How To Walnut Blast Your BMW N54 / 335i / 135i
Walnut blasting is one of the most common maintenance tasks for the N54 engine to remove carbon buildup from the intake valves. Some shops or dealerships charge an arm and a leg for this service, but it can be done at home for much less!
You’ll need the following parts & tools:
- Portable Abrasive Blaster Kit
- Fine Grade Walnut Shells
- Pistol Grip Blow Gun
- Remote Starter Switch
- N54 Vacuum Adapter and Blasting Wand
- N54 Intake Manifold Gaskets
- Shop-Vac vacuum (if you don’t already have one)
- 20 Gallon, 175 psi Compressor (if you don’t already have one)
I did this job with the motor outside of the car because I was replacing the engine. But you can read my other post about doing it inside of the engine bay of my 335i.
Let’s get started. First you will need to remove the intake manifold. Read this step-by-step process to complete this step.
Once the intake manifold is removed, you should watch my DIY video that will walk you through the rest of the steps!
I took some photos along the way if you need something to reference.
And the finished results…
Before:
After:
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$224.95 + you have to buy a compressor. That’s about as much as you will get charged if you go to a specialist. However, this is a good investment because from now on, you can do it yourself everytime and even offer it to other people. I love that kit!
Haven’t bought it yet but if I’m keeping my 335 n54, I will look into this for sure. Thanks!
True, but I knew I’d get my use out of it since I own multiple N54 cars and offer the service to other locals. I’m glad you find this writeup helpful!
Sorry to resurrect a 2 year old Post but I’m going to hopefully be buying a 135i soon and was curious about the details of doing this yourself. For example how many pound of walnut shell or can I get about 25 and just reuse them?
Hi Brady, you should be able to get about 25lbs and reuse them if needed.