Heat shield options?

[Stu]

That Signature Motoring item looks like a pretty nice piece. I used a modified version of an M20 heatshield with a 3.5" MAF, worked well but didn't look great. However, I think a modified european airbox is the best way to go. I wish I had pics on this computer of the one we ran with a 2.9 M50. The filter was well isolated but the box was opened up on the filter side. Looked very factory...but the kicker was the noise it made. I've never heard a single-throttle M/S50 that made near CF 'box S14 intake roar. That is definately on the list for the next 24v E30.

[C-T]

that's cool. I bet they could make something up for me. I tried but it was frustrating and not worth my time..

I was impressed with the offer. I opted for their "deluxe" shield that includes a smaller shield to totally seal off that part of the bay, and it came to ~ $130, which I found reasonable considering ECIS used to sell just their shield for about the same. If this solution cannot be made to work, I have the option of paying an extra $128 for a fully customized shield for my setup, rather than be left with a useless heat shield and having to come fully out of pocket for the new item.

Needless to say, I have my fingers crossed that this works out!

[mscott]

i'm interested too. mine's a m42 radiator though.

[nando]

that's cool. I bet they could make something up for me. I tried but it was frustrating and not worth my time..

[C-T]

No pics - No shield yet. Signature Motoring has been very good so far about going over my engine bay pics and asking for measurements. To their credit they are taking their time to make sure the shield fits as well as possible when I finally go to install it:

A stock heat shield with a custom-sized hole is still a stock heat shield at no extra charge. The good news is it looks like the stock heat shield will fit, but there are some fitment issues you should be aware of:

1.) The upper radiator hose in your car protrudes more from the radiator and also comes down lower. There might be some mild fitment issues there. There is generous play in the insulation trim around the heat shield that should allow for the difference.

2.) With the stock engine, the heat shield rests securely against extremeties on the driver-side of the engine. In your car, there doesn?t seem to be anything similar to stop the heat shield from leaning over to the passenger side too far. This problem could be rectified by a supporting wire (bailing wire) passing under the filter tubing to anchor the heat shield to something around the coolant expansion tank.

3.) Your filter base looks much bigger in diameter than the K&N one we use. Your filter might not fit properly in the area within the heat shield.

To get a better handle on these issues, you can measure the areas shown in the photos. Even so, we wouldn?t be able to guarantee perfect fitment as we do with a stock configuration. To decide where to have the hole in your heat shield, we need a measurement from the ?floor? (shelf) to the bottom of your filter tubing.

In another cool gesture, they have also offered to apply the cost of the heat shield to a fully custom-made heat shield for the price difference if this shield cannot be made to fit. That surprised me, considering the shield they are making for me is going to be utterly worthless for anybody else to use, especially once I am done modifying it to work with my setup. Time will tell.

[mscott]

how's the heat shield working. got any pics.

[MIKe30]

radiator works fine on my s50 (soon to be s52) track car. I have an electric fan I run in the pits and it stays at 1/2 or less on the gauge otherwise. No problems, no regrets. I'm on my second radiator in 4 years, each has had over 100k on it and cost nothing!

what fan are you running? I need to pick one up...

[1990m3]

radiator works fine on my s50 (soon to be s52) track car. I have an electric fan I run in the pits and it stays at 1/2 or less on the gauge otherwise. No problems, no regrets. I'm on my second radiator in 4 years, each has had over 100k on it and cost nothing!

[nando]

if it works fine on a turbo 24v I don't see why there'd be an issue with an S52. it's not like it's a "hot" motor.

[e30m3power]

That radiator is nice! I wonder how it would work with the S5X's.

I'm in the middle of Euro S50b32 swap myself and will be paying close attention to how this all works for Chris.

[JGood]

Yeah, it's an m42 radiator. IMO, that's the way to go. It cleans everything up, provides more room, and is cheap (I think mine was ~$100 new on ebay). Maybe guys with built s52's in hot weather need more cooling, but my m50 didn't budge the needle at all, in 100 degree weather, in stop and go traffic, this summer.

[Chapel]

oh, that would make sense. I thought the fit was rather OEM looking

[nando]

looks like an M42 radiator

[Chapel]

the problem is C's car has the factory E30 external reservoir... so a lot of the options you guys are posting would encroach on that space.
Those options would be great if he had the radiator with the built in expansion tank:

but, never having really looked at the M50 swaps, I'm not sure what radiator that is.

[jrdeamicis]

I can't.

:)

The Airbox works out great. Pulls coldish are in. Doesn't get too loud. And looks LEGIT.

Most people can not even tell that my motor came from a different car. I should get an updated photo with the airbox and how it mounts.