BMW N54 Transmission Cooler DIY Kit Install : Budget 335i Turbo Build

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

Awesome video! The picture-in-picture fan slide in was epic! I fell like I could do this whole process now, such an excellent explanation and footage

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Thanks, to be fair we didn't show the 3 hours we spent trying to fit the lines in with the factory heat exchanger in place, so it did look easier than what we actually went through. But as long as you get that sucker out of the way there is ample room for the -10 lines. Let us know if you do have any questions before you tackle it.

[@eduardoredford7732]

When you disconnect the transmission lines to the factory heat exchanger does the transmission fluid leak out? Do you think I’ll have to add more transmission fluid if I briefly remove the heat exchanger to replace it? Is there enough fluid in the heat exchanger to make a difference in transmission fluid level? Would you recommend to fill the heat exchanger with trans fluid? I would really appreciate some help. I haven’t been able to find an answer.

[@HassanEido1]

Good stuff boys. I'm a fan of your content. Honest to the point car guy stuff 👌

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

We eat sleep and breathe this stuff, not that we have any idea what we are doing :P. It's awesome being able to justify spending all our money on it for youtube though.... So thank you very much for watching hehe.

[@carter5165]

you guys deserve more views!

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

@Henry is Everything Way more views!

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Thanks guys, we really really appreciate all the support like this. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. If you think you know of any people or facebook groups that might benefit from our vids, please share them around. We think that is what really grows the channel, from what we have seen anyway. But we don't like spamming too many places ourselves.

[@carter5165]

Zero To 60 I absolutely will! Keep the vids coming

[@spussego]

you can use any leftover an lines to fit in a oil catch can....

[@nickolascain2994]

Definitely interesting to see. I would note how long it takes to reach optimal temp and that it doesn't cool to well. I've been pondering on the idea of running water to air intercooler to free up space to the rest of the heat exchangers. Definitely more work then an air to air. But I have the forgotten 5 series N54... everything is usually more work. Hahaha Thanks for sharing! Hope you and your families are in good health.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Thanks Nickolas, really appreciate. Hope you and your family are doing well too. Right now, where we are based isn't really that affected, but i think the next week to 10 days will be the testing times for us. I think they are going to put us in lockdown tomorrow. Which means more time for youtube videos....

[@nickolascain2994]

@@ZeroTo60Tube thankyou sir! Yeah no lockdown in my area of Florida yet. I'm sure we will all appreciate more videos haha.Are you going to be doing a custom JB4 map for the new turbos or?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Yes definitely, the original plan has sort of gone out the window due to my port injection injectors being no good. But basically i planned to go port injection, full e85 and send it with the stock turbos. This was supposed to happen in January, but i still haven't got the injectors in my hand yet due to china closing down and then the current madness..... Anyway i have already paid for the custom full send stock turbo tune. Once the injectors are here and PI installed, I will run that full send tune for a week or so, then bolt the hybrids on and retune to suit. Original plan was 24psi on the stock turbos and full e85, i really feel like 30psi is a good number for the hybrids....... we will see how it turns out soon.

[@nickolascain2994]

@@ZeroTo60Tube ok gotcha... looking forward to it!

[@kamilozw86]

hi. You will have issues with air flow because is fitted to close to wheel arch lining.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Hey Kamil, You may be correct, however, Im curious if you have actually tested that or just assuming? This sits between 10 and 20mm from the wheel arch so there is space for air to pass through the cooler. Keep in mind the inner guard is not a sealed pocket, the air will come through the bumper, straight in to the trans cooler and up in the engine bay. I did think about making a vent like how the factory do it for the engine oil cooler, however thought i would try it this way first, since the big names who sell the more expensive kits, also say you don't need the wheel liner vent. As soon as we get some dry roads, i will put this through its paces.

[@Zackrevoluzion]

Just did mine as well, aggressive driving for 10 mins and hardly hit above 65c

[@15cbyrd]

Where can I find the 2 dash 8 fittings I would like to order them and do my car like this?

[@davidrowe2217]

Awesome series guys!

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Thanks David, the car is turning in to a weapon. It's so much faster than i ever expected considering how cheap it's been. The hybrids are going to be wild.

