BMW E30 M-Tech cabrio, V8

[Jonsku]

Thought i'll write something about this project, been around this forum quite a long time now.

Here's the showroom thread

Anyways, i built my cabrio for three years and got it ready for this summer. Drove it for ~7000km but then decided to swap M30 to M60.

Biggest head aches in V8 swap are exhaust manifolds and brake-thingie relocation, namely relocating e34 brake booster where abs pump used to be and abs pump there where battery used to be.
I'm using www.300mm.de engine mounts.

Here's size comparision between m30 and m60:




I've been workin on the car this week quite a lot, now the engine bay looks like this:


Anyways, i'll be updating this thread every now and then, here you can find all the project pictures i'll be taking:
http://users.tkk.fi/~jhaukile/E30_V8.html

Feel free to ask and comment whatever crosses your mind.

[Ziggy]

Legend. I reckon I might do the same upgrade one day - got to love the V8!

[jaffro]

thare was a e30 at tatton today that had this conversion what a machine. cant wait for the pics as you get along with this conversion good work

[Jindmahi]

Mr Jonsku..hope all goes well and would love to see more pics

[gooner1]

Jonsku, the picture of your cab minus the engine, and most of the front made me cringe
Having said that, after watching your thread on the previous build, i have nothing but pure admiration for your work and style. What line of work are you in? If that is not too much of an intrusion.

[bigpimpin]

WoW !

[Jonsku]

Thanks

Not much happening this week, ordered some gaskets and found, at last, guy who's willing to sand-blast and powdercoat some parts

What line of work are you in? If that is not too much of an intrusion.

Np, i'm studying naval architecture at university and actually this is my first big project car. After all, it's just bolts and wires

[Ziggy]

After all, it's just bolts and wires

That's exactly what I say when people seem amazed at my lowly M30 swap... The difference being that it's pretty much true with an M30, & far from it with the damn exhaust setup on the M60!

[Jonsku]

After all, it's just bolts and wires

That's exactly what I say when people seem amazed at my lowly M30 swap... The difference being that it's pretty much true with an M30, & far from it with the damn exhaust setup on the M60!

Yea well, my friend has E30 with V8 and his manifolds didn't look to bad. But that remains to be seen when i get to work with my manifolds.


Anyways, this weekend i stripped the engine so i got the parts to cleaning-machine etc. Lots of chain in this machine!
Couple more pics here.

[cliffybabe]

dude i want ur workshop, looks like a cracking

[Jon_Bmw]

Its great, when you look at a v8 engine stripped like that one, you realise its not 'that' big an engine and it will fit in. When its in with all its plastic covers, thats when it becomes big.

[e30topless]

great project looking forward to more pics wouldn't like to have to swap that timing chain

[Andyboy]

If anyone wants a nice 3.0 V8 and 5 speed manual box, I have one here plus a spare box/flywheel/prop.

[AUS325IS]

I wonder how this will handle i've been contemplating this swap my self for a while but been put of by thinking it might be too nose heavy and the braking system would be compremised with the remote booster needed

[Jonsku]

I wonder how this will handle i've been contemplating this swap my self for a while but been put of by thinking it might be too nose heavy and the braking system would be compremised with the remote booster needed

Actually M60 is few kg's lighter than M30, and because it's quite a lot shorter it'll improve handling compared to M30.
I didn't have any handling problems with M30.

Braking system is virtually the same as in V8 E34's, i use E34 540 booster and master cylinder but the linkage has to be modified.

Got my engine mounts at last and cleaned some parts:





Some more here.

[AUS325IS]

i thought you have to use remote booster as it won't fit on the firewall

[Jonsku]

i thought you have to use remote booster as it won't fit on the firewall

Yes you've to use remote booster, but that's the way BMW did it in their E34 V8 cars. Just check for example mobile / autoscout for E34 V8's for sale and their under the hood pics.

Here's one untidy example of E34 brakesetup mounted on E30.

