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2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum Technical Topics N55 (M235i) Engine, Transmission, Exhaust, Tuning Charge pipe install and pointers. No need to remove intercooler.

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      05-07-2020, 01:28 AM   #1
XutvJet
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Charge pipe install and pointers. No need to remove intercooler.

Over the weekend I installed my FTP charge pipe. There are tons of install threads regarding charge pipe installs on F series N55 cars so I'm not going to bore you with that. This thread is to only provide pointers, especially for those that would rather not remove their intercooler in the process.

1) Jack up the car and remove the under panel.

2) Roll down windows, flip a rear seat back down. Disconnect the battery. Don't close trunk.

3) Remove the entire air intake system including the upper and lower air boxes and snorkel. This gives you a ton of access to the IC connection and front of the charge pipe. The intake takes minutes to remove.

4) Remove the HVAC hose metal vibration damper. See provided picture of me pointing to it with a magnetic pickup tool. Removing the damper frees up space to pull out the charge pipe. Simply squeeze the prongs of the damper clamp with channel locks to remove the two metal weights. You can let the clamp fall down and rest on the top of the AC compressor.

5) Disconnect and remove the MAP sensor from the charge pipe. No sense in risking breaking it when pulling out the charge pipe.

6) Remove the charge pipe C clip and unseat the pipe from the throttle body.

7) Unseat the middle of the charge pipe from the bracket/grommet.

8) Remove the annoyingly tight fitting black plastic C clip lock on the front of the charge pipe.

9) Remove the front charge pipe C clip.

10) Unseat from charge pipe from the IC.

11) Standing from the top of the car, reach down with your left hand and grab the IC side of the charge pipe and grab the throttle body side of the charge pipe with your right hand. Start pushing the pipe towards the back of the car with your left hand while pulling the pipe up upwards with your right hand. It will take a bit of hard pushing and a bit of twisting, but it will make it's way out. Take care to not damage anything fragile while doing this. If the pipe feels like it's hung up, get under the car and look.

12) Clean the throttle body lip of all debris and residue.

13) Use a thin layer of lightweight oil (cooking oil, sewing machine oil, mineral oil) on the front and rear O rings of the new charge pipe.

14) Use a light amount of car or dishwashing soap on the inside leading edges of the new charge pipe silicone hose. This will make it easier to slide in and move the pipes into position. Once the soap dries, it becomes slightly sticky, helping provide some extra friction to keep things in place.

15) Install front charge pipe section with silicone hose attached but no clamps and seat fully onto IC.

16) Slide the two clamps for the silicone hose onto the front charge pipe.

17) Install the rear charge pipe and seat into silicone hose. Seat charge pipe onto throttle body.

18) Get the silicone hose and pipes oriented to you liking.

19) Install front and rear charge pipe C clips.

20) Seat and secure silicone hose clamps. Don't overtighten. These types of clamps are designed for 8 ft/lbs or less of torque.

21) Reinstall everything else.


I was very surprised at how tightly and securely the FTP charge pipe fit to the stock IC and throttle body. The FTP pipe comes with all new O rings and C clip.
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      05-22-2020, 12:12 PM   #2
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Confirmed! Thanks so much Xutvjet for the fantastic instructions. It definitely takes some twisting and bending of the old pipe to remove from the top but that plastic pipe bends pretty good. An ER charge pipe is now installed.

One comment - with the entire air box removed, its very easy to remove the black plastic C clip lock on the IC connection by reaching it from the top. Just take a screw driver and force the clip towards the front of the car. You have easy access and can see everything from the top. Every YouTube I watched tried to get that clip off from underneath. You can't see it at all from that perspective. FYI.
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      05-22-2020, 05:33 PM   #3
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Great write-up, thanks for your service.
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      05-23-2020, 04:47 PM   #4
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Sure thing. I'm all about "Work smarter, not harder".

