M30 / E30 custom loom?

Post Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:09 pm

i currently have a M30B35 with no loom or gearbox which im sticking into my E30, i was thinking of fabricating a new engine loom. what is your guys thoughts on this?

im also looking into after market ECU. any preferences on this?

cheers
ben

Post Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:19 pm

Fabricating an engine loom sounds rather complicated to me!

I'd just get a loom from a scrappy, I bought on a while a go for about £30.

Megasquirt is a popular choice (and the one I'm using) of ecu on here and a few guys are well clued up on it, but not me!
Seems to be cheaper than the others..?
I've never had another after market ecu so I have nothing to compare it to.

Post Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:37 pm

ah i see. how easy is it to mod the E30 loom to work with the M30?

this megasquirt, where can i get it mapped? and how good is it on forced induction?

cheers

Post Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:43 pm

It depends which E30 you are starting with but my facelift 1988 325 I c101 plugged straight into the M30 loom.
Only two wires had to be swapped over (for the swingyometer thingy under the rev counter) and one wire cut and run down to the starter motor.

Ant (A-Tech) on here is a Megasquirt whizz, he mapped my M30 turbo for me, so that answers that too!

Post Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:48 pm

I have a complete Megasquirt ECU from my 325i Sport available - please PM if interested

Post Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:49 pm

mines a 89 320i so might be slightly different? hopefully not though.
is there any mods i need to do to the loom while the engine is out?

ill pm Ant once im sure on whats going on with the loom situation. good news about the forced induction route though. supercharging is my route hopefully.

so much to do so little time

Post Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:58 pm

STiBen wrote:mines a 89 320i so might be slightly different?

I don't think it'll be different.

STiBen wrote:is there any mods i need to do to the loom while the engine is out?

If the M30 loom is the same as mine was (1988 535i) then swap the black & white wire on pin 3 with the black & purple on pin 8.
Then from the body loom run the black & green from pin 15 to the small spade connector on the starter motor (or you'll have no heater, electric mirrors, sunroof or windows (unless the door is open).

STiBen wrote:ill pm Ant once im sure on whats going on with the loom situation. good news about the forced induction route though. supercharging is my route hopefully.

Ant is well into supercharging too, so no worries there.
He's usually a busy guy though so you might need to plan ahead to when he can do it.

Post Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:08 pm

Well that's the thing I haven't got a m30 loom, only a e30 so is there anyway I could mod that to the m30 engine?
Wondering if it's easier to fab. And fit the charger when the engine is in or before it's in?

Post Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:17 pm

Theres a M30 loom for sale on the bay at the moment...

Post Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:27 pm

Which loom was you looking at? There's 2 and one says it had a rare electronic throttle?

Post Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:56 pm

From what I can make out the electronic throttle can be done but is best avoided by most people!

Also, I have heard of people modify the M20 loom, but I don't know what that involves myself.

Post Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:29 pm

Hmmm I was sure too that someone had modded the m20 loom to the m30 lump. Can't find out who though. Don't fancy going down the route of the electronic throttle because of the charger and to try and keep it simple.

Just wondering. While I have the engine out is there anything I need to do to the bay? Will probably swap the rack for a z3 unit and move then move the battery but other than that is there any more things to get on with?

Cheers
Ben

Post Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:33 am

Yeah, beat the bulkhead behind where the cylinder head will be in with a club hammer!

Find either an E30 M3 or E36 328i manual propshaft, or it's a custom E34 / E30 hybrid jobbie.

Rack changes are a lot easier with the engine out so that is the ideal time to do it.

Post Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:32 pm

Ah great input. I'll get on and do that, I'm good with a hammer and beating things.

Need to get my hands on a z3 rack now.
The search goes on.

Cheers

Post Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:57 pm

or it's a custom E34 / E30 hybrid jobbie.

That's what i've done with my prop all for £100 , cut and shut, and balanced too

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:21 am

I did mine in the vice in my garage, lined it up by eye and welded it up!

I do not recommend that method though, I think I was very lucky to get away with it!
And for the last few months it's put up with somewhere around 300bhp too!

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:27 am

Lucky indeed

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:29 am

Yes, but I have an E30 M3 prop which I'm going to fit soon, I don't trust the Scrapheap Challenge welding enough to leave it on there!

It's lasted for about two years and 16k miles without the turbo mind you!

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:55 am

How easy is the turbo conversion????and any pics??

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:10 am

Not easy!

To save spamming this thread, here are the pair of links that tell the tale (big threads though!).

But basically, I cheated!

Toby Unna (well known on here and from PPC Magazine) did the difficult stuff and then sold it to me.

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... =m30+turbo

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... &start=550

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:24 pm

Rav335uk wrote:
or it's a custom E34 / E30 hybrid jobbie.
That's what i've done with my prop all for £100 , cut and shut, and balanced too

where did you get that done from?
ill be lookin into doing the prop soonish. £100 isnt too bad but cheaper the better.

or theres free from scrap heap challenge driftboy haha.

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:47 pm

Look on the net.

Link

http://www.davemacprops.com/dmphome.html

Post Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:55 pm

why thankyou for that.

the search is over before its started

cheers
ben