Headers

Doing a minor build / restoration or an epic one, post it here

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RossDavies
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Tue Mar 07, 2023 6:09 pm

Hi all! Ive just finished making up my rhd s50 b32 headers to fit full e30 supersprint s50 system. Just wanted to show you as im very proud! The welding is not done by me but everything else. (Design, measurements, cuts and tacks). Ive just handed them over to be welded up on the downpipes. Had to drop the subframe to get them out.
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martauto
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Tue Mar 07, 2023 6:26 pm

Awesome mate, Fantastic to see proper Engineering from start to finish :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Nice to see you left the welding (dark art !! )
Not many good engineers left now , looks like you have joined my club. :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Mart.
Only the E46 cab left now.
Just got too old.
DanThe
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Tue Mar 07, 2023 6:50 pm

Great job Ross, nice to see the X pipe further back too 8)
RossDavies
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Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:24 pm

Thanks very much guys! I have to say it was very hard work which im sure you know. I was wondering about x pipe position. Most say it needs to be by the gearbox, is it a good placement further back? Im sure supersprint must know what they're doing.... my primarys are ofcourse shorter than theirs, so theres a little more distance between the collectors and x pipe than their design.
twenty
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Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:18 pm

That's fantastic! Well done!
RossDavies
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Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:17 pm

twenty wrote:
Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:18 pm
That's fantastic! Well done!
Thanks!
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martauto
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Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:25 pm

RossDavies wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:17 pm
twenty wrote:
Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:18 pm
That's fantastic! Well done!
Thanks!
OK Tell me your background please, people don`t just " DO " great things like this ? :cool: :cool:

Mart.
Only the E46 cab left now.
Just got too old.
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Tzantushka
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Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:42 pm

martauto wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:25 pm
OK Tell me your background please, people don`t just " DO " great things like this ? :cool: :cool:
Was just thinking that Mart.
This sort of work doesn't happen from mere mortals (such as me) :mad:
RossDavies
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Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:31 pm

I was a truck and bus (mostly big coach) technician for 15 years until about 5 years ago, now i just drive trucks and built a workshop at the back of my house for my own tools/personal jobs. Ive never done anything as intricate as the headers, but built a few big bus tail pipes/mid sections, and stripped out parts of coaches that were rotten and completely rebuilt. Also retro fitted a few lugguage compartments but my main job as time went on was electrical work and fault diagnosis etc. Im 36 so knocked the tools on the head quite early.
Last edited by RossDavies on Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
RossDavies
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Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:36 pm

I can only appologise that i never put the built thread on here but you can catch the whole build on m3cutters under s50b32 into e30. My name is mtech1 on there. Its updated every few days and is coming to an end soon. I started the prohect in july last year.
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martauto
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Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:15 pm

RossDavies wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:36 pm
I can only appologise that i never put the built thread on here but you can catch the whole build on m3cutters under s50b32 into e30. My name is mtech1 on there. Its updated every few days and is coming to an end soon. I started the prohect in july last year.
Pop it on here please mate :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
Mart.
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Just got too old.
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reggid
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Fri Apr 28, 2023 5:00 am

Nice work
E30 325is with M20B31
steve_k
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Sat Apr 29, 2023 9:25 am

martauto wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:15 pm
RossDavies wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:36 pm
I can only appologise that i never put the built thread on here but you can catch the whole build on m3cutters under s50b32 into e30. My name is mtech1 on there. Its updated every few days and is coming to an end soon. I started the prohect in july last year.
Pop it on here please mate :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
Mart.
https://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/threads/ ... 30.254683/

there you go mart,
if it's got t*ts or wheels it's bound to be trouble...............prove me wrong.
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martauto
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Sat Apr 29, 2023 12:41 pm

Cheers Steve.

Mart.
Only the E46 cab left now.
Just got too old.
steve_k
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Sat Apr 29, 2023 5:41 pm

martauto wrote:
Sat Apr 29, 2023 12:41 pm
Cheers Steve.

Mart.
no worries, it's a good read.
if it's got t*ts or wheels it's bound to be trouble...............prove me wrong.
getting oral sex off an ugly person is like rock climbing.....don't look down ;)
RossDavies
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Thu May 11, 2023 9:50 am

Sorry guys, could have sworn i put the link on
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fixedwheelnut
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Thu May 11, 2023 10:13 pm

Excellent work, Was the science behind the R&D or just bending pies to fit with equal length?

