Alpina B10 Bi turbo, this car is haunting me 11/2/15

[Simon13]

Si have you given up on the other Pina?

I would love a blast in one of these chariots.

no the money I had to finish off the e30 has been consumed by this!

White knuckle rides can be offered! B10's a beast is about the right word when it works. C2 is like any good 2.7 e30 just right grunt to make it entertaining. The B3 is rather civilised but the 3.2 is a peach of a mill.

I've got the M20 head and block at the machine shop now but they're always busy and unless you shout he doesn't do it. So i'll keep it like that for now!


I think the spending can nearly stop now. Picked up the new £764 clutch yesterday with 20% discount! Big thanks to Barry and Vines Gatwick for sorting this out. My dealer would only go to 10% max on it.

Lots more to come Monday when im back up the unit

[Speedtouch]

Jeez, I've heard of quite a few horror stories with those 2-post lifts, with cars falling off and sometimes onto people.

But, they do make such jobs so much easier.

Surprised to hear it has M20 engine mounts. I had a 1988 E34 535iSE that I did a max speed run on, getting an impressive indicated 147 units of speed, shortly prior to discovering the nearside engine mount wasn't attached to anything!

[Simon13]

no its not got the same mounts as an M20, I mean't that these mounts break in half over like M20 mounts do.

I can't say how fast that engine has been with the mount like that

[Morat]

I hope the clutch came in a box with a nice ribbon on it. Jeezzzzz!

[scott180gtb]

£764

Thats the average cost of zone car! Deep pockets indeed.

[scott180gtb]

£764

Thats the average cost of zone car! Deep pockets indeed.

[Simon13]

what else do you do? everything I've heard is any aftermarket ones don't last much longer than 3000 miles so whats the point?

[anothere21323i]

what else do you do? everything I've heard is any aftermarket ones don't last much longer than 3000 miles so whats the point?

Precisely the reason why you've done the right thing by getting genuine parts. Anything else would be a waste of time/money as you'd end up doing the whole job again much sooner.

[snakebrain]

The sting in your wallet will be forgotten long before the pleasure the car gives you is...

[Blitz]

You cant really compare the parts prices of a mass produced saloon car with a bespoke high performance car. Im sure the E60 M5 clutch costs quite a bit more.

[Simon13]

Thinking about it theres no other manual bmw ever made that makes more torque? they're all autos

I think even the 850CSI is eclipsed

edit current M5 stateside comes 6 speed.

[snakebrain]

20 years later though...

[Simon13]

Well what i'm hoping is newer clutch materials will mean a much lighter pedal as it was properly heavy and tiresome driving it in town.

[Simon13]

pair of new rear pilot sports,





posh clutch, all comes in a nice box for your efforts






worlds biggest flywheel ever. A singlemass lightweight job could transform this car I expect!





I've been cleaning/wire brushing/ protecting brake/Traction/SLS pipes along the way. Like the diff oil cooler grill thingy. Nearly filled a tray with built up mud..........







if only e30 rear arches looked like this after 20 years!





New prop centre bearing mount. One of the few things I can get aftermarket that's available and not made in Italy





This oil seal was pissing out, strange as Birds garage did it a couple of years ago according to service history





New seal in, lets hope it all stays oil tight longer.

Forgot the camera today, but no ones missed out. I bolted the diff back in today so I feel like its all moving back in the other direction not stripping/cleaning/running around buying new bits although a fair way to go still.

[darren_mk]

Great update - as usual.

[e30topless]

she's getting some love/dollars there Si,

Nice you got a 2 post makes life a lot easier, you bolting the snails on and dropping the car onto the donk ?
got to be better than going in the top and getting rash sticking the blowers on in place?

[Simon13]

Another good day in tut office





PAS adjuster bracket. Last one from Germany so the dealer said





This motorsport item's days are over. Garages eh? under £5 it cost






Big diff in situ. Was a bit trying on my own. Connecting up all the oil cooler bits and plugs is fiddley. No more oil leaks lets hope





Love a bit of bespoke alpinaness






Subframe bush time! With the proper tool lent from Barold the 3rd of course.







Nice bush eh?






half the old bush coming out. The middle fell out with the slightest of wiggles







Winding new one in......





Bolt the plate back on, repeat on the other side.

The old bushes were 2008! considering the previous keeper only averaged around 5000 miles per annum they don't last that long!

So all that's left on the rear is to fit the new fuel filter and the exhaust back box heatshield.

[ricey46]

Looking good Si!

[darren_mk]

Good work!

Love the cooled diff!

