Worlds longest Resto, my C2 2.7 19/3/18 Vent guage action
Moderator: martauto
-
Demlotcrew
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 13329
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:00 pm
- Location: East Anglia
-
Dezzy
- CR24v it's a lifestyle
- Posts: 11974
- Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Middlesbrough
I'm the dude.... Dude



Co Founder of CR24vTM By Invitation Only. Absolutely no riff raff!!!
-
e30topless
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 13598
- Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: surrounded by scrap
+1,Demlotcrew wrote:Nothing to worry about. Ive never had to have a steel cast crank hardened again after a regrind.
Andrew
7 years ago I did a re-build on a Merc coupe that had lovely bottom end knocking, the crank was re- ground and new oversize shells fitted, the turd is still gracing our lovely roads after 50+k and lots of abuse !
Bert, stick it in the block and crack on !
-
Rodderz
- E30 Zone Addict

- Posts: 3105
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Southampton
Did you source another head, or modify another?
And, plasma niteriding is the way to go!
And, plasma niteriding is the way to go!
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
engine builders! cease................um no one oldskool has said to me to do it so i'm inclined not to treat the crank i hadn't planned on it.
Re head the alpina head and cam were missing so i've had a head fettled a few years ago and i'll buy a cam from schrick.
Re head the alpina head and cam were missing so i've had a head fettled a few years ago and i'll buy a cam from schrick.
-
Felix79
- All loved up !
- Posts: 5134
- Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Hereford
Well as always Si good write up and can't wait to see the next installment of the Alpina saga!
Felix79 aka Dan
If you got haters, then your doing something right!
E85 Z4M Roadster
If you got haters, then your doing something right!
E85 Z4M Roadster
-
Andyboy
- Alpina Colada
- Posts: 12578
- Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:00 pm
It all depends what steel the crank is made from. If it's EN40B, then it can be Nitrided. If it's the more common EN16T, it will need tuftriding.
iirc, 0.25mm is 10 thou which is okay for big ends. Even 20 thou on the mains is alright - it's when you start milling 20-30 thou off the big ends that it starts to get a bit hairy.
On BMC and Ford stuff - particularly cranks which were nitrided EN40B, 20 thou meant re-nitriding for serious use and 30 thou was effectively scrap.
I'm not sure if any M20 cranks were nitrided, or even made from EN40 or 41 steel.
iirc, 0.25mm is 10 thou which is okay for big ends. Even 20 thou on the mains is alright - it's when you start milling 20-30 thou off the big ends that it starts to get a bit hairy.
On BMC and Ford stuff - particularly cranks which were nitrided EN40B, 20 thou meant re-nitriding for serious use and 30 thou was effectively scrap.
I'm not sure if any M20 cranks were nitrided, or even made from EN40 or 41 steel.
-
Speedtouch
- Old Skooler

- Posts: 14099
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: Canterbury
Eta 2.7 crank is cast, according to this article, so maybe the Alpina one is also?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M20
Here's an interesting article about them also:
http://www.metricmechanic.com/pdfs/metr ... ooklet.pdf
Page 12 states:
"BMW used cast iron
cranks in the following engines.
320/6 - 71mm stroke
323i - 76mm stroke
325e - 81mm stroke
325i/E30 - 75mm stroke
325i/E36/E46 - 75mm stroke"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M20
Here's an interesting article about them also:
http://www.metricmechanic.com/pdfs/metr ... ooklet.pdf
Page 12 states:
"BMW used cast iron
cranks in the following engines.
320/6 - 71mm stroke
323i - 76mm stroke
325e - 81mm stroke
325i/E30 - 75mm stroke
325i/E36/E46 - 75mm stroke"
Last edited by Speedtouch on Mon Aug 15, 2011 6:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
///M aurice
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
its a forged steel crank from the diesel 324td engine.
Alpina 2.7s use NOTHING from an eta engine. zip. diddly squat
Alpina 2.7s use NOTHING from an eta engine. zip. diddly squat
-
Speedtouch
- Old Skooler

- Posts: 14099
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: Canterbury
It should be OK to use as is then.
This article supports this:
http://www.hoigto.com/tech/crankgrind.htm
This article supports this:
http://www.hoigto.com/tech/crankgrind.htm
///M aurice
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
-
Demlotcrew
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 13329
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:00 pm
- Location: East Anglia
Ok thats all great, but still begs the question, who is Dude and what risks is he taking? 
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
I picked up a set of M52 135mm rods off DanThe at gaydon yesterday so thanks for that bert.

