E36 cheap track day toy
Discussion
So, small update. Not much happend recently although I did attend the Sunday service at Silverstone a couple of weeks back. Half hour session on the National circuit, good fun, made my wife feel sick. Job done.
We got one pic and some photographer took another. Excuse the watermark.
Things are finally starting to move on the engine front. Going to be removing the straight six from the bent estate car this weekend. I need to get the camshafts out as I may have bought some performance ones and they want the old ones back.
I have been doing a lot of reading about this 3.0L build. There were some concerns about harmonic oscillations. But after talking to Sam from JustDeutsch. I think a steel lined block could be the answer. Now starting to think about getting the head ported like I did on the M44. But I have lost contact with the machine shop I used last time and don't really know anyone else. More updates to follow at the weekend I'm sure.
We got one pic and some photographer took another. Excuse the watermark.
Things are finally starting to move on the engine front. Going to be removing the straight six from the bent estate car this weekend. I need to get the camshafts out as I may have bought some performance ones and they want the old ones back.
I have been doing a lot of reading about this 3.0L build. There were some concerns about harmonic oscillations. But after talking to Sam from JustDeutsch. I think a steel lined block could be the answer. Now starting to think about getting the head ported like I did on the M44. But I have lost contact with the machine shop I used last time and don't really know anyone else. More updates to follow at the weekend I'm sure.
You'll be fine, just don't rev it TOO high. Sam bought my first 3.0L I built the other weekend on behalf of someone else, and my new one is going well. Its still gaining power at 7200rpm but I decided to stop there (even with ARP rod bolts and studs inside), any higher and I think long term issues may become apparent.
Hectic day today, but it all worked out quite well in the end.
The touring in and on the ramp early this morning.
Engine out by 12. Not particularly hard work as I had already removed the front end and exhaust.
Tucked nicely into the back of our parts van.
Then some very nice friends helped me lift it back out of the van into another mates garage.
He has even crazily offered to let me do the rebuild there too. Starting to write my Christmas present list of things like piston rings and gaskets.
The touring in and on the ramp early this morning.
Engine out by 12. Not particularly hard work as I had already removed the front end and exhaust.
Tucked nicely into the back of our parts van.
Then some very nice friends helped me lift it back out of the van into another mates garage.
He has even crazily offered to let me do the rebuild there too. Starting to write my Christmas present list of things like piston rings and gaskets.
f0xy said:
You'll be fine, just don't rev it TOO high. Sam bought my first 3.0L I built the other weekend on behalf of someone else, and my new one is going well. Its still gaining power at 7200rpm but I decided to stop there (even with ARP rod bolts and studs inside), any higher and I think long term issues may become apparent.
Hiya Jordan. 
Mr. Hamster... thought I'd drop by and see how the thread was getting along!
I'll be getting your block wrapped up in the next week or so (if you still want it), along with your two shiny toys...
This looks great - will read the whole thread soon!
Edit - read from start to finish. What a fantastic story, the whole thing form a £300 purchase. Your work ethos as well, ensuring everything is done properly which is great to see. Especially when fitting tyres, always like a bit of inside information.
The difference in the loom was utterly amazing - so much wire removed!
Just to work out - your going to run the m52 2.8 with 3.0 internals?
Looking forward to the next update and congrats on getting married!
Edit - read from start to finish. What a fantastic story, the whole thing form a £300 purchase. Your work ethos as well, ensuring everything is done properly which is great to see. Especially when fitting tyres, always like a bit of inside information.
The difference in the loom was utterly amazing - so much wire removed!
Just to work out - your going to run the m52 2.8 with 3.0 internals?
Looking forward to the next update and congrats on getting married!
Edited by fwordm3 on Tuesday 15th November 20:35
Thanks, it is always nice to get good comments!
Yes the plan is 3.0L M54 internals in an M52. Speaking of which yes I will still have the block please Sam.
Slight change to the norm this morning.
Just arrived at Castle Combe, for a supercar experience! Driving a Lambo, Aston and an R8. Thankfully not out in the Atom today as it is freezing! Although my mate (the Stag) is.
Hoping to get to grips with the engine work in the near future although possibly after Christmas. Currently immersed in a 30 year old 911 top end rebuild.
Yes the plan is 3.0L M54 internals in an M52. Speaking of which yes I will still have the block please Sam.
Slight change to the norm this morning.
