Project Armo "330i" M-tech 1

[Skarpa]

Thanks for going through that effort, would've been a shame to lose all that well-documented fab work...

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

No problem. Now all the pic links in this tread are updated.

[Skarpa]

Next I relocated the brake booster mounting point in the firewall. I cut off a rectangular piece of firewall and flipped it upside down to move the mounting point 30 mm towards the fender. That's the maximum without touching the clutch master cylinder position.


I got a chance to test out my brand new butt clamps and I'm really happy with them.


After the modifications the brake booster and master cylinder sit something like this:

Here the booster has been tilted a bit towards the fender for maximum clearance. It fits but with just five to ten mills of clearance so I think I'll tilt the engine a bit towards the passenger's side to make more space.

I was not happy with this solution. The 30mm offset would be easy to execute in the pedal assembly but it doesn't move the booster enough. I still had to tilt the booster towards the strut tower to have the clearance I wanted. So the booster needs to move more. I measured and scetched and came to conclusion that 52mm is the maximum movement of the brake booster without completely redoing the clutch master cylinder placement. That's also enough for the engine clearance. The pedal assembly is the restrictive element so I started with modifications on that and will make the fire wall accordingly. I cut off the flange plate and made a new one.


I also made a new portion for the frame that will move the clutch master cylinder out of the way. Then I welded captive nuts for the booster and the master cylinder and tacked the frame together.


That would be neat enough if it was all but the booster fork would have hit the brake light switch bracket so I had to modify that as well. I made an angle support above the switch and then cut enough space for the booster fork. Finally I filled in the triangle shaped hollow you can see in the cardboard template pic.






So that kind of jigsaw puzzle this time. Next I'll need to modify the pedals to match. I will also need to make a support for the cruise control clutch switch.

[Skarpa]

I had a bit of time so I started assembling the front struts. This car won't have coilovers and I wanted to keep the original strut top mounts as well but wanted to have adjustable camber. Tonton sells these clever aluminum adapters. The splined screws are replaced with regular ones that go into the tapped holes. The plates have machined grooves for the M8 hex screws that go into the strut towers. The camber is adjustable just by loosening the nuts in the engine bay.

The assembly will be 12,5mm taller than stock so I bought the E90 drop hats to keep the height the same as original.





I was pretty sure I had both front bearings but couldn't locate the second one so I think I'll buy one to continue. When you've had the project going on as long as this one and have moved a house and garage during the project you sometimes have a hard time finding something you know you have.

[Skarpa]

I made the modifications for the clutch and the brake peda. The clutch pedal stem clashed with the rubber boot of the clutch master cylinder even though I imagined it would not so I had to alter the curves in the pedal stem a little. I also had to make a new lever for the master cylinder.


Lever propped up for welding:


And weld:


I shortened the brake booster threads a little and switched the fork into a shorter E30 model. I drilled a hole through the entire pedal and mocked up the pedal. When I have confirmed everything and modified the fire wall I'll weld reinforcements for the pedal stem. There's not much adjustment left in the fork but you don't need much when you line up everything perfectly ;D




I think I'll keep the bracket for the clutch switch a bolt on part as original but I have to lengthen it according to movement of the master cylinder.


I can't help but to think there might have been an easier way to do all of this brake booster moving business. Oh well, it's already mostly done.

[Skarpa]

Work on booster relocation continues. I made the necessary markings for positioning the booster and then cut off the booster area of the firewall.


Then I welded the opening shut. The bit that extends down is because the hole fore the clutch main cylinder will be relocated as well.


I mocked up the pedal frame and marked the position of the holes in the firewall.


Holes cut:

I still need to drill a hole for the top hose of the clutch mc between the booster and the wire loom opening. The huge stock rubber grommet will not fit so I need to go with a smaller one.

Now I'm happy with the booster placement and orientation.




But as always, one modification leads to another. The new booster location blocks the hole for the throttle cable and the throttle linkage will not fit any more.

I think I'll shorten the throttle linkage shaft so that the cable will go through the pedal frame on the right side of the booster. I just need to reinstall the steering column before mocking that up to make sure I won't have another conflict there.

[Kershaw]

So much modification. It's like Project Binky.

[Skarpa]

So much modification. It's like Project Binky.

"Oh god! This is going to be another overengineered modification just for the sake of overengineering, isn't it?" :D

This is a pretty tame project compared to Binky but I like the comparison. Project Binky has been a great inspiration and we do use the same CAD system. (Cardboard Assisted Design)

[Skarpa]

Our first child was born a fortnight ago so there hasn't been much progress with project Armo but yesterday I found time to do some work at the garage. I haven't yet bought aluminum for modifying the throttle linkage so I'll let that ripen some more. Instead I focused on placement of some of the loose components in the engine bay, starting with the cruise control. The E30 cruise cable is way too short for ITBs and the end has a wrong shape. I replaced the cable with an E36 M3 one which is longer (even a bit too long) and has a straight end.


