E36 cheap track day toy
Discussion
Yeah I thought it might be. My 318 rad has done really well, it only didn’t work perfectly on a really hot day at Bedford after the remap. With the extra area of the 328 rad I’m hoping it will cope just fine. I’m also going to fit a second fan. One to run on the temp switch and the other to run on the dash switch. Ultimate control and back up hopefully.
The CC should be the same as the M54b30 so 2979cc. Obviously with the modifications, cams, bbtb, M50 inlet manifold, M54 crank, M40 flywheel and American S50 Map it is a bit of an unknown quantity. But I have been told of similarly modified engines reaching around 270bhp. Which would be nice.
Yeah I toyed with swapping in the M54 when I first got it before stripping out the crank. But the engine doesn’t seem very modable and to be honest you don’t want twin Vanos in a track car. Variable exhaust timing is purely to meet emissions, there is very little performance change. This is why porsche are only just now starting to use it on the new V8. At least putting the M52 in it is built for that car.
Mechanically the engine is done, now just the extra little bits to tidy up. Stripped the power steering pump the other night. Cleaned and sand blasted the body.
Painted the brackets and pulley.
Should all be ready for the big fit next week.
Second hand modified Subframe arrived this morning too. It’s going to feel like quite a different car when it’s all back together.
Still going, exhaust manifolds on, just waiting for some heat wrap to turn up.
I have also installed my new coolant temp sensor, in the water jacket and an oil pressure sensor behind the oil filter housing.
I have replaced the vacuum lines too. They were braking up. Having fitted the vacuum reservoir the other night, I thought about it and changed my mind. It only supplies the exhaust flap in the tail pipe. That won’t be there when the system is finished, so I removed the reservoir and blocked off the vacuum line.
Lastly I rebuilt the PAS pump. That’s it for the engine really. Going in next week!
I have also installed my new coolant temp sensor, in the water jacket and an oil pressure sensor behind the oil filter housing.
I have replaced the vacuum lines too. They were braking up. Having fitted the vacuum reservoir the other night, I thought about it and changed my mind. It only supplies the exhaust flap in the tail pipe. That won’t be there when the system is finished, so I removed the reservoir and blocked off the vacuum line.
Lastly I rebuilt the PAS pump. That’s it for the engine really. Going in next week!
Thanks for the compliments and comments guys. I’m just going out to the garage to dig the car out ready for a full day of work tomorrow.
I would have gone with the M50 block as I tried in the first place. But after the debacle with finding a block, having it sent then finding it cracked and binning it. I just wanted to get on.
Also the advantage of the M52 weight saving is something I like as the car has always been about handling.
I know what you mean about holding the revs high. But at the end of the day it is still a fun toy, not a race car. I’m hoping it lasts a very long time and as I always have I’m going to look after her. Gentle in laps and sensible breaks every few laps. Tomorrow I will be fitting two fans. One just for switched cooling. Which it will get ever time we come off track even if the temp switch is not closed.
I would have gone with the M50 block as I tried in the first place. But after the debacle with finding a block, having it sent then finding it cracked and binning it. I just wanted to get on.
Also the advantage of the M52 weight saving is something I like as the car has always been about handling.
I know what you mean about holding the revs high. But at the end of the day it is still a fun toy, not a race car. I’m hoping it lasts a very long time and as I always have I’m going to look after her. Gentle in laps and sensible breaks every few laps. Tomorrow I will be fitting two fans. One just for switched cooling. Which it will get ever time we come off track even if the temp switch is not closed.
Yeah I know. In an ideal world it would be going on. But I really can’t spend another penny at the moment.
I’m going to run it for a month with the standard exhaust on, while running in the engine. The car will be enough to cope with going down the lanes to work, without the noise as well.
One day the M3 system will happen. But hopefully this will keep me happy for now.
I’m going to run it for a month with the standard exhaust on, while running in the engine. The car will be enough to cope with going down the lanes to work, without the noise as well.
One day the M3 system will happen. But hopefully this will keep me happy for now.
E-bmw said:
I respect what you say about not affording the change to M3 exhaust now but I guarantee if you do the change to M3 headers with the engine in the car you will lose many knuckles, utter many swear words & deeply regret it.
With the engine out it takes 1/2 hour, and you can always weld up an adaptor from M3 header to 328 mid section which takes another hour.
I really do understand. It’s not that I can’t justify the money, it’s that I really don’t have the money. With the engine out it takes 1/2 hour, and you can always weld up an adaptor from M3 header to 328 mid section which takes another hour.
To be fair time is the one thing I have. The manifolds can wait. Especially as I don’t know what I am doing with the rest of the system yet. Once the running in is done. I might get the 318 decat welded tho the front of the 328 center section. That way I can still use my current backbox. Who knows.
So that was a hugely frustrating couple of days. It started out fairly well on Thursday morning.
The old engine pulled out ok, with no real problems. I took the gearbox off and found that my Kevlar clutch has survived very well after 5 years of track driving.
Despite having the slightly stronger ZF gearbox from the original 328. I had decided to put my Getrag back in as everyone had told me it would still fit the prop, gear selector and everything else.
So new engine out of the boot, on the crane. Flywheel and clutch swapped over and box on.
Also fitted my new gearbox mounts. I have had more than enough of the old ones, which weren’t really a mount so much as a block with a bolt through them.
All ready to go in. This is where the problems started.
The old engine pulled out ok, with no real problems. I took the gearbox off and found that my Kevlar clutch has survived very well after 5 years of track driving.
Despite having the slightly stronger ZF gearbox from the original 328. I had decided to put my Getrag back in as everyone had told me it would still fit the prop, gear selector and everything else.
So new engine out of the boot, on the crane. Flywheel and clutch swapped over and box on.