[@taylor1942]

At 7:04 in the video you mention 15 mm brass bung is that a 5/8 equivalent for those of us tortured by the imperial system here in the US? Technically speaking 5/8" is 15.88 mm

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

HI Taylor, Thanks for confirming. Sorry i filmed that video so long ago, i couldn't remember which bung was mentioned where. That one is a 15mm bung. I also used a 14mm sump plug on the other hose. One of the hoses are tapered, so depending on where you cut in to it, you can use different bungs.

[@dequeansteele1721]

Also why do you need the Adapter if the BMP Fittings are 10AN just like the 10AN fittings on the Hoses that run to Trans Cooler ? Am I missing something ?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I cant remember the exact sizes but its not straight forward to adapt them on to a an hose. In all honesty the BMS cooler kit for $400 is a well worth the money if you are in the states.

[@dequeansteele1721]

@@ZeroTo60Tube Yes the BMS kit; they will not sell the coolant hose plugs seperately so almost forced to go that route, plus the mounting bracket is nice; I'll go that route; Thanks for Content

[@typedrew]

cut the fender liner for some vents

[@Raptorman5174]

I would really like to see the Stock Oil Line upgrade to -10 or -8 AN fittings. This is something that I would really like to do on my car.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Did you want more info on the ones I used in the video or some home made ones?

[@Raptorman5174]

@@ZeroTo60Tube the ones you used in your video. You probably will have to get two more of those expensive ass connections but yeah. Use your left over hose and fittings.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Got ya! Yeah I kept the ones from my stock trans heat exchanger. Going to weld on some -10 thread so we can do a similar setup on a friends car. The fittings from BMP are beautifully made, but with the shitty Aussie dollar and freight down to aus, they are mega money at the moment.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

@livey oone Never been an issue since this cooler setup. I use the car for a lot of acceleration runs, but never circuit track work. For a street car running 20psi its been much better than i was expecting.

[@fivesfe]

Throwing an 8hp45 in my e90, im torn between rigging the stock cooler or going aftermaket. Any imput is welcomed! I currently have about 530hp

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Aftermarket is my preference.

[@Saif0412]

Great work guys, got the trans/oil cooler on my todo list, 👍 any info on what normal/safe/max transmission temperatures should be, especially tuned ?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Well...... mine stopped shifting at 112c 😞. Talk about a heart attack, I though I popped something. It was just after putting the e85 flash on and the car felt so fast. I was doing multiple pulls with wot shifts, only to 3rd. But it basically just bounced off the the limiter in 1st even though the dash was showing I’d selected second. Glanced over at the gauges and it was definitely a little warm. I have been very cautious about going anywhere near that temp ever since and it’s never done it again. I’ll normally see over 100c after 4 or 5 consecutive 0-100 runs. It’s still raining here so I haven’t had a chance to beat on the transmission yet with this new cooler. But I will have an update once I have. But this should be fine it’s bigger than the bms one. The trans gets up to 70c relatively quickly even though I don’t have a thermostat in the line, so I think it’s all gonna be fine.

[@Stryxx]

How exactly did you mount the cooler? I am fixing to get ready to do this because in a few months I am going to be doing an 8HP50 swap with Canformance TCU in my E92 N54. Also, instead of using a bung, would it be possible to just run a hose from the frame mount hose to the radiator? Lastly, and this was a something I've been curious about, but if you run an inline thermostat (such as Improved Racing's one), and then run a temp-controlled ground switch after the thermostat (at whatever temp is considered getting dangerous) to a small fan on the back of the radiator, would it still fit in the wheel well?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I bent the brackets on the cooler and bolted them to the headlight bracket. You could just use a hose to by pass, but not needed. It’s more stuff in your way in an already tight space. I can’t fit a fan behind the cooler. I did end up putting a vent in the wheel arch after my dct conversion. The dct would get hot waiting in the staging lanes. Never had that issue with the auto

[@Stryxx]

@@ZeroTo60Tube thank you for the fast response! So the vents did happen, I was curious to that as previously you hadn’t done that, and good to know the fan wouldn’t fit. I am assuming it’s pretty stable mounted to the headlight bracket?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

@@Stryxx stable enough. I live in a hot climate so don’t worry too much about needing a fan. Like I said not needed on the auto, just the dct.

