325e turbo / fun project

[go sideways]

how is the build going

[Cyrix2k]

:edit: I posted in my old thread. This car has an m50b25 in it now!

how is the build going

SLOW, but it's about to pick up :D

Soooo like a year later, and parts are coming in again. Screw NA, this baby is getting FI.

Updates since my last post:
Not much has happened. I did do some quick wiring and successfully started the car (video below), but it was unable to be driven. A job that I was told I had fell through after they jerked me around all summer which both killed my budget and prime wrenching opportunities. I applied for a couple other jobs, most to put pressure on the offer I was told I had - "only the paperwork needed to be completed" and instead took a different job about 24 hours after I started applying. Since then I've been busy, but now have a decent budget and nice weather is rolling around again. My goal is to have it on the road by June 1st 2012 (I'll put a year there, just in case!)

Video of the start

http://youtu.be/Hq3zMlXjd88

Hopefully the motor is fine after sitting for so long... I pulled the spark plugs and it cranked over fine by hand a couple weekends ago.

Annnd a new delivery:

Familiar turbo?

Old turbo on left

[Cyrix2k]

So I wired the engine up again to make sure everything was still ready to go. I'm glad to say that it fired right up! Video of engine firing... this is on starting fluid so it died immediately, but I fixed my fuel issue later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTe2kQHz88Y

Teaser time:


Today I removed the a/c bracket from the side of the motor, removed the factory manifolds, and mocked up the turbo. Rather annoyingly, it looks like the turbo oil drain line needs to be about 20" and all the ebay kits are 17".... so time to order a 3 foot length of -10 braided hose from summit. It also looks like my 3" exhaust is going to be TIGHT, but it will fit. Before we get there, the bracket for my early model coolant expansion tank was in the way, so off it goes!

Plenty of room now

and a parting shot

[entrepreneuR]

Nice build!

[Cyrix2k]

moar updates. I pulled the engine thursday to pull the oilpan, have easier access to the transmission linkage, and to fix the brake booster situation. Originally I was planning to use the stock booster and redrill the holes on the firewall, but I stopped by the junkyard today to get some misc hardware and also wound up with a girling 944 booster. If you don't know, the girling uses a 12mm rod that needs to be ground down and threaded while the ATE uses a 10mm rod that only needs to be threaded. I thought this was going to be hard - actually it's not that bad.

Pics!
Oil pan with -10an return


New, chinese metric die set from sears. Note the (standard) tap & die set underneath was made in the USA.


944 booster


944 booster with extension removed and marked for grinding/threading. Note the black sharpie mark is where my e30 jam nut sits.


Ground down. It turns out this doesn't need to be perfect as the die will clean it up


Tap that! I used ATF for lube, dunno if you can go dry without damage to the die?


oooh, nice. I took the die off for the pic, but leave it on for the next step


Compared to the stock booster (on left)


bottom of masking tape is the cut line


that looks good!


Wow, perfect fit the very first time!!! Seriously, that's what I found when I went under the dash. It literally could not have been any better.


More updates tomorrow. With luck, the engine will be back in and I'll have a functioning shifter again!

[mbonanni]

What are those switches on the kick panel in the first post interior pic?

Car looks good. turbo m50 sounds fun. I get a kick out of m50's as is.

[Cyrix2k]

What are those switches on the kick panel in the first post interior pic?

Car looks good. turbo m50 sounds fun. I get a kick out of m50's as is.

They used to control neons back when the PO had it riced out I used the first two for low & high speed fan override since I deleted the mechanical fan.

[Cyrix2k]

So I went to test fit my ebay wastegate and it doesn't f***ing fit. The inside diameter of the flange is correct, but the outside diameter is about 4mm smaller than the tial flange. I went searching for solutions and came up with the following options:

1. Buy the correct vibrant or tial inlet flange, grind it out to fit around my wastegate's outlet, and weld it on. I'll also need to buy a clamp. $60 for parts plus stainless wire & gas.
2. Buy a TiAL 44mm MV-R that comes with everything. Cost $365

Since the valve seat doesn't fit properly on my ebay wg and at the end of the day it is still an ebay wastegate, I just bought an MV-R.

I'll post another update tomorrow. The engine is still out, but the manifold is on (hope it clears the engine bay!), I started fabbing my 3" downpipe, I welded the 3" vband to the turbo, the e34 accelerator cable made it on, I welded the oil pump nut to the sprocket, and the oil pan is back on. I'll call that progress.

[ANDRÜ]

Cool project, looks like almost the same airesearch I used on my eta, only internally wastegated

[Cyrix2k]

Video of it firing up on the stock injectors :) I was an idiot and capped the valve cover off... BIG mistake. I have oil everywhere on the floor, lol. And the smoke is from starting fluid to test for spark before giving it fuel. The ICV is deleted so it wouldn't hold an idle by itself in this video. I adjusted the accelerator cable to hold the TB cracked open and it idles now.

http://youtu.be/VmNOwCdqop4

Cool project, looks like almost the same airesearch I used on my eta, only internally wastegated

That turbo actually worked pretty well. It was enough to waste the stock clutch and lift the head on the m20.

[RawToast]

[downforce22]

very nice, would have liked to see the m20 setup though

[Cyrix2k]

very nice, would have liked to see the m20 setup though

here you go. It was NOT clean but it ran.



Intercooled, notice the change in the charge piping.

[downforce22]

from that picture it looks like it goes into the water pump haha!

half the mess is the megasquirt and wiring/ spark control. What is the thing on the exhaust side of the intake manifold? it looks like the ICV or something

[Cyrix2k]

from that picture it looks like it goes into the water pump haha!

half the mess is the megasquirt and wiring/ spark control. What is the thing on the exhaust side of the intake manifold? it looks like the ICV or something

it is an ICV, capped off and unhooked but not removed lol. I'm going to try and make this new setup clean for once. In my video I'm still using those old GM coils, but I'll be moving to the BMW coils & using the factory harness which should help a lot.