Let's try this again: DOHC exhaust

[BigD]

All of you guys that fabbed the exhaust or know exactly what the exhaust shop did, what was it?

The ORCA exhaust make-up procedure is a pain. They also call for extending the sway bar brackets and shimming the sway bar bushings, to make the sway bar hang lower. Matt says he shimmed the exhaust side motor mount. ORCA calls for shims on both sides, I guess this was extra? I like LINUS' idea of welding reinforcement plates over the motor mount holes as they definitely look gimpy. I wonder if I should just make the plates thick enough to take care of the shimming... but then how thick should they be?

Then what about the downpipe mods? Even with all the shimming, the ORCA info calls for some fucked up cutting and welding, I really can't picture what they're saying... and the pictures don't help.

[BimmerToad]

I raised the exhaust side engine mount with a 1/4" steel plate 'washer' and used 2 2" mandrel j-bends along with the stock downpipe flanges for my system. It requires a bit of a magic to mate the flanges to the studs on the manifolds, but it clears my stock sway bar w/o modifications to either the downpipes or sway bar system.

[permit]

Ebay headers -> Y-pipe -> single cat -> Y-pipe -> IE catback

Don't ask me why there are two Y-pipes. My exhaust has been hacked over too many times to answer that.

[BigD]

Ebay headers -> Y-pipe -> single cat -> Y-pipe -> IE catback

Don't ask me why there are two Y-pipes. My exhaust has been hacked over too many times to answer that.

I was actually hoping for something more specific like bends and cuts - I need to know how the shit fits.

[325Projectz]

If you want extra room, get obd2 manifolds... cut a wedge out of the front mani towards the bottom flange, bend it and reweld it... only do that if you plan on going custom exhaust.

That way you'll buy more room, instead of riding the subframe and swaybar.

If you need a diagram, let me know ;)

[BigD]

I raised the exhaust side engine mount with a 1/4" steel plate 'washer' and used 2 2" mandrel j-bends along with the stock downpipe flanges for my system. It requires a bit of a magic to mate the flanges to the studs on the manifolds, but it clears my stock sway bar w/o modifications to either the downpipes or sway bar system.

How about clearance over the lollipops?

LINUS, how thick are your reinforcement plates? Maybe I'll just use the plates as spacers, 1/4" on both sides, or some extra on the exhaust side...

[BigD]

If you want extra room, get obd2 manifolds... cut a wedge out of the front mani towards the bottom flange, bend it and reweld it... only do that if you plan on going custom exhaust.

That way you'll buy more room, instead of riding the subframe and swaybar.

Sorry I didn't know it makes a difference, but that is what I have (S52). By custom exhaust you mean front to rear, or custom down pipes?

If you need a diagram, let me know ;)

Yes please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[325Projectz]

Damn, I was hoping you didn't want one... Off to ms paint I go.

[BigD]

Damn, I was hoping you didn't want one... Off to ms paint I go.

LOL thanks dude. :)

[bdi_fc]

I just took mine to a performance exhaust shop. No hacking or cutting required. The exhaust master had the appropriate bends on hand to make it work without cutting up the existing manifold or any of the surrounding area.

It can be done.

[BimmerToad]

How about clearance over the lollipops?

I started my swap with the THR lollipops, so clearance wasn't an issue ... and off the top of my head, I don't know it would have been with the stock lollipops (... hmm, I really don't sound like much help). I just bought mandrel bends, 2 stock downpipe flanges and went to a exhaust shop.

Are you thinking of linking up the downpipes to a stock exhaust system, or going with a custom solution?

[BDSax]

I just took mine to a performance exhaust shop. No hacking or cutting required. The exhaust master had the appropriate bends on hand to make it work without cutting up the existing manifold or any of the surrounding area.

It can be done.

thats what im going to do. im going to let them do the bends and ill weld

[LINUS]

I'm not near the rocket surgeon you make me out to be D.
Hindsight being 20/20 I should have mounted my Turner subframe re-enforcement smaller plate on the outside (upper) of the subframe, rather than inside as a normal S14 E30M3 would be totally happy with. It would have killed 2 birds with 1 stone, as I would have jacked the motormount up 1/8", and done the re-enforcing all in one.

ORCA calls for a 1/4" plate, but the reason I keep referring to only 1/8" is because I welded the Ireland swaybar mount plate to the sway tab on the subframe, thereby dropping the swaybar 1/8", and since the main reason ORCA jacks the motormounts is to clear the exhaust over the sway, I split the difference 1/8" in each direction, rather than jack the motor to make the gap.

I hope I made that clear, if not you are free to email me D.

And for the record, when this all makes its' way into my bay, I have the Ebay headers, so I plan to go together with those, unless it doesn't fit, in which case I have my OBD2 mani's. If I have to use those I will, temporarily. Then make whatever adjustments to get the Ebay headers working.

[Fidhle007]

Does the IE catback flow enough for an M52?

[BigD]

I just took mine to a performance exhaust shop. No hacking or cutting required. The exhaust master had the appropriate bends on hand to make it work without cutting up the existing manifold or any of the surrounding area.

It can be done.

I'm sure it can be done but it can't be done by me and unless there is just no other way, I want to do every last thing on this swap myself. It sounds like if I shim the engine and use THR cab's, then I'll be able to use the E36 midsection and manifolds unmolested. The only thing I don't get is which one. The manifolds I'll obviously use from the S52. But I'll need an X pipe for the O2 sensor and I don't know of the OBD2 midsection has that.

ORCA calls for a 1/4" plate, but the reason I keep referring to only 1/8" is because I welded the Ireland swaybar mount plate to the sway tab on the subframe, thereby dropping the swaybar 1/8", and since the main reason ORCA jacks the motormounts is to clear the exhaust over the sway, I split the difference 1/8" in each direction, rather than jack the motor to make the gap.

Actually, ORCA calls for a 1/4" drop and lengthening the sway bar brackets and shimming the bushings by 1/4"... So they're effectively calling for an extra 1/2" clearance...

http://www.thethrilloflife.com/E30DOHC/chassis_prep/1B.html

I don't want to do that step... cause I can't weld (well I wouldn't trust my welds).