E30, shoehorn, m30. i knew it wasnt dead.

[ric325i]

well ladies and gentle men its been about 11 long months and the conversion begun!

it actually started happening a few weeks ago but i didnt want to start a thread as i have not spent the time figuring out how to post pics - still cant but i will find out soon.

progress as stands.

m30 out! got a few good pics of that

then my death rattle infested, loose cam, blowing exhaust death trap of an e30 spat its dumby out and the water pump went bang......

really funny actually

i really wanted the 1.8 to go bang! left me stranded on the A19 going to see the girlfriend but i didnt complain.....the girlfriend did.

nuclear shaped cloud of steam when i stopped. waited for 5 mins and then another atom bomb shaped cloud appeared when i opened the bonnet.


so it prompted the engine swap!


engine out etc and now we are fighting shoehorning the m30 in!

i had to stand on the suspension struts with 1 foot on the gear box to get the desired angle to slide the big 6 in.

monday the 6th Andy (Gall on the zone) is comming round to make the engine mounts



i have untill the 18th when its a rolling road day meet to get it done!
but i want it done before so i can run the engine in etc.

dont want it to go pop on the rollers


if any one can post a few pics for me i have some

oh and on sunday i can post a vid or 2 if i can learn how.

thanks to people who have been answering my questions in other peoples thread. p.s sorry to take them over.

[charlE30]

I use www.photobucket.com for hosting piccys mate, dead easy to do and then you just copy and paste them into your thread

Really pleased you've got it all started, believe me it's worth it... it will put such a big grin on your face the first time, well every time you drive it.

Are you going to badge it up as a 335? I'm really considering a 316 badge on mine for a laugh.

Good luck with it all mate and if you need any tips, advise etc you know where we are

Charlie

[Andy335Touring]

We need pics, just like the Sun readers do

[gareth]

i fitted a new tailgate to mine... it was badged up as a 316i
i took it off after a while though as the badge itself was falling apart

[whipsey]

i've still got the 316i badge on mine hehe wonder how many people i can p**s off at the lights

[ric325i]

Gall painted his 320i badge black (same as car) so people are evan more confused!

well funny

i have no badge on mine at the moment, might leave it like that?


no progres over the weekend but i am going to fight with the plates for teh engine mounts tonight and if there is time relocate the battery to the boot.

better weight balance and hope to use the space for the washer bottle?



right photobucket and copy and paste.......ok because we know

[ric325i]

test



just a nice pic from photobucket.

test works

[ric325i]

ok so it works!
check it out!


right this is a few weeks ago getting the m30 out!



this is where we took the engine out! did plenty of donuts in both cars! and the big six sounded really good i just watched andy going round in circles



good use of a fork lift truck

not all pics are working

[ric325i]

yes im a posting lots but i will get these pics to work!










its good to have a fork lift.....

putting it down: better to use the van, some rope and a gentle push to put the big 5 back on its wheels

[ric325i]

have a few pics of the engine out but not on the comp now so here are some pics of where i am at present.








there is space for the e34 rad i promise!
32mm spanner for fan needed



i have moved the brake lines since this pic.

nice and snug


oh yes




and this is how the car has been for the past few days

the space we have to work is good but in isnt great, esspecially when the buses go past. its a pretty major road.

and people look at us funny when they have to wait for a gap in the traffic........ah well.

i will try to start it again tonight - fingers crossed.

[Toby_Unna]

Ric, for goodness sake get the mounts made before you try to run it

seriously, these engines do not run dead smooth as you might expect, the rubber engine mounts dampen a lot out. if you start it with the sump sitting on the rack it'll run like a bag of spanners and if you're unlucky do something nasty to the sump/rack mounts etc.

one thing at a time eh

[ric325i]

Ric, for goodness sake get the mounts made before you try to run it

seriously, these engines do not run dead smooth as you might expect, the rubber engine mounts dampen a lot out. if you start it with the sump sitting on the rack it'll run like a bag of spanners and if you're unlucky do something nasty to the sump/rack mounts etc.

one thing at a time eh

yeah that sounds like a good idea.

last week we just thought we wound see if it would fire?]

its attached on the gear box mounts and we secured it with some jacks etc so it wasnt just loose and free

that would have been a disaster!


now we have pumped some fuel through it i have a strong feeling it will start when the mounts are made!



Question for people:

are people using the m20 coil or the m30 coil? my m30 coil is very very small?

[Toby_Unna]

the m30 one is fine, does exactly same job. save some space and weight!

[ric325i]

sweet!

i like how high tech it looks!

i will template the mounts tonight and post some pics.

will be wednesday before they are on as Gall is planning to take them to work and get them super welded
hope he can as they will be much stronger.

more pics tomorrow if i get anything done?

[E30Dale]

looking good ric cant wait to see it a the next meeting

[ric325i]

looking good ric cant wait to see it a the next meeting

cheers man.

good pics of the 318is in your sig!

how many million miles have you done in it now?

[charlE30]

Looking good mate, when do you expect to have it finished??