In early models the cruise control actuator is normally mounted on the side of the engine bay with a sheet metal bracket. My cruise control is from a late model and the bracket that came with it wants to bolt to the stock airbox mount which I don't have. I thought about that for a moment but couldn't think of a reason to use a separate bracket when you can just as well screw the actuator straight to the body. I marked and drilled the holes and installed some M6 nutserts.


I placed the actuator as far forward as possible to compensate for the slightly overlength E36 cable.


Next I had a look at the hydroboost reservoir. When mocking things up before I decided to mount the reservoir in the E36 stock location at the engine mount. The reservoir fits the E36 reservoir mount so the stock brackets were no longer needed and I cut them off. The outlet at the bottom of the reservoir was shaped like an elbow and pointed in entirely wrong direction so I hacked that off and left a short straight section. I'll use an elbowed hose instead. I don't have any tools for forming a bead in such a small pipe so Instead I made a weld bead around the end of the pipe. I believe that'll keep the hose from slipping off.


The spray paint doesn't last well on the reservoir so I think I'll have it plated. After the reservoir I took on placing the pressure regulator and the pressure accumulator ie. the "bomb". The best place for that seemed to be where the fuel filter normally sits. I mocked up a quick bracket for the bomb to see how it would sit.




I think that's it. I'll just need to make a few more mounting holes for the bracket with nutserts and weld some gussets. The bomb took the place of the fuel filter so I had to rethink that. First I thought about placing it under the brake main cylinder but then I realized that would block the route for the brake lines. I think I'll make a mount for the fuel filter next to the brake bomb.


Another option would be to place the fuel filter under the car but I think I'll avoid that having seen what happens to various brackets and mounts under the car in longer exposure to elements.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Congratulations!

[Skarpa]

Congratulations!

Thanks!

[Skarpa]

I've been using mostly genuine BMW parts but from about eight diferent models. I wonder how that affects my warranty This sticker had to go when I fabricated a bracket for a brake fluid reservoir from a 2002. At first I made a cardboard template:



Then same in sheet metal:

I made the bracket a closed one to avoid any unnecessary cavities where dirt and gunk might accrue. Also, I used captive nuts instead of nutserts because the nutserts have a collar around them and do not sit flush.


I could have placed the reservoir slightly higher. It has outlets going straight down so it's hard to avoid having the hoses twist into S-shape and have a kind of airlock in them but it should be no problem to bleed the air out of the hoses. I doubt I could have a continuous downward slope in the hoses even if I had placed the reservoir as far up as the hood allows. After the test fit I welded the bracket fully.



Next I finished the bracket for the brake bomb. I welded gussets in the ends and captive nuts for the fuel filter bracket.


I will put one nutsert in the frame beam for the bracket when I have the engine out of the way. Because the nutserts have the aforementioned collar, I welded a spacer behind the bracket to keep it straight.

[Skarpa]

Relocating the brake booster was the last of what I consider the "big jobs" with the body before painting. Now that it's almost finished I'm just left with a bunch of smaller stuff. I sat down and gave a good thinking of all the stuff I still need to do and came up with a 25 point checklist. Then it was just a matter of getting things done and ticking them off the list.

Last time I didn't finish the brake bomb bracket because I couldn't drill one hole in the frame beam with the engine on the way. I borrowed an angle drill from work and got it done.


It's not a tool you need often but when you do, there's nothing that can beat it.


Next I drilled a hole for the clutch mc hose and put a rubber grommet there.



I need to make a slightly oversize hole in the grommet. It's undersized for the hose but it's the biggest one I can fit there.

For the exhaust rear muffler mounts I made counterparts in the boot. I'll leave the separate so It's easy to replace them if needed. I'll have them zinc plated and will put a thin rubber between the parts and the trunk floor.




Then I put some nutserts for the rear seat and started planning on how I want to run the brake lines to and from the ABS pump. I needed to know that so I know where I want to place body screws for the brake pipe brackets.


Four down and twenty one to go.

[potatomash]

Good time to relocate the ABS, if you wanted to...fits underneath pretty well

[Skarpa]

Good time to relocate the ABS, if you wanted to...fits underneath pretty well.

Yeah, relocating the ABS is a must because I'll run the E36 filter box and it will not fit with the ABS in stock position. I made a recess under the filter box to keep the ABS inside the engine bay.

[potatomash]

Oh right, nice, basically same as me just opposite and the same result haha. Looks good