Charge pipe keeps popping off..

[yandy]

It had never happened, tune/no tune, then all of the sudden the damn thing decides to begin popping loose. First it had to be long gear pulls and quick shifts. I guess quick surge of boost.. but now, it's fairly effortless to pop it loose.

I'm thinking of ordering the Evolution Racewerks one, but for now as a temp fix, before it gets here...

Any of you have been successful at tightening it down with anything? maybe a t-bolt clamp?

It's just pretty much un-drivable, at any amount of boost.

Thanks

[JohnL135I]

Is this the factory charge pipe that keeps popping off?

[Mindgame]

Mine kept doing this too (yes factory charge pipe)

I pulled the clip off, bent it tighter with my hands and reclipped it.
It hasn't come off since but I still don't trust it. Terrible design and don't have ~$500 extra to buy an aftermarket one currently

[yandy]

Originally Posted by JohnL135I

Is this the factory charge pipe that keeps popping off?

Yea, factory pipe

Originally Posted by Mindgame

Mine kept doing this too (yes factory charge pipe)

I pulled the clip off, bent it tighter with my hands and reclipped it.
It hasn't come off since but I still don't trust it. Terrible design and don't have ~$500 extra to buy an aftermarket one currently

I'm thinking of this one:

http://www.evolutionracewerks.com/?q...&g2_itemId=248

I have their FMIC and it's amazing. The price for that pipe seems reasonable too compared to whats out there. But I'll give that bending thing a try

Thanks

[KeithLM]

I'm surprised to hear the stock one can be blown off. I had the Riss one, that was bad. I now have the Stett Performance charge pipe, with DDV. He also has a blow-off kit for it. I can tell you by the way it's designed the chances of it coming off are slim to none.

[Mindgame]

I would really like a stett one

Correct me if i'm wrong but the by the looks of the evolution race werks one, it has a groove in it for the same factory clip......?

[yandy]

Originally Posted by Mindgame

I would really like a stett one

Correct me if i'm wrong but the by the looks of the evolution race werks one, it has a groove in it for the same factory clip......?

That's what it looks like, but I've heard nothing but good things.. yet I could be wrong. Yea, I would like the Stett one, it's just steep in price for hose.

But for now, you sir seem to be the man, tightening that clip seemed to work "for now". I didn't really think you could to begin with, since it's so flimsy, but apparently you can..

I hadn't even taken it off, cause it just feels flimsy and un tight worthy or something like that.

Thanks

[Evolution Racewerks]

I've pressure tested our charge pipe at 25 PSI and it held just fine. We also run the high boost GIAC stage 2 software (16.7 PSI). Never had the charge pipe come off, even while racing. I also probably pulled out that clip over 50 times already during the R&D of the charge pipe. Still original metal clip and o-ring.

The reason why we have a flanged piece for the throttle body side is because it was justified. That machined flange for the throttle body took forever to design and also is not cheap. It would have cost us less money (and in turn make more money) if we had used a silicone hose but I did not like that. The throttle body is not shaped nor designed to accept a silicone hose. Other companies run a silicone hose on the throttle body side but we chose not to go that route because that area actually required it in my option. The lip on the throttle body is too short and thus not reliable to use a silicone and clamp in my option. You would clamp down on the actual machined ridges on the throttle body which is not smooth. Thus having a short lip to clamp on made it more prone to coming off. Traditional throttle bodies that are designed to use a hose/clamp combination have longer lips and a rolled edge. The hose would go over this and the clamp would sit behind the rolled edge (much like a beaded intercooler pipe that is found in all our intercooler piping). This rolled edge would make it near impossible for the hose to come off as the clamp would be a smaller diameter than the bead itself (when clamped on). Unfortunately, this is not found on the N54 throttle body.

We've also sold quite a few of these and nobody has had any issue that I know of.

[Mindgame]

I would be interested to know what is different in your design that is going to remedy the fact that my stock chargepipe w/clip continues to pop off though. Are these grooves different in some way? tighter clip?

I'm sorry but as of right now if I went aftermarket chargepipe I couldn't bare to buy the same design I have problems with everytime I try to hold boost.

[randomquickness]

+1 for the ER pipe. I run jb3 1.4 map 9 daily with every bolt on and the ER pipe hasn't budged. The tial Q BOV is pretty nice too

[Evolution Racewerks]

There is no difference in design on the actually connection. The clip/connector on the throttle body actually works very well. This style connector is used throughout the car, in very important places. The radiator system is held in place with the same clip connector. Radiator system sees far more pressure than the charged air. Same system found in your clutch system (when you do the CDV, you will see the same thing). Same connection system found in the FUEL system. I would think BMW would not use this connector in very important areas if it was inherently flawed.

Problems arise when it is improperly installed. There is a groove on the throttle body that the clip needs to slide into. You can slide the clip in and not get it into the groove and it may look like it's in. With boost pressure, it actually pushes side to side load (not up and down load) which tightens the clip. When properly installed, the only way it would come out is if the clip was broken (hardened steel so hard to do).

I have been talking to Yandy on e-mails and he has been sending me pictures and we found out why his charge pipe was coming off. The clip was improperly installed on his car. The installer even forgot to put the o-ring in the pipe as he found it sitting on top of his plastic cover. If you want, you can PM me and I will try to help you figure out why your charge pipe keeps coming off.

