E36 cheap track day toy
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Bank holiday today which means I don't have to go to work and mess around with people's engines. So what do I do? Go up the shed and play with my engine.
I have decided it's time to strip the M52. The whole steel block saga annoyed me, but if I don't press on it will never happen.
So head off. For the first time in a while things went quite well. No breakages, no real problems. Best of all though, I seem to have some quite clean bores.
I'm not saying it's perfect, I will have to get the crank out before I decide if this block is a good idea. All loaded up in the trusty Ibiza. Tomorrow I will get it on a stand at work and we will go from there.
I have decided it's time to strip the M52. The whole steel block saga annoyed me, but if I don't press on it will never happen.
So head off. For the first time in a while things went quite well. No breakages, no real problems. Best of all though, I seem to have some quite clean bores.
I'm not saying it's perfect, I will have to get the crank out before I decide if this block is a good idea. All loaded up in the trusty Ibiza. Tomorrow I will get it on a stand at work and we will go from there.
Saturday comes and I was actually working anyway, so when I clocked off I got on.
Finally my two engine builds meet!
Everything seems to be in quite good nick.
A couple of hours work and everything stripped. Did some cleaning and I have to say the bores look quite good.
I still need to do some measuring but this could be the block to use!
Finally my two engine builds meet!
Everything seems to be in quite good nick.
A couple of hours work and everything stripped. Did some cleaning and I have to say the bores look quite good.
I still need to do some measuring but this could be the block to use!
It is a Nikosil block, I know it would be better to have the modified steel lined block. I bought one, the delivery company destroyed it!
Now people seem to want the price of the whole car to get a block. So I'm investigating if this block will be of use. It does appear to be in very good condition. Most people think the Nikosil problem is a thing of the past, it only affected some of the early ones when run with a high sulphur fuel. Talking to an ex BMW dealer tech this week he also says the Faulty Nikosil blocks were replaced with new modified Nikosil.
Now people seem to want the price of the whole car to get a block. So I'm investigating if this block will be of use. It does appear to be in very good condition. Most people think the Nikosil problem is a thing of the past, it only affected some of the early ones when run with a high sulphur fuel. Talking to an ex BMW dealer tech this week he also says the Faulty Nikosil blocks were replaced with new modified Nikosil.
Thanks, I am going as quick as I can. Hoping to have it in the car before the end of the summer.
Once I had measured everything I was very pleased, we seem to have virtually no wear at all. Possibly this block was replaced not long before the original doner car died. I know the guy I bought it off had the car it then went into sat on his drive for years.
Anyway, if I'm going to use it it's got to be clean.
A fairly crusty old thing it was too. The block is too big to fit in our blaster and I would be to nervous of blasting the bores anyway. So scotchbrite and elbow grease it is.
Then an actual clean inside and out in the parts wash.
Finally just before the gates were locked for the night I got its first coat of paint on.
Using up the reserves of caliper paint from over the years. I seem to have three half empty tins.
Basic black I thought for the block. I can't decide if I want to do the cam cover orange or maybe the front case. Am I getting a bit old for it, is it worth the bother?
Once I had measured everything I was very pleased, we seem to have virtually no wear at all. Possibly this block was replaced not long before the original doner car died. I know the guy I bought it off had the car it then went into sat on his drive for years.
Anyway, if I'm going to use it it's got to be clean.
A fairly crusty old thing it was too. The block is too big to fit in our blaster and I would be to nervous of blasting the bores anyway. So scotchbrite and elbow grease it is.
Then an actual clean inside and out in the parts wash.
Finally just before the gates were locked for the night I got its first coat of paint on.
Using up the reserves of caliper paint from over the years. I seem to have three half empty tins.
Basic black I thought for the block. I can't decide if I want to do the cam cover orange or maybe the front case. Am I getting a bit old for it, is it worth the bother?
Edited by Hamster69 on Thursday 20th April 23:16
Progress this week. Not enough but I was on a new Panamera Hybrid coarse Monday and Tuesday.
Still unmasked the block and not too unhappy with the finish.
Then it's time for the moment of truth. New bearings in and M54 crank dropped in. Bearing journals fitted dry with plastigauge in.
Pulled one journal cap off at a time and measured. Thankfully all in spec and actually all exactly the same. At least I won't have to buy any more bearings.
Now I pulled the crank back out and gave it a last little clean. I cleaned out the oil spray nozzles and refitted them with a drop of threadlock.
With the bearings coated in assembly grease the crank went back in for hopefully the final time. I sandblasted each journal cap before fitting the bearing and coating with some redline assembly grease.
All just nipped up while I get the pistons sorted.
Still unmasked the block and not too unhappy with the finish.
