Yet Another 335I! ... Now With Turbo

[DRIFTBOY]

Update!

Finally got sent the correct front dampers (after a few abusive and threatening emails!), fitted and looking ok for a 35mm drop all round (photos to follow).

Since I have got the engine and car running (it had about a fifth of a tank of fuel when I first started it) I have had to put in 2 more gallons of fuel and have driven it about 4 sneaky miles around the estate, the rest just moving it around and idling. Therefore, so far it has averaged about one mile per gallon! I hope this improves when I'm driving it properly!

Still looking for a replacement E34 535i radiator and still trying to figure out why the brakes hardly work! I have to stand on the brake pedal and not much happens! I've fitted a Mk1 Golf GTI servo and suspect it is not up to much. Or maybe the ABS system is shot, I've read horror stories on the forum about this! Investigation continuing this weekend!

My Mazda RX7 is on Ebay and getting plenty of interest (I need to sell this to get the BMW on the road)!

Hopefully I will get the BMW to Santa Pod but still a bit up in the air at the moment!

I'm all a bit at the moment!

[gareth]

i've bought a 2.6 petrol SWB mistubishi shogun for Ԛ£150 to tow me there! about the same price as a towbar for my 406!

i will be there dammit!

[DRIFTBOY]

Found a couple of little jobs to do this weekend, and took some more pics.

Firstly made a small aluminium bracket (simple and light weight) to support the air intake pipe. It's riveted to the underside of that plastic pipe.



Made two more small aluminium brackets to support the electric fan, it was a pain with it cable tied to the radiator as there isn't room to remove them still fixed to each other!



While I was thinking about cooling I was thinking of bonnet vents, then I thought of this -



Just flattened a bit of the raised part and drilled another hole in each bonnet bracket thingy to achieve this -




Bonnet still locks into the catches at the front ok. I won't leave it like it but it takes two minutes to change the bolt holes so might do it for when I'm sitting in the queue for the strip at Sant Pod!

Still can't get brakes working very well at all!

[Andy335Touring]

pictures arn't working mate

[DRIFTBOY]

Try these dude!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/ ... racket.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/ ... 06/fan.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/ ... etclip.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/ ... vented.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/ ... bonnet.jpg

[Andy335Touring]

They are working again now, probobly my dozy PC

BTW keep an eye on that plastic pipe mate, i wrapped mine in insulation and it still deformed slightly

Whats up with the brakes ? What sort of set up are you using ? Servo/etc

Is that ride hieght with your new springs/shocks ?

Can't wait till a week Saturday, not to bothered about the strip but i'm looking foward to meeting every one because it's going to be a very big meet for the zone

[DRIFTBOY]

I plan to get some sheet aluminium and box in the air intake pipe, I'll be keeping an eye on it now though!

My brakes have a very hard pedal (though I've done the servo test - pumped pedal, switched engine on and pedal goes softer) and it just does not stop well at all! It's a Golf GTI Mk1 servo. Discs are used Brembo drilled and grooved up front and brand new drilled discs rear with used EBC Greenstuff pads all round. Hopefully just need bedding in and that!

The springs and shocks haven't been driven on, only moved out of the garage, and it's only a 35mm drop. I bought a cheap rubbish suspension kit, my biggest regret of the whole build! Didn't realise I could get decent stuff for not a lot more money!

I can't wait for Santa Pod too. I'm going even if I have to take the unsold RX7 and hide it somewhere!

[Andy335Touring]

My brakes were shit for the first couple of days(been off the road for 2-3 months) then i realy lent on them a few times and they came good. Have you braked firmly from say 80-100mph ?

Like you say they probobly just need bedding in.

Mines standard discs/pads/servo, i was going to try a smaller servo but that would have probobly taken away some of the bite that i like.

The ride height looks good, not too low.

Is it already MOT'd ?

[DRIFTBOY]

I haven't had it above 30 mph at all!
Got it going then the radiator blew!
Got next week off work so hopefully sort one out then. And get it MOT'd as that has now expired.
Suspension might settle a little but I didn't want it too low. I like the low look but didn't want the hassle of ground clearance, jacking the car up, camber etc. as I want it as a fast every day road and occasional track car.

Got to tax and insure it too, insurance companies hate the roll cage! Ԛ£Ã”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£

[m10man]

y brakes have a very hard pedal (though I've done the servo test - pumped pedal, switched engine on and pedal goes softer) and it just does not stop well at all!

Mine is not stopping well either. But mine is the prefacelift model 318i with the brakes upgraded to that of the 325i - 4 wheel disks/vented front - but I havent changed the master cylinder, maybe I need to do that aswell. I have a 23mm bore master cylinder from an E23 with the same connections - maybe I can use that. I have put ATE Powerdiscs on the front with Bendix Ultimate pads and Castrol Response High Performance dot 5.1 brake fluid in too. Maybe they just need another good bleed. Anyone else got any advice.

