cheapest, quickest and easiest M30 conversion route

[Andy335Touring]

oh yeah, just remembered, i looked on the tag plate on my diff... it's a 3.91!

oh well, it'll be quick off the mark! also i almost never go on a motorway... i'll just have to try it and see what happens i suppose!

Ask Toby, first gear will be use less.

By the sound of it a 3.64 will suit your type driving.

If i could find a big case 3.46LSD you could buy my 3.64LSD, i want slightly longer gearing.

[gareth]

will mine be a small case diff? i'm not sure on the differences as i've not compared them knowingly!

the tag on mine reads: S3.91 7531

[Andy335Touring]

Bonus !

You have an LSD by the sound of it !

See how you get on with it first but at least you won't lose out money wise if you swap it for another LSD.

It should be a big case, i think the way you tell is if you have eight bolts holding the rear cover then it's a big case ?

[gareth]

i knew it was a LSD but i hadn't ever bothered looking up the ratio.

i'll have a bolt count next time i'm under there.

[gareth]

well, things are moving along if a little slower than i would like!

the engine position is finalised at P2.5 (seem popular on here!). the top bellhousing bolt just touches the transmission tunnel sound deadening pad. the rear of the head sits about 3mm away.

i've got the fan sorted, the E32 aircon fan was shot but i remombered a realy neat fan setup i kept from a (don't laugh!) citroen BX 16V GTi that i broke a while ago (it's a pug Mi16 lump so was cannabalised for my 205 project!). the setup uses two meaty fans in a GRP housing that with some trimming fits the E30 perfectly! i'll get some pics up tomorrow.

one problem i found was the bottom pulley... the extra belt for the aircon meant the rad wouldn't fit still (by about 3mm) so i had to cut/grind the front pulley groove off! this is now sorted.

i now need to get relays sorted to drive the fans (one when warm, two when hot using the E32 fan resitor and dual stage thermo switch), fit the rad and hoses (trial fitted, all ok), sort the grear linkages and clutch cylinder, bolt up the prop, fit the downpipes (+ cut to length, weld on flange) then fit the M3 exhaust system. than it's the electrics!!!!

i had a possible cool couple of ideas for the washer bottle:
1) use a non-e30 washer (scrapyard raid time!) mounted on the (now empty) AFM bracket.
2) use a second pump fitted on the rear bottle as it's a tourer!


ok, help time if you please (toby?):
the auto TPS stops the bonnet closing! is the manual one smaller? i can close the bonnet with the connector off so with some soldering and heatshrink this can be resolved but it's messy.

also, toby, if i simply connect the engine multiplug, ecu plug, obvious earths and +ve supplies etc, will it fire up? or am i optomisticly oversimplifying this?

[Andy335Touring]

2) use a second pump fitted on the rear bottle as it's a tourer!

Thats what i did, you just rewire the stalk switch and run a pipe through the car.

[gareth]

i see... seems pretty sensible.

does the rear tank have a level sensor for the check panel? i seem to remember it shares a light with something else?

i actually have the same oil catch tank you've used (rally design one?) from a previous project! don't need it though! i'll need to put something on it as it looks a bit lonely now! (i know, tart or what!)

[Andy335Touring]

i see... seems pretty sensible.

does the rear tank have a level sensor for the check panel? i seem to remember it shares a light with something else?

i actually have the same oil catch tank you've used (rally design one?) from a previous project! don't need it though! i'll need to put something on it as it looks a bit lonely now! (i know, tart or what!)

I don't know if it has a level sensor ?

Yeah, mines from Rally Design, i'm going to remove it soon and plumb my crank case fume pipe back into the intake.

[gareth]

It should be a big case, i think the way you tell is if you have eight bolts holding the rear cover then it's a big case ?

i had a bolt count, and it's got 8 on the rear case.

i've now got most of the wiring and cooling connected up. hopefully i'll get to fire it up today!

[gareth]

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!

i got everything electrical and fuel related connected up on sunday evening and tried to start it...... yunk, yunk, VROOOOOOM!!! second revolution and it fired straight up!!!! the only wiring that was needed was to extend a few wires to neaten it up a bit but otherwise i simply connected it all up! the only thing i've not checked is the unnloader relay issue but as ther's no exhasut at the moment i'll leave that for now. it's LOUD!!!!

there's only 2mm clearance from the HT leads to the rad though...

now i need to fill / change all filters and fluids, rebuild and fit the prop, gear linkages, clutch slave cylinder and exhaust. a day or two and i'm done!!!

oh yeah, the diff has 8 bolts:



here's some pics showing the BX fans etc. the wiring needs to be tidied but it all works!!!!






clearances:

[Andy335Touring]

Nice one !

Like you say rad/dizzy cap looks close ?

[gareth]

it does doesn't it!!! i wonder if it's a pattern rad that's a bit thicker or something?

[TommyC]

Shotgun on the first run round the block!!!!!

(although i'm sure your brothers and missus are in the que already and argueing who's gonna be first!!!!!)

[gareth]

hehe! there's a long que by the passenger door forming already! oh well, doubt i'll get bored too quickly!

[charlE30]

Nice one mate, pleased it's sorted hopefully sort mine in the next month your posts provide a very useful insight as to problems and cures

Did you have any issuse with the prop in P2.5?

