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Managed to source two sets of 17x9 Team Dynamics ProRace 1.2s. One set ET23, one set ET40. With my setup this is perfect as I can mix the two sets, running ET23 on the front to clear the brakes/suspension without having to use a spacer... and ET40 on the back so I don't need to pull the wheel arch out or even roll it. On the first set I put some new Yokohama A006G wets, and the other some RSRs which came with one of the sets.
I have started from scratch with the suspension setup to get it sat right on the 17s, and its about ready for Snetterton next weekend. Should be a significant difference... even if its wet! One of the main reason for this change was so a day is not wasted when its raining....
I have started from scratch with the suspension setup to get it sat right on the 17s, and its about ready for Snetterton next weekend. Should be a significant difference... even if its wet! One of the main reason for this change was so a day is not wasted when its raining....
F0xy. When you had the M50 manifold on, way back when, did you run it with a catch can in the end or did you ditch that setup? If you did, would you mind explaining how you plumbed it in? I know the crankcase breather goes into the tank, but where to the other hoses connect?
Nope, I modified the manifold and ran the crank case breather/vent system. If you go back a while in this thread you will find details on it. The catch can just kept filling up every so often otherwise (venting to atmosphere)
Hello f0xy,
Please let me know if your 63mm exhaust pipe is ok for 290hp
Thank you in advance
Please let me know if your 63mm exhaust pipe is ok for 290hp
Thank you in advance
So the engine build was finished, various other parts fitted such as new crank seals, water pump, etc. Before fitting I sorted my current 2.5" exhaust - I wanted to run the centre silencer at the back, which was the bigger one, and ditch the smaller silencer. I'm still not sure if 2.5" is going to be a restriction, but we'll see before investing in 3".
Yes and power was still rising @ 7200rpm+. 2.5" was plenty.
Both wings are off at the moment as they are being replaced... other changes include matching silver bumpers (rather than black) and silver skirts etc.
What an awesome car! Great thread too
Snetterton last year highlighted too much body roll after moving to 17s, so that needed resolving. Bit of an external video from there first though:
Between then and Christmas I changed the springs to 10kg all round (from 7kg F/8kg R). This meant readjusting all the coilovers to suit. I changed the rear pads at the same time as they were wearing quite thin..
Over the new year break I drove to Germany to pick a car up for a friend, who unfortunately crashed her Clio @ Spa in October. It was sat in storage up until then, called in at Zolder on a cold New Years day. Hopefully come back here with the E36 one day...
I managed to catch a deal on a CAE shifter, which was too good to miss. After a few modifications to the transmission tunnel it went on..
The next job was to go back to EFI for mapping with the new TPS, as above. This highlighted a bit of clutch slip under very high load (peaking at 270lbft now). I decided to order a Helix paddle friction plate the day after this, so I could forget about it long term. I had Anglesey planned for approximately a months time... I removed the box and clutch ready for the new one to arrive..
A couple of days before Anglesey the clutch still hadn't arrived, so I was forced to re-fit the box with the original clutch and just hope it was OK for the day. We arrived to a very wet, and windy (50mph+) Anglesey...
Although, I couldn't wait to try out the Yokohama wets compared to road tyres. Needless to say they are fantastic, and probably part of the reason this happened once I started building pace throughout the day..
So now is probably a good time to mention over the winter I also sourced some sport bumpers, skirts and nosecone in the correct silver, to replace the black parts from the other car. Both sets of wheels powdercoated black too. Much better...
Couple of days after returning from Anglesey the clutch turned up...
Heading to Croft for the first time in around a week, so just need crack on and get that fitted this weekend! More soon...
Between then and Christmas I changed the springs to 10kg all round (from 7kg F/8kg R). This meant readjusting all the coilovers to suit. I changed the rear pads at the same time as they were wearing quite thin..
Over the new year break I drove to Germany to pick a car up for a friend, who unfortunately crashed her Clio @ Spa in October. It was sat in storage up until then, called in at Zolder on a cold New Years day. Hopefully come back here with the E36 one day...
I managed to catch a deal on a CAE shifter, which was too good to miss. After a few modifications to the transmission tunnel it went on..
The next job was to go back to EFI for mapping with the new TPS, as above. This highlighted a bit of clutch slip under very high load (peaking at 270lbft now). I decided to order a Helix paddle friction plate the day after this, so I could forget about it long term. I had Anglesey planned for approximately a months time... I removed the box and clutch ready for the new one to arrive..