Why such a big flywheel on them?

[Demlotcrew]

These are the nuts you need, the ones you bought on eBay wont last.

http://www.clarendoneng.co.uk/pdfs/aero ... 0HM35A.pdf

The silver plated ones will do the job perfectly - Claredon offer retail sales but with a minimum order of £25.

I use them on my turd - £4.50 +Vat Each (for m6, M 8 might be more).





If you want something more OE looking, then an email to these guys might be worth the effort.

http://www.nasbolts.co.uk/acatalog/copy ... _Nuts.html

You may also want to consider some proper paste;

http://www.tizaro.com/product/LU11EC/lo ... tAod_W4ADw

Also where did you source the studs?

[Simon13]

They're M 8 , and £5 each from alpina and I need 30. I've not changed the studs on the head, manifolds the turbo rebuilders replaced the studs on the turbo.

The studs are £33 each from alpina but they've changed the design from original with longer studs and thick 5mm ish washers for the head to manifold section.

[winx]

Think we have an account at Clarendons Si if you need anything.

[Demlotcrew]

The studs are more thank likely Inconel at that price. You may have issues with the studs supplied by the Turbo refurbishers as they snap clean off at high temperatures in regular steel form.

There are reasons why Alpina parts are so expensive. Karan has been looking at sourcing Inconel studs in the UK, but the best he can find is in America.

https://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?de ... r=36-10339

https://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?de ... r=36-19300

I have yet to call Claredons to see if they can source some.

[Simon13]

They're not Inconel this is the tech spec of the nuts and studs for the manifolds


High temperature austenic steel - nuts

Material number - 1.4980
Material abbreviation - X5 NiCrTi 26-15
Temperature limit - +650 c
Marking - SD

Heat resistant nickel based alloy - studs

Material number - 2.4952
Material abbreviation - NiCr20 TiAl
Temperature limit +700 c
Marking - SB

Turbo place could tell the temps are high on these cars but didn't think their studs weren't up to the job. I'm a bit off this just yet.

Seems a lot of K nuts searching online are rated to 425 degrees max

[Demlotcrew]

Are those values for the Head to manifold studs or manifold to turbo studs?

The high temp Aeronuts will withstand up to 650ºC, im not convinced on the ones from eBay and their over estimation of what a steel coper plated nut can take, especially not at that price.

Im just about to email Clarendon with stud sizes, they have said they can manufacture Inconel 718 studs to any size.

[Simon13]

I think its manifold to head stuff. I'm hoping I can re use? I've got a lot of the old k nuts I could re use also. i'd need to buy a few to make up the 30 needed

you could spend more on nuts and studs than the cost of the turbo rebuilds.

The whole car is exotic, might look like any other e34 but it aint.

Found out today the prop centre bearing is bespoke for the car. The rubber mount is generic e34. The bearing is only available from Alpina, tried the back door at INA who made them but they're tied up in contract with alpina on it. Sounds just like the clutch all over!


Any how replacing the studs from the manifold to turbo is what the turbo guys said to do. Can they not be re used?

[Demlotcrew]

If its head to manifold then the High temp M 8 Silver Plated Knuts will be ideal!

The manifold to turbo and turbo to downpipe you may need to invest in some Inconel Studs and use the silver plated Knuts with Nikel anti seize grease (which you should use anyway).

If the studs come back as too expensive, then titanium studs may prove to be the next best option.

[Simon13]

That grease is £80 the money tree is bare now! Studs at £10 plus £5 per nut is going to kill it.

[Demlotcrew]

I can give you a tea spoon size dollop of Nikel paste, that should be enough.

Last thing you need is to be dropping the exhaust and snapping a stud in the turbo. (as the clutches wear so quickly).

[Simon13]

M 8 with no space makes the spam filter kick in! I've mailed nasbolts about the m 8 k nuts so hopefully they will get back to me on it.

[pacerpete]

Top work Simon ! Epic paedofest !!!! Suprised you did not paedo the pumpkin while she was on the deck ?

[Demlotcrew]

Just had a price back for the 718 Inconel Studs, you are looking at £25 each with a 3 week build time.

I wonder if Winx can get a better price?

[Kedge]

Good work as always Si!

Regarding the rear bushes, could you try the void fillers Dan sells to increase the life of them?

[Demlotcrew]

Look at how wide these tyres are!



Keep them slightly under inflated or the middle will wear quicker than the edges (if all the geo is spot on of course).

[Morat]

They are indeed epic. I swear this thing looks better from underneath!
Is that wrong?