[m10man]

Thought you might find this helpful too mate.
http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Trouble/Overheating.htm

[gareth]

looking good driftboy!

what bore is the standard master cylinder by they way? incidentally, with a bit of jiggling with the mounts etc is it possible to use the standard E30 servo. mine didn't need bashing or the manifold grinding but i have about 4mm clearance and it's never knocked.

i like the bonnet mount mod. i thought of this and suggested it to toby_unna a while ago when he was having underbonnet heat issues and i reckon it looks well street-racer!

what fan is that you've got? fits well....

[DRIFTBOY]

Cheers Gareth!

You can't see all the rust in those pics! It's got a bit of the 'rat look' about it at the moment but I will be doing some bodywork and painting later, when I can afford it!

I've got a feeling the standard master cylinder is 19mm but I could be wrong on that. Got all standard calipers though so I wouldn't have thought I needed a bigger one. The Golf servo is smaller in diameter but deeper. How do your rubber heater hoses fit with the standard servo? That was my biggest reason for changing it!

The fan is a Spal 13". I used two small bits of thick aluminium and a hole that was already in the front panel - I think for the original plastic fan shroud. Minimalist, lightweight, easy, virtually free (a mate gave me a piece of ali) and effective!

I must admit I was quite chuffed with the bonnet mod - so simple and free! Haven't seen it done to an E30 before, bet it has been though!

I love a free modification!!!

[gareth]

if you're running standard calipers then you won't need to change the master cylinder for anything other than standard, assuming you have the matching (rear disk brake) master cylinder to use. a larger bore will only stiffen the pedal and reduce the mechanical/hydralic advantage on the brakes (like a shorter lever in effect).

the ultimate power will be the same but you will have to push the pedal harder to achieve it.

[DRIFTBOY]

Indeed!
The calipers and mastyer cylinder on my car are all standard, it was a 1988 325i se. Stopped ok when I got it even though all the discs and pads were completely worn out!

Didn't you have trouble fitting the heater pipes on with the standard servo? I,ve still got my standard servo so might try it but it looks like the pipes will be all squashed up!

[gareth]

i used bits of the M20 heater pipes and bits of the M30 ones. it's a bit tight around the srvo but there's no kinking or squashing going on.

oh, the servo uses a totaly standard M30 (E32) hose as far as i can remember. i think it left in on the inlet manifold when in dropped the M30 in and then just plugged it into the servo.

[DRIFTBOY]

Oh right. The servo pipe doesn't bother me, I can make those no problem. I might try again with standard servo and mess around cutting and shutting with some heater pipe.

Cheers!

[gareth]

i think one hose connecting directly onto the heater matrix is the M20 one and the other hose is a cut down M30 one. the hoses are both split and rejoined under the inlet.

i can't remember exactly which went were but when i first set it up, one M30 hose went the full way and onto the heater matrix and only the other was a hybrid. i was chuffed until i noticed a funny ticking noise under the dash and i realised the coolant was flowing though the matrix backwards! i had to cut the M30 hose alongside the joint in the other M20/M30 hybrid and swap them over!

hope that makes sense as i've been at the beer this evening!

[DRIFTBOY]

So have I so it makes perfect sense! Sounds like what I have done already so definately worth a go!

Thanks for your time!

[DRIFTBOY]

Sold the RX7 on Ebay, hopefully being collected by tuesday.
Hopefully picking up an E34 535i radiator for the 335i tomorrow (monday 18th sep).
Insuring the 335i on tuesday!
Also got to arrange to have a thatcham approved alarm fitted this week.

Got it booked in for an M.O.T. on tuesday too! .
Got a bad feeling about the brakes, might take it for a spin first to see if they bed in a bit.
Also got a bad feeling about the front seatbelts, they are very close to the cage and don't automatically retract as they should. I think that's a fail.

I hope the exhaust isn't too loud either!
Then road tax.

That's the plan anyway!

[Andy335Touring]

Good luck dude, i hope it goes well for you

[gareth]

i should be all good for the show.....

sold the 406 on friday (ebay), collected after 13 hours too!

got my pas pump sorted and the bent doors swapped and refitted today.

arranged trailer hire for the weekend though a mate of a mate for Ԛ£25!

all i need to do now is polish it a lot and cure the intermittent 'flat' missfire

[DRIFTBOY]

Thanks Andy - and good luck Gareth!

Good job I've got the week off work to sort all this stuff out!

Can't wait to test drive it properly now though. Most looking forward to the noise! My last nice sounding car was a V6 Capri 2.8i about 4 years ago! Dartford tunnel here I come! Hopefully!

