330i

Final Product Design - E46 Intake Development, Part 3

February 22, 2016

BMW 3-Series E46 330i Intake 2001-2006

# R&D, PROTOTYPE, M54B30, intake, featured, 330xi, 330i, 330ci, 3-series, #bmw, #bimmer

In our last update, we left you with some dyno results showing the potential this kit has for increased performance. Now that the development process is nearing completion, we have a finished and fully functional prototype to test fit onto a BMW 330i. This kit is a direct fit for the E46 330i and it includes a very straightforward component list and simple installation instructions. Let's jump into what our final kit looks like.

Final E46 intake prototype

As seen above, the multi-ply silicone intake hose features a CNC-machined connector for exact fitment onto our filter. The heat shield is made of black powder-coated steel to help keep the filter shielded from the engine bay heat. The weather stripping along the edges seals against the hood to further assist with isolating the air filter. This oiled filter is a serviceable unit that can be used for quite some time with the proper maintenance.

Prototype E46 parts

Here is a shot of the entire kit fitted on our 330i.

Final

Dyno Results - E46 Intake Development, Part 2

December 22, 2015

BMW 3-Series E46 330i Intake 2001-2006

# R&D, PROTOTYPE, intake, featured, dyno, 330i, #bmw, #bimmer

We've made some progress with testing our E46 intake and the dyno results are finally in! This intake was put through some extensive testing and it held up to the abuse with consistent and repeatable output numbers. Let's see how our finalized prototype fits on the car!

Fitment

Prototype E46 intake ready for the dyno

E46 parts fitment

E46 parts mocked up in the engine bay

Do you see the weather stripping on top of the heat shield? That will seal right onto the bottom of the hood to create a barrier between the filter and the hot ambient temperatures in the engine bay.

Keep in mind that this is just a revised prototype from the version we showed in our last post. Here, the coupler is now wrapped in five layers of black silicone. The final product will look much more complete!

Results

Please note, our test car was outfitted with aftermarket headers, so results will certainly vary from vehicle to vehicle. Check out our data below!

E46 parts testing

Our intake really opens up the airflow to

Stock Review + Initial Design - E46 Intake, Part 1

December 07, 2015

BMW 3-Series E46 330i Intake 2001-2006

# R&D, mishimoto, M54B30, m54, intake, featured, cai, 330xi, 330i, 330ci, #e46, #bmw, #bimmer

Our garage has been graced with the presence of a clean 2001 E46 330i, so we can now begin development on this E46 intake. Let's dive right in!

Stock System

The 330i stock intake system is similar to the 32X, the big difference being the size of the MAF housing. On the higher-output 330i models, this housing is larger so it can accept greater airflow needed by the more powerful, higher-displacement engine. To accommodate that larger diameter, our design will have a slightly enlarged opening on the heat shield. Everything else should fit right into place! Here are a few shots of the stock system we are working on.

Aerial shot of the 330i engine bay

E46 intake stock system

Up close shot of E46 parts

Design and Fitment

We needed to be sure that everything would fit correctly if we planned to use our previous shield as a base design. See below for how we mocked up fitment of the heat shield.