Jealous of the pipe bending , impressive work there alone :)
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flybynite
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Fri May 12, 2023 7:34 am

fixedwheelnut wrote:
Thu May 11, 2023 10:13 pm
Excellent work, Was the science behind the R&D or just bending pies to fit with equal length?
Jealous of the pipe bending , impressive work there alone :)
The bends in the primaries are from the S50 but the number 6 needs to be changed to fit. They are virtually impossible to replicate and even BTB cannot do it. They do something similar to this whn making manifolds for the S50 conversions. They did one for a M52 conversion on here, but at a price 8O .

Good work though :thumb:

.............but I am sure 'headers' only fit LHD cars for the US market :D
RossDavies
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Sat May 13, 2023 7:22 am

'Manifold' is one lump like the cast iron m20 sort. 'Headers' are individual tubular pipes like this.

There was no pipe bending involved here, just cutting the headers up and using parts of the old headers with purchased mandrel bent sections cut down to all fit togrther.
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RossDavies
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Sat May 13, 2023 7:26 am

Also these are not equal length. I think if i had another go, i could get them closer to equal. Therefore i have a bit of a subaru rumble to the engine at lower revs.

Here is the finished pipes before i fitted them!
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RossDavies
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Sat May 13, 2023 7:28 am

As you can see they are a tight fit
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flybynite
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Sat May 13, 2023 10:18 am

RossDavies wrote:
Sat May 13, 2023 7:22 am
'Manifold' is one lump like the cast iron m20 sort. 'Headers' are individual tubular pipes like this.
No, what you have is a tubular exhaust manifold, very nice too. :thumb: Headers is Yank Slang for manifold. You won't see a UK company like BTB who make them call them headers :D

If you do it again it helps if you can get pipe bent as if you see the BTB version it is a work of art (but costs appropriately) They cannot easily replicate the 180+ bends in the manifold primaries so they still need an S50 manifold to work with but they bend the rest. Their manifold is flowed correctly for the S50B32 when done.

They will be getting my S50 manifold when I can stump up the cash but I think for what it has cost you have an excellent result :thumb:

Are you getting the Supersprint centre section with or without the silencers? I have looked at the Supersprint before but decided against it on the M20 because it was too loud, went with BTB and Eisenmann in the end. Not sure what I will do with this one now Fritz has stopped making them.
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martauto
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Sat May 13, 2023 1:21 pm

A very serious work of art you have done :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Have you thought about having it scanned?
That way you can have all the measurements you like to hand? :D :D

Mart.
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Just got too old.
RossDavies
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Sat May 13, 2023 1:49 pm

Theres no way in a million years i was going to pay BTB what they are asking for the headers. Plus their exhaust system looks *#@% in my opinion. My custom headers and supersprint system (has center resonators too) is not at all overly loud, and the car will keep up with an f80 m3 so the system works great with the car.

Never thougt of having it scanned, perhaps if i ever take it off to be coated il do that. :)
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flybynite
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Sun May 14, 2023 9:38 am

RossDavies wrote:
Sat May 13, 2023 1:49 pm
Theres no way in a million years i was going to pay BTB what they are asking for the headers. Plus their exhaust system looks *#@% in my opinion. My custom headers and supersprint system (has center resonators too) is not at all overly loud, and the car will keep up with an f80 m3 so the system works great with the car.
Out of interest what exactly didn't you like about the BTB exhaust? Were you looking at the single or dual pipe system? I have to admit I don't like the Y-pipe single system but there is no question about how well it works. Sometimes things that work well don't look pretty but most things I have had from BTB do both. Had no problem with Supersprint stuff either.

I agree BTB are not cheap but I tend to find you get what you pay for. If you think E30 stuff is expensive try getting an exhaust made for a 911 8O

If you are taking on F80 M3 regularly what have you done to the diff mount and boot floor? That engine was fine in my E36 evo for the 11 years I drove it but that was a properly mounted 210. My other half's Z3M tore the single hanger diff off the car along with the boot floor before the car turned 3. Mate's S50B30 swapped E30 did something similar. Something to keep an eye on. :thumb:
RossDavies wrote:
Sat May 13, 2023 1:49 pm
'Manifold' is one lump like the cast iron m20 sort. 'Headers' are individual tubular pipes like this.
You might want to tell Supersprint they got it wrong too :D

https://www.supersprint.com/ww-en/bmw-3 ... drive.aspx#!/
DanThe
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Mon May 15, 2023 7:40 pm

"Headers" is an americanism

Manifold or branch manifold is how I describe them :D

Im not keen on the single pipe either but like said, if it works....
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