[gareth]

i'll let you know this weekend! so far it's all plumbed and wired but i need to sort the prop and exhaust...

so frustrating!!!!! i don't get the chance to do anything during the week!

[TommyC]

Come on man..... i can smell the 's already!!!!!

[gareth]

full steam ahead this weekend matey!

[charlE30]

Have you finished it mate?

[TommyC]

Is that exhaust on yet??

I know it sounded like a WW2 fighter without ........What's it sound like with????

[Andy335Touring]

Wheres he gone ?

[gareth]

sorry lads... been bust recently... DRIVING IT!!!!!!!!!! got it running on sunday night

the exhaust is on, though it took a day to straighten it enough to fit! looks like it really took a wollop in the crash of that poor donor M3. at the moment it's haning on a improvised coat hanger at the rear and some cable ties on the centre rubber mounts! it's also sitting very low so it scrapes a lot! i'm friendly with my local quick fit as they're quite into cars (the own a recently converted mk2 astra 12v turbo, renault alpine V6, sunny gtir etc) so they'll give me a hand on the ramp getting it totally straight so it fits on the rubbers.

all i need to do now is fit the washer bottle (got one from a vitara that should fit well on the old AFM/airbox bracket) and wire in the fans.

it's VERY rapid though! anything over 3000rpm in 2nd in the wet is part throttle only or it's arse-out-tastic!

the brakes will need work next as the ABS packed up recently and they're all soft and in need of a good bleed (boiled the fluid toooo many times!)

one thing i've noticed, the dash appears to have given up while it was stood, i don't have a temp gauge, SI lights are insane, the econometer doesn't work and the speedo is intermittent. is any of this likely to be related to the M30 loom or simply the SI batteries eating things?

[Andy335Touring]

cool mate ! Sounds like your a happy bunny !

No wonder you have been quiet for a few days, busy driving

one thing i've noticed, the dash appears to have given up while it was stood, i don't have a temp gauge, SI lights are insane, the econometer doesn't work and the speedo is intermittent. is any of this likely to be related to the M30 loom or simply the SI batteries eating things?

Not sure about the other stuf but you need an M20 temp senser fitted to your M30 to get it to work.

[gareth]

very happy bunny indeed!

well, i've not yet swapped the temp sensor over so that's one bit solved!

[TommyC]

Right, i'll see you saturday for a blat round the block!!!!!!!!

[gareth]

oh, go on then!

it'll make your IS feel slooooooooooow though... but then i'm sure one of your crotch rockets will outrun the 335i (though i'm not admitting defeat until we've tried it!

[TommyC]

oh, go on then!

it'll make your IS feel slooooooooooow though... but then i'm sure one of your crotch rockets will outrun the 335i (though i'm not admitting defeat until we've tried it!

Well if your car does manage to out run my bike (yeah right) then i'll just have to stick a turbo on it!!!!!

[gareth]

oh, go on then!

it'll make your IS feel slooooooooooow though... but then i'm sure one of your crotch rockets will outrun the 335i (though i'm not admitting defeat until we've tried it!

Well if your car does manage to out run my bike (yeah right) then i'll just have to stick a turbo on it!!!!!

well in that case, i'll have to stick two turbos on mine!!!!!

i seem to remember you telling a tale once about your mates bike being outrun by a 325ix...

anyway, you outrunning me will involve you not falling over while on the startline!

[TommyC]

Thats all in the past.........Haven't dropped a bike in months.......

i seem to remember you telling a tale once about your mates bike being outrun by a 325ix...

The car gave him some hassle once it had stopped spinning up all four wheels when the lights went green, didn't say he was outrun!!!

It was stripped out, with a roll cage in it, with two crash helmets in a net attached to that, so it's safe to assume it had more than 220bhp

Probably as noisy, uncomfortable and cold as a bike which is where your car has the edge

[gareth]

i fitted the M20 temp sensor and now the temp gauge works...

getting there!

[Andy335Touring]

[TommyC]

M30B35 conversion now... complete!!!! the torque has now infected my veins!!!

You're not wrong there!! That thing is scary!!!

Fischentailen und wiellenspinn likenbastid mit 3 Zahnräder!!!!!

Das ist KRAZY!!!!!

[Andy335Touring]

M30B35 conversion now... complete!!!! the torque has now infected my veins!!!

You're not wrong there!! That thing is scary!!!

Fischentailen und wiellenspinn likenbastid mit 3 Zahnräder!!!!!

Das ist KRAZY!!!!!

LOL , have you had a fun ride today ?

BTW can you translate that ?

[gareth]

that's classic!

for those of you who can't read tommygarethgermanese (c), this means

fishtailing and wheelspinning like a bastid while in 3rd gear!

to be precise i was flat out in 2nd, came to 4000rpm and it spooled up so changed hard to third and span the wheels effortlessly at 5000rpm for about 300 metres!!! third gear drifytastic fun!

[TommyC]

tommygarethgermanese (c)

LOL , have you had a fun ride today ?

Oooh yeah!!

Gareth has restored the sensible/stupid balance with that car.

I have recently fitted cruise control to my daily driver and can now get 41mpg on the motorway........and gareth reported earlier he got 90 miles to a tankfull!!!!!!!!