M54. Let the foolishness begin.

[matt]

Edit: I should add that I've noticed it seems to run in wasted spark mode without the cam sensor. That is, plugs 1 & 6 are firing simultaneously, not sequentially.

Yep, that's one of its many failsafe modes. It can't know specifically which one to fire without the cam sensor.

This is cool, keep up the good work.

[hoveringuy]

More signs of progress

I've finished all the big-ticket items and have been chipping away at the little details, there's a lot of them.

First, I visited Willise30 and installed the Hall to VR circuit in his beautiful S52. It didn't run at first (no voltage due to voltage at crank. Duh!) but when we got the right power connection it started right away and revved gloriously with his sweet new exhaust. So the circuit works end-to-end with a rear mounted Hall sender on OBD1. That's done.

I also completed a VANOS check with compressed air and the solenoid to verify that the cam advances and retards Ok. It did. More importantly, I rotated the engine through 720 degrees with the intake cams advanced all the way to verify no mechanical interference between valves and pistons . I've heard that's bad. Fortunately, no problems even with my head skimmed .006. Also, I measured the actual advance and it came out to 21 degrees. I've heard it will be less than that with oil.

Some people have asked how I intend to run a dual-VANOS motor on a 413 ecu which is obviously only designed for the intake cam. What about the exhaust cam and what about the full variable operation? The answer is that I'll leave the exhaust cam fully advanced at all times, just like an S50. The intake cam will advance and retard just like an S50, but will have greater advance. How will it run? I don't know. Might need to physically limit cam travel if the advance turns out to be too much.

The exhaust cam, from what I have found, is used mainly for emissions on this motor. It's used to heat the cats quicker at startup and also increased part throttle torque by reducing pumping losses.

I still haven't found a home for my e30 cluster temp sender. There's no obvious place to put it.

The picture is the water return pipe. The one on top goes to the heater core and the one with the brass adapter comes from the core and the expansion tank. I cut about 8" off that pipe because it originally went down to where the PS resevoir is. This will allow me to keep an e36 PS resevoir which will let me keep an e36 alternator. The Turner adapter won't fit in the M54 block, so I epoxied a brass adapter on the pipe. The pipe has almost exactly a 1"OD which made this really easy!

[hoveringuy]

Heater hose

I went to Napa auto parts and got a generic molded heater hose with a 90 degree bend to go on my newly grafted fitting. The hose will get a "T" fitting at the appropriate place when I get the motor in the chassis for the coolant resevoir.

I put the manifold back on and am really pleased with how well the pipe modification came out. In addition to greatly simplifying the plumbing it also gets the pipe out of the way of the throttle mechanism, which was a problem before.

I'd love to bolt the manifold down permanently and call it "done" but I haven't touched the knock sensors yet. I either need to buy a set (anyone have some spares?) or wait until I pull my M50 out and use those.

In any case, the motor is getting close to being done.

[Mot]

awesome work, I'm enjoying reading your progress, that motor should be a lot of fun in an e30.

[hoveringuy]

Veteran's Day

A day to thank those that have served before us, relax, and work on projects.

FedEx also delivers today which means I got the last pieces of my cooling system puzzle in. I had previously ordered e36 radiator hoses but still didn't have a way to connect them to the new-style modular connection on my Bling! thermostat housing. I've been planning on scrapping some M54 hoses to salvage the plastic connectors but since I didn't find a place to mount the e30 temp sender I had to re-think everything.

My final piece is the lower M54 hose which has the two plastic snap connectors, but the one that goes to the radiator also has a bung for mounting a temperature sensor. On the M54, this measures radiator outlet temp and is used to trigger the variable speed electric fan.

For me, I've moved it to the outlet of the thermostat and it's where my e30 gauge sender will find a home. The bung was the perfect size for an M14 tap and the sender screws right in. It's not the perfect solution, but I'll be measuring water temp close to engine temp once the thermostat opens.

I'm not sure why they added a temperature sensor to the thermostat housing, but it also measures inlet water temp. I'll probably plug that hole.