A couple of days before Anglesey the clutch still hadn't arrived, so I was forced to re-fit the box with the original clutch and just hope it was OK for the day. We arrived to a very wet, and windy (50mph+) Anglesey...
Although, I couldn't wait to try out the Yokohama wets compared to road tyres. Needless to say they are fantastic, and probably part of the reason this happened once I started building pace throughout the day..
So now is probably a good time to mention over the winter I also sourced some sport bumpers, skirts and nosecone in the correct silver, to replace the black parts from the other car. Both sets of wheels powdercoated black too. Much better...
Couple of days after returning from Anglesey the clutch turned up...
Heading to Croft for the first time in around a week, so just need crack on and get that fitted this weekend! More soon...
imprezaworks
ClioSport Club Member
Mk5 Golf GTI :)
Sounds ace
So the paddle clutch went in, then headed up to Croft. Having never been before, I was surprised how good the circuit actually was, would definitely go back. Not actually got round to sorting a proper video yet but here is a bit of a clip..
I was running close to the noise meters at Croft, 104db. So with Snetterton on the cards for Good Friday I added a small centre silencer back in to the exhaust (which had previously been removed). This reduced the level to 96db, which will do for now.
Between Croft and Snetterton nothing mechanically needed attention, so I set about wiring in a new toy...
Rather simple when you have standalone management. More on the wiring for the interior of the car in the next few weeks, as changes are coming.
I was running close to the noise meters at Croft, 104db. So with Snetterton on the cards for Good Friday I added a small centre silencer back in to the exhaust (which had previously been removed). This reduced the level to 96db, which will do for now.
Between Croft and Snetterton nothing mechanically needed attention, so I set about wiring in a new toy...
Rather simple when you have standalone management. More on the wiring for the interior of the car in the next few weeks, as changes are coming.
Snetterton went well, clear weather bar a light shower towards the end of the day. Unfortunately it highlighted a few issues with the brakes which I have been dealing with since last summer - still not happy with them so changes are planned in that respect also.
Couple of the more interesting bits...
Will try and keep this a bit more up to day as I sort the handful of issues before the next one!
Couple of the more interesting bits...
Will try and keep this a bit more up to day as I sort the handful of issues before the next one!
imprezaworks
ClioSport Club Member
Mk5 Golf GTI :)
One seriously cool car
Have read this epic thread from the top. Car looks pretty sorted except for grip levels. I have an M3 evo race car with 310 hp at the wheels conservatively. I have driven on Toyo 888's, Dunlop 03gs, Federal FZ201's, Dunlop Direrzza DZ2's, all were 235,40 or 45 17s. And then I moved to Hankook Z221's 255 40 17 and Z214 245 40 17's and the difference is very significant in cornering speeds, braking and lap times. If you buy some Hankook softs Z221's you and your car will go to another level. And they last and grip for a very long time. Most of the fast racers here use them and with good reason. It would be cool to see some video of you driving on a set of these. Another decent upgrade is to fit the E46 allor lower front arms, you have to machine the ends round to fit the E36 castor bush, preferably use an offset M3 version. This widens the front track by approx 55mm, and then give your car about 4 degrees negative up front to tuck the rubber under the guards. These mods will drop your lap times for certain.
So quite a bit has changed since the last update (and Photobucket changes)... I used it a lot in 2017. Built and fitted a Kaaz LSD with a 3.64, all good. Removed the servo and went to twin master cylinders for braking, much better. Had a few really good days out in it at Cadwell in July...
YouTube Link
Had 2x days at Spa booked for the start of October, but unfortunately the oil pump failed on the engine @ Cadwell in September..
YouTube Link
The crank survived, as did most other things bar the big ends. After stripping down it had a quick hone, new shells and rings, new gaskets and so on. I've converted the oil pump to run a different shaft and sprocket, as a bit of insurance. I've also put an ATI SuperDamper on it, which was NOT cheap, but if it means I can safely spin it over 7000rpm it was worth a shot.
I changed the cam timing slightly, then put it back on the dyno to see what happened. It made the same power/torque as before, which was great, but it wanted a bit more fuel mid range as a result of the cam timing - picked up approx 10hp/10lbft there.
Between this I fitted a pump and 10 row cooler to the Kaaz LSD, as it was getting VERY hot at Cadwell, and breathing oil. Did the same for the power steering, 10 row cooler in the low pressure return line, as it would breathe out of the reservoir when very hot.
