M50 engine preperation - Wiring loom modding has begun

[Duke137]

Started tarting up my M50b25, thought I would share my progress so far:

This is how it looked when I got it, I’d took a few bits off before this pic was taken (like the front mani) but obviously it needed a little tlc.


I dropped a few bits out the way so I could get to the engine block, not going to go mad because I would like to get the thing in the car and once you start with these things you end up down to every last nut and bolt etc and unfortunately I just don’t have the time for it!

Got myself an engine stand and mounted it up, wasn’t till I started I realised I was a bolt missing in the bag of bits to mount it so 3 would have to do lol

This is what the block looked like:

And this is inlet side after a bit of a clean and coated in engine block enamel...


Got a long way to go but slow progress is progress none the less

[magpie]

are those manifolds cast ?

i think you need tubular ones m8

[Shumacheris]

If you need any info or to take a look at example contact me i we just did one for my friend estate with m50 engine

[Duke137]

are those manifolds cast ?

i think you need tubular ones m8

Got tubulars mick

Don't worry, I'm all over it like a tramp on a hot dog

If you need any info or to take a look at example contact me i we just did one for my friend estate with m50 engine

Cheers mate, should be ok I think, done more than enough geek work looking a other zoners efforts so think I will manage but thanks for the offer

[ImysE30]

Buftyness

[Duke137]

This the car, my 1990 318IS. Its seen better days but hopefully it will look a lot better soon


The redundant engine M42


Some nasties lurking (that I can see)




That’s just what I can see and before the bodykit comes off...

[capri_rob]

This the car, my 1990 318IS. Its seen better days but hopefully it will look a lot better soon

If nothing else you are correcting the door:cylinder ratio imbalance

Doesn't look that bad mate - sure the silver Chav is much worse !!

[RustyRuss]

Looking great mate, eagerly await updates. For a total oem fetishist like me who understands nothing about upgrades, whats an m50 - is that just the E36 more modern version of the 2.5? Sorry for my homo lack of upgrade knowledge lol

[Rickz]

I believe so and then you have the M52 which is from the e36 328. I think, don't quote me on that!

[RustyRuss]

^ Ahh cheers mate making more sense!!

[town325i]

This aint that bad underneath is tidy enough when i was crawling round under it changing the tank last year could just do with a clean and a waxoyl

[DanThe]

I take it the battery will be evicted?

[Duke137]

This the car, my 1990 318IS. Its seen better days but hopefully it will look a lot better soon

If nothing else you are correcting the door:cylinder ratio imbalance

Doesn't look that bad mate - sure the silver Chav is much worse !!

I think you’ll find the chav slag is blue Rob....

Looking great mate, eagerly await updates. For a total oem fetishist like me who understands nothing about upgrades, whats an m50 - is that just the E36 more modern version of the 2.5? Sorry for my homo lack of upgrade knowledge lol

Cheers Russ and yes mate

This aint that bad underneath is tidy enough when i was crawling round under it changing the tank last year could just do with a clean and a waxoyl

That’s a bit more reassuring lol but I know it’s not too bad really

I take it the battery will be evicted?

If you mean into the boot then I don’t know yet tbh mate but its defo getting welded by the looks of it!

[Duke137]

Finally got round to doing a bit more on this as some of you maybe aware our baby girl arrived 2.5 weeks early and since then it’s just been fookin manic!

Ok so I did a bit more with the engine and hopefully I can start stripping the car over the next few days/weekends to get it ready to install.

New Water pump and thermostat etc already done, put a new crank sensor on and crank pulley courtesy of DanThe (cheers mate) fitted up the PAS pump, mounting arm and reservoir, cleaned all the parts thouroughly and gave them zinc primer and paint as required.
New temp sensors, mani studs, drive belt, Gaskets etc etc


Test fitted the manifolds (un-modded yet) and fitted rocker cover back on with painted front vanos cover, would have like to have done it all but I think it would have taken too much time up tbh as it is very intricate!


View from front


It’s not the most impressive thing ever seen but hey I am quite chuffed how it has turned out so far with my limited skills and knowledge LOL

Itching to get this project moving now, still plenty more to do!