I've cut a few inches off the top e36 hose to compensate for the plastic piece and I may need to trim another 1" off. Better to do that in the car.

The lower hose is completely stock M54 with the radiator connector removed. I found that the e36 hose would NOT work because the angle of the thermostat housing is changed to clear the exhaust VANOS solenoid.

Notice the lack of a crank position sensor mount and toothed wheel. I don't even think there's room for one with the revised hose routing. Unfortunately, the A/C pulley is part of the vibration damper and can't be removed seperately. Will I need to remove the whole thing to clear the motor on install?? Maybe.

Yes, that's a new NAPA 2 ton folding shop crane. Thanks for noticing.

[DaN]

Good work dude, keep blazing that trail.

[GiedriusLTU]

what will u do with ASC/DSC unit? :) (sorry for mistakes, low grammar)

[318isbmw]

Looking good. I'm seriously excited to see this work in an e30.

[hoveringuy]

Exhaust

No suprises here. The OBD2 manifolds bolt right up. The exhaust ports have more of a square shape than I remember on the M50 or is that my imagination? One thing I learned from my last swap is to not tighten the manifold nuts down until the downpipe flanges are mated. Those were a b!tch to line up last time.

The air injection port on the M54 head is blocked and the manifold ports are welded.

Did I mention the engine is aluminum? It's super-duper light. I'll use the engine hoist to pull the M50 out but will probably just lift the M54 in by hand...

[evil_twin]

Hey, so are you going to run both vanos? I don't know if you found a way to run both of them, but if you haven't let me know, I have an idea for you :)

[StereoInstaller1]

Wow, what a build.

That thermostat housing, just beautiful.

I really don't understand why you care so much about your bench grinders' speed, but I am sure you have your reasons.

[hoveringuy]

Hey, so are you going to run both vanos? I don't know if you found a way to run both of them, but if you haven't let me know, I have an idea for you :)

No, I'll leave the exhaust VANOS disconnected and oil pressure will keep it fully advanced at all times. The 413 ECU is only designed to run the intake VANOS and even if I hooked up the exhaust it wouldn't be tuned for it. I'm not even sure how well it will be tuned for the extra 8 degrees this motor will advance the intake over the M50.

Maybe I can talk Matt into developing a chip??

I promise a dyno plot is forthcoming.

Long term, I have other things in mind for the dual VANOS...

That thermostat housing, just beautiful.

I really don't understand why you care so much about your bench grinders' speed, but I am sure you have your reasons.

The thermostat is cool. Kudos to Zionsville.

The benchgrinder speed was only important because I needed it to spin fast enough to simulate the engine at max RPM. 3600 rpm was fast enough, especially since the M50 sender wheel has twice the diameter of the M54 one.

[matt]

I told you I"ll help you tune it if you make it run. :)

[hoveringuy]

Cams

So I will probably pull the M50 this Saturday...

I'm looking at different cam specs and I know that the M54 is 240 degrees duration intake, 244 exhaust with lifts of 9.7 and 9 mm respectively.

The S50 has 253/10.3mm intake and 244/9.7 exhaust.

So the M54 has 12 degrees more duration on the intake cam. My question is, how does the math work with VANOS advance... If the M54 VANOS advances 15 more degrees than the M50 (40 vice 25), but has 12 degrees more duration, does that mean it works out to be about the same??

One of you really smart guys must know the answer.

.....edit.....

I drew myself a picture and I think this is what it works out to. The M54 is initially a little more retarded on the intake and ends up advancing just past where an M50 does.

I am not a cam expert. Anyone have some insight on this?

[hoveringuy]

Fuel pressure regulator

It's a little thing, but still important.

I need to convert the return fuel system to a non-return fuel rail. For the sake of emissions (again!) the fuel rail was changed to not flow the fuel through it. This was done to keep from heating it which reduces vapor pressure and evaporation.

Anyway, the fuel rail is a literal dead end and I need to add an external fuel pressure regulator that will shunt the proper pressure to the rail.

I have a fuel pressure gauge on the rail that I'll calibrate it with once the motor is in.