Lee Parkes' E30 Alpina B10.

[leeparkes]

The B6 3.5 and B6S 3.5 which used an identical engine to the one you have source used a dog leg direct 1.1 drive 5th gearbox and a 2.79 diff which meant a 0-60 of 6 seconds and over 150 mph.

A 3.46 would be a nice all rounder with the over drive box.

The TB on the Alpina engine is deffo a standard one, checked the B6 parts catalouge and the part number is a BMW one, not Alpina specific.

Top info as always Barry, Thanks.

Is a 2.79 roughly a 3.64 in E30 language


Rav, cheers!

[realboss7669]

Yeah 3.46 is the route I will take. We are going to start my conversion in March now. I was hoping to get the car resprayed before the conversion but I just dont have time to prep the car myself and I dont know of a really decent sprayer in my area who will also prep the car at a fair price. I dont want to take a gamble and end up with a substandard job. Anyway nice work Lee it will be great when its done. By the way I got my hands on some Alpina B6 clocks from Germany which will go in. Dont think I will badge her up as an Alpina though.

Keep you posted.

[leeparkes]

Some strapage action,

These arrived today and the fit round the box perfect









These are what they are from

316i/320i

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=05&hl=50


Thats one problem sorted

[johnt0709]

Lee - cool glad to see they fit. Thanks again for looking at the crank for me.

[leeparkes]

Todays action

vvv






















Its finaly oooot


Got it out fairly swiftly too and being as the weather was on my side i decided to strip it down

List of bits removed

Gearbox
Clutch
Inlet manifold (im sticking with the same colour theme )
Loom came off with the inlet manifold
Stat housing
Dizzy, rotor, leads
Front pulley and sensor
Exhaust manifolds
Alternator and brackets
All water hoses
The only thing left to remove is the oil filter housing and the flywheel but im in two minds about using the dual mass fly and i wish id seen Andyboys M5 flywheel/clutch before bristol_jer

Anyway here's what my sorry old M30 looks like now, raped




Now its time to build up the Pina

[ImysE30]

You don't hang about Lee Wish I could install an engine and then mine would be ready

When's it going back in?

[leeparkes]

Im flooded with work at the minute so im just grabbing an hour here and there dressing the new lump up.
What im not looking forward to is fitting the E36 rack, not sure how to go about bodging the manifold for clearance, where to cut it etc...

[ImysE30]

Go turbo manifold and have no worries about clearance

Has anyone else not got a E36 or other rack fitted on a M30 to have a look at the manifold?

[leeparkes]

I did see pics ages ago but cant find them now

[ImysE30]

Bugger

What about buying another pair of manifolds and doing a test fitment/mock up?

[leeparkes]

Ive got two sets

but knowing me ill spent all day cutting and shutting and some one will say "no its easier doing it this way"

[ImysE30]

Just do it I'm sure you'll get it right first time

[Bristol_Jer]

I've got my e36 rack fitted, just need to find an e36 lower column u/j, then I can get my engine fitted in to test for clearance.

[ImysE30]

^^^ I'm pretty sure it's an E34 UJ you need

[leeparkes]

Right, today i tackled the E36 rack swap...

Dont know what all the fuss is about started off with some pipe bending activity and it all went to plan, the key is to bend a bit at a time as they do feel a bit delicate when they are bending, but the pipes need to come back off to straighten some bits properly in a vice with blocks of wood (the part that runs across the back of the rack mainly)
But there on

The tools used so far are in the first pics, along with the big guns of course





I had to wrap the thick pipe over the top instead of under.





Need to sort this crimp out



Bit wavey here too, hence why i want to get it in the vice.



Mocked up in the rear holes



Job done (ish)

But i have a problem, the rack is in the rear holes with a 14mm spacer above the rack but its hitting the crossmember
Anyone else have this problem?

Its hitting here

[leeparkes]

Right, with the zone down i got my arse into gear and got cracking on it

First up my linkage built up, rack is in the front holes with the spacers on top, i figured this way with the lower UJ lower down the manifold will need less fettling.

Hope im right



Built up (bolts will be trimmed down)



Fitted



Ignore all the grot in the bay it will be all cleaned before the lump goes in....


Talking of grot...



Pina manifold off



My original manifold on along with the loom etc. Also fitted my stat housing with sensors and stat etc...




Next up the infamous spray bar mod.

Standard spray bar



Modded crimped spray bar



And fitted with new bolts and crush washers.



