Conversion for the convertible: M30 it is! DONE!

[johnl320]

M30 E34 / E32 throttle cables is a straight farward, no modification required fit.

Good progress though John, nearly there, any updated pics?

No pics yet mate, finshed fitting my refurbed rear brake calipers today and put the 179 ecu on that I got from spadge, ran it for a bit with no exhaust on
Does anyone elses m30 e30 rock when you rev it??

john

[DRIFTBOY]

ran it for a bit with no exhaust on

'Tis the M30 way, the only way to fire one up for the first time!

I don't find mine rocks as much as other, less powerful cars I've had, but most of them never needed or got new engine mounts like the E30 did.



You got any pics of your progress Ziggy?

[Ziggy]

Just for you then...









John, I'll sell ya my prop if I find an M3 one, but otherwise I'll need it to get it shortened...

[DRIFTBOY]

Looks almost done!

[johnl320]

No probs, mate. thought I'd try my luck. The project looks great. I've used an m40 wiring loom cover to tidy up the bay. I'm not sure what to do about an air filter yet. Have you still got the front lower valences for sale or have they gone?

regards

john

[Ziggy]

Hopefully not far off!

Gonna arrange a custom prop next week... Still need to find an E34 mani though! Although I was talking to a bloke today about getting some tubular ones made up...

Still got both valances John - the black front one was sold, but the guy never managed to get over here when I was about... The red front & rear ones are still here too! Might have to add a strut brace to the list too - but only if it doesn't fit with the M30 so it'll be no good to you anyway.

[Ziggy]

Those pics were taken in near total darkness btw - love my new camera!

[johnl320]

I might have to start working on the misses about releasing some funds so I can get over there and spend some of my hard earned on the valence.

I still need the front part of the prop e28 535i. Do you know what other models use that same prop flange size? I'm not worried about the lengh as I will have to go down the same route you are.

regards

john

[Ziggy]

Just been looking at this pic:



& realised I'll be needing some bits... the T-piece obviously, but a different top hose too, if that one's got a T built into it? Think I'm using an E30 top hose at the mo which clearly won't be any use - have to hope I've got a suitable one in my vast collection of rad hoses, but I don't think I do!

[Andy335Touring]

The later gen(E32/4) M30 had the T in the top rad hose but the earlier(E28/4) didn't, mine needed replacing when i did the swap, i think i paid £ 30-40 from ECP ?

E28 plastic T-piece part # 11 53 1 272 866 which was less than £2 IIRC ?

Has your engine got the pipe comming out from the back of the head ? Not too sure but if you have i think this acts like the E34 pipe that T's of the top rad hose ?

[Ziggy]

I don't recall seeing a top hose, but I might have it somewhere! I just picked one out of the pile that looked like it would fit...
The engine's out of an E32 though, so I'll just get one that was designed for it, if I don't find one this evening
I'll order the T-piece & throttle cable from Paul asap too... cheers

Does anyone know if the fabric-covered hose that goes to the brake servo, came in a suitable length on any car? Bit of a pain to cut neatly, so I'm wondering if it just comes in whatever length you like, or pre-cut?

[ajm-e30]

coming along nicely mate, you doin lm next year with it?

[Ziggy]

coming along nicely mate, you doin lm next year with it?

Probably not mate... definitely going, but have other plans for something to abuse!

[DRIFTBOY]

Does anyone know if the fabric-covered hose that goes to the brake servo, came in a suitable length on any car? Bit of a pain to cut neatly, so I'm wondering if it just comes in whatever length you like, or pre-cut?

Most car spares shops / factors will have 1metre lengths or stuff on a big roll available.
A lot of servo hose isn't braided and easier to cut neatly, it's cheap as chips too.

[Ziggy]

Well that's been a waste of 3 days that I could have spent sorting stuff! Still no mani, & I've been feeling 'orrible so I've barely spent any time sorting the other li'l bits that need doing

I have done the throttle cable, & the remainder of the coolant plumbing though - apart from the header tank. TBH, the pre-facelift m20 one is just gonna be a bodge so I might as well find something better... what works well? E32 on the bulkhead could be quite neat? Or E30 facelift?

Anyone got a link to a quick explanation of what needs doing with the C101 for the unloader relay / swingometer?

