m30 soundproofing and battery in boot?

[beefy]

hi how much of the soundproofing needs to be removed to fit the engine in positon 3.

also would it be ok to have a coneection in live wire going to the ecu as the battery will be in the boot to get enough length i will have to extend the wire the connection will be near drivers seat.

info and answers please all input appreciated.

cheers

[gall]

Hi beefy,

don't remove any sound proofing mate,just take a hammer to the bulkhead, that's what i and most people did.

as for the connection issue, shouldn't be a prolem aslong as it's well isulated from the rest of the car, why don't you leave the battery in the engine bay as i did??

hows the conversion coming along?


cheers

Andy.

[FlappySocks]

I found this pic from another thread. Do you have to hammer both sides?

[DRIFTBOY]

He could do with a nice, properly held big hammer, or it'll be covered in loads of small dents if he's not careful!
It does bash in very easily though.

In position 3 I found the soundproofing on the bulkhead was obstructive, especially around the top of the gearbox. You'd never have got the top bell housing bolt out if you needed to take the 'box off. I had a nightmare of a job getting the 'box back on mine (with help from Theo325) last time even with mods to make it easier, not a lot of room up in the tunnel.
I removed all soundproofing, saves weight too!

[gall]

FlappySocks, i just did exactly the same as he's doing in the pic,i just needed more space for the head to sit in, i've used the e34 535i rad to which is thicker than the e28 one that everyone says you need to use.

Driftboy, how the heck did you manage to get the gearbox back on, i can't even touch the top of mine so i just have to take the engine out when i need to do the clutch!! can have it out and back in again in about 1 1/2 hours by my self, done it a few times when i was doing the conversion on my drive, i had to move the car on to the road every night so i could put the wife's car back on the drive!!!!

Andy.

[beefy]

where do you bash the bulk head or is this just a trial and error thing.

Andy yeah its coming along well may even get the m30 in on sat. Pop round if you want mate.

[DRIFTBOY]

The bashing needs to be where the back of the cylinder head will be, about from just under the water drain tube on the bulkhead and towards the centre of the car.
Like I say it does go in easily, no need for a sledge hammer!

Gall - With the top bolt lug chopped off the bellhousing it does give more room around the top of the 'box, and I have to tilt the engine back until the head is touching the bashed in bulkhead.
First time I did it it went on quite easily, I wish I remembered how I'd done it as the second time was a struggle involving swear words!

[jaffro]

so the top lug can just be chopped off then? wont it matter there will be a bolt missing? just starting same swap a info be gd thanks

[DRIFTBOY]

It's a bit of a Scrapheap Challenge solution and it does leave a hole in the top of the bellhousing that could potentially let oil in if the oil pressure switch or something leaks but I've had no problem running with one less bolt.
There are plenty of other bolts!

A mate of mine had a highly tuned Mk1 Escort that he took the gearbox off so often he only ever used four bolts in it!

[ric325i]

just get a big hammer and hit everything it will fit Gall was less crude when he was laying into my e30 and did the job nice


i stil have the sound proofing as i hope it will take some off the heat from the box etc but who knows?

its good fun with the hammer

[DRIFTBOY]

Heat did cross my mind Ric but I haven't even noticed any significant amount coming through my floor, although I do have carpet still which has soundproofingy stuff underneath which is very thick in places.

The Maserati Biturbo tuuurrrrd I've got at the moment has no carpet, and it does get very hot inside, but maybe that's just because it's turbocharged and gets hotter under the bonnet and down the exhaust?

Obviously it will be a little noisier, but with a big six under the bonnet that's a good thing too!