[@Stryxx]

@@ZeroTo60Tube Probably a dumb question, but are the temps on the 8HP50 similar or the same as the 6HP? And yeah, Texas’s climate is… interesting. We’ve got 100°F+ summers and as low as 20°F (sometimes lower) winters. It’s wacky. Have you thought about using Canforance’s TCU for future 8HP swaps? Theirs is more plug and play and doesn’t require opening the mechatronic.

[@BEAMERNOOB]

Are the male and female quick connects 1/2”?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I’m honestly not sure tbh. I purchased the fittings from BMS

[@monbaby77]

does this work with 335i DCT as well?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Yes, ended up dct swapping this car and using this cooler

[@r3drogo]

How much degrees this cooler down? In my case (335i N54 FBO, XHP Stage 1, MHD Stage 1, VTT Stage 1 turbos), with the factory trans cooler usually goes between 94 - 98 ºC (201 - 208 ºF) in D mode, but when I tried to warm up my tires in the dragstrip or floor the gas pedal in S/Manual mode (DTC deactivated), raises up until 108 - 110 ºC (226 - 230 ºF). There's something wrong here?

[@dequeansteele1721]

Hey, How did this Trans Cooler Work out, I was thinking of doing the exact same thing (As Im running Dual Oil Coolers just like this that sit on top of the 7.5" inner cooler; behind the front inner bumper grills) You should let me send you a pic it looks awesome) but back to the Trans Cooler and the OEM Heat Exchanger Delete; are the Transmission Temps Cooler ? since you basically deleted / plugged the Coolant lines that ran to the OEM Trans Cooler / Heat Exchanger) Thanks for the Awesome Video

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Yeah a must have on a auto or DCT car imo

[@ScrapyardElectric]

Hey guys, have gone back and enjoyed your videos of the 335i since the start. I'm curious how you're measuring the temperature on the trans? I know the adaptors for the stock trans lines have bungs for a temp probe, but I'm wondering if you're somehow reading the BMW PID sensor in the trans through the JB4?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Hi There, Yes its through the JB4.

[@BartjeMssls]

Any idea on how hot the trans gets in traffic? Thinking about doing this. Just worried about it getting too hot when standing still.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

In traffic it’s never a problem, we are a hot climate too.

[@BartjeMssls]

@@ZeroTo60Tube Thanks!

[@luispina317]

Does coolant need to be drained?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

No.

[@bruno1105]

Shouldn’t you connect the coolant lines together so you not blocking off the circuit? I tough that it’s part of coolant circuit and with this you closing the circuit

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

It's only used for the trans heat exchanger. That circuit is not there on the manual cars.

[@dequeansteele1721]

BMS Trasnsmission Cooler kit DOES NOT Fit where they Suggest Mounting it on there Website. The Wheel / Tire hits Cooler on Full Turn

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Hey man, it definitely does fit. I know quite a few people with that kit. BMS have been selling them for like 6 years too, would be thousands out there. If it doesnt fit on your car there is something you are doing different.

[@jameshunt8942]

Great vid guys!! Enjoying watching your channel from the UK. Also I Dont suppose you have a link for AN to factory push fitting?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Sorry, that should have been in the description, but it must have been updated. The fittings i used were from BMP available here - bit.ly/33SQMw7

[@jameshunt8942]

@@ZeroTo60Tube absolutel legends. Cant find these in the UK for love not money, and with massive import tax on the BMS version this has to be the way forward.

[@KingKhu0ng]

Thermostat needed?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Depends on climate. Where we are, definitely not needed

[@andychara1631]

Do you know if the e93 2011 n55 engine needs walnut blasting or did bmw solve that problem with the carbon build up? Great video cant wait for the next one.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Yes, it appears to be a problem with all direct injection engines. Because of the way the PCV systems work in all engines, there will be oil vapour passing over the valves and building up. Since the fuel is injected in to the cylinder it never gets the chance to clean the valves like on older engines. Upgrading your PCV setup will help prolong the issue and ultimate fix it meth or port injection..... which you know means more power!!!! hehe

[@supraboy82]

did you cut some slits or holes in the fender lining to let the go through? it seem like the air is just gonna get caught up in there.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Nah, it vents in to the engine bay. I don’t run an under tray, so I’m not sure if that helps. But this is can perfect without the vents on the wheel arch.