Last up valve clearances set



Then my original rocker cover put back on to keep things under wraps.



Gave it a new dizzy cap, rotor, Valeo waterpump and a set of NGK BPR 6ES



Also new sump gasket


Next up.

Cypriotgeeza kindly gave me a headache with his Frankenstien flywheel
After lots of digging it turns out it was from an E23 732i/735i anyway the only decent clutch i could find for it was £250 new from GSF
I was ready to give up and chuck the dual mass back on until a guy on 5forum got in touch with me asked if i wanted to do a deal with it as this fly had a trigger for a sensor (which he needed) he had a 'good' E28 535i clutch (which he didnt need )
We struck a deal and now i have an E28 525i flywheel and the E28 535i clutch
The flywheel weighs 7.5KG and will take a 240mm 535i clutch, (an E28 535i flywheel weighs 10KG) The set up i have complete weighs about 12KG and should make this M30 spin up nicely. I weighed the dual mass fly complete with the clutch and it was just under 20KG

Anyway, pics

E28 525i flywheel





Got it re surfaced





With the clutch



Fitted



Here's the clutch





Fitted



Nipped into GSF and picked up a new LUK spigot bearing for £2.10 not sure if they made a mistake but i shot out the shop with it



[/img]

Jobs left to do

Put the gearbox on, get the mounts on and give it a good clean along with the engine bay then its time to chuck it in

I cor fookin wait

[Bristol_Jer]

Nice progress Lee! Done a fair bit on mine to over the last week, but been nowhere near as productive as you! Nice one on getting a single mass flywheel too

[shedrool83]

Coming together now Lee good work

[Cypriotgeeza]

That flywheel was such a whore! haha got passed around more than "pass the parcel" at a kids party!

Glad it helped mate!

[leeparkes]

Tbh mate im glad to see the back of it, lol

[Cypriotgeeza]

Tbh mate im glad to see the back of it, lol

You was happy to see the back of it?

im surprised i actually kept it! Felt to take an angle grinder to it and cut it up into pieces with the amount of problems it gave me!

Nice progress btw mate!!

[ImysE30]

Good work Lee, shaping up nicely

Might need to pick your brains on a few parts for the M30 when I get ready to put mine in

[leeparkes]

Tbh mate im glad to see the back of it, lol

You was happy to see the back of it?

im surprised i actually kept it! Felt to take an angle grinder to it and cut it up into pieces with the amount of problems it gave me!

In your shoes id of skimed it through Pazza's window

Pick away Imy

[Cypriotgeeza]

Tbh mate im glad to see the back of it, lol

You was happy to see the back of it?

im surprised i actually kept it! Felt to take an angle grinder to it and cut it up into pieces with the amount of problems it gave me!

In your shoes id of skimed it through Pazza's window

Pick away Imy

hahaha if he lived closer to me i prob wouldve bludgeoned him to death with it! and im being deadly serious

[leeparkes]

All in the past now

Anyway, Mans engine is ready to drop in

Had a couple hours free today so i finished dressing the engine, put the mounts on and Gearbox.

Only one pic today



Hoping to get it in this weekend

[Rav335uk]

[shedrool83]

I do like your work Lee .
This is going to be a fun motor

[ImysE30]

Nice, bet you can't wait

[leeparkes]

Nice, bet you can't wait

Too right i cant wait, the engine is in






Got a dilema now and im not sure the best way to tackle it

Mocked up the exhaust manifold to see where i stand



Its hitting the flange and im thinking if this was gone it would clear. I remember Rav saying these arnt welded but it seems mine is.



The plan is to cut the flange off then make a sleeve to join the two together, like this.



Would this be a good idea? if not all ideas welcome

[Rav335uk]

Mine weren't welded, so I just twisted them 90 degrees, wheres the ones of the other M30???
Did they not fit before?

[leeparkes]

No Rav ive fitted an E36 rack and it brings the pinion closer to the mani's

[Rav335uk]

Is that the front mainfold??
Can you not "Extend" it a few inches by welding onto it??

[leeparkes]

Yes it the front mani (back one clears fine)

Cant really extend it cos the downpipe starts bending pretty much after the flange.

[gcs325i]

Chop the pipe, rotate 90 degrees then re-weld will be fine, Should give you a good 10-15mm clearance from the knuckle? Should be plenty of room for movement by the engine on any hard left hand corners.

[Rav335uk]

As above then Lee