Apart from that, what's left?
Not been able to get hold of reco-prop, but hopefully I will manage to tomorrow...
Still praying that the E34 exhaust mani turns up...
Need to wire the fan up - got the temp switches that were in an E28 m535i rad - I'm guessing these were for the fan, so is the rest of the wiring easy enough, or shall I just put it on a switch for now?
Extend coil connections - would do it today, but it's cold, I feel cr@p & can't be bothered.

So I'm getting there, but progress has slowed to a crawl!

[DRIFTBOY]

Anyone got a link to a quick explanation of what needs doing with the C101 for the unloader relay / swingometer?

I can't say if yours is the same as my facelift model but here's how mine worked.

Swapping over pin 3 (black and white) with pin 8 (black and purple) on the M30 loom will get the economyswingometerthingy working.

Pin 15 (black and green) on the E30 body loom goes to the smallest spade terminal on the starter motor, that makes the heater work and the electric windows and mirrors work with the doors shut and unload them whilst cranking.

Chin up dude, you'll get there soon!

[Ziggy]

Cheers mate!

Any thoughts on the header tank?

[DRIFTBOY]

I used the facelift M20 tank as that was already on my car, but I don't see why any of them wouldn't work. ?
The plumbing should be easy enough to sort out with any of them.

The electric fan is quite easy to wire up to include a manual override switch, but I haven't got a scanner to post up the wiring diagram.

I could post it to you?

[Ziggy]

Where 'bouts does the facelift tank mount? It's the fitting, not the plumbing that's difficult with the pre-facelift (air intake's where it originally mounted...)!

Don't worry about posting anything just yet - I'll let you know if I get stuck, but I can't imagine it'll be difficult! Have you got temp sensors on yours, or just a switch?

[DRIFTBOY]

I hope these pics help!





I have a thermo switch in the top hose.
It is far from ideal though, it holds so much heat that by the time the switch (eventually) comes on the aluminium adaptor stays hot for ages so the fan runs for about half an hour after you switch the engine off!

I prefer to flick the fan on manually for better control but I have back up in case I forget.

When I get round to re-doing the engine with turbo I shall re-think this set up.

The second pic isn't too clear, the front end of the tank just slides into the bracket and the rear end pushes into those two round bits in the bottom left.
Does that make sense?

[Ziggy]

Excellent - cheers mate. I'll just find one of those - got to be easier that faffing around with my PFL one! Don't think I'll have the brackets, but I'm sure I can make it fit.

Just need to find out if I can use the thermo switches in the rad for my fan now... I'm tempted to just use a bit of wire with a switch & a fuse for now though!

[DRIFTBOY]

I'd definately use a relay mate, fans draw a lot of current, if the fuse doesn't blow it could melt most switches!
It's really not hard to wire one in with a four pin relay.


The front expansion tank bracket would be easy to make from a small peice of metal, the rear clip (no 10 in link below) should only be pennies from BMW.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=17&fg=05

[Brianmoooore]

The standard position on the radiator end tank is the ideal location for the fan control switch. The BMW aircon fan draws around 20 amps, and is an inductive load, so needs top be relay controlled.
Two ready wired positions with fuses provided in the fusebox.

[Ziggy]

Oh go on then, I'll do it properly (I wasn't really gonna do it without at least a relay, if anyone wondered)!

Does anyone know what kinda switch would have come fitted to an E28 M535i radiator then? I'm guessing they would have been for the aux fan?

[Brianmoooore]

You need a thermoswitch that keeps the radiator temperature slightly below the engines water thermostat temperature. It's not the fans job to control the engine temperature - that should be done solely by the water thermostat. The cooling fan is to provide the water stat with a resevoir of sufficiently cool water to enable it to do its job.
I expect the M535i had a dual temp switch, but I don't know the switching temps. Probably says in the ETK.

[Ziggy]

Anyone got a link to a quick explanation of what needs doing with the C101 for the unloader relay / swingometer?

I can't say if yours is the same as my facelift model but here's how mine worked.

Swapping over pin 3 (black and white) with pin 8 (black and purple) on the M30 loom will get the economyswingometerthingy working.