[Andy335Touring]

i should be all good for the show.....

sold the 406 on friday (ebay), collected after 13 hours too!

got my pas pump sorted and the bent doors swapped and refitted today.

arranged trailer hire for the weekend though a mate of a mate for Ԛ£25!

all i need to do now is polish it a lot and cure the intermittent 'flat' missfire

Nice bit of progress dude, 25 quid, result !

I've got(found um today) a second hand cap and rotor that looks in good nick you can have for nowt if you want to try it ?

I've also got those HT leeds.

[gareth]

cheers andy but hopefully i have this in hand. dobbie82 is selling me a cap and rotor arm that have done 8 miles from new! she's also got some leads so all being well this will cure it.

fingers crossed. i'm going to try anbd get the tail end of the week off to finish things. i need to spend some daytime looking at the engine as i doubt the neighbours will like me running it late on the drive

oh, my mate had a capri 2.8i special with twin janspeed exhausts. sounded awesome!

[DRIFTBOY]

My Capri 2.8i had a set of rather rude exhausts too, best sounding car I've ever had! Constantly setting off car alarms too!

Got a radiator at last!
The dude at http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/redir?urn=ht ... 0recycling
was really friendly and helpful, and well priced I think. And the rad I got looks really new and is aluminium. My old one is steel and much heavier! Also replaced the thermostat housing which had a sheared bleed screw for one that works.

Only thing is I am having real trouble bleeding it. Had the thermostat out, barged mother out the way of cooking dinner, boiled a pan of water and it tested fine. I have also fitted a new water pump when I built the engine.
Got M.O.T. at 2pm and I can't stop it overheating! The guage goes up, the heater blows hot, guage goes up, the hoses get hot, the guage goes up, electric fan cuts in, guage goes up, I poo myself and switch off the engine!

[gareth]

are the fans wired in the right way? mine were blowing forwards!!!

[m10man]

Driftboy, did you unbolt the expansion/overflow tank and hold it higher than the the thermostat housing - when the thermostat opens, unscrew the bleed screw and keep filling and letting the bleed opening run until all the bubbles are gone - tighten bleed screw, srew cap on and then bolt the expansion tank back in place. I did it this way and it has run super cool ever since. By the way I blew up my radiator input pipe also when going through the overheating problem - damn - just enough left on the pip to get a clamp on until I get a new radiator.

[gareth]

i often pressure bleed the coolant if it's being a pain... pinch the overflow pipe and blow into the header tank.

it does leave funny marks around your lips though!

[DRIFTBOY]

I got the coolant bled today, by holding the expansion tank up high, opening and closing the bleed screw and LOTS of water and LOTS of patience! Oh, and.. aham... changing polarity of the electric fan so it blows cold air through and not hot air back through the radiator! Whoops!

Then I phoned round for insurance and got my price down to Ԛ£515 fully comp, admitting the mods.

Then it was M.O.T. time! ... And it just scraped through!
A couple of small things were commented on so I will do those this week.
Just waiting for my insurance cover note to arrive to tax it. And got to arrange fitting a CAT1 alarm for the insurance, and piece of mind!

Took it for a spin and it felt ok. I'm not getting full throttle - got to adjust the stop underneath the pedal - brakes still a little scary for my liking and not as much urge as I'd hoped for. Maybe my camshaft timing is a tooth out?

Got the Corbeaus in though.







Looks promising for Santa Pod!

[m10man]

Well done mate!

[gareth]

coolio!!!!

did you get the sears from corbeau directly? until the other week, they were 2 doors down from my work.


oh, i think a lot of us did that with the fans. mine was too obvious, in the donor BX the fans are between the rad and radiator. i rotated them 180Ԛ° for use in the E30 so while wired correctly, they pointed the wrong way! it was fine a low speed but it overheated at higher speed as the fans equalised the air coming in!

[Andy335Touring]

Cool ! Sounds like you will be sorted for the pod meet

Did you fit a schrick cam, i can't remember now

Is it chipped ?

Which diff ratio did you use ?

[DRIFTBOY]

Thanks guys!

My girlfriend came round and hardly spoke to me tonight because I've sold my yellow RX7 twin turbo tonight. She said the BMW is "...a f##king hunk of shit". She'll have to get used to it!

I did fit a Schrick camshaft (plus head and inlet work) and I'm in the process of of sorting out a chip.

Diff ratio is 3.73 at the mo. LSD - of course!

Got the seats off Ebay months ago, they were in an E30 so subframes were already on them!

The torque is amazing with this engine - pulling up a steep hill in fifth gear at 35mph with no fuss!

[m10man]

Has your cooling issues settled down mate? I cant believe it! I thought my car was running nice and cool - but found this morning that the BLOODY temp sensor had come off!! It had boiled over again last night! This morning couldnt get it to bleed!! I dont know how much overheating these engines can take but I am getting worried about my head gasket and head!!!