Had it back out at Oulton, and the coolers have fixed both issues. The engine feels as good as before!
YouTube Link
Which was a great 2017, even with the engine failure. I have made a few changes to the suspension setup over the winter and I am heading back to Spa for a couple of days at Easter - can't wait to get it back out again. The E36 has had to take a bit of a back seat for 2018 as I have moved on to racing in the 750mc with another car - but I'm sure a couple of days at Spa will make up for it...
YouTube Link
Had 2x days at Spa booked for the start of October, but unfortunately the oil pump failed on the engine @ Cadwell in September..
YouTube Link
The crank survived, as did most other things bar the big ends. After stripping down it had a quick hone, new shells and rings, new gaskets and so on. I've converted the oil pump to run a different shaft and sprocket, as a bit of insurance. I've also put an ATI SuperDamper on it, which was NOT cheap, but if it means I can safely spin it over 7000rpm it was worth a shot.
I changed the cam timing slightly, then put it back on the dyno to see what happened. It made the same power/torque as before, which was great, but it wanted a bit more fuel mid range as a result of the cam timing - picked up approx 10hp/10lbft there.
Between this I fitted a pump and 10 row cooler to the Kaaz LSD, as it was getting VERY hot at Cadwell, and breathing oil. Did the same for the power steering, 10 row cooler in the low pressure return line, as it would breathe out of the reservoir when very hot.
Had it back out at Oulton, and the coolers have fixed both issues. The engine feels as good as before!
YouTube Link
Which was a great 2017, even with the engine failure. I have made a few changes to the suspension setup over the winter and I am heading back to Spa for a couple of days at Easter - can't wait to get it back out again. The E36 has had to take a bit of a back seat for 2018 as I have moved on to racing in the 750mc with another car - but I'm sure a couple of days at Spa will make up for it...
What are you racing this year?
Well that will be a totally different driving experience!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Hi f0xy,
I've stumbled across this this thread on and off over the years, and i have to say, it is absolutely brilliant so much useful info! Especially loved your use of the Ras-Pi that was dope.
I'm actually in the process of dropping an M50B30 into my E30 built from an M50B25-NV but one thing I have noticed is that the TDC mark on the NV trigger wheel doesn't line up with the TDC of the M54 Crank. I used an M54 flywheel and the locking pin to time up the engine and then after i re-drilled the locking pin hole in my lightened e30 flywheel using the M54 flywheel as a template.
Here is a picture of where TDC is on the M50NV Trigger wheel when bolted up to the M54 Crank, i drilled a hole and filled it with a bit of paint.
Is this to be expected? I don't think it's going to be a problem because I'm using Megasquirt so the trigger wheel settings are configurable but i guess if i was trying to use the standard ECU id be in trouble right? Also i noticed in your previous posts your trigger wheel looked to time up to TDC just fine, is that because you are using an M52 trigger wheel???
I've stumbled across this this thread on and off over the years, and i have to say, it is absolutely brilliant so much useful info! Especially loved your use of the Ras-Pi that was dope.
I'm actually in the process of dropping an M50B30 into my E30 built from an M50B25-NV but one thing I have noticed is that the TDC mark on the NV trigger wheel doesn't line up with the TDC of the M54 Crank. I used an M54 flywheel and the locking pin to time up the engine and then after i re-drilled the locking pin hole in my lightened e30 flywheel using the M54 flywheel as a template.
Here is a picture of where TDC is on the M50NV Trigger wheel when bolted up to the M54 Crank, i drilled a hole and filled it with a bit of paint.
Is this to be expected? I don't think it's going to be a problem because I'm using Megasquirt so the trigger wheel settings are configurable but i guess if i was trying to use the standard ECU id be in trouble right? Also i noticed in your previous posts your trigger wheel looked to time up to TDC just fine, is that because you are using an M52 trigger wheel???
-3.75 Camber, tiny amount of toe out total, probably a couple of minutes maximum.
-2 Camber rear, tiny amount of toe in.
Yes, I was previously using an M52 trigger wheel, and it lined up. Yes, you would have an issue if you used standard management, but with standalone you can set up the trigger pattern so the reset tooth (60-2) is elsewhere. Your BASE timing angle will be different to stock, but it does not matter, as you will configure the ECU to suit. I now run an ATI Superdamper, which has a trigger wheel on it, based on an M52 pattern. More details on that in the update below....
