Vargas Stage 1 N55 turbo upgrade is good up to 425whp with proper tuning and high grade fuel. Vargas N55 turbo is an all-new turbo specially made for Vargas. They build it with a billet compressor wheel of their own design and a stock turbine. It will accept all of the stock water and oil lines and the original diverter valve (upgraded DV is recommended). This kit is a direct bolt-on replacement for the original turbo and necessary if you want to start making big power from the N55.
The stock plastic diverter valve and chargepipe is the weakest point for boost leaks (the plastic cracks). Vargas Turbo recommends upgrading it to a stronger DV design. The aluminum DV designs will hold up to just about any boost level currently available.
Vargas Turbo Technologies has been in business since 1979, offering rebuilt and re-engineered turbo solutions. For the BMW market, they identified a need for both cost-effective turbo replacements and proven turbo upgrades. It's recommended that the rest of the system be upgraded to handle your tuning goals. The final Vargas rebuilt turbos are better than the factory rebuilds and at a lower cost!
Oil Recommendation - modern engine oil is formulated for emissions and to be environmentally friendly. The additives in current oil lowers the oil's ability to withstand high temperatures and stresses, lowering its shear strength and its lubricating properties. Vargas recommends oils with high ZDDP (zinc and phosphorus) content that will better protect and cool the turbo bearings. Examples of high-zinc oils are Red Line Race, Red Line Euro, Motul 300V Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Valvoline VR-1 oil, and most Diesel-spec oils that you can buy off-the-shelf. Some oils, especially the Race type, will need more frequent oil changes and may be harmful to catalytic converters.
WHP rating: 425. This rating is used to compare various stage of Vargas turbo kits. There is no advertised horsepower gain with this kit as it depends on your other mods and tuning. The rating is provided as a reference to use in your tuning planning. Custom tuning is recommended to match thIS turbo to your existing mods and upgrades.