Just arrived at Castle Combe, for a supercar experience! Driving a Lambo, Aston and an R8. Thankfully not out in the Atom today as it is freezing! Although my mate (the Stag) is.
Hoping to get to grips with the engine work in the near future although possibly after Christmas. Currently immersed in a 30 year old 911 top end rebuild.
Happy new year everyone. Starting slowly this year but there has been some progress. I have started to strip the M52.
Just the camshafts out for now, as they are exchange on my new JustDeutsch cams. Bit of a sod getting the Vanos to separate but finally came as I turned the engine over.
I have also finally got some new nozzles for our bead blaster. Needed these ready for some engine parts to be cleaned up. Also gave me a chance to get on with the bigger calipers. Considering how rotten they are I think it's come out quite well.
Last bit of news. Brandshatch, Snetterton and Bedford all booked for the next couple of months. Probably be the last outings for her as a 318. Before becoming a sort of 330.
Just the camshafts out for now, as they are exchange on my new JustDeutsch cams. Bit of a sod getting the Vanos to separate but finally came as I turned the engine over.
I have also finally got some new nozzles for our bead blaster. Needed these ready for some engine parts to be cleaned up. Also gave me a chance to get on with the bigger calipers. Considering how rotten they are I think it's come out quite well.
Last bit of news. Brandshatch, Snetterton and Bedford all booked for the next couple of months. Probably be the last outings for her as a 318. Before becoming a sort of 330.
Sand blasting continued this week. I have decided to fit the bigger brakes before her first outing of the year. This came about as I was surfing about trying to find some new front pads. As I have reported before the shop I got the performance friction's from has stopped selling them. I had gone back to the old DS3000 for a while but they are squeaky and getting really quite old too. I was trying to decide what to do, I was very keen on Pagid RS in either black or blue. But they were 280 quid. I understand they are supposed to be awesome and wear very slow but that's a lot of money to me. Anyway more and more research happened. I discovered that the new calipers (e46 330) were the same as fitted to an Alfa Romeo 156 or GTV. This opened up a who new line of research. Finally I found Autolusso, who sell uprated pads for 156s made by guess who? Performance Friction. This seemed like a sign to get the bigger brakes fitted. So I bought them for roughly 1/3 the price of the Pagid's and used Euro's constant 30% off to get some Bosche discs. I hope the new pads are up to the hammering I'm going to give them, it doesn't say they are Z rated like the old ones. But I do have faith in PF and maybe when they are worn out I can look at Pagid's again.
So after a lot of sandblasting I had one clean calliper which the piston was very seized in. I tried compressed air but couldn't get a good seal. So I set about making a brake pipe to fit the calipers and my blower. Had to solder the pipe in the blower end as it is just a tube with nothing for the union to seal on.
With a little bit of twisting on some big swan necks there was a satisfying pop and the piston was out. Now for some paint.
I don't know if anyone is interested but I have joined DRIVETRIBE and set up my own tribe, if anyone is on there and wants to follow me join HAMSTER'S GARAGE
There will obviously be a lot about the e36, but I'm also detailing my work at Restoring the 1982 911 at work as well as any other interesting mechanical jobs I come across.
So after a lot of sandblasting I had one clean calliper which the piston was very seized in. I tried compressed air but couldn't get a good seal. So I set about making a brake pipe to fit the calipers and my blower. Had to solder the pipe in the blower end as it is just a tube with nothing for the union to seal on.
With a little bit of twisting on some big swan necks there was a satisfying pop and the piston was out. Now for some paint.
I don't know if anyone is interested but I have joined DRIVETRIBE and set up my own tribe, if anyone is on there and wants to follow me join HAMSTER'S GARAGE
There will obviously be a lot about the e36, but I'm also detailing my work at Restoring the 1982 911 at work as well as any other interesting mechanical jobs I come across.
Hi Buddy,
I've just been reading this through and its been an awesome read and some great inspiration to my own e36 project. I've been trying to find a set of PF pads after your reviews on them but they've been proving pretty difficult to find, but after reading the last post you made about the alfa pads being the same as the e46 330 callipers (same as what I have on my e36) i want to buy them. Do you have a link to the ones that you have purchased for your 36?
Thanks
I've just been reading this through and its been an awesome read and some great inspiration to my own e36 project. I've been trying to find a set of PF pads after your reviews on them but they've been proving pretty difficult to find, but after reading the last post you made about the alfa pads being the same as the e46 330 callipers (same as what I have on my e36) i want to buy them. Do you have a link to the ones that you have purchased for your 36?