I've not had much time to keep this up to date in the past 12-18 months, with work, racing and building other things. With 2018 nearly over I thought I would fill this in, and hopefully continue to update as the next chaper unfolds. I will probably end up missing some details with so much happening, but I will start from mid 2017.
After to moving to 17s I wanted to change the final drive ratio slightly, so sourced a 3.64 gearset from an old 5 series and set about pulling the current differential off to do the swap. Between doing this I decided to buy a Kaaz plate diff instead, even though the rebuilt M3 LSD worked, it just didn't work well enough for what I wanted.
Having built a few of these previously it was just the same process aagin - new bearings, seals, set up the pinion pre-load and then adjust the shimming to get the gear pattern correct.
Arranged to do a track day at Anglesey to run the LSD in and check all was well. I got as far as the sighting laps, and could smell LSD oil.
I stripped the shaft off, and pulled the side casing off the drivers side of the differential to inspect the seal. The issue was clear:
What were the chances of that happening to a new seal? Either way, It didn't matter as I did not have a spare with me. Day over before it had begun. The fix was easy once I had the car back home, new seal installed and no more leaking oil.
By this point it was approaching July and I had two track days booked at Cadwell within a few weeks of each other, one of my favourite circuits in the UK. I spotted a small weep from the radiator in the run up to this (already the second alloy one the car has had). I replaced it with a Nissens M3 radiator, which has the same core thickness, and are around half the price.
In hindsight, the car actually runs cooler with the standard radiator on, obviously the others were never very efficient. At this point I also moved to running 255/40 tyres all round, not just on the rear. A few modifications to the front arches were made for clearance. Headed to Cadwell, and had two fantastic days, fault free.
The second day also had a video from Danny, with a brief walk around the car etc.
Cadwell is great in the summer, and I will always keep going back. The new LSD was fantastic in comparison to the M3 one previously fitted, the drive and traction on the 255 was like nothing else I had driven at this point. It highlighted how hot the LSD oil was running, as the casing had started to breathe and drip oil. Not a major issue, but it needed properly cooling long term to avoid ruining the LSD plates.
I had a day at Spa booked in October, and had made a few small changes since Cadwell. I wanted to test it on a cheap UK day before travelling out there, so went back to Cadwell in September. The car felt great, exactly as it did in the summer, until after lunch I lost all oil pressure and proceeded to drive half a lap before realising.
This put the Spa trip out of the window, and meant I was going to have to pull the engine out and find the cause. I had a feeling it would be the all too common M54 crank/oil pump issue, but didn't want to guess and proceeded to pull the engine out.
Sump off, and the problem was obvious, the oil pump nut had wound off and the sproket was no longer engaged on the splines. This is a well known issue on M54 engines, which my crank is from, when used at higher than normal RPM. I currently run up to 7300rpm to make power with the Jenveys, but obviously the side effect is bad harmonics somewhere along the way and its slowly been coming undone over the past 12-18 months.
After to moving to 17s I wanted to change the final drive ratio slightly, so sourced a 3.64 gearset from an old 5 series and set about pulling the current differential off to do the swap. Between doing this I decided to buy a Kaaz plate diff instead, even though the rebuilt M3 LSD worked, it just didn't work well enough for what I wanted.
Having built a few of these previously it was just the same process aagin - new bearings, seals, set up the pinion pre-load and then adjust the shimming to get the gear pattern correct.
Arranged to do a track day at Anglesey to run the LSD in and check all was well. I got as far as the sighting laps, and could smell LSD oil.
I stripped the shaft off, and pulled the side casing off the drivers side of the differential to inspect the seal. The issue was clear:
What were the chances of that happening to a new seal? Either way, It didn't matter as I did not have a spare with me. Day over before it had begun. The fix was easy once I had the car back home, new seal installed and no more leaking oil.
By this point it was approaching July and I had two track days booked at Cadwell within a few weeks of each other, one of my favourite circuits in the UK. I spotted a small weep from the radiator in the run up to this (already the second alloy one the car has had). I replaced it with a Nissens M3 radiator, which has the same core thickness, and are around half the price.
In hindsight, the car actually runs cooler with the standard radiator on, obviously the others were never very efficient. At this point I also moved to running 255/40 tyres all round, not just on the rear. A few modifications to the front arches were made for clearance. Headed to Cadwell, and had two fantastic days, fault free.
