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BMW E30 SR20DET



It's just engineering, you find a way to do it.

Exactly this.... Its the part I most enjoy about doing things like this - finding, fabricating and making things work.


Got a bit more done last night - As mentioned previously I thought about making another down pipe to do away with the flange that's on the short turbo down pipe. I had a bit of a measure and decided to just go for it, set about with the grinder...

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I was lucky that the end of the big down pipe got a tiny bit smaller before the flange, which allowed it to slot into the top part nicely. I cut the bottom off at a point where it was down the gap nicely, twisted it to fit and welded it solid..

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As can be seen it follows the gap and line of the gearbox well. It comes out under the car perfectly - Just need to cut an angle into the other part of the down pipe and weld the straight section on which will line everything up with the tunnel on the car. In an ideal world I would make the down pipe go further back straight off the turbo before dropping down, but I've just made do with what I have for now!

The good thing is that there is no flange in the engine bay on the down pipe now and it has free'd up a lot more room for a steering linkage...

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The rubber bushing between the two parts of the column linkage is a common failure on the E30's, even more so with extreme exhaust temperatures right next to it, so that's being replaced with a machined piece of steel and bolts to the same size - more on that once its done.

Now the column has moved over around an inch sideways and half an inch forwards from its original position, so obviously the mounts on the chassis inside would be in the wrong place. Bent some pieces of 2.5mm steel to 90deg and cut them to shape - drilled an M8 hole through them in the correct position and welded them solid..

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The excess metal from the old brackets still need cutting off but that's nothing major. It just needs a new 'plate' making for the bottom now that follows the shape of the hole and bolts onto the bulkhead like the original, shouldn't be too hard to make up next time I'm there..

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Everything still rotates freely with a nice amount of clearance which I'm happy about :) With the column moved over the casing is very close to the brake pedal itself, which will probably need a slight notch cutting into it and plating when I've had a measure. Another thing on the list to look at but not too much of a concern.

Getting on with it at a steady rate now, lots more new parts arriving ready to be fitted. New turbo gaskets and braided lines arrived the other day, so once I'm happy with the down pipe I will get those fitted. Fingers crossed if the rest of the pipework turns up over the next few days and I get chance to mount the intercooler itself..............it may just well fire up!

Oulton Park for a shakedown on the 4th November, not long now!
 

Waitey

ClioSport Club Member
  Alpina D3, AC Cobra
Can you PM me where you got your engine and box from and how much it was please?
 
Stud conversion finished on all four corners. Milled out the threads on the rear stubs to 1/2", then got two new front hubs/bearings (come as a complete unit) and milled those out too...

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Ordered 16 x 12x1.5 studs and open ended nuts. Got the longest ones I could again like on the Clio...

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Pressed them home..

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The fronts needed a tiny bit off one side to sit flush, sorted easily enough..

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New bearings fitted to the rear trailing arms, then the stubs pressed into those..

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Just need to fit them back to the car now!
 
  E90
For the record, i followed my mate Dave round rockingham in that one of Theo's, It was driftastic. Looking forward to seeing this finished and running :)
 
Be ready for Oulton on the 4th?

Yeah. Should have it running this weekend all being well, then making an exhaust up next week and sorting seat mounts - just tidying the small bits up then!

For the record, i followed my mate Dave round rockingham in that one of Theo's, It was driftastic. Looking forward to seeing this finished and running :)

Yeah, really nice car!
 
Cheers for the comments everyone. Just got home to find some nice new suspension has been delivered, along with ARBs and a few other bits. Got pretty much everything bar the front brakes so should hopefully get a lot done considering its all nuts and bolts now! Picked up some new turbo and manifold gaskets from Apex earlier as there were some sh*te ones fitted between the manifold and head - so no reason why I cant get the turbo on and the car running :)
 
Ive had enough of silly cars on the road for a good while yet. The Passat is probably the best car I've owned yet with regards to paying f*ck all for it, hammering it, having engines in the back, towing 1500kgs+ all the time, full of sh*te all the time and I don't even have to care about it - not to mention its just ticked over 213k miles lol.
 
Ive had enough of silly cars on the road for a good while yet. The Passat is probably the best car I've owned yet with regards to paying f*ck all for it, hammering it, having engines in the back, towing 1500kgs+ all the time, full of sh*te all the time and I don't even have to care about it - not to mention its just ticked over 213k miles lol.

Mental. What date is oulton again?
 
Its two weeks today. Friday 4th November! :)

Quite a few off here are going and on track - Rob, Adam Anderton, Jamie Rigby etc
 

RDH

ClioSport Club Member
Its two weeks today. Friday 4th November! :)

Quite a few off here are going and on track - Rob, Adam Anderton, Jamie Rigby etc

Has Dale managed to get the MK1 ready? Might have a ride down tbh.
 
  E30 318iS x2
It's amazing how well that engine and gearbox sits in place. Good work!

What did you do with the old engine and gearbox?
 


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