[oze30]

I used a twin master cylinder setup under the dash. No servo. You could try an E36 pedal box as this puts the servo on the rhs and clears a bit better (You have more room to play with when there's no fuse box there! )

[2_stroke]

If anyone wants a nice 3.0 V8 and 5 speed manual box, I have one here plus a spare box/flywheel/prop.

i dont supose you would sell just the box and does it fit an m62 engine? thats the 4.4 v8 outa the 840ci only a mate of mine has got one and wants to convert it to manual.
if not then do ya know what boxes fit on these engines??

oh and it looks a mint progect mate far from my backyard bodges lol keep it up bro

[oze30]

If anyone wants a nice 3.0 V8 and 5 speed manual box, I have one here plus a spare box/flywheel/prop.

i dont supose you would sell just the box and does it fit an m62 engine? thats the 4.4 v8 outa the 840ci only a mate of mine has got one and wants to convert it to manual.
if not then do ya know what boxes fit on these engines??

oh and it looks a mint progect mate far from my backyard bodges lol keep it up bro

Box should fit, though not sure about clutches etc as they were a diferent size from m60b30/b40/b44

[oze30]

What are you doing for exhaust? Mine will be up for sale soon.

[JazzMan]

Going to keep an eye on this project, it's one I've wanted to do for a long time

[Jonsku]

Box should fit, though not sure about clutches etc as they were a diferent size from m60b30/b40/b44

Flywheel, gearbox, starter are all interchangeable between M60, M62 and S62. Clutch is different depending on flywheel and box.

[Jonsku]

What are you doing for exhaust? Mine will be up for sale soon.

I'm going to do it by myself, shouldn't be that bad as people think but we'll see when i get to it..

[Jonsku]

And she's in!



All the things in the picture are bolted to on place, so thigs start to look good.

Still have to fabricate the brake linkage and exhaust manifolds.

Got parts from powder coating also



Bought one special thingie to driveline, will pick it up this week ...

Couple more pics here.

[oze30]

HOW'D you get the engine that low? i couldn't even get the strut brace across the injector boxes without it rubbing. I guess that's what happens when you home brew your mounts!!

Looking sweet though! What are you doing shift linkage wise?

[oze30]

Cancel that. I see you used the spacers. It's not needed, but you can use them.

[JazzMan]

That's looking nice

[Jonsku]

HOW'D you get the engine that low? i couldn't even get the strut brace across the injector boxes without it rubbing. I guess that's what happens when you home brew your mounts!!

Looking sweet though! What are you doing shift linkage wise?

There's barely 2mm between oilpan and front axle, so it's really really close. And yes, i use spacers. Hopefully it won't be too low.

I got the transmission today, Getrag S6S 420G , the shift linkage has to be shortened quite a lot but otherwise nothing special with that.

[citizensnips]

alright, i'm about to start doing this conversion myself, what are the implications of using the spacers?

are they from 300mm.de? cost?

[maxfield]

Fucking awesome

[Jonsku]

alright, i'm about to start doing this conversion myself, what are the implications of using the spacers?

It's like lowering your car 20mm, basically. Of course the angles of (no idea what they are called) supporting arms / steering column thingies go bad if you've lowered your car a lot and then drop front subframe additional 20mm. But that's the thing you've to accept when doing this.

You can, of course, make some kind of uniball-type solutions for the "bearings" but be sure to make them well, not good losing your front tire doing 200km/h..

Yes the spacers are from 300mm.de

Sorry but don't even dream doing the conversion if you can't read the price out of website

[Jonsku]

Oh yeah, i bought some original-teile from BMW and got the brake linkage "ready" (as can be seen in the pictures, it needs a lot of welding and detailing but it works!





Here're parts that need modifying / need to be made, those too needed quite a lot of work before they look as they should but their functionality is good.



Got the parts to powdercoating yesterday, and all the bolts etc to "surface passivation". So next weekend i think i'm going to get the engine bolted togetger, at last

[citizensnips]

Ah i couldnt find them as was looking in the engine mount section 99 euro's blooming heck,

i've yet to track down the master cylinder from a five series but once i do i'm sure i'll have some more inane questions

[Speedtouch]

Jonsku wrote:
"There's barely 2mm between oilpan and front axle, so it's really really close. And yes, i use spacers. Hopefully it won't be too low. "


Looks great, but won't there be problems if the V8 rocks on its mounts a little, with such little clearance between sump and crossmember and rocker boxes and strut brace?