Right, our fault, we've been so busy here that the TB kit took a back seat to try and clear some of our backlog (which failed, we still have 21 cars here
) but we've managed to finish Rubbers cars. The problem was that we used this car as the first for the TB kits without knowing that the engine had sustained fairly serious damage due to its previous level of tune.
Rubbers was the first NA I did whilst at AmD and we used Piper cams. It performed pretty well initially and had about 10k on it in (that version) stage 3 form so we thought it would be a good base to use. Well we were wrong. When the first TB kit was fitted we were over the moon but also disappointed - the kit generated 161bhp at 4100rpm (considering the stock VX220 only generates 100bhp at 4100rpm) we were over the moon - 60bhp gain from TB's is great
but then the power dropped off and we surmised the exhaust manifold clogged up the power. No problem we thought, lets develop a new exhaust mani (car needs this anyway really) so off we went (causing delays of course) and rebuilt it all back up. Well we fired it up and same happened.
Proper work required now and it turns out (after stripping the whole top end down) that that the rockers were breaking (we though this was down to the fact that Ian buzzed the engine
) was actually due to the cams having a 2mm gap
so at high revs they were simply flapping about and wrecking the top end
So, the whole engine has been re-built with Schrick racing cams with double valve springs and all the toys and we fired it up again at the week end. Now we'd never actually heard it before (all the previous testing has been undertaken by Weber on their development dyno) so we had a sound file but not actually heard it. Well it SOUNDS OUT OF THIS WORLD, its not often you fire a car up and see 5 (fairly jaded) techs/staff and 10 or so M3 owners (we had an open day at the time) all smile like idiots - it really does sound that good.
We couldn't resist driving it out the workshop to hear it outside (which considering its doesn't have any seats and was dragging a development exhaust on the floor behind it was a mean feat) and it really is a show stopper.
Car is now back at Webber, they are taking it through final testing and mapping and then we get it back for road, track and dyno testing, I hope next week. The project has been a bit of a trial to be honest, its only the complete 100% comitment from us and Richard (MD or Weber) that has got us through it along with the complete belief that this IS the only way forward to get maximum power out of the 2.2 Eco engine. I dread to think what it has cost us in terms of time.
As I know more I'll post it up.
diy and fitted 
Never been able to eat tomato sauce since...