[@WhiteE7035i]

So the blue fittings are 8an male to 10an female? Just making sure before I purchase. Thanks

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Hi Jarret, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. You are spot on. These are the actual ones i bought. ebay.to/2JhJ9G7 But it is worth doing some searching, incase you can find a cheaper option local to you.

[@GuysGarage]

Hi Guys just a quick question. I’m looking to replace my n55 dct radiator. If I do an external tran cooler could I fit the manual radiator? Thanks

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

You definitely can with the N54s. Just make sure nothing else is plumbed in to your rad. Also just double the parts numbers for the hoses are the same between dct and manual cars and you should be safe.

[@pugs1377]

Did you guys put holes in the splash guard for air to come out? May want to do that.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

We haven't, well, not yet anyway. I read about people with even smaller coolers, not needing to use the vent out the wheel well. So figured this larger core, should be more than efficient enough with out one too. There is room behind the core. So air should come through the bumper, in to the core, out the back and up in to the engine bay. As soon as i get some dry roads after work hours i will be doing some back to back runs and putting it through its paces. I have heaps of data on how long it takes my trans to get hot, so we should be able to see if its working.

[@stasvic]

I just broke my stock one installing the intercooler, do you need thermostat for the aftermarket one? Or can I just cut the hose and swap it?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Well depends on climate. Where we are in Qld no issues at all from having no thermostat on the trans cooler

[@stasvic]

@@ZeroTo60Tube I got 535 N54, I snapped my cooler , you think if I cut the hose and reconnect with insert fitting it will be fine? The stock one won’t fit, I went with 7.5 inch intercooler

[@plut00x]

Is it possible to run steel braided lines all the way back to the transmission? I want to get rid of the hardened rubber lines completely but idk what kind of fittings go into the transmission. anyone know?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Yes it is, but you need a tight adapter that keeps the lines close to the transmission. Not a lot of room between the trans and the firewall.

[@plut00x]

Any idea on what kind of adapter I need? Like what the fittings are called.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

@@plut00x I havent used one of this style, but somehting like this. The ZF6HP21 have the same trans cooler connection as the DCT. htg-tuning.com/shop/dct-oil-cooler-adapter/

[@plut00x]

I’ll give it a shot and let you know how it turns out. You’re amazing man !!

[@bronxbmw625]

You guys didnt use a thermostat ? Wouldnt it ru. To cold

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I was concerned about that. Here in QLD we do have quite a warm climate. This get up to 50c with in 10 mins of driving. Basically it's up to a useable temp, by the time the engine oil is.

[@azdannyboi]

Do you need to run a thermostat for this type of set up? Tia!

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I dont run one and have no issues. However i am in a warm ish climate. BMS with thier trans kit also dont.

[@azdannyboi]

Installed my cooler over the weekend. Wanted to say thanks for the video and inspiration. I was not able to mount it in the same orientation, not sure if that’s because I’m e93, but I worked out because I used a 335is duct vent in the fender liner and it fit perfectly. The hose connections are at the bottom, but still higher than the intercooler, just pray for no crashes 😂

[@ltdasilva93]

I have a 10an oil cooler kit with an aliexpress adapter that goes into my factory thermostat. I'm looking to install it but fear the fittings may leak. What do you recommend I use to ensure they don't leak? I was thinking of medium strength threat locker on all the bolts and fittings! Any other recommendations such as silicone ?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I'm guessing that is one of the engine oil cooler kits? Regardless, the way the fittings are designed you shouldn't need thread locker, but it shouldn't hurt either. Although this was the first time i have used Army Navy fittings, i have sold thousands of brand name ones through our old parts business. Dealing with largest supplier of these fittings in Australia and handling their version, there is no noticeable difference between the expensive ones and these cheap ones. I would give the install a crack and just monitor closely for the first few days. As long as you don't damage and crack a fitting during the install, if it doesn't leak in a few days it will be fine for life (we hope, hehe).