Quick clean up


Then having a fiddle i noticed the M20 rod bolts i have are a fair bit longer! As the bottom pic shows. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem but if i'm using different rods then i might aswell use the correct bolts for them? Makes sense to me.

Had to trial fit the shells and see if it fits the crank etc. All seems ok!

So here is everything i think that bolts to the crank. So this lot is what is needed to get the bottom end balanced. Then i can build the bottom end!
I've a good shopping list of parts for BMW 2moro and lots of other jobs and people to start chasing for the top end now.
But along those lines i've had the injectors cleaned @ Boxer Motorworks in Ashford middlesex. They've been around years and some may remember they did the tourings injectors also. Also the touring has a lot of service history from there but anyhow.......


Full shizzle £117 they charged
Heres what the bit of paper tells me
Flow rate before cleaning
No. 1 38
no. 2 39
no. 3 39
no.4 39
no.5 37
no.6 38
After
1 41
2 41
3 41
4 41
5 41
6 41
with the comment even flow and spray pattern, also new pintels, filler backets top and bottom O rings and spacers - whatever they are.
So that should help, its all in the right direction!

Quick clean up


Then having a fiddle i noticed the M20 rod bolts i have are a fair bit longer! As the bottom pic shows. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem but if i'm using different rods then i might aswell use the correct bolts for them? Makes sense to me.

Had to trial fit the shells and see if it fits the crank etc. All seems ok!

So here is everything i think that bolts to the crank. So this lot is what is needed to get the bottom end balanced. Then i can build the bottom end!
I've a good shopping list of parts for BMW 2moro and lots of other jobs and people to start chasing for the top end now.
But along those lines i've had the injectors cleaned @ Boxer Motorworks in Ashford middlesex. They've been around years and some may remember they did the tourings injectors also. Also the touring has a lot of service history from there but anyhow.......


Full shizzle £117 they charged
Heres what the bit of paper tells me
Flow rate before cleaning
No. 1 38
no. 2 39
no. 3 39
no.4 39
no.5 37
no.6 38
After
1 41
2 41
3 41
4 41
5 41
6 41
with the comment even flow and spray pattern, also new pintels, filler backets top and bottom O rings and spacers - whatever they are.
So that should help, its all in the right direction!
-
DanThe
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 28646
- Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Staffs
Fck me you got burgled for those injector refurbs
You not seen the zones own injector specialist?
Rod bolts are only about £20 IIRC
Rod bolts are only about £20 IIRC
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
nope i guess its alot less, too late now!
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
So the story goes, i dropped my bottom end off on saturday at this place

Roland Allsop he comes highly recommended on the balancing front. Well infact this is a one stop kind of place. So i could of had the crank ground and the block bored out all here
but i didn't know that then
Anyhow i had a call today saying it was done! Being rained off i was round in a jiffy

F**k me this is heavy lifting this lot on its own, surprised it makes any power being this heavy!

couple of extra holes in a few webs


yellow marks to line it up, luckily both the flywheel and vibration damper only fit 1 way to help things

One small bit out of this, shows you how good this was from factory really!


Being a full bottom end balance the rods and pistons where done also, Do they balance the caps and rods seperatley?


No.6 slug seems to have been the heavy one here

They gave me this sheet, i don't understand this! He told me they only balance the nascar bottom ends to 0.5 and my bottom end is a bit better than this. I showed this to one of the guys in my old mans workshop who reckoned a job well done as he used to do it for another firm.
Lots of people offer this balancing lark but the machine used by Roland is a bit special and only another 2 are over here but they are not in a small workshop/shack like his that plebs like me can utilise its services!
They charged me £20 less as all my parts where clean which makes a difference so they say
So whilst the money pot has been heavy i've had a proper eye watering bender at the main dealer too!

main bits here oil pump, water pump plus some other bottom end bits. Although i am mad i baulked at £66 for a tensioner when GSF supply this quality one for £12

Big haul here, i'm hoping in vain a genuine head gasket will mean it won't leak at the front corner as quick as the GSF/ECP ones do! but i'm a realise this is probably a pipe dream


