My M52TU Swap

[accident]

This is coming along really well. Very impressive. :up:

[e46s54dr]

Youre running a lift arc tig welder without a foot control arent you? Awesome work though, I love me some fabrication.

[Lawson509]

No we have two tig welders in our shop. Both are foot operated and both are Miller. One is digital and 200amp with hardly any setting adjustment and the other is 250amp and you can change anything, purge time, dwell, etc.

[Lawson509]

Running through some diagnostics

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz202/Lawson509/Wiring%20stuffs/DSCN4299.jpg

Wiring with half the wires stripped down to only necessary wires

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz202/Lawson509/Wiring%20stuffs/DSCN4300.jpg

Here is the sensor mount installed

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz202/Lawson509/Wiring%20stuffs/DSCN4308.jpg

[Leo_328i]

Lawson, this is really impressive! I really like how you're trying to retain as much of the E46 electronics as possible, this is a really complete and total conversion!

Looks like a lot of stuffing around though - I really wish I had time to do stuff like this still but I just started a new full time job!

[Lawson509]

Yeah keeping most of the e46 systems kinda makes this one a bit of fun. Working through the differences in sensor read outs and system variations can get a bit challenging at times. The e46 looks for a lot of digital signals from sensors and switches which the e30 doesn't, so working through that has required a lot of adaptation.

[Lawson509]

Fricken adapters

So I forked over way too much money for an oil adapter for gauges from Bimmerworld. Turns out they list it as working on the m52 motor but don't care to mention that it doesn't fit on the m52TU motor. I got all excited, went to put it on... and failure. So then I spent the rest of today modifying the adapter and finding fittings to make it fit. I could've made my own that fit in the time I wasted modifying this piece of crap. Anyway, I made this deal and it looks like crap but I hope it will work. I installed an oil temp sensor and oil pressure sender on it.

Here is a picture of what it started out as from Bimmer...


Here's how it turned out...

[accident]

noob question, but where does it mount?

[hoveringuy]

Nice progress! I'd love to see your car at the picnic this summer.

[Lawson509]

It mounts on the back of the oil filter block. I will have pics up later of it in place.

[Lawson509]

Here are the photos of the oil distribution block installed in the car. It is so freaking tight in there. Everything is tucked in around it. I got it in once and it started leaking like mad, so I had to pull it out and retighten all the bolts and now it works. Here are some photos of the car itself as it sits.

[hoveringuy]

I moved my PS resevoir down to the engine mounting arm to gain some room.

Also, can you take a picture of your manifold to booster clearance.

How does it drive?

[Lawson509]

I am running the 944 booster. Here are the clearances:





It drives strong, but i am showing some tiny leaks from a couple spots. I am going to chase those down. There is a bit of a vibration from what I believe is the flywheel. I am running the m20 flywheel and I think that is causing it to vibrate a bit. I will switch to the e46 dual mass flywheel when I get money and time.

[Lawson509]

I spent a bit of today modifying my exhaust as well. I know it isn't the prettiest, but I tried to do my best with what I had. There are so many welds because I chopped up like 3 different old exhausts to put them together. I tig welded most up like 2 weeks ago, and it took me 4 hours cuz there were so many welds. By the end of it my welds got a little uglier. It sounds good, but there is a bit of rasp :(

[328ijunkie]

Noice. Did you go with a 2.5 or 2.8 M52TU?