Then it's time for the moment of truth. New bearings in and M54 crank dropped in. Bearing journals fitted dry with plastigauge in.
Pulled one journal cap off at a time and measured. Thankfully all in spec and actually all exactly the same. At least I won't have to buy any more bearings.
Now I pulled the crank back out and gave it a last little clean. I cleaned out the oil spray nozzles and refitted them with a drop of threadlock.
With the bearings coated in assembly grease the crank went back in for hopefully the final time. I sandblasted each journal cap before fitting the bearing and coating with some redline assembly grease.
All just nipped up while I get the pistons sorted.
Edited by Hamster69 on Thursday 27th April 22:23
Started on pistons Friday night. Plenty of cleaning, followed by some measuring. All within spec! Popped that one in with no rings and dry bearings. Some more plastigauge with another good in spec reading. Think I have been quite lucky. Building up an engine out of two old used engines to find with just new bearings everything is in spec.
Work is open on bank holiday Monday so I may go in and try to get all the pistons clean and fitted with rings and bearings.
Work is open on bank holiday Monday so I may go in and try to get all the pistons clean and fitted with rings and bearings.
Full day today. Much much cleaning, then as I had with the first. I plastigauged all the big ends.
Pistons then lubed up and nice new rings fitted.
I dragged out my old ring compressor, which wasn't the perfect size for these pistons. But it did work with a bit of tweaking.
After they were all in I just had time to fit an adapter I bought to the block. This was originally filled just with a plug, but now I'm going to fit a few more sensors. This will house an additional coolant temp sensor.
I'm going to put oil pressure, as well as coolant and oil temperature gauges on the dash.
Pistons then lubed up and nice new rings fitted.
I dragged out my old ring compressor, which wasn't the perfect size for these pistons. But it did work with a bit of tweaking.
After they were all in I just had time to fit an adapter I bought to the block. This was originally filled just with a plug, but now I'm going to fit a few more sensors. This will house an additional coolant temp sensor.
I'm going to put oil pressure, as well as coolant and oil temperature gauges on the dash.
Another week of evening sessions on the engine. All of the new bolts torqued up for the bottom end.
I sand blasted everything that doesn't have a coating or a bearing in it. It may be over the top, I know no one is ever going to see it. But to me it was just about it being as clean as possible.
While I was waiting for the bolts to turn up I spent a while tidying up other bits and pieces.
Again it's not really important, but I can't help it.
Still some left over black caliper paint. So the pipes and pulleys etc are getting treated.
I didn't have a lot of time on Saturday but I did just get the oil pump and baffle on.
Hopefully this will be the last week on the bottom end. Then I can get it off the stand and make a start on the head.
I sand blasted everything that doesn't have a coating or a bearing in it. It may be over the top, I know no one is ever going to see it. But to me it was just about it being as clean as possible.
While I was waiting for the bolts to turn up I spent a while tidying up other bits and pieces.
Again it's not really important, but I can't help it.
Still some left over black caliper paint. So the pipes and pulleys etc are getting treated.
I didn't have a lot of time on Saturday but I did just get the oil pump and baffle on.
Hopefully this will be the last week on the bottom end. Then I can get it off the stand and make a start on the head.
Edited by Hamster69 on Thursday 11th May 20:38
Thanks Mike, I'm glad someone is reading it. I was hoping to get the bottom end finished tonight, but realised I have bought the timing cover gasket from an M52TU, not the original M52. Annoyingly the water pump seems to be a different shape so I will have to wait until next week.
I have finished off the oil pump with a new nut. This is locktited on and fitted with lock wire. My attempt to combat the infamous loose pump nut.
I did manage to get the rear cover on. Sand blasted and fitted with a new seal.
You can also just see my new spigot bearing, the crank didn't have one as it was out of an auto.
I have finished off the oil pump with a new nut. This is locktited on and fitted with lock wire. My attempt to combat the infamous loose pump nut.
I did manage to get the rear cover on. Sand blasted and fitted with a new seal.
You can also just see my new spigot bearing, the crank didn't have one as it was out of an auto.
I'm still reading and enjoying! The oil pump nut reminds me of two mistakes an ex colleague of mine made once. When changing the bottom ends of M52s under warranty we would do overtime night shifts due to the volume of work. Occasional mishaps occurred.....
My friend picked up the wrong block and pistons, a 323i drove in, it drove out as a 328i. Customer wasn't told! A month later he returned with a seized engine, oil pump nut wasn't tightened up enough! It was returned to being a 323i sadly.
My friend picked up the wrong block and pistons, a 323i drove in, it drove out as a 328i. Customer wasn't told! A month later he returned with a seized engine, oil pump nut wasn't tightened up enough! It was returned to being a 323i sadly.
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