Whats the difference? Well i got 6 genuine rockers cheap, then BMW wanted £40 a rocker so i've bought 6 febi bilsteins from GSF, they're a third of the price. Also 12 new eccentrics

don't f**k about, i don't want this to sh!t itself and some fresh coolant pipes all round should help this.
Head is at the machine shop getting new exhaust valve guides and a machine cut on the seats. Although i think i'll need a few new valves as the tops on a couple are not very clever.
This is epic and a long time coming, i can finally finally build the bottom end. Its all here in the garage! slight problem being my engine stand is in use
with a brand new S50 on it so someone needs to buy this so i can start! But life is throwing broken f**king Z3's at me and a private job at me first. But we are making big inroads.
I've only a few bits left to buy now, dizzy cap £112 from BMW
some NGK spark plugs. Oil pump spindle. Trevor to repaint the inlet and rocker cover.
Also spoke to jon bmw today about getting the exhaust system sorted out for this in the next few months, using the touring as a model first to fit it too. Then i can just unbolt the whole system off and onto the 2dr. Easy

Roland Allsop he comes highly recommended on the balancing front. Well infact this is a one stop kind of place. So i could of had the crank ground and the block bored out all here
Anyhow i had a call today saying it was done! Being rained off i was round in a jiffy

F**k me this is heavy lifting this lot on its own, surprised it makes any power being this heavy!

couple of extra holes in a few webs


yellow marks to line it up, luckily both the flywheel and vibration damper only fit 1 way to help things

One small bit out of this, shows you how good this was from factory really!


Being a full bottom end balance the rods and pistons where done also, Do they balance the caps and rods seperatley?


No.6 slug seems to have been the heavy one here

They gave me this sheet, i don't understand this! He told me they only balance the nascar bottom ends to 0.5 and my bottom end is a bit better than this. I showed this to one of the guys in my old mans workshop who reckoned a job well done as he used to do it for another firm.
Lots of people offer this balancing lark but the machine used by Roland is a bit special and only another 2 are over here but they are not in a small workshop/shack like his that plebs like me can utilise its services!
They charged me £20 less as all my parts where clean which makes a difference so they say
So whilst the money pot has been heavy i've had a proper eye watering bender at the main dealer too!

main bits here oil pump, water pump plus some other bottom end bits. Although i am mad i baulked at £66 for a tensioner when GSF supply this quality one for £12

Big haul here, i'm hoping in vain a genuine head gasket will mean it won't leak at the front corner as quick as the GSF/ECP ones do! but i'm a realise this is probably a pipe dream


Whats the difference? Well i got 6 genuine rockers cheap, then BMW wanted £40 a rocker so i've bought 6 febi bilsteins from GSF, they're a third of the price. Also 12 new eccentrics

don't f**k about, i don't want this to sh!t itself and some fresh coolant pipes all round should help this.
Head is at the machine shop getting new exhaust valve guides and a machine cut on the seats. Although i think i'll need a few new valves as the tops on a couple are not very clever.
This is epic and a long time coming, i can finally finally build the bottom end. Its all here in the garage! slight problem being my engine stand is in use
I've only a few bits left to buy now, dizzy cap £112 from BMW
Also spoke to jon bmw today about getting the exhaust system sorted out for this in the next few months, using the touring as a model first to fit it too. Then i can just unbolt the whole system off and onto the 2dr. Easy
-
Dezzy
- CR24v it's a lifestyle
- Posts: 11974
- Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Middlesbrough
Goods good Si.
Looking forward to seeing the donkey put together.
Looking forward to seeing the donkey put together.

Co Founder of CR24vTM By Invitation Only. Absolutely no riff raff!!!
-
Jhonno
- Homo Hair
- Posts: 20362
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: FLAT, FLAT, FLAT!!
Engine porn.. 
-
Dezzy
- CR24v it's a lifestyle
- Posts: 11974
- Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Middlesbrough
Dezzy wrote:Looks good Si.
Looking forward to seeing the donkey put together.

