E36 cheap track day toy
Discussion
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!
Oh we will get there in the end Helix!
So the car was drivable, ragged round the edges. The exhaust held on with wire as I found the mount from the old 328 exhaust had rotted through. Undertrays not fitted, coolant system only just about bled up. But we got out of the door at 5 o’clock as my mate was locking up. A very gentle drive home, but it’s home.
After that quite stressful couple of weeks I decided it was going back in the garage and staying there for a bit, while I got some exhaust mounts a gear selector arm etc.
The weekend after my wife and I were going to visit Oxford for our anniversary. The evening before I was flicking through Facebook and a set of old wheels comes up. Four wheels, one quite badly bent on the rim, four tyres two with good tread 40 quid.
I wasn’t particularly looking for another set of wheels, but I had been looking for some cheepish tyres to use while I’m running the engine in. They looked pretty shagged but it’s 40 quid, less than half the price of one of the semi slicks. I’ll just see where in the country he is, I thought. Just outside Oxford!
So the next morning my wife was extremely happy when half way to Oxford I told her we were making a little detour and I was putting some old wheels in her boot. I think she forgave me by about dinner time.
Anyway the following week I took them into work. Took the tyre off the worst one and spun it up to see how bad it was.
You can see the rim bend at the top, but to be fare it sun quite true. So I got the blow torch out, warmed it to about 200 degrees and gave it a damn good thrashing with a club hammer.
I’m not too disappointed with it really. I’m never going to put it on a show car, but when spun up again it was truer than two of the others.
I then gave them all a dust of a similar grey to what they already were. All had curb marks and chips, but they are only winter boots.
That is the one I hammered straight, not too shabby.
So the car was drivable, ragged round the edges. The exhaust held on with wire as I found the mount from the old 328 exhaust had rotted through. Undertrays not fitted, coolant system only just about bled up. But we got out of the door at 5 o’clock as my mate was locking up. A very gentle drive home, but it’s home.
After that quite stressful couple of weeks I decided it was going back in the garage and staying there for a bit, while I got some exhaust mounts a gear selector arm etc.
The weekend after my wife and I were going to visit Oxford for our anniversary. The evening before I was flicking through Facebook and a set of old wheels comes up. Four wheels, one quite badly bent on the rim, four tyres two with good tread 40 quid.
I wasn’t particularly looking for another set of wheels, but I had been looking for some cheepish tyres to use while I’m running the engine in. They looked pretty shagged but it’s 40 quid, less than half the price of one of the semi slicks. I’ll just see where in the country he is, I thought. Just outside Oxford!
So the next morning my wife was extremely happy when half way to Oxford I told her we were making a little detour and I was putting some old wheels in her boot. I think she forgave me by about dinner time.
Anyway the following week I took them into work. Took the tyre off the worst one and spun it up to see how bad it was.
You can see the rim bend at the top, but to be fare it sun quite true. So I got the blow torch out, warmed it to about 200 degrees and gave it a damn good thrashing with a club hammer.
I’m not too disappointed with it really. I’m never going to put it on a show car, but when spun up again it was truer than two of the others.
I then gave them all a dust of a similar grey to what they already were. All had curb marks and chips, but they are only winter boots.
That is the one I hammered straight, not too shabby.
Edited by Hamster69 on Wednesday 15th November 21:14
Believe it or not this will be the last update of the engine swap saga.
So I tracked down a 320 gear selector linkage arm. I bought some new back box hangers. I bought a bigger temp switch for the top hose yada yada yada, lots of little bits to tidy up. One thing I was struggling with though. The centre pipe on the exhaust has two brackets but I can see no where they attach to the car. I google image searched, I spoke to people, I looked at epc. Epc showed two hooks which appeared to attach to the transmission tunnel brace, but I couldn't see how.
When I picked up my wheels the very nice chap had a couple of e36s in pieces and I asked him, oh yeah the 328 has captive nuts in the brace.
I've got one in this box, do you want it, he said. Some times you just have to be in the right place at the right time. He gave me the hooks as well and I brought them home. As you can see a bit tatty round the edges, but they had come off the bottom of one of his race cars.
As you know by now, I'm not very good at bolting tatty bits on to my car.
First hammered back into shape, then sandblasted.
With the very last remains of my engine paint. I'm really not that obsessed with orange, but the black paint really did run out on the brace.
Saturday comes around and I limp into work with two gears. Its the no reverse that made life hard, especially as our garage is at the end of a road. I had to push it the length of in the rain past all the neighbours houses before I could get to a turning place.
The selector went straight in, then the exhaust hangers.
I swapped on to the winter boots, changed the temp switch, wired the gauges illumination into series instead of parallel as they were very bright at night. Checked the levels and it was a drivable car.
I left work just in time to drive to the village level crossing and watch Flying Scotsman go past!
Driving home it did feel rather lovely. There is a horrible little tinkling noise which I'm pretty sure is that beaten up centre bearing. I will sort that when I get round to fitting the ZF box. But for now I can just get on with putting some miles on the engine. Idle is a bit rough but they are big cams. It pulls lovely and smoothly. No I haven't been over 4K revs yet so I don't really know how quick it is, but it feels like it will be. Oil temp is sitting at 95 degrees which is nice, although I think the sensor is out in to much wind, its only really accurate when not moving. I may have to relocate it. Oil pressure is 4 bar cold, dropping to two when running and hot. Down to about one when hot at idle, but I think this is ok. The fans are keeping it cold and on the whole it seems to be working fine, fingers crossed.
Lastly this afternoon its had a good clean and been tucked up back under its sheet. I will probably put a hundred miles or so on it Thursday.
