Yet Another 335I! ... Now With Turbo

[gareth]

driftboy, if you're ever down near hastings i'd happily take you for a quick spin round the block to compare my conversion to yours in case it's running ok and you're overestimating it. and see what difference a 3.91:1 diff makes! mine spins the wheels happily in second and i have nice sticky (bald!!!) toyo 215/40/16 proxes.

oh, duane. i have to agree with the sig pic! wish i'd painted my manifold now! looks shweeeeeet!

[DRIFTBOY]

Gareth - I've only just noticed your last post on here!

Sorry - it must have looked sooo rude of me after such a kind offer!

I would love to take you up on that - whenever is convenient for you really, it's only 30 - 40 minutes drive from mine to Hastings. I still haven't even seen under the bonnet of another 335i ! I'd be especially interested in seeing how it's supposed to go too.

I'm a bit embarrassed by my car at the moment so I'd have to park it round the corner! It doesn't say much for my workmanship as it is now!

Thanks!

[gareth]

no worries mate! pm on it's way...........

[DRIFTBOY]

This topic should be titled "My Disaster On Wheels!"

Or "The Zone Joke!"

I really wish I hadn't bothered with this rusty pile of dung!

I should take Andy335Touring's advice and get it on a rolling road to sort the engine running problem out but I got all impatient today and went to a local scrappy and got another 3.5 air flow meter and a fuel rail with pressure regulator and set of injectors. From listening with an ear to a screwdriver the fuel rail sounded like the 'tappety' noise was coming from that. Fitted them all one by one and... no difference at all!
Still runs like a stoned kangaroo and sounds like a worn out tumble drier full of bolts!

Fitted my new chip and that has made a nice difference to acceleration and throttle response so that was a good purchase which I can recommend, but that clearly wasn't the root of my problems.

And just for good measure my rebuilt engine has developed a big oil leak!

And my driver's Corbeau seat has developed a very annoying squeak.

And one of my black kidney grilles fell off, which I then ran over.

And the kids down my street find it very amusing bouncing a football on it to set the new alarm off.



My mum was right, I should have got a Nissan Micra!

[Andy335Touring]

Chin up dude, i'm sure you will sort these niggly teething problems out, it's just a shame your so far away otherwise i'd have popped over for a chat and to try to help out if i could.

Wheres the oil leak comming from ?

And the kids down my street find it very amusing bouncing a football on it to set the new alarm off

This would make my blood boil, but the catch is if you do some thing about it, worse things could happen to your car than just a ball hitting it, little toe rags !

[DRIFTBOY]

Thanks for the kind thoughts dude!

I'm starting to wonder if the rattling is something bad inside the engine!

Oil leak has only started a couple of days ago (that I've noticed) and weather has been very wet here this week so haven't looked at that yet.

The kids down my street aren't generally bad - not 'bad ass hoodies' or anything so I'm sure it won't escalate. I just leave the alarm going when it starts. I'm sure they, or their parents will soon get fed up of the noise!
It is a wind-up though.

I have spoken Gareth today and he has very kindly invited me down to his place (only 25 or so miles from me) to have a look over his 335i tomorrow. Maybe I can get some ideas from that.

I'm being assisted tonight by my good friend... -

[Andy335Touring]

I have spoken Gareth today and he has very kindly invited me down to his place (only 25 or so miles from me) to have a look over his 335i tomorrow. Maybe I can get some ideas from that.

Cool, you will be able to try to swap some bits over with out it costing big bucks and another set of hands/eyes might be able to spot some thing.

It's a shame you never collard(sp?) me or Gareth at the pod meet.

It's probobly too far but are you going to the meet at Donnington Park on the 22nd ?

[DRIFTBOY]

Yeah, I'm taking my torque wrench and will swap cylinder heads when he isn't looking!

Seriously though, there isn't much left that I haven't swapped without it being a major job, and I wouldn't ask/expect that of anyone anyway.

As you say though, a fresh pair of eyes and ears and hands could help.

I saw both of your lovely looking cars at Santa Pod but nobody was with them at those times, and I don't know what anyone looks like anyway so wouldn't have recognised you!

I doubt I'll make it to the Donnington meet - cost of fuel and the thought of driving my awful car that distance is just horrendous!

I must say though, I was being a bit of a hooligan in it today (it was bone dry) and was smiling at how easily it slides around the right hand bends!
Can't do left hand ones because the steering locks when the manifold hits the steering coupling!

Went to my local pub (not driving) earlier and had a couple of comments about the loudness of my exhaust too!