[@luisdelacruz7334]

Link of where u buy that adapter

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Which one do you mean? Timecode?

[@oempluse822]

Does the bmp trans cooler fitting snap and lock in or rest inside ?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I wouldnt say snap. But they do clip and lock in to the factory quick connects.

[@bennyang8049]

Hi mate, greetings from California. I am planning on putting a second oil cooler (running on series with the factory oil cooler) where you mounted your transmission oil cooler. What are the dimensions of hour transmission oil cooler? I want to get one that will fit. Thank you in advance.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I can't actually get to mine to measure it properly, but this is the one i purchased. It was ridiculouslly cheap and pretty good quality. ebay.to/3gOkbxy

[@bennyang8049]

Zero To 60 thanks mate. That one is probably around 6-7 inches by 13 inches wide. Pls excuse not using the metric system.

[@bennyang8049]

Zero To 60 how much lower than normal operating temps does the trans fluid come down to now?

[@eskania]

Are you going to upgrade your oil cooler.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I think I will, but to be fair my engine oil temps and coolant temps seem quite healthy. This might change when it’s making another 150-200hp. We’ll see.

[@eskania]

@@ZeroTo60Tube I think you will know in hot summer back there :)

[@bamsr9051]

Did you put coolant inside the cooler?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Topped to the brim

[@JuelZ925]

Does this fit on a f20 114i?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Unfortunately im not sure what size will fit in that space. However a similar type of kit should work. Would need to find out the best way to connect to the transmission lines incase the zf8 is different to the zf6

[@OptionedOut]

how did you mount the cooler to the chassis?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Stock mounting points. However when its connected to the hoses, it will actually hang there in place.

[@OptionedOut]

Zero To 60 so you left transmission cooler hanging in place?

[@2stocke9x]

Why would you put a DCT in it if its a budged build? Pretty sure DCT’s are nowhere near cheap, none the less I love the car mate.

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

In 2020 (pre covid) when this was filmed DCT was fairly cheap ($1000-$2000aud) and readily available. The comment was made because a 6at will not reliably hold the power i was targeting. In august 2021 i got a wrecked DCT e93 after selling all the parts i didnt need i ended up making about $1000 cash back and got a free DCT and spare engine. So it did ring true to the original "budget" plan. However May 2022, i put the most expensive single turbo kit on the planet on it....... budget no more. To be fair, the car owes me about $50kaud now, however will be about 800whp when turned up.

[@SuperLilsimon]

lol we need people in this platform that actually want quality parts........ ces or motiv for st turbo and rb and pure turbo for twins... this is why no good parts get made or good tuners don't wanna tune n54s lol...

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I do agree, that is how the development keeps moving forwards. But the reality is not many people who can afford that level/quality of parts buy N54s anymore. Theres not much point doing a 20k build on a 5k-10k car. The guys with good money to spend are in S55 powered cars at the moment. N54s have officially entered the land of the budget builds. But they had a good run. For a good 10 years the Motive, RB and pure builds have been awesome, and really helped cement those companies as good quality companies that people trust. And to be fair even the S55s wont have long left a B58 is damn competitive with a S55 with similar money spent on upgrades but the S58 is gonna be the king of the tuning world pretty quickly and blow everything out of the water.

[@SuperLilsimon]

@@ZeroTo60Tube i feel you...

[@socobarbell]

Why didn't you just run the lines directly to the transmission?

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

Mainly just due to needing to work out a way to adapt on the trans at a different point.

[@fmn716]

Pretty pointless if you don’t cut a hole in the fender liners

[@ZeroTo60Tube]

I had read otherwise, so thought I’d give it a go without the hole. I figured it would let dirt and shit get there from the wheel well. If you check the next vid where we test it, it works completely fine without the hose. Still takes a little while to get to temp but under hard driving and continually acceleration pulls trans temps are low to mid 80degs. Normal spirited driving it’s stays in the 70s.