Thanks
Hi thanks for the nice words, it's good to see someone is reading it.
This is the link to the front pads I have bought. Can I just emphasise that I haven't fitted or tried this pad on the road yet. It says on their website that they are fast road pads, but it does not say Z rated on the box like my old ones did. I am hoping they are exactly the same because the old ones were awesome, but I can not guarantee that. I will review them next month once I have had them on track, but if you can't wait till then. Autolusso
This is the link to the front pads I have bought. Can I just emphasise that I haven't fitted or tried this pad on the road yet. It says on their website that they are fast road pads, but it does not say Z rated on the box like my old ones did. I am hoping they are exactly the same because the old ones were awesome, but I can not guarantee that. I will review them next month once I have had them on track, but if you can't wait till then. Autolusso
I bought my PFC Z's from a company called design911.
E46 330i and 330d use the same pads and an E46 M3.
http://www.ppcgb.com/shop/performance-parts/perfor...
E46 330i and 330d use the same pads and an E46 M3.
http://www.ppcgb.com/shop/performance-parts/perfor...
2017 track days kicking off for me in just over a week. So back on the ramp. I have finished the brake calipers. Thankfully all my research and work paid off as they bolted straight up. From this slightly tired set up.
To this shiny new big affair!
After pissing most of my brake fluid on the floor while swapping the calipers I refilled the system and gave it a very good flush with some pagid DOT 5.1. Yes I finally succumbed to buying some better brake fluid. I have always just changed the DOT 4 out after every track day, figuring if it's good enough for Porsche's and AMG's it must be ok for me. Recently though I have had to do a couple of bfc during a track day. I don't know if this was because the brakes were aging or maybe I was using them harder. Either way I think this stuff should hold out a bit better.
So now it stops better, better check the handling.
After I picked her up the other night, she felt a bit tram liney. So I thought I better have a check of the geometry.
As I suspected the toe was off, particularly on the N/S/F. Now I haven't hit any particularly big holes in the road or anything like that so something must be wrong. Looking at the camber that has moved as well particularly on the N/S. inspection of the camber plates confirms this. The bolts are still tight but the plates have shifted.
I have had them move a bit before but this time it's gone right to its limit. So I removed a bolt to see if there was any improvement to be made. You can see the flimsy washer supplied has bent out of shape.
One by one I removed them and fitted thicker washers to spread the load a bit better. Then for even more security I fitted two more bolts on each side. Hopefully this will stop them moving in the future.
Driving home today it all felt a lot better, although I think there may still be a bit of air in the brakes. Under very heavy braking there is a bit of pull to the right. Could just be the new brakes bedding in, but it feels like one of the rears not working as well as the other. If it doesn't improve I will bleed a bit more through before Brandshatch.
To this shiny new big affair!
After pissing most of my brake fluid on the floor while swapping the calipers I refilled the system and gave it a very good flush with some pagid DOT 5.1. Yes I finally succumbed to buying some better brake fluid. I have always just changed the DOT 4 out after every track day, figuring if it's good enough for Porsche's and AMG's it must be ok for me. Recently though I have had to do a couple of bfc during a track day. I don't know if this was because the brakes were aging or maybe I was using them harder. Either way I think this stuff should hold out a bit better.
So now it stops better, better check the handling.
After I picked her up the other night, she felt a bit tram liney. So I thought I better have a check of the geometry.
As I suspected the toe was off, particularly on the N/S/F. Now I haven't hit any particularly big holes in the road or anything like that so something must be wrong. Looking at the camber that has moved as well particularly on the N/S. inspection of the camber plates confirms this. The bolts are still tight but the plates have shifted.
I have had them move a bit before but this time it's gone right to its limit. So I removed a bolt to see if there was any improvement to be made. You can see the flimsy washer supplied has bent out of shape.
One by one I removed them and fitted thicker washers to spread the load a bit better. Then for even more security I fitted two more bolts on each side. Hopefully this will stop them moving in the future.
Driving home today it all felt a lot better, although I think there may still be a bit of air in the brakes. Under very heavy braking there is a bit of pull to the right. Could just be the new brakes bedding in, but it feels like one of the rears not working as well as the other. If it doesn't improve I will bleed a bit more through before Brandshatch.
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