[ric325i]

Looking good mate, when do you expect to have it finished??

puffft


the most frustrating question ever!

i wanted to have it done by this weekend but its a bit optamistic.
so there is a North East rolling road day meet on the 19th that i want to be ready for.

infact i am planning to take an epic trip to manchester on friday the 17th.
so i best get cracking.

the plan if it works and andy has time is:

tonight do what i can,
make plates for mounts and cardboard templates
route battery to boot if time?

tuesday
andy comes round cuts and tack welds the mounts.
andy takes mounts to work to be welded.

wednesday
i collect the mounts
mount the engine
cut the props

thursday
i want to get the prop to a place to be re-tubed etc if andy tack weld them for size? but i cant get it tack welded on wed night.

the place that should be doing it is local so i could take it thur morning and get it back end of day friday?

then the rest is getting the exhaust done. shouldnt take too long as i have the bends and back box but i need andy to weld it all together and get brackets done.


once the rad is tubed in it will need bleeding. then the fan needs to be wired up and........ bobs your uncle and

but i guess time will tell? its a tight time frame and i need lots of help from andy but im so close and want it done in that time frame.

[DRIFTBOY]

Looking good dude!

Good luck!

[gareth]

if you cut that tab off the back of the rocker cover it will give you more breathing room around the brake pipes.

looks good though!

[Andy335Touring]

Yay, some pics !

Nice progress mate

[E30Dale]

good pics of the 318is in your sig!

how many million miles have you done in it now?

done 8000 miles in 3month

hope you get it going for the rolling road day on the 19th!

[Ritchie]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb13 ... C00636.jpg

I wouldnt get away with doing that in my local Somerfields!

[ric325i]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb13 ... C00636.jpg

I wouldnt get away with doing that in my local Somerfields!

it aint somerfeilds its just some old lorry trailers at andy's work place.

it was made into some random shelter that is full of holes so not really a shelter.
still a very good place to strip a car!

more pics to come but they are not in order sorry.






Gareth wrote:
if you cut that tab off the back of the rocker cover it will give you more breathing room around the brake pipes.



yeah i almost did it last night but it was dark and i was weak with hunger.
i have some pics of a certain green 335 tourer that has done the same.

[Ritchie]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb13 ... C00636.jpg

I wouldnt get away with doing that in my local Somerfields!

it aint somerfeilds its just some old lorry trailers at andy's work place.

it was made into some random shelter that is full of holes so not really a shelter.
still a very good place to strip a car!

I did kinda figure that!

[ric325i]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb13 ... C00636.jpg

I wouldnt get away with doing that in my local Somerfields!

it aint somerfeilds its just some old lorry trailers at andy's work place.

it was made into some random shelter that is full of holes so not really a shelter.
still a very good place to strip a car!

I did kinda figure that!

duh sorry.

a few people at work thought andy worked for somerfeild so i almost expected some questions about it.

i will post more pics today.

[ric325i]

ahh i have been let down with the m20 gear linkage!

gutted this is really going to slow me down!

the guy admitted he can t get the linkage off i just wish he told me sooner!



i have asked a guy i was going to get the linkage off before to send it out.
hope he gets the message soon and i get teh linkage soon.





i should have taken the original gear linkage but i was worried about time...im a fool.
i may have to bodge something tonight?

[ric325i]

ok these are old pics but its fine

this is my good old 325i

i loved this car, i toured the lakes and northumberland most weekends last year.

the shell was rotten which actually scared me when i realised how bad it was..... i used to leather that!

i now have the 325i front end on my 318i but not the rear yet.

318i meets 325i for the 1st and last time







late night tow



andy with the fork lift.....





the weighing bridge was closed so we never actually got any money for the old girl



wave goodbye

[ric325i]

i kept as much as i could of the 325 i even went back later and got the lights when the 325i was on the back of a van!

does anyone want a set of rear lights? front lights? i have some bits i need shot of.

i thought i would keep the little bottle tops on the 318i as they were great fun!

and i could clean the bbs up!











yes they do look sweet

[Toby_Unna]

just put the box in 3rd gear and install it, you don't need a linkage.

m30s make plenty enough torque to cope with that

[ric325i]

just put the box in 3rd gear and install it, you don't need a linkage.

m30s make plenty enough torque to cope with that

class just use 3rd!

problem is i am running a 4:1 dif (i think) about 120mph top and 4000rpm in 5th at 75-80.

it will start ok but i dont think the motor way will be much fun?





few weeks ago getting the engine out.


this is how dark it was when we finnaly got the 1.8 out! it was too dark to see that the m10 (i think, i dont actually care - its slow and failed on me) had little pistons along side the engine mounts....

why?







out goes the loose cam 1.8 slow mo fo.





andy looking at the road leading to his house.....



tonight is engine mounts time so i will see what 'up to date pics' i can take?

[gareth]

theo managed a few hundred miles to the 'ring in 3rd iirc! toooooooorque

[DRIFTBOY]

With that diff you'd be better off in fourth!

With 3.73:1 diff ratio mine eeaaasily pulls off in third!

I pulled away in second on a slight uphill incline towing a mates Escort!

[ric325i]

yeah 4th is the way i think?

torque monsters!

thankfully kadettc (Davey) is helping me with the gear linkage i just hope mr post man (sorry if that sexist) will hurry his arse up and get it too my door!

update with pics im a few mins........

just need to the boss to look away for a bit.

[ric325i]

ok started making the engine mounts.

takes a age to cut throught 8mm plate with an angle grinder!



me getting the plates made
socks may have helped?




andy some late night grinding sorry making engine mounts. we finished about 11:00pm nabours?




got one made thats getting super welded today. i will post pics on friday.



this plate needs some major adjustment tonight but i will get it to fit