As I mentioned before, I have pulled this clip off of our car over 100 times while I was doing R&D for the charge pipe as well as our intake manifold project (which is still ongoing). Still on the same factory clip and same o-ring. I doubt most of not anyone has pulled off that clip as much as I have. I had thought of replacing the o-ring but after pressure testing it to 25 psi, didn't replace it. Still working fine.

If you're still unsure of the clip, I could custom make you one without the flange and include the silicone hose. I just think the clip design is much better.

Originally Posted by Mindgame

I would be interested to know what is different in your design that is going to remedy the fact that my stock chargepipe w/clip continues to pop off though. Are these grooves different in some way? tighter clip?

I'm sorry but as of right now if I went aftermarket chargepipe I couldn't bare to buy the same design I have problems with everytime I try to hold boost.

[yandy]

Originally Posted by Evolution Racewerks

I have been talking to Yandy on e-mails and he has been sending me pictures and we found out why his charge pipe was coming off. The clip was improperly installed on his car. The installer even forgot to put the o-ring in the pipe as he found it sitting on top of his plastic cover. If you want, you can PM me and I will try to help you figure out why your charge pipe keeps coming off.

This is true, I found the o-ring sitting on top of the under car cover.. I took it off to check all my IC pipes, and things cause I was having a leak. Even with the charge pipe clamped down and not popping off. Now whom ever touched my car last, when they did the HPFP install, was either really new, or just didn't care.. because they also bent my clip to sh*t.

I have been talking to Fred, he's very helpful sometimes it seems like he's trying to get me out buying something even if it's from him . He just want's to make sure my problems are real that's all.

If their charge pipe is anywhere as good as their FMIC, I'll be ordering soon either way, because I need a place for my Meth.

[SlickShift]

Mine blew off last night after I quick 1-2 shift. Hopefully it won't come off again today.

[moff]

Mine blew off mid overtake which was scary!!

Took my car in to my dealer and got a new one, been fine since.

[Mindgame]

Well Fred, you may have sold me.

My stock one doesn't come off anymore since I tightened the clip...however i'm losing boost and I think the chargepipe/DV's are the culprit (I'll know for a fact when my p3 boost gauge comes in....but EVERYTIME I purposely hold boost (stay around 3.5-4.5k RPMS) and climb very slowly I go into limp mode.)

The dealership did some testing to find the popped-off charge pipe when it first happened and I noticed when I got it back they scarred the hell out of the DV's and the DV turn-style-thingy clips with a screwdriver or something. Not sure if it contributes to the issue...but a new chargepipe w/BOV may be the best prescription.

[SlickShift]

This is getting really annoying now...the charge pipe blew off on my way to work this morning. I put everything back together and it went straight to limp mode upon start up. Everything looks like it's in place???

[yandy]

Originally Posted by SlickShift

This is getting really annoying now...the charge pipe blew off on my way to work this morning. I put everything back together and it went straight to limp mode upon start up. Everything looks like it's in place???

I would definitely make sure that o-ring is there, and that the clip is in all the way. But just in case, I used a t-bolt clamp on mine, hasn't fallen off since.

[SlickShift]

I put my hand around the base where the throttle body meets the charge pipe and could feel air being sucked in there. Once the engine cools down I'm gunna check and see if the o-ring is there. Is the o-ring on the metal throttle body unit or inside the charge pipe?

[yandy]

Originally Posted by SlickShift

I put my hand around the base where the throttle body meets the charge pipe and could feel air being sucked in there. Once the engine cools down I'm gunna check and see if the o-ring is there. Is the o-ring on the metal throttle body unit or inside the charge pipe?

Inside the charge pipe

[BSM 135i]

it's in the chargepipe

[SlickShift]

Ok, so after an hour of tinkering and test driving here's the news...

Upon further investigation, the last time the charge pipe blew off, it did it with such force that the TMAP sensor uncliped, thus causing the car to go into limp mode (sigh). That was an easy fix. For some reason the aft DV comes off too when the CP comes off. I snapped that back in. Then I checked the CP and the o-ring was still in there.

Test drive time...no limp mode, but still an SES light. Other than that everything was going pretty well in up to moderate/high boost. Then I brought it to 5K w/ full boost and I hear a "POP" on upshift (shit!!!). Back under the hood. I took off the clip on the CP and squeezed it tighter and then reinstalled. I didn't go for a "full" test drive but the SES light was off which made me happy. I'll report later; I just didn't feel like popping the hood again.

[yandy]

LMAO! glad I'm not the only one.. or well no I don't really wish that one anyone..

Originally Posted by SlickShift

Ok, so after an hour of tinkering and test driving here's the news...

Upon further investigation, the last time the charge pipe blew off, it did it with such force that the TMAP sensor uncliped, thus causing the car to go into limp mode (sigh). That was an easy fix. For some reason the aft DV comes off too when the CP comes off. I snapped that back in. Then I checked the CP and the o-ring was still in there.

Test drive time...no limp mode, but still an SES light. Other than that everything was going pretty well in up to moderate/high boost. Then I brought it to 5K w/ full boost and I hear a "POP" on upshift (shit!!!). Back under the hood. I took off the clip on the CP and squeezed it tighter and then reinstalled. I didn't go for a "full" test drive but the SES light was off which made me happy. I'll report later; I just didn't feel like popping the hood again.