" This is not what I want to hear. I looked into it and the valve stem seal replacement is a job that requires a laundry list of special tools.

@mikolo-n54 what was the labor time spent on the repair? It sounds like you have an extended warranty. Lucky bastard.

Does anyone know where you can rent the special tools for working on BMW engines? "

" Thanks for posting the pic. Tried to rep, but I must have given you some recently. @Sticky , can you rep this man for posting the follow up to his repair?

So they replaced the exhaust valve stem seals specifically. What is your build date? I am looking forward to seeing what happens when you put your downpipes back on.

@RTA those sound like the same symptoms I have as well. I have noticed my car smoke incessantly when driving at a slow, constant speed (10 mph), for an extended period of time (more than 30 seconds). "

" Does the trans in the car now have the software modifications that your trans will have? "

" LOL, breathe there, big guy. "

" You know this is not indicative of the engine's torque peak but of the DCT slipping at 7.2 krpm, right? The dyno is preliminary. Torque is looking very linear until the slipping begins, so I would expect it to ride out a bit further. The final peak horsepower and torque numbers will be higher.

This is the problem with posting half finished results on the internet, people cast aside all caveats and take what was posted as the end all be all, despite cautionary comments not to do so.

Sticky, I applaud you and look forward to seeing the final result. "

" Do you have catalyst free downpipes? "

" I think that idea is absurd.

Because the N54 is a forced induction engine, the designers had to incorporate a totally separate vacuum pump for the power brakes and waste gate control because intake manifold vacuum cannot be relied upon considering it goes positive sometimes (like when the turbos are creating "boost"). Furthermore, brake boosters are designed in a way that completely separates the vacuum applied to them from the brake fluid.

There is no direct link between the intake manifold and the inside of your engine to the brake fluid reservoir. "