The second day also had a video from Danny, with a brief walk around the car etc.
Cadwell is great in the summer, and I will always keep going back. The new LSD was fantastic in comparison to the M3 one previously fitted, the drive and traction on the 255 was like nothing else I had driven at this point. It highlighted how hot the LSD oil was running, as the casing had started to breathe and drip oil. Not a major issue, but it needed properly cooling long term to avoid ruining the LSD plates.
I had a day at Spa booked in October, and had made a few small changes since Cadwell. I wanted to test it on a cheap UK day before travelling out there, so went back to Cadwell in September. The car felt great, exactly as it did in the summer, until after lunch I lost all oil pressure and proceeded to drive half a lap before realising.
This put the Spa trip out of the window, and meant I was going to have to pull the engine out and find the cause. I had a feeling it would be the all too common M54 crank/oil pump issue, but didn't want to guess and proceeded to pull the engine out.
Sump off, and the problem was obvious, the oil pump nut had wound off and the sproket was no longer engaged on the splines. This is a well known issue on M54 engines, which my crank is from, when used at higher than normal RPM. I currently run up to 7300rpm to make power with the Jenveys, but obviously the side effect is bad harmonics somewhere along the way and its slowly been coming undone over the past 12-18 months.
After a few hours lapping, I got used to the new suspension and spring set up, the car felt the best it ever has. Mid way through the afternoon on the first day I had a low oil pressure warning flash up on the dashboard, so I cut the engine and coasted back in to the pits. Upon investigation, one of the wires to the oil pressure sensor had broken - an easy repair, if a bit of a scare with whats happened in the past!
I didn't want to start pushing too hard on the first day, as I knew there was another to do yet. We came back to a very damp circuit the next day.
Running the Yokohama cut wets, the car was still driving great, and with nothing getting overly warm you could stay out on circuit much longer. Mid morning, I took Eau Rouge/Radillion entry the same as I had been for the previous hour, and unfortunately lost traction at the top of the hill, sending the car into a spin and ultimately ending in a concrete wall. I suppose not many people can say they have stood on the track here?
Obviously that ended the day - the car was still driving but the rear quarter had shifted up and over, bending the roof. The front N/S chassis leg took rest of it, folding as designed. I spent the next day drive home reflecting on what to do, whether to break it for parts, or move to something else - considering I had already started racing another car for 2018 and that would potentially take up quite a bit of time....
I had a browse whilst on the ferry heading back, and found a silver E36 saloon for sale not to far from home. I thought it was worth a look, to see how solid it was underneath, as it was just a 323i SE at the end of the day. It turned out to be one of the most solid E36 I had ever seen, completely original sills, arches, no rust.... and no sunroof!
It was too good to miss, and a good base for a rebuild. I made an offer minus a few parts that were on it, then ended up collecting it the weekend after. In the mean time, I had stripped the crashed car to a shell, and weighed it in - just 300kg!
The replacement then started to come apart, which was kept rolling, albeit on my subframes and running gear.
By this point I had decided with the shell being so clean, I wanted to build it to FIA specification, not just MSA, for potentially getting it out to race in 2019. So I arranged to drop the new rolling shell off to have a cage installed to the spec I wanted...
This was around the middle of May 2018. In the mean time I decided to pull the sump off the engine to check the torque of the oil pump bolt, after I had been using the new kit and ATI SuperDamper. Happy to report it was exactly where I left it...
Towards the end of June the cage was complete, and I went to pick it up. I didn't just want to add bars everywhere, as weight has to be taken into consideration, so where there could be a single bar, it was kept that way. The rear subframe mounting was strengthened and tied into the cage, as were the front struts and steering column. I spent some time removing the rest of the brackets I no longer need inside and started to cover things in primer so prevent any rust.
This has taken quite some time and the car has been sat around as obviously the summer months are the height of the racing season. With that now over, I got round to preparing the engine bay for paint. Drilling required holes, removing brackets, blanking any other holes, etc. Just a couple of weekends ago I borrowed some space for the day and painted the engine bay...
Which was then ready for the engine and gearbox to go back in. The inside will be painted the same once the rest of the mechanical parts are built up, which I am currently on with doing over the Christmas break.... so there will be more to update very soon
It was too good to miss, and a good base for a rebuild. I made an offer minus a few parts that were on it, then ended up collecting it the weekend after. In the mean time, I had stripped the crashed car to a shell, and weighed it in - just 300kg!