Regarding that c-clip lock, all the videos showed that you need to apply force to the outside of the clip to disengage the two prongs. I found that it was easier to disengage one side and then the other. The clip is a resilient mofo.
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      05-25-2020, 02:03 PM   #5
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Thanks for the tips!
Just wondering does the car even need to be on Jacks? Seems like the clips at the intercooler side can be removed from the top with airbox removed.

Pardon my question, I trying to get all the necessary equipmwnt available (I don't have a jack stand or ramp, need to loan from a friend) before I start the replacement. I don't have a garage either.

Thanks for the advice.
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      05-26-2020, 12:18 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rennycai View Post
Thanks for the tips!
Just wondering does the car even need to be on Jacks? Seems like the clips at the intercooler side can be removed from the top with airbox removed.

Pardon my question, I trying to get all the necessary equipmwnt available (I don't have a jack stand or ramp, need to loan from a friend) before I start the replacement. I don't have a garage either.

Thanks for the advice.
The car will definitely need to be put on ramps or jack stands. Otherwise, you can't attach the charge pipe pieces together or tighten the hose clamps on the new charge pipe.

I used the following:

- High lift jack (needed to get the tires up on the ramp, car is too low even at stock height to drive up ramps)
- Ramps
- Pick tool set for disconnecting MAP and MAF sensors and charge c-clips
- Torx bit set for removing OEM MAP sensor screws
- Hex set for attaching FTP MAP sensor bolts
- Channel locks for removing HVAC hose metal vibration damper
- A set of various sized flat nose screwdrivers to remove airbox system and the charge pipe c-clip lock and tighten the new charge pipe hose clamps
- 8mm socket to remove the under panel
- 10mm socket to disconnect the negative terminal on the battery


I think that's it. I always end up using WAY more tools than anticipated. I strongly suggest doing this at a friend's who as access to a lot of tools and automotive knowledge.
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      05-26-2020, 01:10 PM   #7
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Thank you for sharing
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      05-27-2020, 12:14 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XutvJet View Post
The car will definitely need to be put on ramps or jack stands. Otherwise, you can't attach the charge pipe pieces together or tighten the hose clamps on the new charge pipe.

I used the following:

- High lift jack (needed to get the tires up on the ramp, car is too low even at stock height to drive up ramps)
- Ramps
- Pick tool set for disconnecting MAP and MAF sensors and charge c-clips
- Torx bit set for removing OEM MAP sensor screws
- Hex set for attaching FTP MAP sensor bolts
- Channel locks for removing HVAC hose metal vibration damper
- A set of various sized flat nose screwdrivers to remove airbox system and the charge pipe c-clip lock and tighten the new charge pipe hose clamps
- 8mm socket to remove the under panel
- 10mm socket to disconnect the negative terminal on the battery


I think that's it. I always end up using WAY more tools than anticipated. I strongly suggest doing this at a friend's who as access to a lot of tools and automotive knowledge.
Thank you so much!!
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      09-02-2020, 08:16 PM   #9
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I did it without removing the intercooler. Thanks for the tips.

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      09-03-2020, 12:48 AM   #10
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As always, XutvJet delivers again!

Thanks for the DIY, it confirms that my dealer was full of shit when they told me they had to charge extra to replace the OEM charge pipe, since it requires them to remove the motor mounts

Another stealership myth busted..
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      09-10-2020, 09:52 AM   #11
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Legit write up.
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      05-22-2021, 11:27 PM   #12
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I just got around to removing the stock charge pipe. Instructions in this thread are great, as was the advice to pry the plastic IC clip toward the front of the car. I had no problems with this part of the procedure.

Where I had my biggest problem was removing the old plastic charge pipe. Rather than twist, turn, and pull, I used a piece of wood from under the car to pry the IC end over a couple of smaller pipes/hoses, and once I had that end free, the whole thing was easy to pull from the top. Just pulling had me cursing in the garage such that the wife was asking "what's going on in there?".

Tomorrow I attempt to finish the install of the new metal unit.
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