[gareth]

Yeah, I'm taking my torque wrench and will swap cylinder heads when he isn't looking!

i've heard about you maidstone lot. i've got tamperproof headbolts on it now!!!!

i am happy to play swapsies with any bits if you want to trace a fault down. everything on mine seems to be running fine.

bloody shame you couldn't find us at santa pod but that's life!

i've got a pair of kidney grilles kicking about if you want them?

[Andy335Touring]

How did it go ?

[gareth]

no luck. tried your leads and my icv but it seems like one cylinder that is down, but not fully...

it's got a regular rythmic slight missfire that increases with revs.

i'm a bit stumped to be honest

[DRIFTBOY]

Interesting! And kind of depressing too!

Many thanks again to Gareth though, couldn't have been more helpful.

I'm impressed with how his car goes with a standard (apart from exhaust) engine.
Even donated me a spair set of kidney grilles.

We swapped a few parts over too but no difference.
I also noticed - only when I got to Hastings that my rear bumper is covered in oil spots - the first time that has happened.
Then by chance when we were chatting about non-BMW engines he said something which made me think. Perhaps I have a valve guide issue. I didn't replace those when I put the head together so...???

Maybe my cylinder head joke was not so funny now!

I feel a trip to the scrappy on saturday coming on! Then some big engine surgery!

Gareth also makes a cracking cup of tea! (i'm a tea connoisseur)!

[keri-WMS]

Oil splats and lack of power on one cyl - could it be compression?

A half-dropped ring would explain it, you can do a quick check by seeing if there's lots of pressure when you undo the oil filler cap with the engine running / revving?

Sorry if this has been covered!

[Andy335Touring]

Shame you didn't get to the bottom of it.

When you rebuilt your engine did you feel any play in the valves/guides ?

Any oil showing on the plugs ?

Yeah, my guides aint to good but it only shows by closing the trottle at hight revs as it smokes a bit.

[gareth]

Many thanks again to Gareth though, couldn't have been more helpful.

no worries mate.

Gareth also makes a cracking cup of tea! (i'm a tea connoisseur)!

i still have to try it out cleaning a ICV but if my tea is that good it would be a waste.

there was quite a splattering of oil though... the mention of the valve guides being ground flush in the interest of airflow was worrying though, i wonder if the two could be connected.

Oil splats and lack of power on one cyl - could it be compression?

A half-dropped ring would explain it, you can do a quick check by seeing if there's lots of pressure when you undo the oil filler cap with the engine running / revving?

i think the rings were all replaced during the rebuild? we tried removing the oil filler cap to see if there was a big difference due to extra air inlet but as these engines have such massive crankcase breathers, it just made it run as rough as a dog!

[keri-WMS]

we tried removing the oil filler cap to see if there was a big difference due to extra air inlet but as these engines have such massive crankcase breathers, it just made it run as rough as a dog!

What through unmetered air going in via the oil filler, then into inlet manifold via the crankcase breather?

[gareth]

yup. lots of it though 1" hoses!

no nasty stinky fumes getting out of these suckers! a perished oil filler cap seal will whistle as it sucks air past and it will idle like sh1te!

it does act as a good early warning for leaving the oil filler cap off though!

[DRIFTBOY]

Thanks for all the ideas guys - keep them coming!

The piston rings are new - with honed bores.

Keri - forgive my ignorance but I'm not sure what you mean by a ring being "half dropped". The pistons were in very good condition on their skirts and ring lands.
I haven't compression tested it yet as my compression tester has broken!

When I put the valves in I didn't notice any excessive play.

No oil on the plugs, I've had them out a few times. I haven't noticed smoke from the exhaust either, but not driven it at night much when you notice it in the headlights of a following car!

[gareth]

Keri - forgive my ignorance but I'm not sure what you mean by a ring being "half dropped".

sounds like keri speak for a damaged or cracked ring.

thinking about it, rings don't tend to chuck out 'oil' so much as smoke as it gets burned. oil being thrown out the tailpipe is a lot more likely from exhaust valved.

did you get the head crack tested when it was gasflowed? is there any chance it's thin near an exhaust port and a oilway, leading to a crack? that would totally suck though!

[keri-WMS]

Keri - forgive my ignorance but I'm not sure what you mean by a ring being "half dropped". The pistons were in very good condition on their skirts and ring lands.

Nothing too specific (Keri-speak is about right!), I suppose a broken ring that's not totaled the piston yet would be a better description.