The replacement then started to come apart, which was kept rolling, albeit on my subframes and running gear.
By this point I had decided with the shell being so clean, I wanted to build it to FIA specification, not just MSA, for potentially getting it out to race in 2019. So I arranged to drop the new rolling shell off to have a cage installed to the spec I wanted...
This was around the middle of May 2018. In the mean time I decided to pull the sump off the engine to check the torque of the oil pump bolt, after I had been using the new kit and ATI SuperDamper. Happy to report it was exactly where I left it...
Towards the end of June the cage was complete, and I went to pick it up. I didn't just want to add bars everywhere, as weight has to be taken into consideration, so where there could be a single bar, it was kept that way. The rear subframe mounting was strengthened and tied into the cage, as were the front struts and steering column. I spent some time removing the rest of the brackets I no longer need inside and started to cover things in primer so prevent any rust.
This has taken quite some time and the car has been sat around as obviously the summer months are the height of the racing season. With that now over, I got round to preparing the engine bay for paint. Drilling required holes, removing brackets, blanking any other holes, etc. Just a couple of weekends ago I borrowed some space for the day and painted the engine bay...
Which was then ready for the engine and gearbox to go back in. The inside will be painted the same once the rest of the mechanical parts are built up, which I am currently on with doing over the Christmas break.... so there will be more to update very soon
Hopefully in the next few days there will be a bit more!
Will try and keep on top of it from now on...!
To give a bit of context to the above and this years racing - we finished the season with 12 hours at Anglesey for the Race of Remembrance, albeit with many mechanical issues, I still managed the quickest class lap in the last hour. With a long list of jobs to do on the Civic over winter, it is on the back burner as the E36 is taking priority until it is finished!
For the past 18 months or so (before the Spa crash) I ran a 'servo delete', with twin AP master cylinders and a modified pedal. Cylinders were mounted in the same place as the servo, with a bias bar, you can probably see it in some of the pictures above. It worked fine, but you have to be right with the calculations to ensure the pedal isn't terrible. I sold that set up some time ago, as I am now running a Tilton floor mounted pedal box (more to come on this) with AP cylinders. We run the same setup in the Civic and it is night and day difference - obviously totally track based.
Don't waste your time with a stock LSD, even if its been rebuilt, they wear out quickly at track pace (if you run decent width tyres) and soon loose their initial bite. The Kaaz is night and day difference, but I would highly recommend running a cooler, which I had done for around 12 months (after Cadwell). You can run without one, but the oil gets much hotter, and will wear the clutch packs prematurely. Other good options are Quaife, Wavetrac, then obviously Drexler and OS Giken if you really want to spend serious money. I went for the Kaaz as it was affordable, parts are available and it just works as a plate LSD should. Mine is set to the harshest lock setting.
So the engine was dropped back in a couple of days ago, along with another freshly powdercoated subframe (which I had strengthened in certain areas). Obviously the flywheel, clutch and flywheel were bolted to the engine first.
I got a few hours here and there on it to start re-fitting the auxiliary setup -starter motor, oil filter housing, alternator, power steering, etc. Whilst the engine was out I had the oil filter housing modified, two -A10 fittings were welded on for the oil cooler, rather than using a bolt on adaptor plate that I had previously ran (relies on two small O rings to seal). You can also see how I run the standard BMW crank case ventilation system, with a small 6 branch manifold which connects to the runners on the inlet manifold for vacuum. The oil pressure sensor also lives under here.
As mentioned previously, here is a better image of how the front hub is built up.
The rack was cleaned up and bolted up to the new subframe, along with the reservoir and steering lines.
Even though the previous drop links looked OK, one of the boots looked suspect so these were replaced after swapping the poly bushes over. The front ARB was then put back on.
I stripped the engine loom apart some time ago to make some small changes, as I wanted to run dual knock sensors and a fuel pressure sensor once the car was built back up. To simplify things, I decided to switch to Denso coil packs, readily available from many Honda models. Two main advantages being - they require no external igniter to fire them (if anyone is interested in more detail, let me know), and have a much quicker dwell time. It basically means I can remove some wiring in the engine, and internal looms.
Obviously a Denso coil pack is not just going to bolt up as the BMW one would, so an adaptor was required. I drew up a template in Solidworks, sent the DWG off and had a batch water cut from aluminium. I tapped one hole to M6 to secure the coil pack and they bolt straight into the head. Don't look far off OEM.
