I no longer get traction in 3rd gear with warm Cup2 tires...so needless to say it's definitely a great performance improvement.

Now if I was to identify the cons I would say the intercooler is very big so this will add a bit of weight to the already heavy front end. It's also at the top of the motor so not the best for center of gravity. Also the ESS charge pipes had to be trimmed to fit them to my standard. I would've preferred them to be pre-cut at the correct length but just an fyi...not a big deal. Lastly the hood on the M2C does need to be clearanced according to the instructions and as seen in the hood pic image. The metal itself is very flimsy and it cut very quick with a Milwaukee M12 Rotary tool. I'm not sure but I suspect that a GTS/CS carbon hood may not have any issue with this. Also the M3/M4 hoods apparently don't need to be trimmed unless a port injection spacer is used.

Final thoughts; absolutely worth it for peace of mind having a quality intercooler core and giving the ability to cool the intake air temp on a car pushing higher power levels. I do think that the full Wagner upgrade will be the most effective as the front heat exchangers (middle and passenger side intercooler cores) will net a huge increase in cooling capability. I think having the top mount is essential for street pulls but the front heat exchangers will likely provide the highest amount of heat rejection for track use. I will likely add them to my car at a later date.

So here are some photos of the final product and a couple during the installation:







Evolution Raceworks J-Pipe pictured (Before tightening upper clamp):




Installation manual here as a reference: https://www.wagner-tuningshop.de/img...20M4%20S55.pdf

For the keen eyes, the intercooler is quite glossy in the pics as I used some Cerakote Ceramic Coating to bump up the luster and give it a bit of protection/ease of cleaning.
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Last edited by Commanderwiggin; 05-21-2020 at 09:50 PM..
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      05-21-2020, 11:49 PM   #2
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Yeah man, that is huge. Cool stuff.
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      05-21-2020, 11:54 PM   #3
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Thats a thicc boi. Love the build.
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      05-22-2020, 11:34 AM   #4
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Is your car wrapped? It looks like SO but I'm confused why your engine bay is black.
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      05-22-2020, 12:06 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Mdkcrf250r View Post
Is your car wrapped? It looks like SO but I'm confused why your engine bay is black.
Check out my build thread; it's wrapped Red
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      05-25-2020, 10:53 AM   #6
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out of curiosity is your hood rubbing at all on the new unit that's installed ? Im really curious the gain on hot runs as im in texas lol.
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      05-25-2020, 01:38 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Force Induced View Post
out of curiosity is your hood rubbing at all on the new unit that's installed ? Im really curious the gain on hot runs as im in texas lol.
After doing the cut as indicated in the installation manual (for the M2C only) there is no rubbing. It absolutely would rub if no clearancing was done. So far seen a very good increase in cooling on a fully loaded pull in 3rd gear; 10'C increase in temp on stock cooler and 2'C increase in temp on the Wagner.
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      05-25-2020, 03:21 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Commanderwiggin View Post
After doing the cut as indicated in the installation manual (for the M2C only) there is no rubbing. It absolutely would rub if no clearancing was done. So far seen a very good increase in cooling on a fully loaded pull in 3rd gear; 10'C increase in temp on stock cooler and 2'C increase in temp on the Wagner.
That sounds like a winner to me as temps are always the biggest battle. Wagner products tempted on a few of my other cars. My only concern for myself is cutting a brand new car, granted i've done it to 3 other new cars for parts but this one in particular is a tough one lol.
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      05-25-2020, 04:38 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Force Induced View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Commanderwiggin View Post
After doing the cut as indicated in the installation manual (for the M2C only) there is no rubbing. It absolutely would rub if no clearancing was done. So far seen a very good increase in cooling on a fully loaded pull in 3rd gear; 10'C increase in temp on stock cooler and 2'C increase in temp on the Wagner.
That sounds like a winner to me as temps are always the biggest battle. Wagner products tempted on a few of my other cars. My only concern for myself is cutting a brand new car, granted i've done it to 3 other new cars for parts but this one in particular is a tough one lol.
When you look at how thin the metal is in that one spot you'll get over it super quick. I look at it as a better reason to upgrade to the CS hood in the future.
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      05-26-2020, 11:49 AM   #10
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Congrats, looks great!
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      05-26-2020, 01:11 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
Congrats, looks great!
Thanks Mike! Feel free to share the pics since you hooked me up on a good price for that Intercooler and Charge Pipes!
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      05-26-2020, 01:19 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Commanderwiggin View Post
Thanks Mike! Feel free to share the pics since you hooked me up on a good price for that Intercooler and Charge Pipes!
Will do
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      11-08-2020, 04:39 PM   #13
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Got pics of the hood?
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      11-08-2020, 08:40 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Heronween View Post
Got pics of the hood?
Click the first photo to expand it in the mobile browser
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