So I tracked down a 320 gear selector linkage arm. I bought some new back box hangers. I bought a bigger temp switch for the top hose yada yada yada, lots of little bits to tidy up. One thing I was struggling with though. The centre pipe on the exhaust has two brackets but I can see no where they attach to the car. I google image searched, I spoke to people, I looked at epc. Epc showed two hooks which appeared to attach to the transmission tunnel brace, but I couldn't see how.
When I picked up my wheels the very nice chap had a couple of e36s in pieces and I asked him, oh yeah the 328 has captive nuts in the brace.
I've got one in this box, do you want it, he said. Some times you just have to be in the right place at the right time. He gave me the hooks as well and I brought them home. As you can see a bit tatty round the edges, but they had come off the bottom of one of his race cars.
As you know by now, I'm not very good at bolting tatty bits on to my car.
First hammered back into shape, then sandblasted.
With the very last remains of my engine paint. I'm really not that obsessed with orange, but the black paint really did run out on the brace.
Saturday comes around and I limp into work with two gears. Its the no reverse that made life hard, especially as our garage is at the end of a road. I had to push it the length of in the rain past all the neighbours houses before I could get to a turning place.
The selector went straight in, then the exhaust hangers.
I swapped on to the winter boots, changed the temp switch, wired the gauges illumination into series instead of parallel as they were very bright at night. Checked the levels and it was a drivable car.
I left work just in time to drive to the village level crossing and watch Flying Scotsman go past!
Driving home it did feel rather lovely. There is a horrible little tinkling noise which I'm pretty sure is that beaten up centre bearing. I will sort that when I get round to fitting the ZF box. But for now I can just get on with putting some miles on the engine. Idle is a bit rough but they are big cams. It pulls lovely and smoothly. No I haven't been over 4K revs yet so I don't really know how quick it is, but it feels like it will be. Oil temp is sitting at 95 degrees which is nice, although I think the sensor is out in to much wind, its only really accurate when not moving. I may have to relocate it. Oil pressure is 4 bar cold, dropping to two when running and hot. Down to about one when hot at idle, but I think this is ok. The fans are keeping it cold and on the whole it seems to be working fine, fingers crossed.
Lastly this afternoon its had a good clean and been tucked up back under its sheet. I will probably put a hundred miles or so on it Thursday.
Edited by Hamster69 on Sunday 12th November 18:46
Good work. You'll probably find the idle smooths out as the rings bed in properly, well mapping will also affect it too I suppose. I had the same yesterday when tweaking the map on my new engine. It took all of 4-5 high load dyno pulls on a fresh engine to bed the rings significantly and the idle was back to normal (with higher lift cams). I was up to my usual power with approx 1 hour on the motor, so you'll be fine if you're putting miles on to it.
4 bar cold is good, what oil grade are you using? I run approx 4.4-4.5bar cold with a bit of RPM and 1.3-1.4 bar hot, thats on 10w40 though.
4 bar cold is good, what oil grade are you using? I run approx 4.4-4.5bar cold with a bit of RPM and 1.3-1.4 bar hot, thats on 10w40 though.
Another Saturday comes. Two hundred miles now on the clock. Not much in the way of teething troubles. I have a small leak from the back of the cam cover. Not surprising really, that gasket was rubbish! But it was trim it and fit it, or put the whole job back waiting for another to turn up. It’s only a drip, i’ll Sort before any track time.
I have done a quick front end toe adjustment to reset after the rack was changed.
I was going to do a full setup, but when I was looking around to make sure everything was good I found the N/S/R camber arm has decided to part ways with its bush.
So more work for another day.
I have done a quick front end toe adjustment to reset after the rack was changed.
I was going to do a full setup, but when I was looking around to make sure everything was good I found the N/S/R camber arm has decided to part ways with its bush.
So more work for another day.
Happy new year everyone.
As you may have guessed the BMW has been on the back burner for a couple of months as I had a large project on at work and Christmas getting in the way.
Now that’s all done I’m looking forward to another few steps forward. I would have started yesterday but I have been having some issues getting it insured with its new engine size.
Anyway, last time I drove her we headed out to a Sunday service. Got snapped leaving.
Winter wheels and grinning wife on show.
It was good to stick a couple of hundred miles on her in one day, but it did also bring some teething issues to the surface. The cam cover is leaking a little. Not suprising as the gasket that cam with my kit was rubbish.
Once properly hot, say after running for an hour. There is a definite hesitation. I get the feeling either the cam or crank sensor is on its way out. So I have bought both. The bent old prop bearing is getting really noisy too.
I have received some new rear camber arms for Christmas too. The next couple of weekends will be busy as I have booked it’s first track day for February. Time to see what it can really do!
As you may have guessed the BMW has been on the back burner for a couple of months as I had a large project on at work and Christmas getting in the way.
Now that’s all done I’m looking forward to another few steps forward. I would have started yesterday but I have been having some issues getting it insured with its new engine size.
Anyway, last time I drove her we headed out to a Sunday service. Got snapped leaving.
Winter wheels and grinning wife on show.
It was good to stick a couple of hundred miles on her in one day, but it did also bring some teething issues to the surface. The cam cover is leaking a little. Not suprising as the gasket that cam with my kit was rubbish.
Once properly hot, say after running for an hour. There is a definite hesitation. I get the feeling either the cam or crank sensor is on its way out. So I have bought both. The bent old prop bearing is getting really noisy too.
I have received some new rear camber arms for Christmas too. The next couple of weekends will be busy as I have booked it’s first track day for February. Time to see what it can really do!
I have found gen Elring work fine too which may possibly be OE supplier anyway 
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff