E30 Zone

Afternoon All

Can anyone help with a steering/exhaust rubbing issue?

I have an 1986 M20 (is that right?) 325i with an E30 M3 steering rack. Just put an M50 (about 1989/90) head on it with exhaust and manifold.

Under hard braking/left turns the steering column is rubbing on the exhaust.

I have read through the other topics and it seems that I need to either raise or replace the engine mounts.

Any advice as the best way forward (poly?) and where to get them?

Thanks

Hunty

You won't have an e30 M3 steering rack if you are RHD..

Should still be an M20 head.. Just a later one.

Good point but, Ajec Racing fitted it and said it was a complete M3 unit with the power steering etc?

It was an E36 non power version before that.

Have just had the head, inlet and outlet manifolds changed over along with the exhaust off a late 325i. The Manifold and exhaust are different and larger to my original pre-face lift version.

You can see where the knuckle joint on the steering column rubs the exhaust - so need to increase the clearance.

Poly engine mounts?

Morning Gents

Does anyone have any ideas of the best fix for this?

Thanks

H

You could try one of Danthe's steering linkages, have a look at the link below, scroll down the page and you'll see some pictures.

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... &start=175

I had the same problem on my 325 when I put in an e36 rack.

There is also a mod using ice hockey pucks as engine mounts, not tried this myself but a few on here have.

Hi MrBenn

Many thanks - I will go and have a look.

I take it this is what you went for and it sorted it?

Cheers

H

Hi Hunty, no I didn't use one of them, I only really noticed I'd had the problem when I took the engine out and saw the dents on the exhaust. I had modified my steering linkage to have a solid metal donut in place of the rubber one (#3 in pic below) so I presume the smooth edges meant it didn't lock the steering and I hardly noticed it was happening. I did quite a few track days with it too, and the engine was just on new standard bushes.



You one of the Ajec racing team?

Thanks MrBenn

That is interesting - I am wondering if new or harder bushes at the engine mount would fix it. Local garage Lateshift Racing have done the recent work and think that might be the best option.

Not part of Ajec - they did a lot of work on my car when I first got it - looking forward to attending one of their track days once I get this steering issue sorted.

Thanks again

Hunty

Hunty wrote:Thanks MrBenn

That is interesting - I am wondering if new or harder bushes at the engine mount would fix it. Local garage Lateshift Racing have done the recent work and think that might be the best option.

Not part of Ajec - they did a lot of work on my car when I first got it - looking forward to attending one of their track days once I get this steering issue sorted.

Thanks again

Hunty

Is it knocking on the donut as I mentioned? Or somewhere else?

I just had a thought, my e36 steering rack is mounted in the front holes on the crossmember (which isn't really right) so worth checking where yours is mounted and where you are getting contact.

Stiffer engine rubbers would definitely help and also some kind of heat shield arrangement (the standard aluminium cowling is pretty good, if you still have it) for the rubber bush under the exhaust manifold as they can get cooked and rip apart.

It is touching on the knuckle joint (if that is what its called) You can see the marks on the exhaust - and it is only when turning left mainly when braking, but you can feel it when and hard left cornering is going on.

Lateshift checked the mounting yesterday and made sure everything was tight - they also tried to raise the engine mounts slightly which seemed to improve it, but not a perfect fix yet.

Any idea who sells Poly mounts? I have sent Jimmy a note at RPM but not heard back from him yet.

Just emailed you back ref the engine mounts

Hi
We do h/duty engine mounts 9mm thicker £68.00 pair
Fred
07809119082
Ark Automotive

Thanks Fred and Jimmy

Lateshift managed to get some new and much harder compound mounts (also seem a bit thicker) and with those and some shims as spacers, I think we have enough clearance. Seems ok on the road, so just the track test to fully check.

Thanks again for your help.

Hunty

Landrover mounts are much harder and cost about £8 each, just a bit shorter than M20 mounts though

DanThe wrote:Landrover mounts are much harder and cost about £8 each, just a bit shorter than M20 mounts though

Would it make clearance between exhaust and steering linkage worse as they are a bit shorter?

Hi Gent

Just for anyone else who may have the problem - the ones I have are from GSF. They were taller than the old ones that came out and much much stiffer.

We also raised the engine slightly with some shims as spacers and it does seem to have done the trick.

Which mounts did you use? Its not good practice to raise an engine TBH, the mounts will have to work harder and are likely to give up sooner

Hi DanThe - there were replacement ones as far as I know - they fitted with the location lug etc.

Would you suggest to remove the shims and do something else to clear the exhaust?

Cheers

Are you sure there is no play in the uj? Turn it a quarter turn then give the joint a side to side wiggle. Ware in the joints is common.

I had the same problem with a standard rack and a chinese exhaust.

Some filing and taking the edges off the universal gave a couple of millimetres and a hammer into the exhaust got a few more. That fixed it.

Since then a Z3 rack has gone on with no problems at all.