TA Technix 6 branch exhaust mani? Opinions other suggestions

[sprog]

So i've been looking at squeezing a bit more out of my engine (M20b25) i'm not unrealistic, i'm not looking for stupid unrealistic figures i know that costs silly money.

Now btb manifolds seem pricey and rare but hottuning offer a TA Technix 6 branch stainless €242 which is suspiciously cheap...

... So i'm sort of expecting someone on here to say they no of good reasons not to get one. Am i right?

is there other reasonable options for the M20 that fit RHD ?
And probably most important am i even right to be changing exhaust manifolds as on of the first modifications to the engine?

thanks in advance for any help

[Simon13]

Age old question but what do want to achieve do with it?!

Another old statement but true is go through the mill and get it 100% before modding. In general 6 branches are great for noise on stock 325's and a couple of bhp is all. They make more difference on engines with a cam or bigger displacements

[sprog]

car dynos at EFI at 166bhp im not looking for a number i've had the car 2 and a half years and ive sorted almost all the niggles so the car is as close to 100% as it will ever be, i want the car to have that OEM+ feel i could easily strip, turbo and coilovers but i want that almost stock intententions feel. I've just orderd a 3.91 LSD and its got B6 on H&R sport, Tarox corsa/strada brake pads and braided lines, just so you know where its at at the moment.
erm i presume some time in the future id like to do the b28 conversion with the m50 crank but for now id like to build on what i have.
My friends worked their cars out to be 170BHP per ton we figured mine is roughly 120BP any little to help keeping up with them is a bonus i suppose

[magpie]

get it chipped and a bbtb will cost around £150 you should see 10-15 bhp gain

[reggid]

stick to a chip IMO, the rest doesnt offer BFYB unless like Si says you have more cubes, compression and cam

[Simon13]

BBR starchip is the one to use on a facelift 325i

[Cloggy Saint]

BBR starchip is the one to use on a facelift 325i

For £400

[Simon13]

where did you work that out?

speedtouch has a copy of it as i gave him one to copy for me

[Cloggy Saint]

BBR website, E30 2.5 chip £399.

[Simon13]

as said go to speedtouch.

Also you'll never get 10-15bhp from a chip and big bore throttle body! never ever on an M20

[sprog]

so i should ask speed touch for the BBR starchip copy? As i say im no after crazy figures but just wanted squeeze a little more out of it.

Also i know you mentioned displacement to sort first, am i correct in thinking the best route for that is M20b20 con rods, M50b28 crank and my m20b25i pistons?? Is there similar options? and will this be the high compression kind of car that i you are talking about?

One last thing to clear because i'll be honest cams scare me as much as the idle, are there less aggressive ones that are still worth using?

Thanks again in advance, i've searched online for some of these answers and some peoples opinions are questionable or purely track focussed and then some should i say are... optimistic...

[MattTheHat325]

To gain power from an m20 is not impossible, but it won't benefit from any cheap bolt ons. It does respond well to a package of mods which work together, rather than the odd thing here and there, but even that can end up expensive. A cam is a good idea and the right cam and the right 6 branch will compliment each other along with a chip to suit. A bbtb would go some way towards giving this setup a bit more of a responsive throttle feel.

Always budget for more than you expect though, if you change the cam be prepared to change the rockers and springs too. The head isn't really one which responds overwhelmingly to polishing and porting etc, so it's not really worth getting involved beyond a light skim and possibly multi angle valve seats.

You mention a 3.91 diff, now that will make a lot of difference even on a standard engine. It will certainly feel very lively off the mark!

[magpie]

i have a box with x3 chips in it i got from the guy who sold me the touring , i have no idea what is what but can get pics if someone is interested or can I,D them

[sprog]

Magpie i have no idea what im looking at with chips i just know i don't want an Ebay one which someone on the zone Facebook tried to recommend...
Im not looking to get cheap and cheerful crap parts for the car id rather take my time and buy the correct things, as i say i know there are plenty of more routes for bang for buck, an M52 swap being the prime example but i want to really keep that original feel just add a little more zest to my lemon

Thanks for this advice guy much appreciate, i know what your saying about the diff Matt and thats why i got the diff over some cheap engine bolt ons i'm also curious to a lightened flywheel because im aware drive train is great place to pick up some acceleration without scraping around for mystical horses under the bonnet.

What cams would come under the road car category that i should look at and should i worry about the torque loss with a cam?