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Swirl flap removal, how does it drive?.

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 12:05 pm
by martin33100
Hi, I have a 2008 E70 3.0d with 160l on the clock.
I need to take the inlet manifold off sometime in the future to change the goiwpugs and controller and was thinking of removing the flaps as well.
Just wondered who has done it and how it drives?, I have done this job a few times on the 2L's and they drove fine, just didn't want to mess up the nice low down throttle response.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Re: Swirl flap removal, how does it drive?.

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:28 pm
by martin33100
No one on here removed there flaps?

Re: Swirl flap removal, how does it drive?.

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:23 pm
by snrbrtsn
I did this on a previous E60, to be honest I never noticed the difference

After the E60 I had a F07, N57 engine, whilst different design the swirl flap actuator was prone to sticking, or should I say the manifold was prone to coking and caused the flaps to stick, never the less I removed the manfold cleaned/decoked and free'd off the flaps there was a notable difference though more in engine note on activation of the flaps.

My current 4.0d X5 (N57h is suggesting the need for manifold decoke, so hopefully it lasts to summer,

The later M57 engines had the revised flaps, whilst not entirely necessary to remove, it does remove the fear of the engine swallowing a flap, day to day you won't miss them !

Re: Swirl flap removal, how does it drive?.

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:45 pm
by martin33100
[quote="snrbrtsn"]
I did this on a previous E60, to be honest I never noticed the difference

After the E60 I had a F07, N57 engine, whilst different design the swirl flap actuator was prone to sticking, or should I say the manifold was prone to coking and caused the flaps to stick, never the less I removed the manfold cleaned/decoked and free'd off the flaps there was a notable difference though more in engine note on activation of the flaps.

My current 4.0d X5 (N57h is suggesting the need for manifold decoke, so hopefully it lasts to summer,

The later M57 engines had the revised flaps, whilst not entirely necessary to remove, it does remove the fear of the engine swallowing a flap, day to day you won't miss them !
[/quote]I will have a look tomorrow, I am removing the inlet manifold to change the glow plugs and controller.

Re: Swirl flap removal, how does it drive?.

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:52 pm
by Horizon
[quote="martin33100"]
Hi, I have a 2008 E70 3.0d with 160l on the clock.
I need to take the inlet manifold off sometime in the future to change the glowplugs  and controller and was thinking dof removing the flaps as well.
Just wondered who has done it and how it drives?, I have done this job a few times on the 2L's and they drove fine, just didn't want to mess up the nice low down throttle response.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
[/quote]
I replaced my glowplugs and glowplug controller a couple of weeks ago ( I sprayed lashings of penetrating oil on the glowplugs whilst doing the controller, giving it time to soak in ) I also replaced the swirlflaps with blanking plugs at the same time as I had the inlet manifold off.
No difference in performance at all.
Good luck the controller is a PITA to do, spray loads of WD on the. Large plug s it doesn't like coming off
This was on my 3.0. D E83 X3, but much the same.

Re: Swirl flap removal, how does it drive?.

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:02 pm
by Nine468
I had the swirls removed and blanked off on my 35D aprox 18 months / 2 years ago, and have not noticed any difference in the driving.
I had them done for piece of mind after the car came out of warranty...

Re: Swirl flap removal, how does it drive?.

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:42 am
by martin33100
Glow plugs and controller done yesterday with swirl flaps also, drives just the same.
Also did front and rear diff oil as well, couldn't do the transfer box oil as I needed a short piece of a 14mm hex key and a spanner to get to the fill plug due to a cross member being in the way.
I have now cut a short piece of 14mm hex key so that's on the list for later today or tomorrow.