Pin 15 (black and green) on the E30 body loom goes to the smallest spade terminal on the starter motor, that makes the heater work and the electric windows and mirrors work with the doors shut and unload them whilst cranking.

Chin up dude, you'll get there soon!

****. Well I think I can safely say that it's not the same... seeing as none of those pins (3,8,15) are connected to anything on the pre-facelift loom!

Anyone done the swap on a pre-facelift car? I can't think of any at the mo, & that's slightly worrying!

I've had a hugely unproductive weekend. Again I've been feeling rubbish when I've had a whole weekend to work on the car. & the weather's been cr@p too.

Done the coil connections, worked out how to mount / wire the fan (just need a couple of bits from halfrauds!), & sorted the rad mounting. But I've not finished the plumbing as my local motorfactors didn't have any large enough hose, & as you can tell from the above I've not finished the wiring either.

The prop's at reco-prop still, & I've not sorted the exhaust either. Damn $hitty illness & weather - I should be virtually done by now!

[jaffro]

its ok my engine still in bits lol. ive painted my rocker cover & inlet manifold though a they look quite good im hopeing to have it done by end feb early march. just been to see ric325 with his m3o e30 a it sounds awsome

[johnl320]

I will be wiring in my economy gauge during the week, on my pre facelift. I'll let you know how I get on. I'm in the same position as you with concerns to prop/exhaust. Apart from that I'm pretty much done.

john

[Ziggy]

Good stuff John. I see you've kept the pre-facelift header tank? How did you mount it?

You'll beat me to it at this rate Jaffro!

[jaffro]

not a chance ive dun naff all this wkend 2. my new engine loom should be here this week so il maybe get a bit done

[johnl320]

Good stuff John. I see you've kept the pre-facelift header tank? How did you mount it?

You'll beat me to it at this rate Jaffro!

Used a couple of steel bars bent and drilled and heat shrunk, One coming up from the spare hole above the engine earth mount the other from one of the strut mounting studs. Got it as high as I could without fowling the bonnet.
Heres a piccy.

john

[Ziggy]

Any news on the wiring mods John? (as in anything other than just plugging the c101 in - what won't work on a pre-facelift car?!)

Yesterday I made my bottom rad mount & fitted my new rad (been using an old one for trial fitting etc!). Finished all the plumbing, & a few other minor bits (earth straps, water level sensor, swapped the dizzy cap & rotor arm, final fan fitting...). I also attacked my exhaust mani with a grinder & thanks to Sir Jaffro, it now looks like it'll clear the steering joint. The E34 version of the mani is just slightly longer than the E32 one, so the flange doesn't interfere with the joint quite as much, & there's quite a lot of metal that can be removed!

If someone'd like to tell me how to get to the K6 relay in the fusebox, connecting the fan up shouldn't take more than a couple of mins (temp switches in the rad, wiring all waiting, but I'm not sure how to go about connecting to the fusebox?) I was tempted to just forget about putting it in the fusebox, but I'd like to do it properly!

I'm about to phone recoprop & find out where the **** my prop is. Then it should just be a case of bolting the exhaust on. The custom front section I had made to go with my RD mani on my m20 is a bit short, but nothing that can't be bodged! I'll be getting a new front section made so that I can sell the one that matches the mani, but it'll do for now.

Assuming I can get the prop here, I might well get it finished next weekend... but I won't hold my breath!

Will upload pics later!

[jaffro]

glad your nearly done mate. mines stopped dead at the moment but for good reasons more or less got everything i need though and with the great help ive had off mr temple8e30 my engine will be mint. we should get all the m30s together at 1 of the big shows a compare notes lol . what did you grind on the mani if u dont mind me asking??

[johnl320]

Ziggy have a look at your c101 thread ( i've bumped it back to the top) I've explained what you need to do there. I haven't done it yet, been busy with my prop. It needs a balance and a centre bearing.

john

[Ziggy]

Reco-prop should have my prop back to me by Fri... Should be able to get the fan wired tonight, C101 & C104 bits when Paul can get the connectors to me... So what's going to go wrong to stop me getting it finished at the weekend??

Jaffro - I'll take a pic of the mani grinding... It was basically the bit of the flange where the downpipe stud fits - it used to hit the steering coupling but there's significantly less of it now...

Thanks all!!