I had that happen to my Mk1 Escort years ago, I broke a ring while chasing Gareth who was in his old E30 316!!! It never really went as well ever again (top speed dropped from 115ish to 79!) and it finally failed by burning a hole down the side of the piston and melting the skirt!

In fact I was chasing Gareth AGAIN when it finally went pop! This time he was in his Mk2 Escort RS2000 though... RIP

Come to think of it, I was trying to lose Gareth who was in his 205 1.6Gti when I blew the first engine in the Mk1 MR2!!! I think I've spotted a theme here...

[DRIFTBOY]

It's possible I could have cracked a ring putting them in, but I was very careful and have done it many times before. And would a cracked ring make that much noise!?

As for guides, I would have thought worn inlet guides would cause more oil down the exhaust as the piston is drawing air in on the inlet side (sucking oil down the side of the valve) but blowing gas out on the exhaust stroke (pushing oil back up the guide). ?

[keri-WMS]

One thing that CAN happen is a result of the way the rings and bores wear into each other. The top corner/edge of the ring wears away to form a radius. This then leaves a negative raised "ramp" in the bore that leads up to the lip that's left at the top of the bore.

What happens is if you fit new rings to worn bores the rings have nice new sharp corners/edges and these smack into the ramped bit in the bores! Because the ramp is so smooth it can survive honing, only a proper rebore will totally shift it....

Just a possibility!

[gareth]

hehe! your hairdressers car doesn't stand a chance now keri!!!!

anyway, it was a 318i....

regarding the valve guides, i agree with your logic driftboy. my experience was with the exhaust valve but the inlet would be more prone to sucking oil through. does it smoke from startup?

[DRIFTBOY]

It doesn't blow smoke on start up.

Interesting about the rings and bores Keri, never heard of or thought of that before but it makes good sense.
The bores looked very good even before honing but I know that you can't always go on how it looks.
I flippin' hope it isn't bottom end trouble though!
I don't know if my skinny little spine can handle lifting another M30 engine!

[gareth]

I don't know if my skinny little spine can handle lifting another M30 engine!

they are a tad on the heavy side aren't they!!!!

[DRIFTBOY]

The aluminium head all built up with the inlet on is bad enough -- nevermind the iron block!

My girlfriend has offered to lend me her car if I want to take mine off the road so I might take the head off this week and have a look.

I can't believe it's come to this after 2 weeks and just 650 miles of running!

[gareth]

looking on the bright side, happy 500th post

i wonder if your girlfriend is hoping it will never go back on the road...?

[DRIFTBOY]

Oh yeah!

I'M A REGULAR!!!!

WITH 2 BMW SIGN THINGIES!!!

My girlfriend hopes it catches fire and is totally destroyed!

[Andy335Touring]

Shame your so far away because i've got a spare bottom end if you need it, but touch wood you don't !

[DRIFTBOY]

Thanks Andy!
Just been talking to the girlfriend - she's actually being quite sympathetic considering she hates the car so much! - so might take the head off very soon.

Going to order a head gasket and new head bolts tomorrow.
I'll look at valve guide and valve prices too.

This is just my flippin' luck!

[nickso]

man this is depressing reading.

im having trouble with lot of top end noise when my m30 gets hot. after fannying around with the tappets (a lot!)....ive decided it could be the injectors as my own screwdriver stethoscope seems to point to them....particularly numbers 2, 3 and 5.

i was going to try and find a fuel rail in the scrappy and see if it made a difference. im assuming it made no difference to yours?

my engine pulls like a train but is suffering from very poor fuel economy and emissions, but absolutely no oil use

hope its not piston rings or whatever else you guys are thinking for driftboys engine

ive decided if it does turn out to be anything serious im just going to thrash it to death and rebuild it/replace it though...the first bit will be fun

nick

[gareth]

at least a standard M30 alone is cheap... though driftboys one owes hime a few quid and hours though...

[DRIFTBOY]

More than a few hundred quid Gareth!!!
The crank bearings and piston rings were a few hundred quid on their own!
Then there was the gasket sets, head bolts, Schrick camshaft, head porting, water pump, timing chains etc. etc. ! And it took days - not hours!!!

I tried another set of (used) injectors on saturday but it made no difference at all! Mine is much worse when the engine is hot too.

I'm watching a few potential donor cars on Ebay.

Might start stripping it tomorrow night. Well it has done nearly 700 miles now so it must be about due for a rebuild!!!

[gareth]

if you get sick of it, i'd swap if for my 320i if you want

[DRIFTBOY]

I'm tempted!!!