m52 swap - Exhaust Help! + Few other questions...

[r4esh]

My project is sooo close to finish, all that is left is exhaust, chip, and power steering (arg! see below).

The plan was to try and bolt up the stock m52 (off a 328is) exhaust for a temporary solution just to see the car run. At one point before drive + heatsheilds + crossmembers were in the way we actually got it fit right up perfectly for a test fit. Now all those elements are in the way.. Seems as though I can't angle the back end of it up enough to clear or something due to the heatsheild and then it wont come forward without hitting the body crossmember. Soo:

What do you think about ditching the heat-shields?
What have you guys done to keep the heat-shields BUT move the O2 sensors?
I did an OBD1 conversion, so do I have to use different o2 sensors?

At this point after trying to molest it enough to get in there I'm considering chopping it up / trying our REALLY crappy inexperienced weld job on it that will probably leak and look ugly + require taking an angle grinder to it afterward to clean it up..... :(

Because doing this swap I ran out of money ;) - the ideal exhaust setup is going to have to wait... I just need something now that will get me through emissions + work for a month or so to get the car running. Ideas ?

---

Other quick questions.
I've got this stupid power-steering issue where the power steering pump that came on my m52 has one hollow large nut fitting (high pressure line) and the other is just a typical hose clamp (no pressure line to reservoir) but my e30 lines wont work (different size hollow fitting). Do I need the e36 power-steering line?

Also.. what are people doing for cheap adapter solutions for using a 540's MAF and the smaller e36 intake boot?


Thanks a lot!

[7pilot]

My swap was into an E30 M3. YMMV
For the Power steering i could have used both my E30 hoses. I Needed to shorten the low pressure hose as I relocated the PS fluid reservoir down to E36 M3 position on the LS engine mount arm.
I wanted my swap to be reversible so I bought the shorter E36 Low Pressure Hose.

3.5" MAF to E36 3" elbow....Go to your local muffler shop.
They will stretch a short piece of 3" exhaust pipe to 3.5".

Exhaust..I have seen E36 cut'n'shut jobs.
I went a different route.

m

[chuck90m3]

3.5" MAF to E36 3" elbow....


I took the boot put it in the microwave and heated it then stretched the boot to fit the MAF. worked like a charm.

[r4esh]

I tried that... heated it until it was smoking and didn't really have luck stretching it. IT really worked for you? How long did you put it in?

[broach328]

^^^ my god that is a clean swap.

[triggrhaapi]

Why would you bother to do a 540 maf if you're going to be using a stock intake boot and throttle body? Moreover, why would you plug that unholy alliance of parts into an M20 airbox?

[broach328]

why wouldnt you? it looks super clean. very oem. i kinda dig it.

[triggrhaapi]

What's the point of a 540 MAF if it goes to a narrower elbow and t/b? Where does that gain you anything? It's only a net gain if the WHOLE thing is 3.5". Otherwise it just bottlenecks as soon as it comes out of the maf and into the suddenly smaller elbow. What's worse is that the opening SLAMS shut to 3" instead of at least having a gradual decrease.

Turbulent flow vs laminar flow.

[broach328]

im debating on what i want to do with mine right now. can you post a pic of your setup please? theres an intake here that might be my route:

http://r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=162274

[e30polak]

im debating on what i want to do with mine right now. can you post a pic of your setup please? theres an intake here that might be my route:

http://r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=162274

Either way, on an NA car you wont see much of a gain from an intake set-up. This is even truer when the intake set-up has not been specifically tuned for the car.

Trigger has a point about the m20 airbox set-up. The bend in the intake boot, coupled with the 3.5" - 3" bottle neck is probably more harmful then running a full 3" setup. I will be switching to a the intake/airbox set-up that will smoothly transition from 3"-3.5" right after the throttle body.

If you're interested in the airbox/intake kit, let me know. ;)

[chuck90m3]

Why would you bother to do a 540 maf if you're going to be using a stock intake boot and throttle body? Moreover, why would you plug that unholy alliance of parts into an M20 airbox?

I just liked the way the stock air box looked. As far as how it performed, like e30polak posted there isn't any real difference in the way the car ran with the air box or without it.

[broach328]

the m52 already gives me enough performance, i wasnt going for performance gains. i want something clean and oemish. right now im running open filter and that cant be the ideal way to do it? (no heatgaurd)

[jahnaboi]

What's the point of a 540 MAF if it goes to a narrower elbow and t/b? Where does that gain you anything? It's only a net gain if the WHOLE thing is 3.5". Otherwise it just bottlenecks as soon as it comes out of the maf and into the suddenly smaller elbow. What's worse is that the opening SLAMS shut to 3" instead of at least having a gradual decrease.

Turbulent flow vs laminar flow.

Very true. But I still think the disadvantage is still minimal. I believe the whole point of the 3.5" MAF is to monitor less amount of air thus allowing the car to run slightly leaner which nets higher peak numbers based on air/fuel ratios as opposed to air flow.

[triggrhaapi]

Very true. But I still think the disadvantage is still minimal. I believe the whole point of the 3.5" MAF is to monitor less amount of air thus allowing the car to run slightly leaner which nets higher peak numbers based on air/fuel ratios as opposed to air flow.

Matt shut that brief comment down when I said it and he's totally right. If you have access to modify fuel related settings in the DME which Turner DOES, then the MAF being bigger can ONLY have to do with the larger cross section and nothing else.

[triggrhaapi]

Either way, on an NA car you wont see much of a gain from an intake set-up. This is even truer when the intake set-up has not been specifically tuned for the car.

Trigger has a point about the m20 airbox set-up. The bend in the intake boot, coupled with the 3.5" - 3" bottle neck is probably more harmful then running a full 3" setup. I will be switching to a the intake/airbox set-up that will smoothly transition from 3"-3.5" right after the throttle body.

If you're interested in the airbox/intake kit, let me know. ;)

I remember silicone intakes has a 3.5-3 elbow that has a perfectly laminar transition. Lots of people on the E36 M3 section at BFC have used it with great results.