Also fitted my new gearbox mounts. I have had more than enough of the old ones, which weren’t really a mount so much as a block with a bolt through them.
All ready to go in. This is where the problems started.
Craned in, slotted into the prop, pushed back as far as it can go. The bolt holes on the gearbox mount lined up ok. The engine mounts were still a good two inches intro t of where they needed to be.
This quickly went from popping the engine in, into four hours of heaving, swearing and head scratching. I have done a huge amount of research into M50/M52s into 318s. This should work! Also I had removed this engine from a 318. I started doubt myself, what I had read. Was it because the car it came out of was an estate, were the engine mounts the wrong way around etc etc. By this point it’s friday lunchtime and I am seriously running out of time.
Then I realise. This isn’t a standard 318. Years ago and many pages on this thread ago I fitted a 328 limited slip differential. This involved pushing the prop forward about a couple of inches and having no movement left on the telescopic part of the shaft.
So now I know I need a 328 prop. If that’s the case I may as well use the ZF box. Anyway that’s a problem for another day. I ripped out the prop. Then the engine slotted into place. A couple more hours work and
https://youtu.be/LcY7b5q2bh8
With it running things started to go a bit smoother. Although there were still a few problems. My new gauges didn’t want to work, until I realised there was a loose connection on the new engine loom.
The alternator tried to burn me. Some how the main live stud had screwed in as I connected the cable, shorting it out on the earth plate.
Soon as I connected it it glowed orange. You can see the stud was a little damaged but thankfully cleaned up and all working now.
All the little things that could slow me down tried. But finally on Saturday morning I stated to put the front end back together.
I also wrapped the looms for the new temp sensors in heat insulation as they are pretty close to the manifold.
Finally by lunch time today we pushed it back outside. It’s not a driver yet. It still needs some work. But it runs!
https://youtu.be/LcY7b5q2bh8
With it running things started to go a bit smoother. Although there were still a few problems. My new gauges didn’t want to work, until I realised there was a loose connection on the new engine loom.
The alternator tried to burn me. Some how the main live stud had screwed in as I connected the cable, shorting it out on the earth plate.
Soon as I connected it it glowed orange. You can see the stud was a little damaged but thankfully cleaned up and all working now.
All the little things that could slow me down tried. But finally on Saturday morning I stated to put the front end back together.
I also wrapped the looms for the new temp sensors in heat insulation as they are pretty close to the manifold.
Finally by lunch time today we pushed it back outside. It’s not a driver yet. It still needs some work. But it runs!
I forgot to mention that I obviously did take the opportunity while everything was off to fit the new strengthened Subframe and quicker steering rack.
I have found and bought a prop and a shifting arm. So hopefully not too long till it’s back on the road.
I have found and bought a prop and a shifting arm. So hopefully not too long till it’s back on the road.
Edited by Hamster69 on Sunday 22 October 23:25
Time for a catch up.
So I had the new prop and gear selector. I booked off yet another day from work and headed back to my mates workshop. Pulled the Getrag box out in about an hour and started putting the ZF in.
All was going smoothly until I went to hold the prop up and found it to be way to short!
I’m not having much luck here. Turns out I have been sent the prop from an automatic. Much swearing and googling happend. I have to get the car moving today. I can’t leave it parked out the back of my mates unit, he is moving premises soon and I just want it home.
I set to work with the tape measure. I measure both boxes and all the combinations of prop I have. I also found that the 320/323 have an M52 engine but with the Getrag box. If I use the Getrag box, the front half of the 318 prop and the rear half of a he 328 prop I should have something that fits.
So annoyingly I then took the ZF back out and put the Getrag back in. So that it’s the whole morning gone and I’m back to square one.
So I had the new prop and gear selector. I booked off yet another day from work and headed back to my mates workshop. Pulled the Getrag box out in about an hour and started putting the ZF in.
All was going smoothly until I went to hold the prop up and found it to be way to short!
I’m not having much luck here. Turns out I have been sent the prop from an automatic. Much swearing and googling happend. I have to get the car moving today. I can’t leave it parked out the back of my mates unit, he is moving premises soon and I just want it home.
I set to work with the tape measure. I measure both boxes and all the combinations of prop I have. I also found that the 320/323 have an M52 engine but with the Getrag box. If I use the Getrag box, the front half of the 318 prop and the rear half of a he 328 prop I should have something that fits.
So annoyingly I then took the ZF back out and put the Getrag back in. So that it’s the whole morning gone and I’m back to square one.
Now I really am up against it. I’m also quite pissed off, for a few reasons. I have been sold an auto prop when I specifically asked for a manual. I had just cleaned the ZF and now I have taken it back out again.
I now also have to use the rear end of this 328 prop which I wasn’t intending too. Especially as the UPS man has chucked it about so hard the Centre bearing looks nakered.
I know, I have no luck with delivery companies. I did see pictures of the prop before it was sent and it didn’t look like that.
Anyway, I made up the prop I needed and bolted it in. The problem now is I don’t have the correct gear selector arm as I only have a 318 and a 328 arm. I wedge the 328 arm in as it’s the closest fit. But there is no room for forwards movement so I am stuck only being able to select 2nd and 4th.
But it does drive!
I now also have to use the rear end of this 328 prop which I wasn’t intending too. Especially as the UPS man has chucked it about so hard the Centre bearing looks nakered.
I know, I have no luck with delivery companies. I did see pictures of the prop before it was sent and it didn’t look like that.
Anyway, I made up the prop I needed and bolted it in. The problem now is I don’t have the correct gear selector arm as I only have a 318 and a 328 arm. I wedge the 328 arm in as it’s the closest fit. But there is no room for forwards movement so I am stuck only being able to select 2nd and 4th.
But it does drive!
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