Another M30 Conversion

[m10man]

Hi Tim, nice looking rig mate! Darth Vader number plates would look cool. I am always interested in looking at other/better ways of doing things so I pic would be great. Cheers.

[Andy335Touring]

I should have done it whist it was off the road but i want to chop mine off just behind the flange, rotate(sp?) it slightly and weld it back up.

As the weld is so close to the end you could grind off any weld blobs from the inside of the tube ?

[m10man]

I am interested to know just where mine sits in comparison to the e30.de postitions I, II and III. Could some of you guys with those mounts measure the distance between the end of the bleed screw and the body and tell me what position you have got your engine in. I will measure mine and see where it lies. Much appreciated.

[Andy335Touring]

Sorry it's not to the bleed nut, i measured mine from the top 'stat housing bolt to the body/slam panel, it was 114mm.

E30.de at P3

HTH

[ed325i]

I have measured mine with home made mounts and its 150mm or 6"

[DRIFTBOY]

Just measured mine, with e30.de brackets in pos. 3.
From the edge of the built on washer on the bleed screw to the edge of the front panel is 150mm.

[gareth]

just measured mine. e30.de brackets drilled with a third hole halfway between p2 and p3. it measures 143mm.

this seems a bit tight as the HT leads have been rubbing the rad. i reckon the best position would be nearer 150mm.

having to remove the rad to get the dizzy cap off is annoying!

[DRIFTBOY]

Even is pos. 3 distributor cap and thermostat housing are a radiator out job, so not much differnce there!

[gareth]

oh well, hardly a hardship for the extra pppooowwweeerrrr!!!!!!!!!

[TW166Y]

what do you mean by p1 p2 p3, position what? are there a few ways to install it or something?

[ed325i]

Look here for info >> http://www.e30.de/335i/06.htm

[gareth]

dude, you need to do some searching!!!!

look on the e30.de site for explainations of this and what cars were done what way. P1 is right up front with a custom rad tucked up in the front. P2 is a but further back and P3 is most rearward. these positions all have advantages and disadvantages so it's a jusgement call on what you can find really. approx P2.5 seems most popular though as no bulkead bashing is needed but the engine goes right back.

[gareth]

beaten to it!

[TW166Y]

dude, you need to do some searching!!!!

look on the e30.de site for explainations of this and what cars were done what way. P1 is right up front with a custom rad tucked up in the front. P2 is a but further back and P3 is most rearward. these positions all have advantages and disadvantages so it's a jusgement call on what you can find really. approx P2.5 seems most popular though as no bulkead bashing is needed but the engine goes right back.

ill have a good read of that tongiht
told you i was a dummy

[gareth]

oh, ignore what that site says about needing to get a manual loom, that's rubbish!

i reckon we should all collaborate and make a decent article at some point!

[m10man]

Cheers guys! Thanks for those measurements. My measurement is 150mm so my mounts put the engine in P3. I am happy about that.

[m10man]

Just call me the MYTH BUSTER! Just taken my economy figures after going through a full tank. Most of my driving is highway and country roads with a bit of town - and I am getting 28 MPG out of my beast. Next is the G-Tech to see how fast this baby is! I am sure the cam is not standard - it has got too much of a lumpy idle for it to be stock - and it has got some mumbo!

[m10man]

Sorry guys if it seems like I am on a crusade but I just want others who are considering the conversion to know the truth instead of hearing those who dont know point out the 'thought to be' problems.

I took my car for a real decent strap today throught some country roads and all I can say is IT WAS BLOODY AWESOME!! FORGET WHAT YOU HEAR ABOUT TURNING YOUR E30 INTO AN UNDERSTEERING BARGE - ABSOLUTELY NO HINT OF PUSHING THROUGH CORNERS - WITH THE H&R CUP KIT THE THING WAS SUPERB!

[gareth]

it almost sounds like you're happy with it!!!

