M brake ducts

M@r said:
{"]Just went out to mine and stuck my hand in there (feel like I've violated the poor thing :P ) Anyway on the upper section of the ducts there is a grill, so looks like air is designed to go through there? Its on both sides though?

Sounds right to me. IIRC the E46 M3 (with S54 engine) also has air intakes from both brake ducts plus one behind the opening of the bonnet.
 
It only takes air from the kidney grill, the airbox connects to the small duct behind the kidney.
 
The grilles in the duct will serve little to no purpose. They are a series of lines about 2" long. Any air that goes through these will just be dispensed randomly into the areas below the headlight. They do not feed the air intake.

Why would it have them on both sides when the air intake is on the near side?

The air intake is taken only from the duct behind the kidney grille. Hence why the Gruppe M is designed to catch air from that area.

Thankyou and good night :wink:
 
daz05 said:
It only takes air from the kidney grill, the airbox connects to the small duct behind the kidney.
In that case, that's excellent! Huge scope for modding the OEM air intake 8)
 
exdos said:
M@r said:
{"]Just went out to mine and stuck my hand in there (feel like I've violated the poor thing :P ) Anyway on the upper section of the ducts there is a grill, so looks like air is designed to go through there? Its on both sides though?

Sounds right to me. IIRC the E46 M3 (with S54 engine) also has air intakes from both brake ducts plus one behind the opening of the bonnet.
you are right in the M3 there was a connection between passenger side brake duct and the air box, not sure if this is the same on z4mc and car in garage so can't be bothered to check at moment.


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exdos said:
I am indeed for real. I've done loads of datalogging and air pressure testing with my S54 Z3 M Coupe which has essentially the same air-intake system as the Z4M, and with various judicious mods to the air-intake system the Volumetric Efficiency can be increased which translates into improved engine power. For example the Z3 MC has open brake ducts and fitting blanking plates to the N/S duct increases VE, likewise, fitting aftermarket front splitters additionally increasess VE. This does translate into performance improvement. If you want proper brake ducting fit some auxiliary ducts which feed air directly to the hubs.

Dude, stop digging...

Pray do tells us - what did you get in terms of extra power?

Seriously... What next - electric superchargers?
 
exdos said:
The so-called "brake ducts" are actually part of the air intake system and help to increase the pressure of air in the intake with increase in speed. If you remove the blanking plates you'll lose engine power.

Factual inaccuracy presented as absolute fact :lol: . I'm just off to polish the battery cables coz I'm certain that gives you stronger sparks and 5hp...
 
IKZ4 said:
exdos said:
The so-called "brake ducts" are actually part of the air intake system and help to increase the pressure of air in the intake with increase in speed. If you remove the blanking plates you'll lose engine power.

Factual inaccuracy presented as absolute fact :lol: . I'm just off to polish the battery cables coz I'm certain that gives you stronger sparks and 5hp...

That's a great idea. I am sure my M5 can do with a few extra ponies - I mean, them idiots at BMW left so much on the table, non? :rofl:

Exdos, I have a tantalising offer - I have to re-map my 500+ bhp racer since we installed ITBs and a dual plenum airbox. Dyno time is a bit expensive... So, here is my offer - since you can determine the increase in output from providing colder air with atomic clock-like accuracy, how about we use your butt dyno when we map the porker? Sarnies and beer afterwards are on me...

:poke:
 
Cheburator said:
That's a great idea. I am sure my M5 can do with a few extra ponies - I mean, them idiots at BMW left so much on the table, non? :rofl:
That's my whole point: the BMW engineers didn't leave much at all and I'm surprised that people on here say the Z4 MC doesn't use the "brake duct" as a cold feed into the air-intake system. But if that's so, I accept it. The BMW engineers have developed an enclosed air intake system which takes it's feeds from areas of high pressure, which they seem to have persisted with and developed in the E36 Z3 where the MC/MR has an extra intake located in the N/S "brake duct"; in the E46 M3 the intake is more complex where air inlets are located in both brake ducts and along the front bonnet edge. In the E92 M3, the inlets are even more developed where there's an additional one on the bonnet. BMW engineers have obviously realised that they're onto something with these designs.

Since the S54 engine is Normally Aspirated (sucking = negative pressure) how is that alfamale wrote: "" I could get max 0.1 psi at full throttle at 8k rpm no restriction in the OEM design so nothing to do here", when 0.1psi is a pressure greater than ambient at WOT? In that scenario, is the engine actually sucking air into it, or is it receiving air by very "mild" forced induction?

Cheburator said:
Exdos, I have a tantalising offer - I have to re-map my 500+ bhp racer since we installed ITBs and a dual plenum airbox. Dyno time is a bit expensive... So, here is my offer - since you can determine the increase in output from providing colder air with atomic clock-like accuracy, how about we use your butt dyno when we map the porker? Sarnies and beer afterwards are on me...
:poke:

I will be delighted to accept if your offer is genuine and not merely an attempt to take the piss :thumbsup: However, I don't use a butt dyno, I use a proper commercially available datalogger which reads directly from the car's ECU. It comes with bespoke software which works on a PC and all recorded parameters can be read and interpreted on screen. It also allows data export into other formats so that the information can be used in Excel to allow further interpretation in formulas to produce your own graphical presentation of the information. Provided your car has an OBDII socket it should be able to read whatever your ECU sees. I'm only reporting the information that datalogging produces, if you or others think that BMW, and all other manufacturers, install ECUs which tell lies, then so be it. Is your "tantalising offer" serious?
 
To play devils advocate..... i have just taken a pic of the M ducts lying in my garage:

They have the back half blocked, and have a vent on the top:

IMG_0150.jpg

IMG_0151.jpg


Dont understand the whole increase pressure bit though
 
aquazi said:
To play devils advocate..... i have just taken a pic of the M ducts lying in my garage:

They have the back half blocked, and have a vent on the top:

Dont understand the whole increase pressure bit though

The point is they vents don't actually go anywhere near the air intake, which is solely through the kidney grill.
 
srhutch said:
The point is they vents don't actually go anywhere near the air intake, which is solely through the kidney grill.

Ahh got it :thumbsup:

Begs the question then.. what are the vents for.... aside from dirtying the hid ballasts :roll:
 
exdos said:
daz05 said:
Not a great start on the forum for Exdos is it.

Have I been rude to anyone?

No not at all mate, only joking. Telling us our cars were worth naff all wasn't the best of starts.

Get some more pics of the Z3m up that will lighten the mood I'm sure:).

:thumbsup:
 
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