"In this entry, we go through pre-flight checks, and we start up the S85-EVO for the first time. I documented our process, along with the final installation of the CSL Competition Carbon Plenum.

Finally, we go for the first drive and I break it in until its first oil change." 
- Matt 

Unusual pre-flight checks. 

With the swap process complete, it was now time for pre-ignition and crank checks. 

My E60 had been sitting since late May, it had been 6 months since this chassis had seen any life. The S85-002 replacement engine had been delivered in September 2023, but had been removed from its original chassis in early 2023. 

Considering the above, unusual steps needed to be performed to get the S85-002 started. The steps we went through, to the best of our knowledge, limited risks related to startup damages following a long period of inactivity. 

First things first, the battery needed to be properly charged. It would be required as the pre-crank checks will require a lot of electrical power.  Next up was topping off coolant.

The MSS60 requires the hood to be closed to start, or the appearance of it. We reinstalled the hood latch mechanism but altered it to allow engine start with the hood opened. The hood latch and its cover were still properly bolted to the front of the chassis. 

New oil cooler. 

We performed a final check across all hoses and lines, and removed the Performance oil cooler. Unfortunately, it had more than likely seen metal shavings flow through its core. They are notoriously difficult to clean. 

I had the OEM unit that we had previously replaced, it was in working order. We used it until I would source another performance unit. 

S85-001's last blood. 

The S85-001 original oil filter and its housing were still mounted to the E60 chassis. It was time to remove it, and inspect the filter itself for shavings. Having previously seen the toasted crankshaft when we removed the oil pan off the S85-001, we knew what we were about to see. 

The filter and housing were filled with copper material and other metal shavings from the tri-metal construction of the ACL rod bearings. We opted to replace the housing completely by using the S85-002s oil filter housing that came with the engine. A new oil filter went in, and fresh 10W60 oil was poured in. 

We removed the Secondary Air Pump itself and its hoses. 

The sequence. 

Our first objective in the startup sequence was to prime the engine with oil circulation driven by the starter turning over the crank without any ignition. The injectors and ignition coils were removed to avoid any spark. 

But nothing - no crank. We had SMG3 codes, and the pump made weird noises. We intuitively thought it was missing fluids. It turns out letting your SMG car sit for a while will let fluid seep. 

The SMG3 took in 250ml of CHF 11S power steering fluid before it was full again. 

The liners were put back on, buttoned up the undetray and give it another shot. 

We had the starter cranking - it worked! We let it run for a few minutes, turning the crankshaft over and driving the VANOS and main oil pump to push 10W60 oil across all cavities.

We verified hoses and lines once more. We then shut her off and reconnected injectors, and ignition coils to get it ready for spark.

We had spark - and chop!

The S85-002 roared to life with a fluctuating idle, we immediately had a check engine light. This wasn't chop. 

Upon further inspection, we had forgotten to reconnect one injector. Once clipped in, idle was perfectly smooth and stable at the increased idle speed of 950 rpm - and no CEL.

We let the engine eat up, and proceed with topping off the power steering fluid. After reaching operating temperatures, we shut her off once more. 

The CSL Competition intakes. 

It was time to finalize the re-assembly by installing the CSL Competition Carbon Plenum. The unique installation procedure was performed. You can read the complete installation notes here.

All trumpets were bolted to the bungs, securing the plenum to the engine. I then fitted the enlarged sealed intakes in their Competition spec.

The passenger side requires careful attention to avoid potentially scratching the inlets against the PS reservoir, and the oil cap. The driver side required moving the expansion tank and its hoses out of the way. 

The trick is to get the lower housings into the OEM plastic ducts with the middle clamp of the intakes loose. You can then adjust the orientation of the upper inlet tube to match the oval shape of the larger CSL side inlets on the plenum. 

Lastly, we bolted the lid down over a new gasket. This is a reminder that all bolts on the CSL carbon plenum require blue loctite for a secure fit. For the keen yes, the lid had been freshly repainted, but unfortunately the matte powder agent used by the previous body shop was wrong. 

First drive, from the backseat. 

Upon buttoning the little things to get the car ready, I opted to not drive the car first.

As a human being, I am biased. As an entrepreneur, I am invested. We want projects we invest our time, effort and money to succeed - it's basic human nature, and I am human. 

I gave the keys TomTom64. He has driven V10s in all state of tunes: SMGs, 6spds, stock and fully tuned. As a professional driver, I trust his seat of the pants.

Even with 3x in the car, we could all feel a difference above 5,000 RPM, even without going to redline. We didn't push to the redline as best practices dictate to break in a replacement engine, and new camshafts. 

In the grand scheme of things, butt dynos are meaningless data points. Still, we relieved there weren't issues and performance appeared to trend upwards. 

Relieved, happy, and thrilled: it's alive!

The spectrum of emotions was wide, but it all pales to the eagerness of driving it hard. 

Up next: I record preliminary performance data, and we hit the dyno.