[Randles]

Looks good mate and gratz on the baby girl

[mercdriver]

Seems kinda gay - would of been good if it was anyone else on here!

Not a bad attempt for a guys that types keys and clicks a mouse for a living

Only joking Bruv

[mercdriver]

Oh, and clean your asbesto-shed you scruffy bar steward!

[MurphyE30]

all coming together nicely mate, look forward to more updates keep em coming! as and when you get the time that is

Hope all is going well with the littlen

[Dezzy]

Looking nice on the stand. get it in.

[DanThe]

Nice one Ferg, that alternator looks a bit left out though

[Duke137]

Thanks for the comments!

Dan the alternator isn't too bad but I got so fed up with cleaning at this stage, I need to clean the pulley somehow

[DanThe]

I didnt mean its not as clean, I meant its not got the belt round it

Why do you need to clean it? Rust on the pulley will help bed the belt in

[Duke137]

I didnt mean its not as clean, I meant its not got the belt round it

Why do you need to clean it? Rust on the pulley will help bed the belt in

Oh lol yeah its on now mate, that was when I couldn't work out the spring loaded tensioner

[e30-EVN]

Getting there ferg

Congrats on ya baby btw mate

[Duke137]

Thanks for all the comments!

Little update and advice required if possible from anyone who can help?

Inlet on, with cleaned and painted brackets, coil packs bolted back in with new spark plugs

This is the bit I need help with, Brianmooore has said I can prune out all of the wires from my loom from the E36 gearbox ECU My question is, do I just literraly completely remove the wires? Following them back from each individual pin from the gearbox ECU socket?



Also, how the hell do you remove the metal pin connectors from the plastic ECU harness connector? Have looked on youtube but I broke one wire before I could release the pin?

Gearbox ECU socket on the left, you can see the broken wire after I tried to release the connector, loom sleeves have been removed so I can follow the wires back.

There does seem to be alot of wires still, are they definitely ALL redundant? Some go directly across into the ECU socket?

[Duke137]

Bumping this to get some advice

[gudgeon]

On mine I did literally cut them out right back to the ecu plug. I left an inch of wire poking out of the plug and melted some heat-shrink over the ends. Good job I did 'cos I managed to cut off the lambda cable while I was doing it. (Easily fixed).

Car not on the road yet but I don't seem to have any wiring problems.

[Duke137]

Thanks mate

[gudgeon]

Obviously many of the wires also end up on common grounds and possibly on the diagnostic and/or loom plug (don't recall precisely). I did the same sort of thing with all of them.

[Duke137]

Obviously many of the wires also end up on common grounds and possibly on the diagnostic and/or loom plug (don't recall precisely). I did the same sort of thing with all of them.

Brilliant, I might try and liberate the pins as I am a bit fussy and like things to be as neat and tidy as possible.... Not that yours wouldn't be by the way.

Appreciate the advice again.

One more thing do I need this:



The left hand pipe goes into the cylinder head where the temp sensors are, I bunged this up with a sump nut? The other end goes under the throttle body?

If I don't need it (whatever it is where do the pipes go instead?

EDIIT: the pic is a different engine all together and I don't have one in my stash of bits?

[gudgeon]

I'd be the last to claim that my work is the most diligent. Simply telling you what I did is all.

That wierd item got me too.
In the end I worked out that it's some kind of temp valve that goes into the airbox. Presumably if the air is cold it lets hot coolant circulate to the throttle body.

I disconnected mine but left it in the airbox to plug the hole.

[Duke137]

Cool, what did you do with the pipe from the throttle body?

[e30-EVN]

Bypass the throttlebody water supply, we don't need that in our climate boys.
Plus sharper throttle response due to the lower temp going through the inlet. I feel it makes a difference

[Duke137]

Little update, spent a couple of hours tonight pruning all the gear box ECU wires from the E36 loom. It looks alot thinner now and less daunting but I've still got to wire the C101 etc and possibly extend the wires for the ECU to sit under the dash

Can soon think about mounting the fuel rail and loom to the engine and then its onto the next bit!

Found a few broken clips and connectors as I've gone on, mainly on the coolant/fuel hose side of things as it looks like there is a lot of perished plastic/rubber and possibly a heavy handed removal method.

Onward and upward