Co Founder of CR24vTM By Invitation Only. Absolutely no riff raff!!!
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
just got in from looking at a ropey manual 325i touring as a car to fit the engine into and run it in this winter.
its a hound with all the usual issues worn seats, f**ked dash saggy headlining but a years ticket and tax Nov. The good bits are 217,000 miles and light front end crash damage
I'm hoping £300 gets it and i think its a breaker afterwards, but we'll see how it goes. Its black with 15bbs and a tech 2 wheel.
its a hound with all the usual issues worn seats, f**ked dash saggy headlining but a years ticket and tax Nov. The good bits are 217,000 miles and light front end crash damage
-
E30BeemerLad
- Married to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 16806
- Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Norfolk
I bet you won't be able to help yourself and a mini-resto will result 
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
needs a headlamp, grill, passenger wing, bonnet and valance. Its not pushed the slam panel at all so all good, i can't i'm not going down that route. If it passed you on the road you'd think its quite tidy bar the damage
engine ran well oil pressure light was mega quick from cold which is rare on an M20 let alone one with that milege!
engine ran well oil pressure light was mega quick from cold which is rare on an M20 let alone one with that milege!
-
darren_mk
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 247
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:00 pm
- Location: Northern Ireland
Excellent engine work Simon, reading this with interest as i have it all ahead of me, unless you fancy doing another one? 
-
Blitz
- Married to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 11155
- Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: East London+Basildon
That will be a sleeper.Simon13 wrote:just got in from looking at a ropey manual 325i touring as a car to fit the engine into and run it in this winter.
its a hound with all the usual issues worn seats, f**ked dash saggy headlining but a years ticket and tax Nov. The good bits are 217,000 miles and light front end crash damageI'm hoping £300 gets it and i think its a breaker afterwards, but we'll see how it goes. Its black with 15bbs and a tech 2 wheel.
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
I had a really sad thought of getting all the engine in bits and laying it out on the floor exploded styleeee like bmw do with their M-power donks! But maybe not as thats uber sad.
We'll have a step by step picturethon as you can see my mistakes like on the touring engine with the oil seals the wrong way round!
Little bit of a love triangle with this touring just spoke to the owner whos a bit attatched to it. Hard to tell them whilst being nice its the usual e30 wanker state now. But i'd recycle it to the last nut and bolt when i'm done! Its quite low also 60/40 but i shall wait as i think it will take some wiggling to get it. I told him i'm looking for something and i'll buy anything else that comes along
We'll have a step by step picturethon as you can see my mistakes like on the touring engine with the oil seals the wrong way round!
Little bit of a love triangle with this touring just spoke to the owner whos a bit attatched to it. Hard to tell them whilst being nice its the usual e30 wanker state now. But i'd recycle it to the last nut and bolt when i'm done! Its quite low also 60/40 but i shall wait as i think it will take some wiggling to get it. I told him i'm looking for something and i'll buy anything else that comes along
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
matey is faffing with the wagon, so a 2dr 325i has been found of a nice man called peterpace. Its bronzit FTW
a true pervert colour on bottle tops. Epic, just need to pick it up.
2.7's and bottletops can be scary!
2.7's and bottletops can be scary!
-
Blitz
- Married to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 11155
- Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: East London+Basildon
Is it a pre-facelift?
-
Simon13
- The longest resto in the world !
- Posts: 22697
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Camberley, Surrey don't u know
no, brown interior!
-
pacerpete
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 18168
- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Iver heath. South bucks.
Distressed nutria velour FTW 
-
glenn
- Engine Transplant Services

- Posts: 2198
- Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: blackwood, south wales
bronzitbeige 
-
Andyboy
- Alpina Colada
- Posts: 12578
- Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:00 pm
Pete will have spent most of today sniffing the drivers seat.
-
B7
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 15846
- Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:00 pm
- Location: Surrey / West Sussex
Was this that rusty turd at the pub in Dorking Peter?
B7's Motto. "If it's French, BURN IT!!!!!!"
-
pacerpete
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 18168
- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Iver heath. South bucks.
Andyboy wrote:Pete will have spent most of today sniffing the drivers seat.
As well as raking through the footwells and under the seats for stray coppers !
-
Andyboy
- Alpina Colada
- Posts: 12578
- Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:00 pm
After digging down through 4 inches of fag ash?pacerpete wrote:Andyboy wrote:Pete will have spent most of today sniffing the drivers seat.
As well as raking through the footwells and under the seats for stray coppers !
She's well stacked on the top bollock front, but like the Lamberts.
-
capri_rob
- Married to the E30 Zone

- Posts: 9681
- Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: South Staffordshire
Bronzit FTW
Pics !!!
Pics !!!

e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
-
Jhonno
- Homo Hair
- Posts: 20362
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: FLAT, FLAT, FLAT!!
Nice.. 