So a couple of weeks on, more has been done. Firstly 6 new M8 rivnuts installed into the subframe, allowing the X-brace to be fitted, which acts as more of a sump guard for me. Didn't actually get a picture of it fitted though!
I then set about building the engine up, ITBs, ancillaries, radiator, panels, etc. I also mounted the brake/clutch reservoir, and the replacement header tank (look familiar to anyone?). The headlights went back on with some solid aluminium spacers, rather than the terrible plastic BMW adjustment screws.
I waned to get the bonnet back on, so the Aerocatches were re-fitted..
The next task was to put together a different cooler mounting setup - the previous setup was damaged in the crash, but as with everything you can always think of a better way the second time round. I also had to consider that I have to use MSA/FIA tow wires, which ideally wanted bolting through the chassis legs.
The problem is the standard crash bar/bumper mounting on an E36 is on dampers, which go into the chassis legs. They usually bolt to the end of each chassis leg, but these would be in the way.
I would need to replace these, allowing a tow wire to pass through into the leg, so I set about making an 'all-in-one' cooler/bumper mount. I started with some 3mm angle, and drilled the PCD of the chassis leg for mounting.
The coolers fit well here.
I dropped it off to be powder coated black, and once it was back trial fitted everything.
The chassis legs were drilled for a high tensile bolt, which the tow wire is secured with, then the bumper mounts bolt to the pieces of roll cage tube, which were welded onto the cooler mount before powder coating.
The bumper still shows signs of the crash, but it will do for now until a replacement comes up in the right colour.
Even though the running gear was already on the car, I spent a day removing it, so I had access to some small areas where the cage/rear sub frame reinforcement had burnt through the under seal. These areas were wire wheeled, and re-sealed, along with the removal of many other small brackets/clips which are no longer required. Everything still looks in great condition...
The whole setup went back on to the car, with the LSD, anti-roll bar, rear brakes and rear brake lines.
Due to the Denso coil pack swap, and a few other requirements, I had to modify the engine loom slightly. The wiring was changed for the coil packs, allowing them to run through the inlet manifold and onto the head, rather than round the engine and in over the exhaust manifolds like standard. Additional sensors were also added, namely dual knock sensors and a fuel pressure sensor.
More soon!
I then set about building the engine up, ITBs, ancillaries, radiator, panels, etc. I also mounted the brake/clutch reservoir, and the replacement header tank (look familiar to anyone?). The headlights went back on with some solid aluminium spacers, rather than the terrible plastic BMW adjustment screws.
I waned to get the bonnet back on, so the Aerocatches were re-fitted..
The next task was to put together a different cooler mounting setup - the previous setup was damaged in the crash, but as with everything you can always think of a better way the second time round. I also had to consider that I have to use MSA/FIA tow wires, which ideally wanted bolting through the chassis legs.
The problem is the standard crash bar/bumper mounting on an E36 is on dampers, which go into the chassis legs. They usually bolt to the end of each chassis leg, but these would be in the way.
I would need to replace these, allowing a tow wire to pass through into the leg, so I set about making an 'all-in-one' cooler/bumper mount. I started with some 3mm angle, and drilled the PCD of the chassis leg for mounting.
The coolers fit well here.
I dropped it off to be powder coated black, and once it was back trial fitted everything.
The chassis legs were drilled for a high tensile bolt, which the tow wire is secured with, then the bumper mounts bolt to the pieces of roll cage tube, which were welded onto the cooler mount before powder coating.
The bumper still shows signs of the crash, but it will do for now until a replacement comes up in the right colour.
Even though the running gear was already on the car, I spent a day removing it, so I had access to some small areas where the cage/rear sub frame reinforcement had burnt through the under seal. These areas were wire wheeled, and re-sealed, along with the removal of many other small brackets/clips which are no longer required. Everything still looks in great condition...
The whole setup went back on to the car, with the LSD, anti-roll bar, rear brakes and rear brake lines.
Due to the Denso coil pack swap, and a few other requirements, I had to modify the engine loom slightly. The wiring was changed for the coil packs, allowing them to run through the inlet manifold and onto the head, rather than round the engine and in over the exhaust manifolds like standard. Additional sensors were also added, namely dual knock sensors and a fuel pressure sensor.
More soon!
