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Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) M50B25 - 10.0:1 M52B28 - 10.2:1 M54B30 - 10.2:1 The M54 pistons/rods stop around ~1.8mm from the top of the block by design (all three blocks have the same deck height) I'm using a standard thickness HG (1.75mm), with a skimmed block + head so id imagine it to be...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) For anyone interested, here are some comparisons of M50/M52/M54 components, which hopefully will lay to rest any 'internet myths' that I've come across when researching these parts. The details below are only really accurate for Euro models only, where US internal...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) The M54 block is pretty much the same, as is the oil pump and chain to the crank (all the same M50/2 sprockets/hardware fit the M54 crank). The baffle plate is exactly the same as the M52 item, but I don't use either. I use a modified M50 item as I'm using the iron...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) With the engine being in pieces and the next outing only in a good few months I decided to make some other changes to the engine. I came across a cheap M54B30, which originally came in E39 530i, E46 330i, X5 3.0, etc. The internals are interchangeable with M50 and...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) So, I finally got somewhere. Started with a new head. Didn't trust the old one, nor my spare. Skimmed, pressure tested, valve seats/bowls checked, valves lapped, new stem seals, etc. Also has the second port on the side of the head for an additional coolant...

Cool

Yeah the low fluid one should go through the plug on top of the cap I think, cant 100% remember where the wires run though. So at the moment is the brake fluid level light on? That will be the cause of the STOP light I think. The STOP light does not have its own trigger, its triggered by another...

Yeah, general fault finding, server down faults and AD administration is wearing a bit thin now really. Also not to mention having to stand in for desktop swap outs on-site and general end user 'IT' problems too. Im a bit above that £PA, without including a new phone every year, and getting paid...

What would you be doing to progress your career in IT? Considering relocating, maybe even to another country. Worked for two companies since 2007 supporting SME's, both end user desktop and server support. For the past 3ish years been customer facing on site, responding to network/server...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Yeah, you can buy them from the US (people run them when turbo/charging them). Problem is they are not cheap after shipping + duty. Places in the UK list them for sale, but they just order in from the US on your behalf. Its recommended you run head studs with them...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Yeah both dowels were in place and good condition - I chose the best pair from the various M50/2 blocks that I had at the time. No one seems to really know what the cause is for sure, but obviously the HG has been damaged and the head has moved/cracked/got damaged...

Just do the ABS one and I think you'l find the others will go out... I still had the handbrake one wired up normally in the Mk1 (for MOT etc) and it worked as expected. There was more for us to earth at the time as we didn't have much in the way of what a Ph1 has (airbags, brake pad warning, etc)

Earth the pins on the connector and the light will go out. We did it on the Mk1s when using Ph1 clocks.

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Yeah, hopefully just a bad gasket. It was just a generic 'OEM' gasket, as part of a headset. Never had an issue with them in the past on other engines, but you never know. I could use an MLS gasket, but then you need ARP studs to do it properly. Not usually stocked...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Not really, no one seems to be able to pinpoint what it is to be honest. Not much of a response on the UK forums, US have been much more help but no one can really definitely say whats caused it. Head is damaged though. I've had piston one out, rings + piston are...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Valves are all OK. Tested all six with petrol, left for 20min+, no leakdown.. Took a closer look at the head side of the headgasket, which revealed some marking around the chamber. I originally thought it was dirt, but its not.. Onto the relative part of the...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Could be any of them now :( they were removed from the M52 Aluminium block, then fitted into the M50 Iron block in whatever order I picked them up in. Didn't really matter, as I checked the ring gaps again, and they were all new rings / good pistons etc. It was the...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Its not shiny, just the same as the others. Fresh hone marks still clearly visible on all of them etc. Its pretty weird. Maybe a bad headgasket? Causing the cylinder/mixture to not burn properly? Oil temperature was a good 10-15C hotter than the old engine on...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Well it ran in without issue (500-600mi) and then had an oil change. Then took it to Oulton a couple of weeks back and took a hammering all day, felt fine. Late in the afternoon and on the way home it had a missfire at low RPM, but drove back OK. Swapped out coil...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Took the head off yesterday, nothing unusual found though. Head bolts were of equal torque, head gasket looks fine, no damage to the bore or cylinder head. Did a quick leak down test in the chamber of cylinder one and still well sealed as are the rest. No mixing of...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) So I needed to re-fit the old engine to get the car to Le Mans this year, as it had been planned for a while, plus taking the diesel daily isn't any fun. Once it was back in and running I made a new baffled catch tank to try and help with the blowby out of the...

Good news. Did you still get the correct impedance injectors from the guy on the zone?

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Old engine is fully done now, back in and driving. All OK it seems so far. I considered an E36 M3 before this (and my other 328), but when I factored in the cost of all the additional work I've done on this, the total build cost would be twice the price with the...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Brakes felt much better yeah, probably better than they have ever been. Might be a combination of new discs and calipers too though! So after pulling the old engine out, I swapped various bits over to the old engine. Gearbox, Clutch, Flywheel, Exhaust Manifolds...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Hopefully know the cause soon...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Oh, cool. Im lifting it out tomorrow so once I've got chance to look at it il let you know, might be worth a try before I lift the head off.

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Not far off ready to come out. I think it might be a head gasket issue... Oil on the block in various places and oil in the coolant. Great!

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Unsure. It had a lumpy idle after lunch but thought nothing of it to be honest as it was fine through the revs and still smooth. Drove it home... Then swapped out the coilpack/plug but no different. Had it on INPA but no fault codes, just cylinder 1 showing rough...

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) Well that lasted long. Cylinder 1 has a bit of an issue!

Re: E36 Track Day Hack (v2) People have hit 250hp with a proper live map and the US spec M3 cams, but thats about the limit. Not really worth it IMO, I've done the majority of the bolt on mods now and already have a mapped ECU. I don't to be spending big cash to get 10hp, if that. If I really...