[m10man]

Yes mate I am very happy with the result. To use an english expression (I think) I'm right chuffed.

[DRIFTBOY]

Congrats dude!

28mpg is very good too, hope mine manages that!

I've had no understeer / handling issues with mine either.

[Andy335Touring]

Nice one dude !

[ed325i]

You have made me want to get mine on the road even more now. sounds great

[bigdek]

28mpg probably achievable on a motorway but around town you only get 15 - 20 mpg

[mybmw6]

oh, ignore what that site says about needing to get a manual loom, that's rubbish!

I wondered about this. So can you use the Auto loom for the manual gearbox? Does anyone know which wires on the auto loom aren't used?

M10man great effort!! (No disrespect to everyone elses previous conversions of course). I'm gathering the cars/parts for this conversion myself and its great to have an Australian example to work from especially from a parts point of view ie, (craig davies fan). Were abouts are you located? I'm in Adelaide. Did you use a standard clutch and what diff did you chose? The sliding bar you used to get the engine in, what was it rated to? I found one but its only rated for 750kg given the weight of the engine will that be enough?

Sorry for the interuption on your thread by the way I've been researching the project for 4 months now and I just couldn't help but ask a couple questions. Don't mean to high jack your great thread.

Thanks kind regards Matt

[gareth]

to use an aussie expression (i think!!!), bonzer!

[DRIFTBOY]

I've read somewhere that an M30 engine filled with fluids weighs about 450lb - about 205kg.

[gareth]

oh, ignore what that site says about needing to get a manual loom, that's rubbish!

I wondered about this. So can you use the Auto loom for the manual gearbox? Does anyone know which wires on the auto loom aren't used?

if you use the auto throttle position switch (larger so less room but it just fits) then you'll simply have a few spare connectors under the dash. incidentally, my M20 loom had these also!

i am literally running a complete auto engine, loom and ecu with a manual box, flywheel and clutch fitted. if you do this though, you need to fit a spigot bearing in the crank for the gearbox input shaft as the auto doesn't have one. only a few quid though.

[mybmw6]

Thanks Gareth - I just started my own thread "m30 project in Australia". I've only bought the donor car today, I've posted picks on the thread. m10man said you use the e30 pedals (should have known that one ) but do you use the hydrolics from the e30?

[gareth]

regarding hydraulics, the only but i didn't re-use from the E30 was the PAS pump which i left on the M30. that has no died and i'm running an adapted E30 320i one now anyway.

[m10man]

Got my cold air intake done today. I am running a Foam Unifilter Pod Filter so I have the best of both worlds - good flow and excellent filtration.


This is the tubing coming off my Alpina spoiler - I now have vented brakes so I am using the brake vent inlet off the spoiler.


And as I am not running air-con now I have been left with the perfect hole to pipe the cold air up into my cold air box - this is where the air-con dryer used to sit. I have a temporary cold air box which is a 20litre plastic drum cut down to fit into the space and shielded with aluminium heat shielding around it until I build my carbon fibre one.

[m10man]

I wasnt going to post pictures of the under bonnet until I had totally finished it - but who knows how long that is going to take me now that I have heaps of around the house jobs to catch up on.


This is the from the drivers side. You can see that the heat off the exhaust has distorted the intake tubing. I bought a heavy duty one today and will make a heat shield to put under it. I am also going to get my exhaust manifolds ceramic coated. You can see my dodgy temp cold air box - but it is doing the job until I finish my carbon fibre one.


And this is from the passengers side.

[MadE30mike]

Wish i had the knowledge n time to do sumthing lyk this, thats quality mate well done!

[Andy335Touring]

Have you thought about using the M30 air box ?

[gareth]

my M30 (e32) airbox fits a treat. i cut out a lump of the plastic trim from behind the headlights and poked the original E32 air inlet hose out through the front so it gets a cold air feed. this airbox also has an integral heatshield and looks totally factory installed! there are aftermarket panel filters available from GSF for about Ԛ£28 too